Tour de France 2009

[Matt79]

Probably good enough to place top 20 consisntently, but not to win. By being domestiques on a team like Astana, they are part of a win and probably get paid more, with better job security. Listenig to them being interviewed, the domestiques and lead out guys take as much pleasure and pride in their team leader winning as the team leader enjoys.

It's like any team sport I guess.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Probably good enough to place top 20 consisntently, but not to win. By being domestiques on a team like Astana, they are part of a win and probably get paid more, with better job security. Listenig to them being interviewed, the domestiques and lead out guys take as much pleasure and pride in their team leader winning as the team leader enjoys.

It's like any team sport I guess.

I guess so...but it's not quite the same as any team sport, Contador's name will be known among cycling fans in years to come (much as I have heard of Indurain, Merckx, Hinault etc) but the likes of Paulinho, Popovych, Zubeldia, even Kloden, will be complete zeros. Obviously there are superstars and journeymen in all sports teams, but maybe not to the same extent as cycling.

 

[Jamee999]

Quick, who played right-back for the 1966 World Cup team?

 

[Johnners]

John Wayne

 

[Craig]

Zubeldia has twice finished 5th at the Tour but hasn't had a win since 2000!

 

[Craig]

TT start list:

106. LLOYD Matthew 14:40:00
107. TROFIMOV Yury 14:42:00
108. LARSSON Gustav 14:44:00
109. MARTIN Tony 14:46:00
110. ROY Jérémy 14:48:00
111. NIERMANN Grischa 14:50:00
112. GUSTOV Volodymir 14:52:00
113. PAURIOL Rémi 14:54:00
114. URAN Rigoberto 14:56:00
115. MENCHOV Denis 14:58:00
116. LEFEVRE Laurent 15:00:00
117. MINARD Sébastien 15:02:00
118. IVANOV Serguei 15:04:00
119. PASAMONTES Luis 15:06:00
120. MARTINEZ Egoi 15:08:00
121. PELLIZOTTI Franco 15:10:00
122. KIRCHEN Kim 15:12:00
123. VELITS Peter 15:14:00
124. PAULINHO Sergio 15:16:00
125. SORENSEN Chris 15:18:00
126. SANCHEZ Luis-Leon 15:20:00
127. EVANS Cadel 15:22:00
128. POPOVYCH Yaroslav 15:24:00
129. DUPONT Hubert 15:26:00
130. MOREAU Christophe 15:28:00
131. SORENSEN Nicki 15:30:00
132. MONFORT Maxime 15:32:00
133. ZUBELDIA Haimar 15:34:00
134. GERDEMANN Linus 15:36:00
135. ROCHE Nicolas 15:38:00
136. CHAVANEL Sylvain 15:41:00
137. HINCAPIE George 15:44:00
138. ROLLAND Pierre 15:47:00
139. KNEES Christian 15:50:00
140. FEILLU Brice 15:53:00
141. BOTCHAROV Alexandre 15:56:00
142. VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen 15:59:00
143. GOUBERT Stephane 16:02:00
144. KARPETS Vladimir 16:05:00
145. CASAR Sandy 16:08:00
146. SASTRE Carlos 16:11:00
147. NOCENTINI Rinaldo 16:14:00
148. KREUZIGER Roman 16:17:00
149. ASTARLOZA Mikel 16:20:00
150. LE MEVEL Christophe 16:23:00
151. VANDE VELDE Christian 16:26:00
152. NIBALI Vincenzo 16:29:00
153. WIGGINS Bradley 16:32:00
154. KLÖDEN Andréas 16:35:00
155. ARMSTRONG Lance 16:38:00
156. SCHLECK Frank 16:41:00
157. SCHLECK Andy 16:44:00
158. CONTADOR Alberto 16:47:00

 

[Jamee999]

Contador

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Contador

In a class of his own.

 

[Matteh]

I guess so...but it's not quite the same as any team sport, Contador's name will be known among cycling fans in years to come (much as I have heard of Indurain, Merckx, Hinault etc) but the likes of Paulinho, Popovych, Zubeldia, even Kloden, will be complete zeros. Obviously there are superstars and journeymen in all sports teams, but maybe not to the same extent as cycling.

Zubeldia/Kloeden are hardly the complete zeroes though, the guys you're comparing them to are like Pele/Maradona, literally the best in the world at any given time.

Following that analogy would compare Kloeden to someone like Shearer, you've heard of him, you know he's good but what exactly has he won?

 

[Matteh]

I know it's British to knock down your top sportsmen but i've never warmed to Cavendish (compared to Wiggins/Millar, despite everything), but just where have all the top sprinters gone?

Rewind 5-10 years, you'd have Cippolini, McEwen, Hushovd, Boonen, Freire, Zabel, Jalabert, Steels, McGee and also O'Grady/Svorada/Kirsipuu/Ivanov to some extent battling it out in the last few km.

These days you have Cav, Hushovd and not a lot else. There's guys like Ciolek/Farrar coming through, Hunter is with an average team and the likes of Boonen/Freire seem to have lost it somewhat. Surely it's a relative doddle to win the sprint stages now?

 

[Pothas]

Contador

Just amazing he looked so comfortable yesterday and to beat Fabian Cancellara today is fantastic, would have loved to have seen him v Armstrong of a couple of years ago.

 

[Craig]

I know it's British to knock down your top sportsmen but i've never warmed to Cavendish (compared to Wiggins/Millar, despite everything), but just where have all the top sprinters gone?

Rewind 5-10 years, you'd have Cippolini, McEwen, Hushovd, Boonen, Freire, Zabel, Jalabert, Steels, McGee and also O'Grady/Svorada/Kirsipuu/Ivanov to some extent battling it out in the last few km.

These days you have Cav, Hushovd and not a lot else. There's guys like Ciolek/Farrar coming through, Hunter is with an average team and the likes of Boonen/Freire seem to have lost it somewhat. Surely it's a relative doddle to win the sprint stages now?

Only Boonen, Petacchi and Farrar have beaten Cavendish in the sprints thid year. He isn't impossible to beat, you just need to find a way to disrupt his lead out train which is just too strong.

 

[Matteh]

Point is though, is that there's not really the same numbers that are competing for the line as there were.

 

[Craig]

Point is though, is that there's not really the same numbers that are competing for the line as there were.

Daniele Bennati of Liquigas hasn't been firing and he won two stages in 2007 and three at last year's Giro. As for Ivanov, I wouldn't call him a sprinter as such since he was able to win Amstel Gold.

 

[Craig]

Mark Cavendish has won 5 stages now and I would expect him to make it 6 on Sunday.

 

[Jamee999]

Around 500,000 people on the slopes of the Ventaux

 

[Craig]

And winds have been reported to be up to 110km/h!

From another forum:

Maybe that is what the conversation between Armstrong and Schlecklet was a few days ago?

Lance: Man, you sure ride that bike well

Andy: I'm not gay old man

Lance: No, no, nothing like that, I just want to see if you want some candy?

Andy: Look, you're kind of creepy, would you leave me alone?

Lance: Hey, hey, this windowless van with Radio Shack on the side may look "white trashy" but it has a sweet stereo. Want to listen?

Andy: Nah, I don't think I want to listen to Pearl Jam, they are kind of old.

Lance: But I will give you the chance to put your ambitions on hold so that you can solely ride for my attempt to win an 8th Tour. I do however reserve the right to cancel your participation in the 2010 Tour and make you ride the Giro or Vuelta if I suspect that you may be riding too well.

Andy: Well, your offer is quite enticing, but I think I will stay where I am, thanks. Dude, that's gross, sporting a boner is really bad form old dude, seriously.

 

[Matteh]

Wigginsssss

 

[Isolator]

A general cycling question : can someone educate me as to why the hour record* (currently 49.7 kms according to wikipedia) is such a big deal, when individual time trials are being done at a comparable speed, over a comparable distance? For instance, Contador completed the 40.5 km stage 18 time trial in 48 minutes and 30 seconds, which is about 50 kmph. And this after 17 previous days of riding.

I know basically nothing about cycling, and I have the feeling I'm missing something here.



* Hour record - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Magrat Garlick]

A general cycling question : can someone educate me as to why the hour record* (currently 49.7 kms according to wikipedia) is such a big deal, when individual time trials are being done at a comparable speed, over a comparable distance? For instance, Contador completed the 40.5 km stage 18 time trial in 48 minutes and 30 seconds, which is about 50 kmph. And this after 17 previous days of riding.

I know basically nothing about cycling, and I have the feeling I'm missing something here.



* Hour record - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The hour record is done on a velodrome. Thus, the effects of wind - which can be beneficial outdoors - are eliminated.

I'm fairly sure Contador or Cancellara could beat the hour record if they tried, though. It was more significant back in the 70s when Eddy Merckx basically went into a velodrome on a road bike and smashed the record to pieces.