posted Jul 21, 2007

What an amazing coincidence that, just a couple of months after failing to comply with drug testing requirements, Rasmussen finds a sudden improvement in form. Quite spooky innit?

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posted Jul 21, 2007

Don't know whether or not to admire anyone still trying to make predictions for this race. Last week, Vinokourov was out of it and Rasmussen had no chance!

It's a shame Mayo and Schleck are down on GC, as that reduces the chances of a contest between the pure climbers in the mountains and the time triallists. Looks like it's going to be a process of elimination instead.

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posted Jul 21, 2007

The last 10.6 km of the Port de Pailhères climb is 8.2% on average. The steepest bit is 10.2%!!!

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posted Jul 21, 2007

Today's fastest climbers on the category 4 Côte de la Bauzié:

1. Contador (3 points for polkadot jersey)
2. Evans (2)
3. Boogerd (1)

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posted Jul 21, 2007

I still think that Levi Leipheimer has gone through the race pretty much un-noticed. He is riding in the strongest team and even as team leader the pressure is off a bit with Alberto Contador being in third place. I can still see steady progress with a good final time trial to come.

What do you lot think?

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posted Jul 21, 2007

Kloeden will not loose time on him in the final ITT & probaly climbs better. Evans and Contador climb better & will (if at all) loose very little time in the final ITT on him. Rasmussen is a far better climber, so too far ahead in the ranking. Apart from that Vino is just behind him. Think he'll finsh in the top 10.

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posted Jul 21, 2007

Vino showed his class today.

Ig, still think Kloden is the best ITT rider in the field?

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posted Jul 21, 2007

farmost, Levi has been steady but what does the team do with Contador? The Spaniard has a talent for climbing and showed today he can also ride a good ITT.

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posted Jul 21, 2007

Good time indeed by Rasmussen. But before the conspiracies get underway, I think a few things fell into place for him today.

The weather played a big part.

Seeing the ITV highlights, Wiggins was one of the first out and he finished the race in pouring rain. Saw Millar interviewed and it looked like he rode in the rain all the way. He described the route as very dangerous and would put word back to Mayo to take it carefully. It looked as if both Mayo and Cancellara, who fell heavily, had a nightmare.

Riders were going down all over the course, either on the decent or roundabouts. By the time Rasmussen went out the rain had stopped and the course was drying, so conditions were that much better for him.

Both Rasmussen and Vino, who was pushing hard on the flats and uphill but riding at a ‘comparative’ snails pace downhill (well would you want to fall on those knees?), stayed upright. Seems as if the slow decent and staying on the bike was not only safer, but overall quicker.

While he’s never going to turn himself into a time trial specialist, Rasmussen had clearly been working on his technique. The commentary boys noticed his riding position, which was a little more upright than many others and in their opinion he’d found a riding style that wasn’t particularly aerodynamic, but worked for him.

Thinking back to the 9 minutes he lost in 2005, he fell off 3 times and had to change bikes. He was also up against a lot of riders who aren’t riding any more, notably Ulrich and Armstrong. Both of these would have taken time out of Rasmussen, pushing him further down the stage results.

If you take the nearly 3 minutes he lost today, add in another couple of lost minutes if riders who are now retired were still competing and then factor in another couple of minutes lost for falling 3 times etc, you can easily see were those 9 minutes came from.

Yes there’s a story to be told when it comes to Rasmussen’s so-called ‘missed’ tests, but presently I don’t think today’s results should fan any flames.

Today was a good day for Rasmussen.

Now bring on the mountains!

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posted Jul 21, 2007

The most impressed I've ever been with Rasmussen. Fully expected him to be about 5 minutes down (comparable with Valverde and Mayo), so to lose no more than 1.5 minutes to his main rivals (Evans, Kloden, Contador) was very impressive. OK, so conditions may have played slightly in his favour, but it was still a very solid ride under the pressure. He'll still need to gain time in the mountains though if he is to win.

Obviously Vino was the star today, but I was also impressed with Cadel Evans, who isn't normally a top ITT rider, yet beat a number who would normally take a minute or two out of him.
Bad day for Kloden, as he should have been challenging or beating Vino's time if he is to be considered a real contender.

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