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Tour De France

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Old Croc Jul 2009 8:29am, 7 Jul 2009 3,882 posts	0 Old Croc TRO the TTT is ridden as a time trial in team groups. The team time is based on 5th rider across line (usually 4th but they've gone for 5 this year - ????) . If all finish together then all get that time - if detatched at end get an individual time. Times count as overall GC time - fastest team time wins stage. Yellow jersay contenders will be trying really hard to win / perform well to limit any losses and to defend jersey. Not an issue for green or polka dot jerseys.
TW Jul 2009 8:34am, 7 Jul 2009 419 posts	0 TW Apparently Contador was the rider who caused the split..he was the one who lost touch with the wheel in front an then the gap just grew...the report is on the BBC side, quoted from the fdj rider who was on Contador's wheel. I think Lance just read the situation well and kept himself near the front....the commentators had said all day that split was likely with the cross wind, and so if everyone knew that, it was a sensible thing to do. Then once the break was clear, it was sensible for the team to get the Astana riders to help, as there is a chance the team will take yellow today...they won't care at this stage if that is Lance or Contador..as no doubt the real shakeout will be in the mountains. Also note Lance's comments about being 2 leaders in his team in his post race interview...the team talks mst be great!...personally think Contador will blow Lance away in the mountains..but loving all this extra politics..and really chuffed for Lance...hope he does get to wear Yellow again. Roll on today. TW TTT - all riders go off together, but clock stops on rider number 5..so chances are they start as a group of 9, then slowly burn off one by one, until the strongest 5 are left. Astana need to beat Saxobank by 40 secs and beat Columbia by 7 or so, to put Lance in yelllow..there will no chance to Green as there are no points up for grabs today
Old Croc Jul 2009 8:45am, 7 Jul 2009 3,883 posts	0 Old Croc Once that break went - and boy did it go - it was going to stay away as too many teams had riders in it - 8 Columbia, 5 Skil, 3 Astana etc - they could all work together and a number of teams wouldn't chase their own riders down. Nothing suspicious about make up of break just those who were alert to what was happening.
hammerite Jul 2009 9:09am, 7 Jul 2009 5,913 posts	0 hammerite The same happened in the same region the last two years. Rabobank last year and Astana the year before....... The day after vino and kloden took a battering, and a couple of days later vino was found to have cheated.
TW Jul 2009 9:20am, 7 Jul 2009 420 posts	0 TW so...tips for today?....A lot of teams seem to have a good chance..Garmin Slipstream look very strong to me, but I think Astana have the most to gain..IF...they can operate as a unit....how many of the team will work at 100% to put Lance in Yellow???? So I go for......Astana...but not sure they will make up the whole gap to put him in yellow...TTT is only 50kms isn't it? (I am a bit of a Lance fan, and would love to see him pull on the yellow jersey, even if only for 1 day, and stick 2 fingers up at the Tour bosses...but overall think Contador and Evans will fight it out at the end)
Chrisull Jul 2009 9:27am, 7 Jul 2009 1,021 posts	0 Chrisull It was Vino's last hurrah - I remember, it was brilliantly executed, no mention of it being accidental then, he was obviously aiming to try and smash the field as Colombia did. I reckon Contador will have the legs in the mountains but Armstrong has the experience, that they're both on the same team adds to the intrigue. I read about Coppi/Bartali rivalry from the 40s/50s and they were both in the same team for a bit and their rivalry led to them both getting suspended for 3 months for their behaviour in a race as they waited for a manoeuvre that the other wouldn't make, and they didn't chase the breakaways, or the main group, and finally they were both left on their own at the back still marking each other out and abandoned the race. There's an account of it in Tim Krabbe's fictional book "The Race" I seem to recall.
Old Croc Jul 2009 9:27am, 7 Jul 2009 3,885 posts	0 Old Croc Interesting point - the whole astana team will be working for EITHER Contador or LA - not working for the other will be self defeating. Maybe you hit on a good point does LA just want to get yellow for one day? Curiouser and curiouser.............
Hendo Jul 2009 9:30am, 7 Jul 2009 25,040 posts	0 Hendo It will be very interesting to see how the Astana team dynamic works today.
Chrisull Jul 2009 9:30am, 7 Jul 2009 1,022 posts	0 Chrisull LA and yellow just for one day? I can't see that , the man is too driven. He wants to win it of that there is no doubt. Whether he ultimately believes he can is another point entirely!
thesteadygroove Jul 2009 9:36am, 7 Jul 2009 641 posts	0 thesteadygroove I'm with you there Chrisull, until we hit the mountains we're all gonna be second guessing but i wouldn't write off Lance, he rode well well within himslef in the Giro and nobody really knows how much he has to give. That's what makes this years race so damn exciting. Cadel still has a lot to prove to me, i'm just not sure in the big big mountains if he'll be up to the task but we'll see. I can't wait.