tyler, tyler, tyler ...

[gt6267a]

http://www.velonews.com/tour2004/details/articles/6443.0.html

Among the victims in the main bunch was American Tour contender Tyler

Hamilton (Phonak) who took a tumble at about 100km.

"I went down with one of the Posties," said Hamilton who remounted quickly and rejoined the peloton, fortunate to suffer nothing more than abrasions to his right.

"I was coming around a corner, there were five guys on the ground and I had to go off the road."


for the love of g-d, he can't even make it past the first stage! he should be called the crashenator.

will someone explain to tyler that to win he needs to remain on his bike!

seriously though, does he not have a team to help prevent him from getting in danger?

-K

[Kevin]

He should get training wheels for Christmas.

Kevin

[Tom Robison]

I think Tyler puts the rubber side up at least once during most Tours. Bad luck? Lack of concentration? Who knows. But he is a bulldog. Broken collarbone and he scores 4th place in 2003. Unfortunately I think he is destined to be a tour bridesmaid.

Tom

[shaq-d]

I think Tyler puts the rubber side up at least once during most Tours. Bad luck? Lack of concentration? Who knows. But he is a bulldog. Broken collarbone and he scores 4th place in 2003. Unfortunately I think he is destined to be a tour bridesmaid.

Tom

i'm still not impressed with the broken bone and 4th place. the pain of the bone probably took the focus off the pain of racing. anyway, he hasn't GC podium'd ever and quite frankly doesnt' deserve the press he gets. and he isn't a young pup either like sastre and mayo, who also have never podium'd but definitely deserve the press they get.

it's one thing to win because of adversity; it's another thing to win because of adversity that was self-created.

sd

[Bruce K]

In case no one noticed yesterday's stage saw lots of riders on the ground.

The stupidest of all was an fdJeux rider who while in the 5-man break was talking to his team manager in the team car and ran into the rear whell of the rider infront of him sending him a++ over teakettle. He eventually paid a visit to the medical car for the doctor to have a look.

Tyler's little thing yesterday affected nothing as shortly thereafter (with some good teamwork) he could be seen on Lance's shoulder and even right at the front of the Peloton.

While he has not podium'd at the Tour, many riders have not. He has only been a team leader for 2 prior Tours and a 4th place is nothing to sneeze at.

Shaq, please name the podium finishers for the last 2 Tours when he was not a domestique. I think his 4th puts him in good company.

He has won major races and IMO is deserving of plenty of press.

But let's see how this all plays out before we bash Tyler or anyone else. We've only finished Stage 1.

BK

[Climb01742]

interesting tyler tidbit...a guy i work with once worked with tyler's wife, haven...in the winters she would leave home for the office with tyler pedaling away on his trainer...and she'd come home from the office with tyler pedalling away on his trainer...say what you will about his bike handling skills, the guy is mentally tough...can you imagine 8 hours on a trainer? :crap: :crap: :crap: :crap:

[BumbleBeeDave]

--2nd place in the Giro
--4th place in the Tour
--Tour stage win
--Tour de Romandie
--Tour de Romandi AGAIN
--Liege-Bastogne-Liege

That's a pretty good palmares for just the last few years for a guy who you think needs training wheels. I believe Cipo also crashed yesterday and I don't see anyone pillorying HIM. I am also not quite sure what the man is supposed to do if he comes around a corner at, what?, 25 mph?, and there's a yard sale. Bunny hop them all, perhaps?

I agree with Bruce . . . give EVERYONE a chance. It IS only stage 2, 'fer Pete's Sakes.

BBDave

[saab2000]

... the press he gets. He is a contendah. He has won pretty big races and has the respect of his peers. IMHO he is the real deal.

Regarding crashing, well, he may be a bit less agile than some others. But before we get too critical, I would like to know how many people who criticize him actually ride in races? Some people are truly gifted and hardly ever crash. But others just get caught up in it.

In any case, it is good that if he was going to crash that he got it out of the way early and gets that out of his head. Now he can concentrate on the race.

I make no predictions about a finishing position for him, but I would love to see him win the whole thing.

[Bruce K]

Shaq - just in case you're not reading the overalls correctly...
Tyler is 18th overall at :26

I think that's still what I would call in contention.

I also think it's rather interesting that at 18th place Tyler is 6th among American riders. With all that, it is still a shame how little coverage the Tour gets in this country beyond Lance and to some degree Tyler.

Levi who? Floyd what? Bobby huh? And let's not forget that guy George who many say is either a has-been or never-was.

I'd say at this point we've got lots to cheer about and many to cheer for.

It's going to be a great 3 weeks.

BK

[bostondrunk]

No prob with Tyler hitting the deck, happens to them all. But I take back my earlier prediction of Tyler beating Lance, etc. After seeing him all over his TT bike I'm not confident he is going to do well. Jan didn't have a great prologue, but I still think he is gonna have a good showing.
Why would BMC make an ultra tt machine for someone who sits up into the wind and rocks at least a foot side to side?!?!?
I think Zabel is saving himself for a win at the alp tt!!!

[Elefantino]

i'm still not impressed with the broken bone and 4th place. the pain of the bone probably took the focus off the pain of racing.

Reminds me of the Robin Williams line about Lance: "He has only one testicle ... he's aerodynamic. Everyone cut of your balls! You'll be quicker!"

[BumbleBeeDave]

That in the shots OLN showed he was rocking quite a bit, but then I realized their only shot of him that I saw was in the finishing straight, when he was almost sprinting after coming around that last curve, so I don't think that view necessarily represents his usual TT style.

That IS one funky bike, though . . . There's NO stem!

BBDave

[Bruce K]

Interestingly the steer tube is behind an aerodynamic fairing that replaces the head tube as the foremost part of the bike. The stem is molded as part of the fairing.

That would mean every fork/steer tube/stem assembly would have to be custom made for each rider on the team.

Can you say big $$$$ ??

BK

[Bill Bove]

Unfortanately for Tyler he came up while Lance was around. If you take LA out of the results Tyler would be the top American fighting for a podium spot and we'ed all be excited but we've been Lanceified and Tyler is more famous for falling down wich he does as often as winning.

Hey Bill! How'ed you do in the crit yesterday? Ah, I tylered in the last corner. Bummer man, you O.K.? Yeah, just a lttle tyler tattoo on my elbow.

[bostondrunk]

I wonder why Tyler wasn't using the new Zipp deep front wheel..

[shaq-d]

Unfortanately for Tyler he came up while Lance was around. If you take LA out of the results Tyler would be the top American fighting for a podium spot and we'ed all be excited but we've been Lanceified and Tyler is more famous for falling down wich he does as often as winning.

Hey Bill! How'ed you do in the crit yesterday? Ah, I tylered in the last corner. Bummer man, you O.K.? Yeah, just a lttle tyler tattoo on my elbow.

maybe that's it. i'm not american and tyler does nothing for me :p. lance does tho, and it's because he's won 5. even if lance wasn't around, tyler still wouldn't do squat for me. ullrich would tho, cause he woulda won, what, 6?

sd