Well, it looks like the GC is all shook up. So what can the Tasmanian kid do in the next week to hang onto pink? Looks like Wiggins and Sastre got a minor boost…and Cadel always finds a way to “not win”. As much as I want the guy to win, he always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Should be fun watching the Vino attacks (juiced or not) in the next week as he goes like a maniac to gain back time and shatter the peloton!
Dev
I went and read the Velonews stage review, and I’m still confused/shocked.
How in the hell did Astana allow a 50 man break to even form? Thats like 1/4th of the entire field. So how did they get that much leeway? I’ve seen that the weather was pure hell with buckets of rain, I’m just shocked that a 50 man break could even form in the 1st place.
Cadel lost 2 BMC more teammates today, which leaves them with what - 3 left? Hard to win a grand tour that way. I will still give him major props though for the way he rode Saturday’s stage on the gravel in the rain and put the hammer down to the line. That was an EPIC stage win!!
Reading more of the Velonews race recap, it looks like today was the perfect storm. The long stage, coupled with epic rain, basically created MASSIVE confusion in regards to the break and how many were actually on it.
Well I guess we will see Vino attack, and than bonk next day and finish 24 mins down on GC. Evans giro is over, but atleast he has the epic won.
I don’t think Evans giro is over. Next week is going to be a long awful week, and I’ll give Cadel the benefit of the doubt and say he’s ready for the mountains.
.and Cadel always finds a way to “not win”. As much as I want the guy to win, he always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Since bagging the world champs, 1st at Fleche, Giro stage win, 3rd at T-R. Seems like he’s winning just fine, and the Giro is far from over
If nothing else, this is going to make the next week even more exciting. Vino’s not going to hold back and will go for some stage wins and Sastre will need to attack hard to drive up his chances. final stage is an ITT, so that gives Wiggins some room to move up.
Dev
I went and read the Velonews stage review, and I’m still confused/shocked.
How in the hell did Astana allow a 50 man break to even form? Thats like 1/4th of the entire field. So how did they get that much leeway? I’ve seen that the weather was pure hell with buckets of rain, I’m just shocked that a 50 man break could even form in the 1st place.
i decided to stay in for now as i’m watching it right now just at 45 km to go and was wondering how anyone could let that big of a split take off. the thing about televised Universal is that they pick up about half way through the race so i didn’t see the break happen.
I do know that the once triathlete is in the maglio rosa and that I agree with Dev_Paul, probably one of the absolute best races i’ve ever seen since the days of Lance let alone just a Giro.
I should have said “not win a grand tour” which is what I was thinking in my mind while typing. I’m certainly aware of his 1 day successes, but grand tour success is typically about having “no bad days” and many good days.
Dev
I should have said “not win a grand tour” which is what I was thinking in my mind while typing. I’m certainly aware of his 1 day successes, but grand tour success is typically about having “no bad days” and many good days.
Dev
Well, the guys who had a good day today have had bad days earlier. The Giro is not going to be lost on this stage. The massive mountains coming up will have something to say about who wins this race. And, I don’t think they will try to get it all back in one stage. This race will probably come down to the final TT. Cadel is not out of it by any means although it may be harder if he doesn’t have any teammates.
Ah, Sastre won the TdF on basically one good day.
With such a difficult last week, I don’t think Evans is out of it. but it makes winning more difficult for him.
All this stage does is stir things up some, giving some hope to those who might have otherwise been out of it.
I do think we’ll see some relentless attacks from Vino, after which he will implode.
Victor
Sastre won the TdF on the backs of F&A Schleck. He’s a great rider, but that win doesn’t happen without those two wreaking havoc on the rest of the field up the Alp D’Huez.
Chris
…but no bad days :-)…and that day was really good (from a team tactic perspective)
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i think that all of the guys in this race, even those that are not gc contendors, should receive a medal of valor in appreciation for just putting on such a fantastic effort and showing. a real race in this day and age? who’d a thought that…
Yes and no. The Tour was for any of those guys that day. Sastre countered and nobody wanted to bring Frank or Andy back up to him. Could have just as easily been one of the other two.
I think CSC did the right thing, but his day wasn’t any better than half a dozen other guys’.
Chris
So can any of the guys placed ahead of Sastre really climb? There are some EPIC climbs coming up; 7-10 minutes seems like a lot, but non-climbers will lose much more than that on the Zoncolan and Plan de Corones stages…
Wasn’t any better? Who else won the stage and then the Tour? Maybe others were just as strong but when all was said and done, his day was much better.
yeah but he won THAT tour…