Hummm first was Vino then Kolden is it Jans turn tomorrow? They have me a little nervous.
T-Mobile Triple Threat?
- Thread starter The Toninator
- Start date
The problem with T-Mobile is they have 3 GC candidates that will each try to do well on their own instead of all working towards the victory for one person. Didn't Jan chase down one of Vino's attacks on stage 8 with Lance in tow? Lance has been using the same tactics for the last 6 years, focus only on Le Tour and have the whole team work behind you for a Tour win. It seems that T-Mobile hasn't figured out that this could be the winning equation.
Yea.. they've had a pretty strong showing so far. And Discovery has been less than impressive, especially in Saturday's stage.
CSC is also riding strong, though not making as much noise as T-Mobile. CSC has a handful of people in the top 10 at this point... Basso is in good shape. Could be a fun run through the mountains. Regardless, I think it's going to come down to the best working team - individual efforts will hurt more then help when the hills get steep.
CSC is also riding strong, though not making as much noise as T-Mobile. CSC has a handful of people in the top 10 at this point... Basso is in good shape. Could be a fun run through the mountains. Regardless, I think it's going to come down to the best working team - individual efforts will hurt more then help when the hills get steep.
I dont think the tmobile triple threat (now known as the TTT) cant win BUT what if they've unified and given each person a day to try to make the top 2 or 3 spots and said 'once your on top' then the strongest person takes it?Westy said:
it's a weird and far out strategy but we've seen 2 out of 3 make a charge.
CSC is looking good too as Jackson pointed out but eh. Discovery did have a MAJOR problem on Saturday but they re-organized over night and had a strong showing on the first mountain stage.
The T-Mobile woman team just whooooooped ass at the Cascade Cycling Classic Stage race here in Bend. It was kind of like adults beating up on a bunch of kids. 
indieboy said:
I HAVENT EVEN YET BEGUN TO SLAMMMMMMM!
But there were also plenty of riders in the peloton who weren't buying into Armstrong's vulnerability.
"You don't sell the bearskin before you kill the bear," Christophe Moreau of Credit Agricole said. "And he's a pretty tough bear."
"You don't sell the bearskin before you kill the bear," Christophe Moreau of Credit Agricole said. "And he's a pretty tough bear."
Jan's been awfully quite thus far. Hopefully he knows something the rest of us don't and has some tricks up his sleeves. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Awesome seeing a couple of breakaways hold off over the last week. First Rasmussen and then Vino.
Team Discovery did a great job over the past two stages to first gain serious time on major contenders and then today to keep losses to a minimum (as well as gain more time on the fringe contenders). It was nuts seeing the sprinters cresting the summit of the final climb long after the main contenders had already crossed the finish line. LONG LIVE THE MOUNTAINS!!!
Awesome seeing a couple of breakaways hold off over the last week. First Rasmussen and then Vino.
Team Discovery did a great job over the past two stages to first gain serious time on major contenders and then today to keep losses to a minimum (as well as gain more time on the fringe contenders). It was nuts seeing the sprinters cresting the summit of the final climb long after the main contenders had already crossed the finish line. LONG LIVE THE MOUNTAINS!!!
That Lance and the Discovery boys are kicking his a$$ just like always.... oh wait we all knew that.DBR X6 RIDER said:
Hahaha - poor Jan. He's always fared better in the Pyrenees, but he may be too far back by the time they get there to make a difference. If the TTT pre-tour "strategy" wasn't a bunch of hot air, I'd guess that they are currently discussing a strategy revolving around Vino. He's obviously been the strongest of the three up to this point.DRB said:
No matter, Lance didn't have to do much work today and he managed to conserve some energy yesterday when he was up front with Valverde, Rasmussen and Mancebo - making them do some pulls up front while he gained valuable time on the rest. He's still got alot left in his tanks to let loose on the remaining mountain stages. Not a good thing if you don't have the number 1 on your jersey and you're dreaming of yellow.
jan is washed up, his race is over (for first at least)
How you figure? Jan is still ahead of Vino in the GC. I think the difference is that they might let Vino go on a break, but they will do everything they can to keep Jan from getting away.DBR X6 RIDER said:
Jan's big gear mashing style is more suited to the long gradual climbs of the Alps not the steep climbs of the Pyrenees where he will have a very difficult time matching the accelerations of the climbers. Jan does usually get better around the end of the second week.
The Toninator said:
Jan who?
But seriously, it would take a major mistake/bad luck on Lance/Disco's part, or an almost unbelievable performance on somone elses part at this point.
I'm really surprised at Rassmunsen (spelling?)! Has mtb-ing made that boy a friggin' hill climbing super monkey? I think Discovery needs to pay a bit more attention his way...
Until the time trial.Pau11y said:
PsychO!1 said:
That dude is so scrawny. I bet he has a great power to weight ratio but not much on the power side of things.
Chicken lost 3'14" in the opening time trial. The last one is over twice as long. However Discovery is going to be watching him closely, I suspect that he is not going to be allowed to go anywhere on his own.
what with the whatwhat now?Westy said:
I'm hoping Rasmussen can thrive in the Pyrenees and come away from the final TT in a top-5 placing. I can see him holding on for the KOM jersey for sure.
Bummer that Beltran had to abandon today - I wonder how much impact that will have on Team Discovery in the long run. If anything, I think it will help ensure that Lance won't win by a huge margin...just a big one.
Bummer that Beltran had to abandon today - I wonder how much impact that will have on Team Discovery in the long run. If anything, I think it will help ensure that Lance won't win by a huge margin...just a big one.
I think that Rasmussen might try an attack. If he could snag a stage win he would only need 19 sec (plus whatever bonuses Lance collected) to take the yellow jersey. He made a pretty decent attack on the Galibier to get KOM points. Hard to say if he could have been covered or not. Lance had no trouble covering is attack to Courcheval, getting over the top of him in about 10 feet.DBR X6 RIDER said:
As for the rest, who knows? Julich would get some slack to go so would Sastre, Evans, and Jaksche. But Discovery would cover that like they did Vino the other day which doesn't help the contenders.
Losing Beltran sucks but I think he may have been focused on the Alps with Ruberia and Azevedo focused on the Pyrenees.
The thing that worries me most about the next two days is the fans..... its only a matter of time before an accident happens.
I sense a great deal of confidence in this statement. Almost like he is saying "I know something that you don't know."
And let's not forget Stage 15 and what it passes. He is sure to be motivated to do well (win) that stage.
Yeah, so true. I saw several close-calls in the stage today - the one guy running ahead of them with the Columbian flag was awfully dicey. Tomorrow's stage is going to be as sketch from that standpoint.DRB said:
I was shocked this morning when I turned on the tv exactly as Vino attacked on the penultimate climb. They totally nullified the tempo-setting of Lance's boys that we've come to know and expect year after year. Too bad for them that Lance was as solid as he's ever been.
If the stage tomorrow didn't pass the Casartelli monument, I would expect more of the same. Since it does, that's going to put Lance in a serious mindset. It's also his last crack at a mountain-top finish/stage win. Don't think he's going to have any motivational issues. Should be fun!
Right before that it looked like a fan reached out and shoved Jan almost causing him to take out Basso.DBR X6 RIDER said:
Towards the end of the stage today, the fans were doing the samething to Ullrich. Not pushing him up but trying to push him over and slapping at him. It wasn't good. I didn't notice them going after the others that way.Wumpus said:
i saw a shot of vino having to bitch smack somebody for pushing him.
No more Vino in pink! He informed the team he's leaving but didn't say to which team.
I think he's going to the Very Disco team, even though Johan says he think Vino will never be a tour winner...
Vinokourov has been courted by several big teams, and there is speculation that he may end up at Cofidis or Ag2r next year. Discovery Channel director Johan Bruyneel denied that his team was interested in signing the attacking T-Mobile rider. "We want someone who can win the Tour. Vinokourov isn't one of them," he said.bikeguy100k said:
I'm not so sure about him going to Disco. Does Bruyneel really need a loose cannon?
Vino would be a good compliment to their classics team(s) and an obvious stage-winner in major tours. I can see him being a KOM contender for sure. I'm curious to see where he does wind up.