posted Jul 13, 2007

how much has been taken out of Vinokourov's, and his team's tank though.

Though never happy to crash, i don't think he will be overly unhappy with yesterday. He is now in a position where, unless everything goes completely mad today, he is not going to be picking up the yellow until he really really wants it. I think Kloden is going to take over come the mountains, being the top GC rider at the mo. However you are then in the position of having to defend it for a couple of weeks.

Vinokourov can now bide his time, and if he is serious about winning the thing, attack when ready. Armstrong always did this, kept himself close enough, but never taking yellow till one of his devastating attacks on a mountain finish, to blow the others away. Watch Vinokourov doing the same thing.

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posted Jul 13, 2007

I wonder whether Vino may not be hurt more than we think. He had a pretty good group with him for the last few kms but yet the gap grew. And chasing back it didn't look like his team were up to much - could that be a factor come the mountains? Can he really do it all on his own?

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posted Jul 13, 2007

lets be a little realistic. of course the gap was going to widen, with all the attacks in the last few k's.

mory of a worry for Vinokourov was his team, as they really did not look up to much. Can't have seen Discovery from a couple of years back folding on a cat 3 on the first real hilly stage.

you cant really win a tour on your own, though there are the odd exception, pantani being one of them. you need a good team around you, to get you to the last climb and then full throttle

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posted Jul 13, 2007

It was a bad stage to lose time on, but it's not a complete disaster. Vino can be proud at the way he rode afterwards, and did very well to limit his losses.He can't afford to have a really bad day in the mountains now though, as that will really cost him. He'll be put under a lot of pressure by the other GC contendersstraight away if they sense a weakness. Maybe he'll try and pre-empt them with an attack of his own?

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posted Jul 13, 2007

There's no denying his guts (even my 9 year-old, a recent convert after last weekend, was gushing at the performance). Perhaps if Kloden hadn't been injured and gone back to help as well the damage would have been less so?

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posted Jul 13, 2007

igmeister

i would not hold your breath. nothing much will happen in the alps. People will go backwards, and we will find out who are the real contenders are, for the second set of mountain stages. i really doubt that any of the top GC riders really want yellow yet. It brings the pressure, plus the responsibility to chase, in the mountains and the flat stages between.


Much better to take it on the last mountain stage if possible, but having not yet looked at the last three, i don't which have mountain top finishes, and those are the ones that decide things.

It also was not that "bad a stage to lose time on". Obviously no one wants to go to far back, but he now has no chance of taking it, because the current incumbent falls away.

The worst thing for Vinokourov is that Kloden prob will take yellow tomorrow which will take it out of the team

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posted Jul 13, 2007

Kloden rides for the same team....

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posted Jul 13, 2007

posted 6 Minutes Ago

Kloden rides for the same team....

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exactly, so if he takes yellow, the teams effort are going to be keeping him in yellow, rather than being able to rest up.

worst of both worlds, not in yellow but team still having to push

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posted Jul 13, 2007

Oscarmacapfel, I suspect that ITV do not show the race live, is that Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen are providing live commentary for the American Versus network. It is interspersed with plugs for the sponsor, and probably better paid!

You can watch the race live on your PC as Versus provide a stream of their output, however, they do not have the broadcast rights to do this so you have to hunt for this, as I doubt the BBC would let me publish the location.

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posted Jul 13, 2007

It is ironic that with all the focus on Vino yesterday, it may actually be Kloden who is more seriously injured.

As for the Astana team, yes they were pretty average to be honest, the way they were all expended in a fairly short space of time does not suggest they are going to be much help in the mountains.

This tour is starting to swing towards the climbers then, those specialists who were for the most part neutralised under the Postal monopoly due to the fact Hamilton and Livingstone and the likes were there to help out Armstrong.

With no-one having a team of that strength it appears to be a series of one-on-ones which lends itself to the tactic of attacking often and early on the slopes.

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