It was great to see them attacking and great to see Jan at the front. I just wish he could have held on until the finish.
My respect for Kloden went way up today. (With the exception of him and Jan setting tempo with Vino off the front.) The thing I like about him is that he truly is riding for Jan. He did a great job of setting tempo on the final climb and really sacrificed himself for his leader. I like that. Where did all this form come from??
Vino. Where to start? I really like this guy as he’s so scrappy and is a great rider. But man, does he need an attitide check and a coach. He is not riding like he is a member of a team. I think he’s riding selfishly, and stupidly. If his goal is a high GC placing, he’s just shooting himself in the foot. It’s too late for him to podium this year, but I swear, this guy doesn’t seem to get it. (At least not this year.) He’s going hard on days that don’t matter and where he won’t gain any real time and screwing himself for the days that do matter. He reminds me of that moron who’s in every group ride that sprints when nobody else cares, or goes hard on recovery days, only to be killed at every real climb or sprint. Vino definitely has the talent, he just needs to use it better. I really wonder how coachable he is.
I really thought when the three of them attacked that they had finally put their differences aside for the better of the team. But at that point after watching for the next little bit, I realized that they are not even a team. Vino comes from behind, passes everyone then his own team mates set tempo to catch up. What the hell is that team thinking. Even after that, Lance still held up to the challenge and showed them why he has won 6 times.
In the end a guy with no team with him beat out a team of three. I have to say that I lost a lot of respect for team Mobile and wish that Ullrich would put them in their places tonight at dinner as today he showed he is still the captain of the team.
You can definitely tell Vino’s riding for a a big contract. Maybe his nature as a day racer gets the better of him sometimes.
Klöden did a nice job today, I agree. I’m smiling at all those people going, ‘TMO’ has no teamwork, they don’t attack, …'. Ya think Armstrong is going to cover an attack by Klöden? Please.
I actually blame Vino for that mess. What was he hoping to accomplish with that little attack? He was already done, everyone knew it. There was no way anybody was going to chase. He should either have cruised to the top and conserved for tomorrow, or hopped in with Ullrich and Kloden and helped out in keeping the tempo high. Right now he’s irrelevent to the leaders and the only person those little attacks (that have no chance of being successful since he’s already hurting) hurts is himself.
the Team Director is to blame. Ullrich to some extent but from what I’ve heard, he is not the kind of guy to do like Lance and say ‘stop the crap. you do as I say’…he is apparently unassuming and probably won’t say anything…
Ullrich lost several tours the day he decided to go to Team Coast to become Bianchi instead of accepting less money and go with CSC and Bjarne Riis…
Lance wasn’t racing against a team…he was racing against guys that were already racing each other…all that crap likely means it made things easier for Lance…
he is probably not very smart…everyone in the press/media etc…was saying that going to CSC would have been the best move by far…but no…he went to TC and Bianchi with Rudy…freakin nonsense…
I agree with Francois, they are just stupid. JoB, they are not acting like a team, sure Lance will not cover all the attacks but he covered the important ones today and I sure the hell did not see any TMO in front of him at the finish today.
I am still mad that they left Zabel out so they can focus on the overall win and they could not even get a stage win today when it was three against one.
They just did not put a lot of thought into this team for the Tour.
no. it was one against two, against an other guy probably laughing his ass off…
The way they act is even more detrimental to just have ullrich against LA at the end…it’s unbelievable…it’s the kind of behavior you see in cat 1 races with 3 guys wanting to be the leader and shooting at each other…not in the Tour!
With the stage today, Ullrich showed he could truly be a contender to Lance (provided he came fit and he wsn’t, he really looked heavy the first two weeks…what’s the deal with losing the extra weight during the first two weeks??? he then gets in the last week with a 2-4’ deficit on Lance!!) but even if he was in good shape, he has no team…Kloeden acts as a teammate and Vino shoots them…
If I were Jan, I would change teams. Fast. You have one, maybe two more chances at the tour. Are they hiring anywhere? Liberty Seguros? Nah, they won’t ride for a German. Phonak? Chaotic. Let’s face it - Jan is screwed.
Maybe Jan can ride for Disco as I hear they need a team leader next year. Maybe he could be the fill in guy till they find someone to replace their current team leader. I hear that they will have a 7 time Tour winner to advise the team next year. He could probably learn a lot from someone like that.
The sad sad sad sad sad sad fact remains. If JU changes teams and wins next year, he will still be faced with the majority of the fans and fellow cyclists feeling that if LA was racing JU would be second. This should have been the year of the changing of the guard. Disappointing to say the least. I am converted… LA is the best cyclist of the past decade.
