posted Jul 19, 2008

Throwing it out there, if Cav keeps going to the end, what chances a 5th win and a lanterne rouge? He cant be too far ahead of Vansevernant

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posted Jul 19, 2008

Cav's still 20 minutes ahead of Sevie. No way Wim's going to give away his lantern at this stage. He'll just finish with the last grupetto tomorrow though,
he's not going to risk coming in late.

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posted Jul 19, 2008

We missed you today, GSGirl.

I trust you'll be with us tomorrow for the big HC climb, what a back-breaker, as it comes so early in the stage. And I don't like certain rider's chances on that climb to the finish either - it looks like it goes up something like 800m in the final kilometre!

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posted Jul 19, 2008

Friend who I haven't seen in a few weeks came to visit, and real life still trumps the TdF. But, I will def be here tomorrow =)
I just read an interview with Freire, and he said that Cav told him he'd try to make it over the Alps. Which I still think is a bit mad, but who am I.

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posted Jul 19, 2008

GSgirl - nice Freire anecdotes, neither of which i had heard before. Funniest thing, i would never have thought you'd find such an honest dutchman in the final kilometre.

The only doubt for me about Oscar keeping green is an accident or other misfortune (e.g. a flare up again of his "saddle" problems). Everyone else is riding for second now...

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posted Jul 19, 2008

Looks like it, doesn't it?

I'm going to have to do a little bit of recherche on odd prizes - I seem to remember a Rabo rider (Wauters ?) winning a special diamond presented by the King of Belgium (?) on a stage to Antwerp once.

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posted Jul 19, 2008

>i would never have thought you'd find such an honest dutchman in the final kilometre.<

well, they were teammates, so i suppose boogerd would've received quite the floggin had he lied

>The only doubt for me about Oscar keeping green is an accident or other misfortune (e.g. a flare up again of his "saddle" problems). Everyone else is riding for second now...<
He has specially padded pants these days, that should keep the saddle problems at bay.

>I'm going to have to do a little bit of recherche on odd prizes - I seem to remember a Rabo rider (Wauters ?) winning a special diamond presented by the King of Belgium (?) on a stage to Antwerp once.<

Ah, Marc - The Soldier - Wauters. Awesome guy, born in my city and lives not too far from here. The boss of my very first job let me and my coworker go an hour and half early so we could watch the TdF pass through town.

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posted Jul 19, 2008

I honestly believed that Mark will stick it all the way to Paris this year, but just after listening to his interview after the last stage when he sounded sad and down, I think this will be his last stage this year. Paris and the Green Jersey will have to wait for next year, and barring the unforeseen, nobody will be able to come close. Considering how much emphasis both he and his team are placing on doing the right thing on the Olympic Games, he is not set to start tomorrow, but if I am wrong, and he is on the start line, he will go all the way.
He is a great talent, and his whole team believes in him. The sky is the limit.

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