Le Tour 2011.

[demorier]

Watched stage 1 last night. Contador and at least 1 of the Schlek brothers got nailed about 9km from home in the middle of the crash...and then another at about 4km to go....put those 2 top contenders about 1'20" behind the winner. Played into the favour of our man Evans.

Early days yet...lots can happen.

[Cazzie]

Andy got lucky, so did Levi Leipheimer. Both were stall in the crash 2 K from the finish and the ruling is that any group wreck inside 3 K gets the same time as the bunch group, so both only lost 6-seconds to Gilbert.

Garmin-Cervelo look to be already on top in the TTT.

Caz

[Roadburner440]

Since it is only the first stage anything can happen. I would expect Contador to win it again this year, although it does look like there are a lot of good contenders. I actually wanted Andy Schlek to win last year, but that wound up not being the case. Just have to wait and see what the next few stages bring.

[Cazzie]

Well, it is not likely Contador is going to gain any of the 1:40+ he is behind the leading contenders until the mountains next week. And his SAXO Bank team is not the same with over half of the original team splintering over to the Schleck brothers Leopard-Trek team. So Contador is without any good team as the Team Time Trial revealed today. He will have to be at his very best, ecause there are at least three teams that are going to attack him in the mountains, BMC, Leopard-Trek, and Radio Shack.

Contador has his work cut out this tour and if he does catch up and eventually win, he will truly prove the champion he is.

Caz

[demorier]

Can't believe they are still stuffing about and still have not finalised a ruling on Contador's positive drug test about a month after last years tour....stupidity.

[huub vink]

1'40" is not much in the mointains and I have seen Contador doing quite impressive things already this year. In my opinion Evans is the best follower and might have the best cards now.....

However it promises to be an interesting Tour again!

Huub

[wombat666]

Times like this I really appreciate the 'Record to HDD' option.
:kilroy:

[demorier]

As far as I can make out both Schlek brothers are still quite close to the leading times....could be there year when they reach the mountains.

I thought they were going to do away with the radios on the riders this year.???

[Cazzie]

Andy and Frank are both just 4-seconds in arrears after the TTT and Stage 3. Andy got lucky on Monday, he was caught up in the second accident before the finish. But it was inside the 3K ruling, so he only lost 6-seconds. Contador's incident happened 5K from the finish, so he had to suffer the loss of the full time. Today is a steeper and longer mountain top finish, so the 3K rule is nil, as it always is on mountain finishes.

It is raining on the tour today, which is set to start in about an hour. Knowing how the first week of the tour is, I expect many crashes in the wet. I wouldn't mind seeing either Andy or Frank in Yellow, but Adny's TT ability is coming along better and Frank just cannot TT, so Andy is the choice. I would like to see them get back at both Contador and Saxo Bank at the same time. But being an American, you know I am pulling for Levi and The Shack. Cadel and BMC (an American team) would be my second choice, I have always liked Cadel, he's one gritty bloke.

Caz

[Cazzie]

1'40" is not much in the mointains and I have seen Contador doing quite impressive things already this year. In my opinion Evans is the best follower and might have the best cards now.....

However it promises to be an interesting Tour again!

Huub

Not much when one has a team behind him, but Saxo Bank is not the same Saxo Bank team of the past. Gone are the Schlecks, Cancellara, and my favorite cyclist Jens Voight. And three teams are out to circle Contador and tire him: Radio Shack, Leopared-Trek, and BMC. Alberto Contador is a hunted man and after last years high jinks when Andy threw his chain, no one is going to give Contador a second chance should he have a mechanical or an accident. They will instantly attack and make up as much time as they can on Contodor, regards of how far into the stage race they are.

This will be a closely contested Tour and I predict that Alberto Contador will not even make the podium!

Caz

[Cazzie]

Hooray for Cadel!! :applause::applause::applause:

But Contador put out a flyer that he is going to attack on the climbs. Thor rode a magnificent ride to hold his yellow, I reckon for the next three days at least.

Caz

[demorier]

I can see how the riders manage a so called 'natural break', in others words a p*** stop. But how do the riders manage things when they really need a number 2 during a race ???

Real crashaton during the Wednesday stage.

[Ferry_vO]

Didn't know it was going to be a 'last man standing' deal..

[Cazzie]

It has been an unreal first week in the tour. Ferry, it does look that way. But the true heads of state are still together. What a move by Thomas Voeckler today. I knew he would ride into yellow when the leading five got a seven minute advantage. I told the two people watching the tour with me that the break will make it today. I think if there were any fairness, Flecha and Hoogerland should have been given the same time as Sandy Cesar, the third place rider in the breakaway. What a stupid driver of that media car!

Now the race is now set for Thursday, when the true heads of state will attack the Col du Tormelet and finish atop Luz-Ardiden. Voeckler will kiss his yellow goodby and one of the Schlecks, Contador, Cadel Evens, or possibly Andres Kloden will wear the famed jersey. What a tour for Phillippe Gilbert, he has the Jens Voight spirit, my kind of bike racer. If only he could climb the high cols.

It has been and most interesting and devastating Tour de France, with four of the eighteen abandoned riders being team leaders; Brajkovic, Wiggins, Van Der Broeck, and Vinokourov. I need a rest day as much as the racers. :guinness:

Caz

[demorier]

Just hope for the sake of the spectators everywhere (and riders of course) that no more of the top contenders gets wiped out...kind of like to see them battle it out to the finish.

[demorier]

Who's going to get impatient first and try busting away amongst the top contenders. Just been sitting there eyeing each other off trying to stay out of trouble.

Big mountains coming soon.

[Cazzie]

Dreadful weather in the south of France today, frog strangling rain in some areas. Yet there were no crashes, hooray. As usual, Cavendish at his trade. But I am reckoning Mark would be lost without the other Mark, Renshaw. What a lead out man, Cavendish sure missed him yesterday.

Tomorrow the mountains, the Tourmalet will separate the field but not the leaders of the pack, that will be decided on Luz-Ardiden. I think Leopard-Trek and BMC may test Saxobank tomorrow, Radio Shack still have Kloden, but he is on his own, the team is fragmented.

Phillippe Gilbert has been nothing short of magnificent in supplying us with a modern day Sean Kelly. But today he saw his green jersey switch shoulders over to Mark Cavendish, with Rojas moving up to second, 2 points behind Cavendish. But he, above all other riders, save maybe Jonny Hoogerland, has inspired me in this year's tour. I expect Jonny will see his polka dots disappear tomorrow, but what a freshman tour and courageous ride he has done the past two days, since that idiot in the media car sent him flying into the barbed wire.

I took a Tour de Sweat this morning, 25 miles (2 on single-track off road), temperature 79 F at start, 83 F at finish, humidity 95%. I reached cap saturation by 10 miles! I was totally drenched in sweat by return; glad I opted to take two water bottles this AM.

Caz

[demorier]

You're a lot fitter man than me these days C...more power to you.

Over this way we are getting the last 2 and a half hours of racing live from about 10:30pm each night. Finding it difficult to stay awake for the live broadcast in the early hours.

Mountains tonight...gotta stay awake for that.

[mfitch]

I took a Tour de Sweat this morning, 25 miles (2 on single-track off road), temperature 79 F at start, 83 F at finish, humidity 95%. I reached cap saturation by 10 miles! I was totally drenched in sweat by return; glad I opted to take two water bottles this AM.

Caz

This is why I like cycling here. I did about 39 miles this morning but the temperature was in the mid 60's the whole time.

[Cazzie]

This is why I like cycling here. I did about 39 miles this morning but the temperature was in the mid 60's the whole time. Bite Me!

[demorier]

Watching the mountain climbs last night...I could almost feel there pain, and those oh so fast descents..GULP.

Mr. Yellow jersey really busted a gut, don't know how he will go on further climbs...lion hearted effort.

Frank Schleck...great effort to, looked completely spent to me at the end of the stage, still lots of mountains to go yet.

[Cazzie]

The Schlecks look good and so does Cadel, but Contador lost more valuable seconds in the last kilometer today. And watch out for Cunago and Basso, both look more fit than I have ever seen them in this year's Tour. Voeckler will hold the Yellow through tomorrow, I don't think he will crack on the Col d'Aubisque and after that tomorrow, it is all downhill. But Saturday someone will wrest the Yellow jersey from his shoulders on the Plateau de Beille. Sunday will be an easy day for the sprinters, nothing will change until the Alps after Saturday's stage.

Caz

[demorier]

EVANS...top dog on tour....:applause::jump: all those sleepless night s were worth it.:guinness::australia:

[wombat666]

He just rode the Schlecks into the ground!!!!
Bloody brilliant.
:icon29::australia::icon29:
:applause::applause::applause::applause:

[huub vink]

Check post 6 from 2 weeks ago...... ;) Cadel had the best cards all around. The Schleck brothers should have attacked much earlier like Alberto Contador already said after the first stage in the Pyrenees. Their biggest tactical error however was yesterday, when Andy Schleck went after Contador.

Definitely a deserved winner in a very interesting Tour de France!

For me this is the moment I will remember from this Tour. Although they will both finish in Paris tomorrow, this was the end of the Tour for Johnny Hoogerland and Juan Antonio Flecha.

WkCe_1wxN40

[Cazzie]

At all the tour forums I belong to, people have been belittling Cadel Evans for not taking charge in the Alps, especially not going after Andy Schleck Thursday when he made his attack on the second HC climb.

Well, I reckon those pundits have their answer now. Cadel just wanted to hold the Schlecks in check under a minute, he knew bloody well they would be fatigued after all those attacks in the mountains and he could beat them hand's down in the ITT. Kudos Cadel, this was your year and you rode it with excellent strategy, you let the Schlecks wear themselves out trying to beat you.

Oh to be in Oz right now, I bet the Skippies will party for a week or more. :icon29:

Caz

[Cazzie]

Skippy in Yellow! I reckon Cadel Evans is about the most welcomed winner of the grand tour in years. He has always ridden clean, never raced dirty, always modest, and about the best bloke in the peleton. God bless you Cadel, I am overjoyed in your victory.

And consider this, Cadel Evans wins Yellow on an American team and Mark Cavendish wins Green on an American team! An American team wins overall (Garmin-Cervelo)! Not since the Americans entered a team (7/11) in the tour has a Frenchman won. I wonder if the French ever dreamed that would happen to their race in 1986?

Caz

[demorier]

I think BMC also has some European money behind it...but yes, there is a big American influence on the various tours nowdays.

As far as Evans goes, personally I don't think he has that raw ability to just take off from the other hill climbers, but does have the ability to grind it out with them...I really think his team stategy just stuck with what he can do best.

:australia: :unitedstates:

[Cazzie]

I think BMC also has some European money behind it...but yes, there is a big American influence on the various tours nowdays.

As far as Evans goes, personally I don't think he has that raw ability to just take off from the other hill climbers, but does have the ability to grind it out with them...I really think his team stategy just stuck with what he can do best.

:australia: :unitedstates:

Cadel is not a drag racer, he's a locomotive. He can't accelerate fast like the other climbers, he has to work up to the proper cadence. But once there, he's a bloody choo-choo and woe be those in his tracks. :ernae:

Yes, the Swiss are part of BMC also, as they make the clothing and other apparel. The management is American.