SkinsFanLarry
Craft Beer Addict!
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....that's the key right there....no harm, no foul!
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BOTL UPCOMING MAINTENANCE
Hi Everyone, as mentioned in my introduction post, BOTL needs quite a bit of updating, patching and whatever else I might come across. Over time BOTL may be unreachable on occasion as I do migrations or updates, etc. Just be patient - we'll be back! I'll generally try to keep these maintenances until later in the evenings.
any tour fans?
- Thread starter hdroadglide
- Start date
Craig Mac
BoM 4/10 7/11 12/14
Thanks Bob, I just have seen guys doing it over the years and always wondered. The clip on SportsCenter last night showed a guy in traffic grabbing on to a car and I was just wondering about that(I think I watched SC 3 times last night).
Another thought that came to mind was, is it such a big deal that Lance is 8 seconds behind with two weeks to go or is it just the Tiger Woods syndrome that he should be leading the whole time??
(sorry for all the questions, just curious)
Another thought that came to mind was, is it such a big deal that Lance is 8 seconds behind with two weeks to go or is it just the Tiger Woods syndrome that he should be leading the whole time??
(sorry for all the questions, just curious)
hdroadglide
BoM x 2, BoY 2011
it's not a big deal at all. just something for the media to talk about. first off, it's amazing that after four years he's back being just as competetive as he was when he retired. you will always hear lance's name in the news, epecially over here, because he is the most well known of the racers, and of course, american. at this stage of the race, eight seconds is NOTHING for a top rider.
Craig Mac
BoM 4/10 7/11 12/14
That's what I was thinking but they(the media) are sounding as if he might as well pack his bags and go home because he is 8 seconds back. I always got the impression that winning a segment isn't that imposrtant to the top riders. Just stay near the top and you can pick your spots.
hdroadglide
BoM x 2, BoY 2011
the guys that are trying to win the tour are not that concerned with winning stages. that's why they let the get away group win today. it's about time at the end, not stage wins. basically, don't listen to anyone on sc as they know nothing about bike racing. watch versus and listen to the guys that have actually been pro racers to learn the real deal. there is so much in the way of tactics that the average viewer knows nothing about!
SkinsFanLarry
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Stage 9 the final stage in the Pyrenees was won by Pierrick Fedrigo, the Frenchman from the Bbox Bouygues team, who withstood a breakaway and a last-minute sprint. He out-raced the Italian rider Franco Pellizotti of Liquigas to win the stage as the crowd flanking the course wildly waved French flags.
The two riders had been part of a group that broke away from the peloton about 10 miles into the stage. Fedrigo is the third Frenchman to win a stage at this Tour.
Its pure happiness, said Fedrigo, who finished in 4 hours 5 minutes 31 seconds. I knew I needed to go all out, and thats what I did.
Just after the stage, the teams headed for the airport to fly to Limoges, which is about 270 miles from this town. Rinaldo Nocentini of Italy and the AG2R La Mondiale team will go to Limoges wearing the yellow jersey.
He remained six seconds ahead of Alberto Contador of Astana, and eight seconds ahead of Lance Armstrong, Contadors teammate and the races seven-time champion.
The two riders had been part of a group that broke away from the peloton about 10 miles into the stage. Fedrigo is the third Frenchman to win a stage at this Tour.
Its pure happiness, said Fedrigo, who finished in 4 hours 5 minutes 31 seconds. I knew I needed to go all out, and thats what I did.
Just after the stage, the teams headed for the airport to fly to Limoges, which is about 270 miles from this town. Rinaldo Nocentini of Italy and the AG2R La Mondiale team will go to Limoges wearing the yellow jersey.
He remained six seconds ahead of Alberto Contador of Astana, and eight seconds ahead of Lance Armstrong, Contadors teammate and the races seven-time champion.
BagfullofPings
IEHHC
Astana team tactics will be interesting over the next two weeks. Armstrong wants title number 8. He has made some interesting comments...or lack there of, and he has been riding aggressively. He initiated a reel -in more than once today. Armstrong will not puss out like LeMond did in '85. Also, don't be shocked if his past teammates pull a Benedict Arnold (If they can't win) if Lance is in contention in the alps. It will be subtle, but a trained eye will see it. Even if they get canned, Nike could set up a team (via Armstrong) extremely quickly and make a ton of money in Europe.
I'm up every day at 5:30 AM watching this. Love this shit. Makes want to lose some weight, and start riding again.
Jason
I'm up every day at 5:30 AM watching this. Love this shit. Makes want to lose some weight, and start riding again.
Jason
Filippo Simeoni would not agree with you. In 2004, Lance called Simeoni a liar, and Simeoni sued Lance for libel. Simeoni, who was in 114th place was involved in a break away, and Lance, wearing the yellow jersey caught the group without the help of his team, and forced Simeoni back to the peleton.
I think it's kind of old school to have a guy so strong people fear crossing him, but is certainly wasn't the high road to take.
hdroadglide
BoM x 2, BoY 2011
after seeing how lance play acted a few years ago to make everyone think he was cracking and then came back and blew them away, i would not doubt that he is playing up the dissention angle to get people thinking there is a problem. lance is a wiley old fox. he may not be as strong as contador, due to age, but he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. we'll see what happens in the alps.
SkinsFanLarry
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The tension with Lance Armstrong is all but gone in the crisp mountain air and the line of authority is clear. Now, Alberto Contador wants to concentrate on those teams intent on seizing his Tour de France lead.
The Spaniard used Monday's rest day to lay out his plan of attack to keep the yellow jersey he won by capturing the first stage in the Alps a day earlier.
Contador, the 2007 Tour champion, said his lead over other contenders "looks good" so far, but cautioned: "It's not done yet, we still have a hard week left to go."
Armstrong, the seven-time champion who returned to the race after 3 1/2 years of retirement, is in second overall _ 1 minute, 37 seconds behind his Astana teammate.
The 37-year-old Texan has conceded that his chances of victory on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday are slim. He pledged to be a faithful support rider for Contador.
"Yesterday, he gave me his support, and I believe him," Contador told a news conference at a team hotel in the Swiss town of Sion, near the start of Tuesday's 16th stage in Martigny.
The Spaniard used Monday's rest day to lay out his plan of attack to keep the yellow jersey he won by capturing the first stage in the Alps a day earlier.
Contador, the 2007 Tour champion, said his lead over other contenders "looks good" so far, but cautioned: "It's not done yet, we still have a hard week left to go."
Armstrong, the seven-time champion who returned to the race after 3 1/2 years of retirement, is in second overall _ 1 minute, 37 seconds behind his Astana teammate.
The 37-year-old Texan has conceded that his chances of victory on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday are slim. He pledged to be a faithful support rider for Contador.
"Yesterday, he gave me his support, and I believe him," Contador told a news conference at a team hotel in the Swiss town of Sion, near the start of Tuesday's 16th stage in Martigny.
Lance wasn't even 2nd fiddle, he was 3rd fiddle on Astana at Verbier. Kloden led him up the entire climb, and then Kloden beat him at the line. Depending on the upcoming time trial, and argument could be made that Astana's best chance at 1st and 2nd would be for Kloden to be 2nd.
SkinsFanLarry
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Alberto Contador closed in on victory at the Tour de France Wednesday after finishing second behind Frank Schleck in the 17th stage as the race left the Alps.
Lance Armstrong trailed by more than 2 minutes and fell from second to fourth place overall in the 105-mile ride from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Le Grand-Bornand _ seen by many as the toughest stage this year.
The stage likely ended any realistic chance Armstrong had of overtaking his Astana teammate Contador, and the seven-time Tour champion will now have to fight for a place on the podium instead.
Contador held on to the yellow jersey by staying with Schleck and his younger brother Andy in a three-man breakaway at the end of the stage. Andy Schleck finished third while Armstrong was fifth, 2:18 back.
"I'm very proud of myself _ I'm proud of my brother," Frank Schleck said.
The Schleck brothers both leapfrogged Armstrong in the overall standings, with Andy 2:26 behind Contador in second place and Frank 3:25 behind in third. Armstrong trails Contador by 3:55.
The stage featured five climbs, but the drama set in during the last two _ the super-steep Romme and Colombiere passes. Contador proved he simply cannot be shaken by his rivals in the mountains.
On the Colombiere, Armstrong couldn't keep up when Contador pulled away with Astana teammate Andreas Kloeden and the Schlecks, who ride for the Saxo Bank team.
Instead, Armstrong stayed back alongside Britain's Bradley Wiggins to protect Contador. Wiggins entered the day in third place overall and would have been helped by any effort from Armstrong to close the gap to the leaders.
So the Texan decided to wait, for a while. With about 8.7 miles left, Armstrong stepped on the gas to leave Wiggins behind.
Lance Armstrong trailed by more than 2 minutes and fell from second to fourth place overall in the 105-mile ride from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Le Grand-Bornand _ seen by many as the toughest stage this year.
The stage likely ended any realistic chance Armstrong had of overtaking his Astana teammate Contador, and the seven-time Tour champion will now have to fight for a place on the podium instead.
Contador held on to the yellow jersey by staying with Schleck and his younger brother Andy in a three-man breakaway at the end of the stage. Andy Schleck finished third while Armstrong was fifth, 2:18 back.
"I'm very proud of myself _ I'm proud of my brother," Frank Schleck said.
The Schleck brothers both leapfrogged Armstrong in the overall standings, with Andy 2:26 behind Contador in second place and Frank 3:25 behind in third. Armstrong trails Contador by 3:55.
The stage featured five climbs, but the drama set in during the last two _ the super-steep Romme and Colombiere passes. Contador proved he simply cannot be shaken by his rivals in the mountains.
On the Colombiere, Armstrong couldn't keep up when Contador pulled away with Astana teammate Andreas Kloeden and the Schlecks, who ride for the Saxo Bank team.
Instead, Armstrong stayed back alongside Britain's Bradley Wiggins to protect Contador. Wiggins entered the day in third place overall and would have been helped by any effort from Armstrong to close the gap to the leaders.
So the Texan decided to wait, for a while. With about 8.7 miles left, Armstrong stepped on the gas to leave Wiggins behind.