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Vuelta a España 2012

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    #136
    Originally posted by rcasemore View Post
    Be nice to see Cav win it but isn't he likely to be on his way out as well?

    All these questions!
    Yes but they're all mates and they owe him something. Maybe he'll stay if he wins the Tour of Britain.

    But I doubt it. He'd be mad to play second fiddle to a genuine GC contender for a second season.
    .
    Suppose you have a physicist and a sociologist standing at the side of a field, observing a set of events unfolding on the field. The physicist does [describes] it using the terminology of mass and velocity and frequency of radiation and the rest. And the sociologist does it by describing it as a rugby match.



    May the Lord bless this post.

    Comment

      #137
      I'd love to see Cav stay at team SKY but for his own career he'd be best off moving to another team that will work for him to win stages and take the green journey at the tour etc....

      That race with Indurain is the one I really remember the best, I think the time of Riis and the Telekom team that came through was the real start of heavy doping in the sport (or I like to think so anyway!)

      Comment

        #138
        Yes, that's the nominal start date. But you can't help feeling it started before.

        I just looked: Wiki says recombinant (i.e. synthesised) EPO was developed in the late 1980's. So I doubt the problems really started in 1996.

        We should be discussing this in the Armstrong thread.
        .
        Suppose you have a physicist and a sociologist standing at the side of a field, observing a set of events unfolding on the field. The physicist does [describes] it using the terminology of mass and velocity and frequency of radiation and the rest. And the sociologist does it by describing it as a rugby match.



        May the Lord bless this post.

        Comment

          #139
          Exciting final stage in the USA Pro-Challenge. Phinney won the 15km ITT but he was well down on GC.

          The top three riders were within 21" of each other at the start of the stage.

          Leipheimer
          Vande Velde +9"
          Van Garderen +21"

          Stage result:

          1 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:17:25
          2 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Sharp 0:00:13
          3 Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:19
          4 Peter Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:00:21
          5 Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin - Sharp 0:00:29
          6 Tom Zirbel (USA) Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 0:00:31
          7 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:37
          8 Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team 0:00:40
          9 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:00:43
          10 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Sharp 0:00:45

          So Vande Velde won overall, Van Garderen second, Leipheimer third.

          Good race.
          .
          Suppose you have a physicist and a sociologist standing at the side of a field, observing a set of events unfolding on the field. The physicist does [describes] it using the terminology of mass and velocity and frequency of radiation and the rest. And the sociologist does it by describing it as a rugby match.



          May the Lord bless this post.

          Comment

            #140
            Impressive race from Joseph Dombrowski, a 21 year old American, who finished tenth overall. Reportedly joining Sky next season.
            .
            Suppose you have a physicist and a sociologist standing at the side of a field, observing a set of events unfolding on the field. The physicist does [describes] it using the terminology of mass and velocity and frequency of radiation and the rest. And the sociologist does it by describing it as a rugby match.



            May the Lord bless this post.

            Comment

              #141
              Big day I guess for Froome, he's really going to have to take a chunk of time out of Rodriguez and hopefully Contador today in the ITT.

              Neil, what you do you think is a realistic amount of time he could take from them today?

              Comment

                #142
                I come back to the Giro. Hesjedal took 47 seconds out of Rodriguez on a flat course of 31km. Froome's better but over half the 39.4km course is uphill or downhill and you wouldn't expect Rodriguez to lose much there. So it's possible Rodriguez could hang on to the red jersey. I think that's unlikely but it's not impossible which others seem to believe it is.

                Contador looked good I thought in the TTT but that was short and, since it was a team thing, appearances can be deceptive.

                Apart from Contador, the other unknown is whether Froome has managed to maintain his TT form from the Tour and Olympics. If he has then he could well take at least 5"/km out of Rodriguez and even more out of Valverde.

                I think if Froome gets less than two minutes on Rodriguez today or loses time to Contador then he's unlikely to win it. Rodriguez has somehow eked out 53" on Froome and there are more uphill finishes to come. So Froome needs to get a decent buffer to protect himself in the final week. And if Contador is stronger than Froome in the race of truth then it suggests he should gain time in the remaining stages too.

                But a lot depends on what happens tactically after today and of course that partly depends on what happens today.

                If he takes the lead today then Sky have to ride and I think it's clear that they aren't as strong as they were in the Tour. They're good but not clearly head and shoulders above the rest like they were in France. Katusha, Movistar and Saxo-Tinkoff all look at about the same level.

                Roger Hammond said on ITV yesterday that Froome needs to concentrate on his own plan and use his teammates effectively rather than worrying too much about his what his rivals might do - exactly my view on it too.
                Last edited by Neil Young; 29-08-12, 11:09 AM.
                .
                Suppose you have a physicist and a sociologist standing at the side of a field, observing a set of events unfolding on the field. The physicist does [describes] it using the terminology of mass and velocity and frequency of radiation and the rest. And the sociologist does it by describing it as a rugby match.



                May the Lord bless this post.

                Comment

                  #143
                  Well, that was interesting. Rodriguez lost about what I thought possible, Valverde lost much less than I thought he would.

                  Of course the headline is Contador taking 22" out of Froome. It'll be quite an achievement if Froome manages to win overall, not because he's 15" behind him but because he's currently weaker, by definition. Given his programme I think it's unlikely he'll recover, whereas Contador will gain confidence from today and is likely to get stronger as the race goes on. But you never know - Contador's lack of racing might mean he runs out of gas, etc.

                  An all-Spanish podium is now a realistic prospect. Valverde 59" gap to Rodriguez was nearly all on the one stage where he fell and was distanced. And Rodriguez was very good today and is probably better than even Valverde at sprinting on really steep climbs as we have in the final week.

                  So it's nicely set up but Froome's going to have to find something special.

                  1 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team 40:26:15
                  2 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:00:01
                  3 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:16
                  4 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:59
                  .
                  Suppose you have a physicist and a sociologist standing at the side of a field, observing a set of events unfolding on the field. The physicist does [describes] it using the terminology of mass and velocity and frequency of radiation and the rest. And the sociologist does it by describing it as a rugby match.



                  May the Lord bless this post.

                  Comment

                    #144
                    Cheers for the updates Neil. I for one like reading your opinions and race overview as i dont get to watch most of it.
                    Go **** yourself

                    Comment

                      #145
                      Cheers, man.
                      .
                      Suppose you have a physicist and a sociologist standing at the side of a field, observing a set of events unfolding on the field. The physicist does [describes] it using the terminology of mass and velocity and frequency of radiation and the rest. And the sociologist does it by describing it as a rugby match.



                      May the Lord bless this post.

                      Comment

                        #146
                        Yeah same here. Thanks Neil.
                        Are we winning?

                        Comment

                          #147
                          So, Rodriguez fulfils the organisers' faith in his ability to exploit the parcours they provided for him. Ok, that's a bit unfair - it suits him perfectly but he's got the condition and form to take advantage.

                          Rodriguez taking time from Contador shows he's got to be favourite right now. There are though longer climbs to come and they should suit Contador better. However, the way Rodriguez rode the Stelvio in the Giro indicates he can ride long climbs and still explode past his rivals with a kick in the last 300m. If I were to bet, I'd put money on him.

                          Froome losing 23" plus time bonuses is yet another indication it's slipping away from him. The longer hills should suit him but it looks to me like he's in a fight for third, with no guarantee he'll get it, given Valverde's better performance today.

                          Stage result:
                          1 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team 4:24:32
                          2 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank 0:00:08
                          3 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:13
                          4 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:20
                          5 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:23
                          6 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha Team
                          7 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:00:27
                          8 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:31
                          9 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre - ISD 0:00:33
                          10 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:00:36

                          GC:
                          1 Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha Team 44:50:35
                          2 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank 0:00:13
                          3 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:51
                          4 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:20
                          5 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:02:59
                          6 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Katusha Team 0:03:29
                          7 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0:04:22
                          8 Andrew Talansky (USA) Garmin - Sharp 0:05:17
                          9 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:05:18
                          10 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:06:01
                          .
                          Suppose you have a physicist and a sociologist standing at the side of a field, observing a set of events unfolding on the field. The physicist does [describes] it using the terminology of mass and velocity and frequency of radiation and the rest. And the sociologist does it by describing it as a rugby match.



                          May the Lord bless this post.

                          Comment

                            #148




                            Wirral-born pedaller, Steve Cummings, gets the biggest win of his career with victory in today's stage from the breakaway. That's great - he's had a miserably unlucky season and won in style with a 4km individual time trial, pursued by Mayer and Flecha.

                            Otherwise, an uneventful, although unexpectedly fast, stage with no change to the GC.

                            So, we've got three days of big mountain stages coming up. They should be significant and could even be decisive.

                            In today's pre-race interview Froome seemed remarkably relaxed and confident, so maybe he can pull something out in the next three days.
                            .
                            Suppose you have a physicist and a sociologist standing at the side of a field, observing a set of events unfolding on the field. The physicist does [describes] it using the terminology of mass and velocity and frequency of radiation and the rest. And the sociologist does it by describing it as a rugby match.



                            May the Lord bless this post.

                            Comment

                              #149
                              Originally posted by Neil Young View Post




                              Wirral-born pedaller, Steve Cummings, gets the biggest win of his career with victory in today's stage from the breakaway. That's great - he's had a miserably unlucky season and won in style with a 4km individual time trial, pursued by Mayer and Flecha.

                              Otherwise, an uneventful, although unexpectedly fast, stage with no change to the GC.

                              So, we've got three days of big mountain stages coming up. They should be significant and could even be decisive.

                              In today's pre-race interview Froome seemed remarkably relaxed and confident, so maybe he can pull something out in the next three days.
                              Not the best word to choose, even if the spellings slightly incorrect

                              Waits for the old dog with cataracts to chastise me

                              Comment

                                #150
                                .
                                Suppose you have a physicist and a sociologist standing at the side of a field, observing a set of events unfolding on the field. The physicist does [describes] it using the terminology of mass and velocity and frequency of radiation and the rest. And the sociologist does it by describing it as a rugby match.



                                May the Lord bless this post.

                                Comment

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