Who is going to win this years jerseys?
I would be very surprised if Armstrong is able to do it again. But, he did recruit some good domestiques.
What websites do read for TDF news? http://www.versus.com/ does a pretty good job of describing and covering each stage.
Any cool online TDF sweepstakes out there? Here's one that needs a daily code word to enter.
http://versus.eprize.net/rideofyourlifesweep/index.tbapp Yellow: Can't say it yet, I'm waiting for the Pyrenees to see who's good and who's not. 
Red Dots (I don't know the English name for this jersey...): The same as for the yellow...
Green jersey: Cavendish, he won today (and pretty impressive)... So if he can survive the Alpes, he should be alright...
White: I have no idea.... 
I'm following the Tour, every day live in front of my telly 
and at 10pm there's a discussionprogram about the Tour with reportages, documentaries (example: Eddy Merckx in '69, 40 years ago...),...
Adri 
Come on, we all know in our hearts its going to be Armstrong wearing the yellow jersey on the podium. Then a bunch of jealous rivals will make up some story about banned substances and even though Armstrong did everything right and even publicized his tests, it won't matter.
Its the story of the tour any more these days. Compete hard to win, but not too hard because if you get to good, you must be on something.
I'm missing Robbie McCuwen coming out of nowhere at the finish line.
He has a knee-injury 
. But anyway, Cavendish won again (what a surprise... ).
And Armstrong is now Third for the yellow jersey (40" behind Cancellara).
But lets see what happens today in Montpellier, a team trial I guess that Astana and Saxobank will be first and second (I prefer Saxobank to be first).
Adri :
lance is now +0:00 behind the yellow after the ttt today....... honestly if he's feeling it in the mountains, he's going to get another tour win
22 thousanths of a second difference after 300 miles of overall racing. That's like a Micheal Phelps olympic time split. How do they even measure that closely?
After Lance gets the yellow, how long will it take for the doping rumors to recommence? He is not human. He has to be some kind of Roswell crash offspring.
| jwellsy wrote: |
22 thousanths of a second difference after 300 miles of overall racing. That's like a Micheal Phelps olympic time split. How do they even measure that closely?
After Lance gets the yellow, how long will it take for the doping rumors to recommence? He is not human. He has to be some kind of Roswell crash offspring. |
Can't imagine it being dope. People are just getting better and better. Maybe mind control combined with passion and a teaspoon of luck? I always forget is Lance Armstrong better or worse in the mountains?
I hope he wins this year and proves to the doubters that it wasn't the sterioids that made him a 5, 6? time champ!
I am french and I was really disapointed about the today's stage. In fact Le Tourmalet was in the midlle of the stage. So It is not possible to try to attack. I don't know why the organisers have done this choise. The newt week will be very boring because no mountain. I hope Alpes' stage will be more interessant.
| Ben_Carrington wrote: |
| I am french and I was really disapointed about the today's stage. In fact Le Tourmalet was in the midlle of the stage. So It is not possible to try to attack. I don't know why the organisers have done this choise. The newt week will be very boring because no mountain. I hope Alpes' stage will be more interessant. |
I do not totally agree with you. True, Le Tourmalet was 70 km. from the finish. That is far. But guys as Merckx, Hinault, ... would have tried to attack, even 70 km from the finish. Nowadays, they are scared of attacking. The team orders became too important. The heroes are disappearing in the peloton.4 stages in a row for Cavendish. That's impressive.
Team Astana is interesting. They own second third and fourth place and their manager said that he doesn't like being so close to first place at this time in the race. He would prefer to be 60-90 sec out rather than 6 sec. If someone wss leading by a minute or more he feels they would tend to not push so hard and would be more vulnerable to being set up for a beat down.
This really looks like it's going to come down to the Armstrong Contador showdown in the Alps. Very interesting dynamics between those two. If they don't work it out who the leader is they could burn each other out and open the door for another team to sneak past them.
Astana is down a great rider. Levi has broken his wrist and did not start todays leg. Contador and Armstrong are going to miss him as a domestique. From fourth place to out is tuff. He is going to replay that crash over in head a million times. It's the same old lesson that when you fall don't reach out with your hand and try to catch yourself.
Indeed, the battle will end up between Contador and Armstrong. However, the alps still need to come and they will decide on who is the strongest. However, i'm disappointed on the lack of attacks that are made against the Astana team. It's like if the others get paralysed if Armstrong is riding in the peloton.
I hope this will change if the mountains come near.
Koen66: Looks like you are right. Lance is freezing out the other teams and playing domestique to Contador. I wonder if that has been the game plan all a long that they have been keeping a secret. I dought that Lance can catch Contador without Levi. Lance could of won it with Levi and Contador as domestiques. But, not now.
Lance is done -- I know this for sure!
| gverutes wrote: |
| Lance is done -- I know this for sure! |
Finishing on the podium in the third with almost no help is nothing to be ashamed of.
If Contador would have helped out Lance as much as Lance helped him, they could of finished one two.
It's been an interesting race.I said already one week ago that contador would be the winner of the tour and the latest etappes confirmed my opinion.
I am not a big fan or something, but he is very good this tour.
| jwellsy wrote: |
| gverutes wrote: | | Lance is done -- I know this for sure! |
Finishing on the podium in the third with almost no help is nothing to be ashamed of.
If Contador would have helped out Lance as much as Lance helped him, they could of finished one two.
It's been an interesting race. |
If one guy had no help I think it was more Contador who had to fight against his team member and more against his manager who is close friend of Armstrong in order to win.
Contador couldn't even get a car to go at the departure at Annecy, he had to use the car of his brother. A bit strange for the leader, isn't it? No issue for Lance on the other side.
But clearly Contador is younger and have a better physical response to the drugs. Considering the power developped in the mountains (easy to calculate mathematically), he has reached new records above what Armstrong has ever reached. Of course all these guys are doing things cannot be reached by any human.
I think the race is not interesting, but it is quite interesting on a medical point of view to see how far they will reach doing all these artifical modifications of the human body.
Let's see next year for new records !As I like the numbers here are some
During the climb at verbier the had the following average power developped
Contador 490 watts
Andy Schleck 471 Watts
Nibali 462 Watts
Franck Schleck 460 Watts
Wiggins 460 Watts
Armstrong 448 Watts
According to doctors specialist in sport everything over 430 watts can be considered as "mutant".
Note as well that is over the previous records of the doped guys (the few stupid ones who get caught like Riis, Pantani...).
But my prefered one is this one:
"Recall that Contador's acceleration (535 watts for 4min30s) is the equivalent of a top worls class pursuit on track but made on a mountain climb after 200 km..."
That's cool, you could come by bike from 200 kms to the track and then just continue and win a world championship title on track. They should combine the world championship on track with the Tour de France they will get new records. [/img] Cool numbers Fx. I think those guys are alien hybrids.
Contador was the strongest rider. But, he needs to work on his leadership and communication skills this next year. Throw Levi back into the drama and you have a great lead-in to next years TDF. I'm already looking forward to it.
