Running Tour de France Thread

It might have been a non-event to you, B-chick, but to my Cav-loving household, it was a great day. Even my dog was barking in joy at an amazing 6th stage victory by the Columbia crew.

 

Dunno if it's backstabbing or perhaps they saw that Armstrong acted like a good teammate and supported Alberto Contador when it appeared he was the leader of the team.

Guess we'll find out next year. A quick post-stage interview on Versus was kind of tense. Lance didn't say anything wrong, but he wasn't as graceful regarding Contador as he could have been. Not nasty, not distasteful but quite vague.

 

Even if Armstrong and Contador had been on opposing teams and Armstrong had gone for it, Contador wins. Contador was just too good in the mountains, a place where Lance made his hay for 7 years. But he was there in the end. Next year who knows? I've seen Father Time disobeyed too many times over the last decade.

 

I am constantly amazed by how quick Cavendish is, and how stinkin' good his leadout team is. Garmin tried (too early) to get on front, and Hincapie, bruised collarbone and all, came in with his guys and shut the door. You could tell from the moment Renshaw got on front and jumped that he and Cav had gapped the field. Simply amazing.

Next year should be interesting. Lance will probably have Levi and Horner to help him in the hills, though none of those guys is getting any younger. Contador, meanwhile, is entering his prime and is absolutely the favorite.

 

I wonder how much that injury set Armstrong back?

 

Congrats, Alberto. Please enjoy the Danish national anthem while you're on the podium ...

 

Yes, and no. Sure, he's the best cyclist in the world right now, and for the near future. But the uncertainty surrounding his team could land him on a squad that can't deliver him the goods the way Astana did. Judging from his actions, Contador might think he didn't need a team to win the TDF, but obviously LA and Kloden helped put him atop the podium. Next year, they are gone, as is Bruyneel. And the Velonews article today suggests he might have trouble landing on a quality squad.

As for his being signed to Garmin -- surely that American-based squad will think twice about signing him after he bashed Captain America yesterday. Although maybe not, as Vaughters proved he puts squad above country when he had his team block Hincapie from wearing the yellow jersey.

[/Columbia fanboy]

 

George Hincapie, badass:



Obviously, it's official: He finished the last week of the tour with a broken collarbone.

http://www.georgehincapie.com/

 

Holy shit, that is incredible. The dude is a trooper, and I just really hope he can win Paris-Roubaix next year.

And Tiger, you're right about Contador in regards to his team. I became a big Garmin fan, back when it was still the TIAA-CREF development squad and sponsored by 5280/Chipotle, and it was kind of an oddball outfit. I am less more so now after that weird Hincapie stunt, but I still wouldn't want Contador to go to Garmin.
With his comments about Lance, he proved himself to be kind of an idiot. He just won the Tour, he will have no trouble staking out his placing in cycling history...bashing Armstrong does nothing for him.

 

That and considering he spent the past three plus years working out with Matthew McConaghue, nailin Ashley Olson and partying with rock stars, I think its amazing he finished on the podium.

 

Ask yourself this: If Andreas Kloden has an offer to join Lance Armstrong's Radio Shck team and an offer to join Alberto Contador's Whatever team for the same salary, who do you think he'll join?

 

So, who was the "manic-depressive?" Lance or Contador? Hehehehehe

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/news/story?id=4555381