Ok, T-Mobile looks really stong now in the climbs with 3 riders showing power today. Do you think Discovery had orders to take it easy? Just let Lance chase if he is worried, but save something for the later climbs?
I bet Lance is missing Landis, right now. Disco should have ponied up the Money to him for Lance’s final push.
Lance definitely didn’t sound too happy that he was left alone. Keep in mind, however, that these were not the steep hills that Disco is built around. Georgie should have been there, though.
I didn’t think Ullrich looked all that strong - he wasn’t initiating anything, just hanging on. Kloden certainly surprised. Horner was right there - I still think he’ll be top 10 before it’s all over.
Lance seemed a little upset, and even said he wasn’t feeling that good today. He seemed nervous. I think he needs to show Vino who is boss soon, if he can.
vino looked real strong, didnt look like he was pushing that hard when he put on acceleration after acceleration. im a huge jan fan but i think if t-mobile wants to win they need to back vino, hes so strong
I think it shows how lucky lance was last year when Vino did not race. Vino was going to be my pick last year and he is my pick this year. Vino has made the kind of moves that win races during the the last two stages. Yesterday, Mengin’s crash put him in second and opened the door for someone else. Today his probing, set up a counter by Kloden, that nearly got his team a stage win. If there is anyone more cagey than Lance it might be Vino.
I am expecting an all out war tomorrow. I would love to see Floyd attack Lance. Heads up he has no chance, but after a barrage by T Mobile, Basso, et al. (the picadors) maybe Floyd can take on the Bull.
Interesting thing is how dumb Ullrich is. Not really a big deal, but at one point today with Kloden up the road and Vino slightly ahead in the rest of the bunch Lance was on Ullrich’s wheel bridging a small gap; why Ullrich wouldn’t just sandbag at that point and let Lance do the work shows a lack of awareness.
I would love to me a fly onthe wall at the Discovery team meeting tonight, when they let loose on those guys for leaving Lance a little bit vulnerable (I don’t think he was really in danger, but he should not be left alone if only for appearance sake).
Not too sure I agree with that. He attacked, what, around three times, and didn’t drop any of the contenders. I’ve never seen him make an easy attack - he gives it everything. I think he tried as best he could to get away today, but couldn’t quite shake the others. Love having him around, though, he makes things exciting, and I’m sure we haven’t seen the last attack from him. Definitely agree he looks stronger than Ullrich, but it’s early, and Ullrich only gets stronger as the tour progresses. I think Tuesday will be the day we learn who’s really come to play this year.
I thought Ullrich looked really strong today. He was on Lance’s wheel the whole time, except when Lance got gapped and Ullrich was a bit ahead of him. I’m surprised that he didn’t attack at that point, but maybe he was concerned about attacking his teammate??? That was a mistake, but Jan doesn’t like to attack early in the race (ergo he never wins!)
Lance was a bit upset about being left alone for sure, but George wasn’t the one who let him down. GH was in the break for the first 50km. it should have been Ace or Beltran who stayed with Lance. Looks to me like the pace that T-Mobile layed down in the morning took more out of the Disco team then they expected.
Ivan Basso didn’t look great today - even if he stayed with the front group. Tomorrow should be a really good stage. Everyone knows what happened today adn the strong teams will go on the attack early i think!
I think you are right. It is too early to tell for sure, but I think that this climb was too “easy” for any major selection to take place. Kloden’s attack was opportunistic, and Vino sort of set it up, but it almost seems like minor league stuff compared to what is to come. Vino has served notice he has come to race the tour, but Ulrich seems to be the T-Mobile rider who is riding like the team leader (except for the TT, of course). I think we will know for sure by the middle of next week who is the contender, and who is the pretender.
I think this is another huge Brunyel-Lance poker game. Let the team rest and send one man up to protect Lance (Salvodelli). Limit any losses and then send the disco-train up to the front on Wed and Thu when it counts as they head to Courcheval and then to Briancon the day afterwards. These two stages will blow the TdF apart and the disco-train WILL be there.
T-Mobile trio was awesome though. I hope those guys can get on the podium.
I second that. It’s all a game. I love it.
The climb looks easy on paper but the road is very rough there and therefore the climb isn’t that easy at all…anyone who’s done the initial IM France would agree that the road is very rough in lots of places. That largely makes up for the not so steep climbs.
Lance was not a bit upset…he told l’Equipe ‘c’etait un jour de merde!’ (it was a shitty day)…
It’s pretty good to start the mountains in les Vosges for Ullrich. He usually loses quite a bit on the first big climb and this year is more progressive…from the little I saw just now, Ullrich seemed to be just fine. Vino attacked but I think all his attacks were controlled. That’s what Ullrich said anyway. Vino was supposed to shake the peloton and Kloden was supposed to go.
I sure don’t believe that the Disco boys not being there was part of the plan. That’s BS. That would be a huge risk for Lance. Now, better not repeat that kind of day too often for Lance and Disco.
But whoever wins at the end, I sure hope it goes on like this…it’s so much more fun…
But whoever wins at the end, I sure hope it goes on like this…it’s so much more fun…
Agree big time with that…I’m rooting hard for Lance but also want a competitive tour; a guy like Vino will shake things up, and not always in the smartest manner possible but he will make it very interesting.
Perhaps it was just a bad day for Lance and the rest of Discovery…on the telecast this morning they were making mention of different gearing for Lance versus the rest of the team; possible factor.
But as we all know, bad days can happen without warning. That it would happen en masse would be a little odd, but who really knows…Tomorrow and Tuesday will tell the real story—was this a ruse, a plan, a bad day or is this Tour truly up for grabs?
When Lance’s hand picked team can’t keep up with the field on a Cat 2 climb, either its just a really bad day, or there’s a-trouble a-brewin. Its probably the former.
Full marks to the CSC boys, who I’m rooting for - good representation in the top 10 in the GC. But its pretty early yet. But at least it (hopefully) won’t be a cakewalk for LA.
Plenty of ‘I thinks’ flying around here, the drama is unfolding so let’s see. I’m keeping my eye on Bobby U to pull some surprises. But to me Lance is still Lance.
BTW that Stg 7 final 15km run into town was simply awesome. Team after team were taking turns to really crank it swapping and changing in matter of seconds and at times even having two teams forming contesting lead trains on either side of the road. Then the high speed crash just behind the leaders as they headed for the finish line. And good ole Aussie hide in the French Bush Robbie takes it again. Good on ya mate!
Lance is still Lance. no argument with this. His team was having a bad day…and so was he…there are a few times during the day where he was 6-7 bike riders behind Jan Ullrich on the last climb…very very unusual (even the day he was faking in 2001)…
I’m not sure the strategy wht Hincapie was part of the early breakaway? Surely that was contibuting to him not being there on the climb.
“I think it shows how lucky lance was last year when Vino did not race.”
Can we give some credit where credit is due and cut the "Lance is lucky because so and so:
A) Fell off his bike
B) Got taken out by some chimp while riding in the back of the pack at a sketchy point of the race
C) Got his shorts wedged in his ass-crack while crapping on the side of the road
D) Wanted to focus on the weekly crit in his home town as the Tour was just another race to him
E) Insert other excuse people come up with for why so and so didn’t beat Lance."
Clearly there is an element of chance, but no rider/team appears to put as much effort into controlling as many variables as possible as LA/Disco.
You would think after 6 straight wins the “Lance wins because he is lucky” camp would quiet down a little.
Suckers!!!
Lance wins tomorrow, or at least puts time on the pretenders. I’ll be back tomorrow to collect.
This was like game 1 of a game series. Disco just finished the first few rounds of the playoffs, and perhaps needed a rest day, so they sent Lance up the climb with Salvodelli to protect him while the other guys saved the legs. 5 more mountain stages and a TT to go to decide the winner. I still think they were taking a relative “rest day” before they unleash it somewhere Grenoble-Courcheval-Briancon. That is where you will see the Disco train in full force shedding any posers trying to hang on. In any event, tomorrow’s stage is no cakewalk either.
Now you guys know why Ironman France based in Gerardmer was so tough. Lots of grinding climbs to wear you down.
needed a rest day? if they are tired after the amount of work done so far, it’s not a good sign…all the work (besides the TTT) was done by the sprinters teams…they never have to protect the jersey…and they need a rest day on the first day in the mountains, and end up having Lance all alone with Kloden, Basso, Vino and Ullrich??
I sure don’t believe in this being their plan for the day. If the riders relied more on what they see and ignore the team radios, T-mobile would have noticed how far Lance was at times and would have attacked. Salvodelli covered one move of Vino and was out in the second bunch…
That doesn’t mean tomorrow will be bad for them…they could be feeling just fine in the coming days, but today wasn’t plan…it was a bad day for the whole team.