Voeckler . . .

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . all the way.

Do you believe in miracles?

[trener1]

Yeah! is he great or what?

[BumbleBeeDave]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYscemhnf88

[FlashUNC]

I'd like to, but no way he survives a week in the Alps.

[Chief]

"Little Tommy Voeckler" is all heart. :beer:

[stephenmarklay]

"Little Tommy Voeckler" is all heart. :beer:


More all balls if you ask me :)

[firerescuefin]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voeckler-a-tour-de-france-contender-says-armstrong

Actually agree with what Big Tex had to say.

[Lifelover]

He's French.

[wtex]

More all balls if you ask me :)

No doubt. I don't know how he can ride a bike with grapes that big :)
Me must have a cutout saddle.

[572cv]

[QUOTE=firerescuefin]http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voeckler-a-tour-de-france-contender-says-armstrong

Actually agree with what Big Tex had to say.[/QUOTE

Allez, Thomas!! Courage!!

[cmg]

the schlecks are going to have to show their cards in the alps. All voekler has to do is sit on andy's wheel. Cadel will have to attack. you bet that is what Hinault told him on the podium. you can win this. i'd like to believe in miracles. Eurocar have ridden inspired all week. great tour

[Olmo]

I'd like to, but no way he survives a week in the Alps.

Why not? He surprised everyone by hanging with Schleck/Schleck, Basso, Evans, and Contador in the Pyranees.

[bikemoore]

With Voekler holding on to not just the yellow jersey but his entire lead intact through the Pyrenees, the favorites have a real problem on their hands. Voekler is no slouch in any kind of racing. As long as the identified favorites just take little digs at each other, he has a real chance of hanging on with them. Someone is going to have to commit hard to a big attack to dislodge him, but doing so will be a major risk as the other favorites will just hang on to them and let them burn their matches. Having so many overall contenders bunched up behind really plays into Voekler's hands.

So, I think Voekler has a real chance of keeping the yellow all the way....and personally, I would love to see it. He has always been a plucky, classy rider who isn't afraid of taking chances. After Saturday's stage, I am rooting for him all the way.

Though if he makes it, we'll have to put up with the press questioning his "worthiness" as a winner just like they did with Oscar Periero.

[witcombusa]

. . . all the way.

Do you believe in miracles?


NO

[Russity]

It makes for a nice fairy tale ending......but he WILL lose time in the Alps and he'll get his proverbial whipped in the ITT by both Cadel and Alberto. I'd like to see him win, but it just aint gonna happen. Vive la Thomas!!!

[JMerring]

ill go out on a limb and say that, yes, tommy v wins it. yesterday it occurred to me that he is starting to believe he has a chance. given his grit, his experience, the fact that he is french, his gap over the others, and the fact that the heretofore considered contenders arent going to be able to drop each other in the alps, he has an awesome chance. i would love to see it happen.

[stephenmarklay]

I think until yesterday he, himself, thought the idea was unrealistic. I am sure that everyone around him is saying "you can Tommy boy you can"

Alberto, Cadel, Andy, Frank etc are all running scared (Frank less so). Tommy on the other hand has nothing to lose and is dreaming it right now.

He is still a way long shot but a podium position is likely in my opinion.

I for one will not mourn the loss off a high profile rider from the podium. This has been a hard tour, mentally anyway, so whomever is left standing earned it this year. BTW I would love to see Cadel take the top spot. He has paid the dues and mental demons.

Great tour no matter what happens.

[tele]

head says no, heart says yes!!!

at least the TT at the end of the Tour is shortish, that increases his chances if he can hang in the mountains. I wouldnt be surprised if he starts to get some French allies in the Alps too.

[soulspinner]

Long live TV. Cant see him surviving the Alps, but when he blows the French will love him even more.

[dekindy]

I was riding all day yesterday so I did not get a chance to watch the stage. I saw a brief highlight that showed V actually attacking the competition. Impressive. He will not lose it for lack of grit and determination.

[witcombusa]

Maybe the French passed the hat in the off season and gave our old friend Dr. Ferrari a call. Or perhaps they found out the secrect handshake and got the white lunch bags from Johan and LA....

If you can't beat them, join them

[firerescuefin]

Maybe the French passed the hat in the off season and gave our old friend Dr. Ferrari a call. Or perhaps they found out the secrect handshake and got the white lunch bags from Johan and LA....

If you can't beat them, join them


Or perhaps he is a rider that wore yellow in 04, has steadily improved as a rider, has been on his best form all year.....and perhaps others don't have a needle in their @ss....just a thought.

[davidlee]

Or perhaps he is a rider that wore yellow in 04, has steadily improved as a rider, has been on his best form all year.....and perhaps others don't have a needle in their @ss....just a thought.


Where is the "like" button?
:)
xo
davidlee

[Lifelover]

:crap: Or perhaps he is a rider that wore yellow in 04, has steadily improved as a rider, has been on his best form all year.....and perhaps others don't have a needle in their @ss....just a thought.


Or maybe he is on the same doping program he was on in 04.

[firerescuefin]

:crap:


Or maybe he is on the same doping program he was on in 04.


Steady improvement over 7 years and battling to keep the yellow is a lot easier to buy than almost dead to a one balled 7 time TdF winner.

As the forum's Lance-o-phile, I thought you would appreciate TV's efforts this year.

[Gummee]

They're all scared of making an attack cause they know that they don't have much if anything more than their rivals. One good dig in the mountains = couple of not-so-strong days right after?

All of that plays into Voeckler's hands because all he has to do is follow wheels. Its up to the rest of the 7 Dwarfs to attack him.

I'm thinking Cadel, but with an outside shot for TV.

M

[Ray]

They're all scared of making an attack cause they know that they don't have much if anything more than their rivals. One good dig in the mountains = couple of not-so-strong days right after?

All of that plays into Voeckler's hands because all he has to do is follow wheels. Its up to the rest of the 7 Dwarfs to attack him.

I'm thinking Cadel, but with an outside shot for TV.

M
I've never been a huge fan of Cadel, but I think Voekler holding his lead until the final TT, Cadel beating him by enough to win yellow by a few seconds, and Voekler on the final podium would be a "just" result (whatever the hell that means in competition). Cadel has paid his dues and fought for it for many years now. As much as I'd like to see Voekler win it, if he does, he got there because nobody took him seriously when they let his break go away, whereas Cadel would NEVER be able to get away with that. But if Voekler somehow found a way to hold him off in the TT and WIN the thing, I wouldn't be able to keep from jumping up and down, just a little! Wouldn't be bad to see a Frenchman actually win a Tour again after a quarter century...

-Ray

[Walter]

TV does have a good little team that has been with him pretty much all the way.

The favorities seem to be more into reactive racing rather than taking a shot...and time is running out.

If he can hold wheels in the Alps, he has enough in hand to survive the final TT.....

Good racing and great drama.

[ultraman6970]

Many people think Voeckler will lose time in the ITT, the main issue is that this time he has the support of his team. secondly when u have a racer that does support work aka domestique, that doesnt mean the guy is bad at all. It would not surprise me that he can TT decently or even more than u think, not as much as evans or contador but i see him gaining some time to the polidor bros aka the sckleck bros.

Good for the french man, wishing and waiting the best from him.

[Crazy Chris]

Mr. Voekler is from Martinique. Quite different from those "fine" people from Parigi, as the Italians are wont to say.

[rustychain]

Voekler is riding as well as he did last time not better IMO its the others in the field that are slower. Makes me wonder about the loss of some of the other contenders early on. Horner may indeed done well

[Johnny P]

It would be great if TV did win, but it's too early to tell at this point. Those alpine stages are monsters.

[Fixed]

head says no, heart says yes!!!

at least the TT at the end of the Tour is shortish, that increases his chances if he can hang in the mountains. I wouldnt be surprised if he starts to get some French allies in the Alps too.
+ 1 one for the french
cheers

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . he has already won just through what he has done so far with grit, determination, and the ongoing modesty he has shown in his public comments.

But despite those public comments, it would not surprise me if he is saying inside . . . "****in'-A I'm gonna show THEM!"

He deserves to win it. And that' s a lot more than I can say for many others in the race.

BBD

[phcollard]

I just read an interview from him where he says he has zero chance to win the TDF. Modesty or is he realistic? I can't wait for the Alps!

I like Voeckler a lot. At least he has panache (Gilbert as well) unlike the favorites we were all expecting in the Pyrenées. All they did were timid so called attacks and to look at each other. :butt:

[FlashUNC]

Why not? He surprised everyone by hanging with Schleck/Schleck, Basso, Evans, and Contador in the Pyranees.

Because for all the bluster about it, the top GC contenders are keeping a fair bit of their powder dry for the stages in the Alps. Voelcker and Europcar have been doing everything they can just to hang onto the jersey, which the other guys are still like two prizefighters just trading early jabs.

I just don't see how it happens.

[mcallen]

I just don't see how it happens.

The odds are not in his favor but I'm that much more excited to watch this week just to see TV et les gars try to make it happen.

[Lifelover]

Steady improvement over 7 years and battling to keep the yellow is a lot easier to buy than almost dead to a one balled 7 time TdF winner.

As the forum's Lance-o-phile, I thought you would appreciate TV's efforts this year.


I've always loved TV for his grit, but that don't mean he was doping with Lance and the rest of the peloton in 04 or now for that matter.

He is a great rider but he has no chance of winning the Tour this year or any year. No shame in that. There can be only one.

[ATB24]

I would love to see him win, nice to see an underdog making it. But I think once real attacks on the Alps come, he will not be able to respond. He will try to minimize his damages, but I can't see him hanging with Contador or Andy if they are really going balls out

[keevon]

Voeckler climbed the Plateau de Beille in 45:56, over four minutes faster than he did in 2004. He defended the yellow jersey both times. Impressive stuff.

Contador, however, was nearly two minutes slower this year than 2007, when he won on the Plateau de Beille in 44:08.

We saw last year that an in-form Andy Schleck climbs as well as Contador. So we can assume that Andy was holding back on the Plateau this year.

I think Andy will bury everybody in the Alps. The real excitement will be the final TT.

Interestingly, Evans was just four seconds faster this year than in 2007. And Basso was 30 seconds slower than in 2004. Doping considerations aside, that's pretty consistent.

[Keith A]

. . . all the way.

Do you believe in miracles?I belive in miracles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOl4oeHZnBk)

[BumbleBeeDave]

I belive in miracles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOl4oeHZnBk)

I will have to ask Pete if it's possible to ban a fellow moderator! :no: :D

BBD

[stephenmarklay]

Pretty neat stats.

I think it is unfortunate the Voeckler dismisses the idea he can win. It is pretty hard to overcome that kind of mindset.

Voeckler climbed the Plateau de Beille in 45:56, over four minutes faster than he did in 2004. He defended the yellow jersey both times. Impressive stuff.

Contador, however, was nearly two minutes slower this year than 2007, when he won on the Plateau de Beille in 44:08.

We saw last year that an in-form Andy Schleck climbs as well as Contador. So we can assume that Andy was holding back on the Plateau this year.

I think Andy will bury everybody in the Alps. The real excitement will be the final TT.

Interestingly, Evans was just four seconds faster this year than in 2007. And Basso was 30 seconds slower than in 2004. Doping considerations aside, that's pretty consistent.

[flydhest]

Voeckler climbed the Plateau de Beille in 45:56, over four minutes faster than he did in 2004. He defended the yellow jersey both times. Impressive stuff.

Contador, however, was nearly two minutes slower this year than 2007, when he won on the Plateau de Beille in 44:08.

We saw last year that an in-form Andy Schleck climbs as well as Contador. So we can assume that Andy was holding back on the Plateau this year.

I think Andy will bury everybody in the Alps. The real excitement will be the final TT.

Interestingly, Evans was just four seconds faster this year than in 2007. And Basso was 30 seconds slower than in 2004. Doping considerations aside, that's pretty consistent.

It is just really hard to compare these times from year to year, though. At least, that's my opinion. The race leading up to it (both the stage and the weeks before) are different. What others are doing and where you are relative to them is different. I don't think it's quite like comparing average speeds for flat time trials of similar lengths, where you might be able to make a good comparison. Here, I just think there are too many variables.

Nevertheless, the stats are interesting to ponder and I agree that the Alps will be fun to watch.