Why isn’t everyone talking about Vino coming from what looked like being relegated to a secondary role for Kloeden, to putting in a fantastic TT and beating the field by more than a minute? Seems like this was a really remarkable ride. Vino is not (as far as I know) known for being a top notch TT rider, plus he’s got something like 50 stiches in his knees and has been barely hanging on for the last week or so. Rasmussen surely put in the TT of his life to hang onto as much time as he did, but seems like Vino pulled himself from oblivion back into contention in one fell swoop, pulling himself from 19th to 9th and knocking about 3minutes off his deficit to the Yellow Jersey. Amazing. With this guy’s ability to attack, you can’t count him out now.
It was a great ride, but I think everyone is quacking about the chicken more, is because it was somewhat expected of Vino. Look at all the predictions for today here on ST, Vino shows up top 3 in about half of them. Where would the chicken’s place have been predicted, top 100, top 150???
I like Vino’s chances for podium, but he will have a hard time getting past his own teamate. Where is he going to gain that time?? Maybe another minute or possibley two in the next tt, but that won’t get him there unless he has a suprise in the mountains. He will probably be marked again after today, so he will have to climb the best of his life for those extra minutes. Of course there could be blow ups and crash outs, but I’m just going on what we have seen so far…He’s definately not out of it yet, no one in the top 10 really are…
I want to know what the Astana team had for breakfast. Three riders in the top 4 is amazing. And that dominating ride by Vino. Very, very impressive.