With regard to proper bike racing etiquette, has anybody here noticed that even Contador seems to be admitting that the accepted thing to do in this situation is to wait? Now he is defending himself by saying that he didn't really know what the situation was (kind of hard to believe from my perspective), but even he isn't saying that it's okay to attack in a situation like that.

If you disagree with this, it's because you disagree with the tradition and the unwritten standards of behavoir within the pro peloton. That's fine, but I kind of feel like if you're not part of that club, maybe its better to just keep your mouth shut.

Have these descending genes be mapped yet? What are the regulating factors affected while you age? Awesome stuff tom :)

As for your second comment...I wouldn't t know. I can't descend at all.

Everyone including 'Berto...


http://www.cyclingnews.com/...-attack-on-the-bales

Ummm...right 'Berto...that's how it went down...mmmhmmmm....sure it did...

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http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Contador is a very little man. He proved that today.

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That's a shame, since you missed these two comments, which are True Gems!!!

Little Known American League rule from the 50s:
You don't hit the ball to center field in Yankee Stadium during innings in which Mickey Mantle's receiving a blow job in the bullpen

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Miss Manners writes that etiquette should remain a vital part of the sporting landscape. She points to a contest in August 1926, when the St. Louis Browns delayed the game just long enough for Babe Ruth to alleviate his hangover by banging two flappers and eating three hot dogs with relish.

Not to be pedantic or anything, but that game was actually played in late July. Babe did recover enough to at least hit a home run.
[http://www.baseball-reference.com]

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

A great quote from one of the untouchable gods of ST:

@gvroomen: Contador just gained a great chance to win, but he lost the chance to win greatly.

Sometimes a "broken" wheel is very hard to notice, particularly when just one spoke was broken.

I was quoting Contador. He was the one that said that the problem was when "the wheel started to rub against the brake, but I didn't want to take a chance to stop and switch bikes,” (his own words). If you have a problem with that use of words, you will have to correct Contador, not me.

With only one spoke broken, sometimes it is hard to notice that a wheel is "broken". Check in this video when Contador arrives and you will see what I mean http://www.steephill.tv/...01&player=letour the comentator mentions a "punctured tire" other comentator said he "had a flat"

I reiterate that Contador's wheel starting to rub against the brake (because of his wheel out of true) was not as easy to notice as Andy's dropped chain. That is a fact.

Sergio

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Note: English is not my first language. Please read this translated post considering that.

I knew that thread was coming...how funny

I knew it too. Many here are looking for any reason to jump on Contador and now they are saying "I used to like him but now..." but really, they have resented him for the last few years.

OK, to summarize: Contador is a douche, Andy lacks the focus and attention to detail to beat Contador, Contador is in the driver's seat (but no one will wait for him now if he suffers misfortune), and the most boringly talented grand tour rider is quietly inching towards the podium (if not victory).

Menchov has got to love the fact that people are only talking about AC and AS. The way he is effortlessly following Contador in the mountains, I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see him win it all. After all, he could win the final TT, he has one of the best super-domestiques in the race, and he can strike if Contador shows weakness after having to respond to attacks from AS and Sanchez. He's in an enviable position.

It is entirely plausible to think that he in fact didn't know what to do. He is a cyclist who has raced primarily with a race radio and the reliance on team Director telling him what to do.

If you say that, it's because you have an anti-American and anti-Lance agenda. Actually, you must be French.

This is what Johan Bruyneel thinks by the way...

http://www.lequipe.fr/...l-pas-de-cadeau.html

Wasn't saying it wasn't plausible, just saying I don't believe it. In the moment I could see him missing it, but I don't believe that his DS did not tell him what had happened on the race radio within 15-20 seconds. That's the part I find hard to believe.

Can you translate Francois, or just paraphrase?

no gifts

Tell me how the 30 seconds it took him to put it back on wasn't.

The only thing that brings into question about the "code", is stage 3. Fabian (with Andy Schleck in tow), pushes and decimates the pace when the crash/mechanicals happened (yellow jersey involved). We all claimed that as just "bike racing on the pave". Now it seems we have some code of honor on not to attack like that on the mt top. Yet it seems like Saxo Bank themselves more or less use it for a convience (funny how Fabian was the leader of the Stage 2 relegation...it certainly helps when Andy Schleck was 5+ mins down after the crash).

So it seems like cycling/people wants to cherry pick it's "code".

So are we only killing AC because AS got a mechanical on a mt. top? It seems if this happens on the pave, all is fair in love and war?

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

Damn if you do, damn if you don't:

“My stomach is full of anger. The race I not finished and I want to take revenge,”. “I would not have raced like that and taken advantage of the situation. For sure, those guys don’t get the fair play prize today.” said Schleck.

“There are people who understand and there are those who do not. Today was circumstances of the race. I had already opened up my attack. The stage was already launched,”. “The peloton waited in Spa, but today the circumstances were different. I can understand why there’s polemic.” said Contador

“In the heat of the race and the finale, you cannot say to Contador, ‘wait for Andy.’ Andy didn’t wait for Contador on the cobblestones, either,”. “You can’t say to Sammy Sánchez, I’ll let you go because I’ll wait for the yellow jersey. No, there are no gifts in this race.” said RadioShack’s Johan Bruyneel.

“Sánchez and Menchov were going full gas. It won’t help to criticize. For us, it would have been better if they had waited, but we cannot expect any help in these circumstances,”. “I think Contador waited at the beginning, but it took awhile before Andy was on his bike again. How long can Contador wait? I don’t know. Of course we’d have hoped he waited more. I don’t want to create a polemic, but how many guys crashed today? Nobody helps them, nobody waited. That’s how it is.” said Riis.

“Off the record? That’s bullshit,” one former Tour rider said in between team buses.

“In 2001 I waited for Ullrich when he went down off the road,”. “But maybe this is different, because this was the last climb of the race, and it was really on. I don’t want to make a hard judgment without seeing the images.” said Armstrong.

“It’s hard to say. I didn’t really see what happened,” he said. “If Contador waits, the other guys have to wait, too. He needs to follow, of course. It’s a shitty situation.” said Riis.

“everybody was 100 percent.”
“When everyone is going 100 percent in the final, if Alberto waited, the others, Menchov and Sanchez, would keep going, just like they did yesterday,”. “It’s not really possible to wait.” said Vinokourov

“Contador just gained a great chance to win, but he lost the chance to win greatly.” said Gerard Vroomen“If Contador had waited he would have won the heart of the world. Like this he got a yellow jersey on his back, but it’s always gonna be a (question mark).” said Robbie Hunter

"Contador is sure to face a bigger test from the enraged Schleck on the road to Pau tomorrow, but will perhaps take consolation from the thoughts of some respected Tour veterans. Asked for their opinion on the incident, Laurent Jalabert, Bernard Thévenet and Bernard Hinault all described Schleck's incident as an inescapable part of racing and said they were looking ahead to see how Contador and Schleck will respond"

IMO AC could have waited and I think he did to some extent but when the race was on, it is called racing. Besides, not even current or previous tour riders or team directors are agreement hence I won't judge AC, but that's just me. I can't wait to see what's next on during the week.

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Jorge Martinez
Head Coach - Sports Science
E3 Training Solutions, LLC
@CoachJorgeM

If you say that, it's because you have an anti-American and anti-Lance agenda. Actually, you must be French.

I'm considered one of those Lance haters simply for saying Contador would beat him again. I've also been told I love cancer for saying I think Lance was on PED's and unbelievably, I did not question the ethics or manliness of all French lab technicians.

However no one has ever said I was French, that is a low blow.

The pave is all about destroyed bikes and bike handling. Mountains are about ability to ride hard.

What's the bet that we see spartacus on the front next time Contador stops for a piss?

I have to say, if it was a chain drop from shifting then they all should have gone as hard as they could. If it was his fault the hell with AS or AC or anyone else who drops a chain. I have been in that situation and you DO NOT shift under maximum load no matter what the manuf. says (you can do it if you are careful)....and that is what it looked like AS did.....he shifted under extreme load and while keeping a high cadence. As everyone that rides knows, there are times you just don't shift or you will drop a chain. Everyone that has watched it multiple times has said AC knew exactly what happened as he was behind him and saw it when it happened. Well, if AS drops a chain then hammer on....that is not a mechanical but rider error. The only thing I think AC did wrong was not state this....." AS dropped his chain when he was trying to attack and we took advantage of it. That is not a mechanical but rider error."

The only thing that brings into question about the "code", is stage 3. Fabian (with Andy Schleck in tow), pushes and decimates the pace when the crash/mechanicals happened (yellow jersey involved).

Not at all a comparable situation. The yellow jersey at the time was in no way an overall contender for the longer-term.