I thought that Schlek and Fabian Catchalara DID wait up on the cobble stage.
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Maybe you are thinking of the other stage when roughly half the field crashed on an oil slick, and Cancellara convinced everyone to neutralize (even though some. like Hushovd, were not entirely happy about it)?
Alberto lost 1:13 to Schleck on that stage and 20 seconds to the group he was with after flatting near the end. No one waited, no one even thought of it during or after the stage.
I've always understood it along the lines of you wait for someone in a group you are working with. You start dishing out attacks and you are no longer in a working group.
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I think it's different in the middle of a climb when everyone is fighting.
see 2:25 here:
I cant find the video... but there is another time when Lance waited for Ullrich when he crashed.
I think it's basically the honorable thing to do. To win because of a crash or a mechanical is basically a tainted win. You didn't win because you were stronger or had better skills on the bike, but because of luck.
Lance waited for Ulrich because he knew he could destroy him. Tyler and the bunch waited for Lance because they knew he could destroy them. Chivalry goes down the drain when the real **** is hitting the fan. When did someone wait when it really could have meant a difference?
That may be, but there will be an asterisk by Contador's win if he wins by less than 39 seconds. Maybe not officially, but everyone that is a fan of the tour will know that Andy was the better man in 2010.
EDIT: Actually, in the video that I posted. If Ullrich had attacked that year he would have won the tour.
^^^^ And in that video they talk about Jan flatting and Lance waiting for him.
Contador's still a dick.
Contador's still a dick.
There's only one problem with your theory... Video shows that it's flat out wrong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rEQYmLOUZXQ&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rEQYmLOUZXQ&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>
Schleck had practically stopped by the time AC goes by.
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AS and AC weren't in the same group in that case. It was entirely possible that AS didn't know AC had flatted. Entirely different situation.
I'm sure that is somewhere near the top of Jan's long list of regrets.
I find this kind of ironic. A sport with a long tradition of cheating, breaking all the written rules: having controversy with a subjective breaking of unspoken rules. I'd rather have a race with athletes following all the clear objective rules and turning everything else into a dishonorable fistfight for victory.
You and Golgi are totally right. Apparently that slip that says the optometrist wants to see me might be hinting at something. I completely confused Vino with Contador. Foot firmly lodged in mouth on that one.
However, it doesn't change the fact that it's a ferkin' bike race. These "unwritten rules" only seem to apply when certain people want them to. Will there also be an asterisk next to everyone who finishes four minutes above Nicholas Roche, because they didn't wait for him when he flatted on the same climb? What about stages 2 and 3? Schleck, by his own admission, would have been completely out of contention if Contador hadn't waited for him on stage 2. Did Schleck wait for anyone on stage 3? What kind of waiting/bad luck rules are these?
Good point but trying to make sense of pro cycling is not easy. If you look at it from an image point of view. If Contador had stayed behind and waited and comes out as the winner he would look like a real hero and gain a bigger following/popularity which it seems he needs. It seems like he feels more pressure than last year.
"Contador is loitering on Schleck's rear wheel as the peloton begins ripping apart behind them, like paint peeling off an old yacht in a gale."
cant believe Cantador hasnt won a stage yet and still has the yellow
Schleck wins today
Schleck wins today
Woah. Horner moved up to tenth on GC. 
I think Horner is probably stronger than Levi or Lance this year. He could have done a lot better if he didn't have to work for those guys all the time.Woah. Horner moved up to tenth on GC.
I think not having him to cover GC was Radio Shack's big mistake this year. Said that for weeks.
Great stage. Schleck gave it a shot but I think he figured out pretty quickly that Contador would not be dropped. Surprised that Contador only attacked once, but NOT surprised he gave Schleck the win. Total PR move.
Do you think anyone would notice if Schleck swaps numbers with Cancellara on Saturday?
Do you think anyone would notice if Schleck swaps numbers with Cancellara on Saturday?
I hope Schleck can figure out how to time trial in the next day.
Gonna miss ol' Lance.
Last year he rode well after being out so long.....and an early season collarbone.
Now another year of training and this performance is a bit confusing.
I'd like to see him give it one more year....but i wonder if the probe circling his head has changed his "preparations"....
Last year he rode well after being out so long.....and an early season collarbone.
Now another year of training and this performance is a bit confusing.
I'd like to see him give it one more year....but i wonder if the probe circling his head has changed his "preparations"....
What has his times been like compared to Contador?
For the team I think it would be good for him to do another year just for the marketing. For him maybe not so much.
The Eurosport guys were doing some extrapolating based on Schlecks recent imporvement in ITT......they calc'd that he would need 80 seconds going into the ITT to have a viable shot to win..
That makes sense - if Ned Overend is still riding no reason why Lance should stop. I am no Lance fan boy but he has a name that can do a lot to promote cycling.
He kind of had to. Can you imagine the flak he would have gotten from his peers after wheel sucking on the whole climb?Great stage. Schleck gave it a shot but I think he figured out pretty quickly that Contador would not be dropped. Surprised that Contador only attacked once, but NOT surprised he gave Schleck the win. Total PR move.
Do you think anyone would notice if Schleck swaps numbers with Cancellara on Saturday?
Now they really need the motor.
I thought so too, but I don't think I've ever seen Contador look like he was truly suffering so it's hard to tell. Definitely surprised he only attacked once. I figured he would cover Schleck's attacks, wait until Schleck was clearly hurting (physically AND psychologically) and then jump to get more time.
If he held back he is pretty stupid IMO, since you never know what might happen in the TT or in the next couple days (mechanical, crash, etc.). He'll have time to recover before the TT either way.
So it's weird: He attacked when Schleck dropped his chain, but not when he stood to gain more time and win a stage without any so-called asterisks.
You know Big Tex would have gained time on a day like today, that's for sure. Maybe contador wants to be seen as less ruthless?
****-yeah Carlos!
I never understood the folks who ride defensively to protect a mediocre result. Attack mother ****er Attack!
And kudos to Ryder for a great result and not taking the safe route to get there.
Losing 32s in 8.9k doesn't bode well for Andy in the TT. At least the gap is big enough to Sanchez and Menchov that he shouldn't lose second place. The exciting race will be for 3rd, unless Contador has mechanical issues.
the Dish wins again. the announcer said he has 3 legs...now thats getting personal
20 "fail" pictures from TdF's
I Can Safely Say None Of Us Will Win Picture
I Can Safely Say None Of Us Will Win Picture
Schleck's pinnin' it. Fabain absolutely drilled it.