Hypothetical: what if lance was 7 seconds down on the last day?

[andy mac]

Would he honor the yellow and watch the leader drink champagne? Ride up in turn and shake his hand? Or would he try and win?

Esp, if it was for 5 or 6.

[H.Frank Beshear]

Ya'll probably ought to get on and stay on cause it won't be easy. If this were the race catch me if you can. Just my opinion Frank

[jerk]

this is a stupid question. of course he would race for it. remember 1990? that was a tt but same deal. the fact of the matter is that csc and t mobile didn't attack on the last stage because there was no way it could ever stick. were anyone back six or seven seconds you can bet every time bonus and the final would be hotly contested. the champagne would be saved for the post race interviews.

jerk

[93legendti]

Jerk, are you talkin' about when Lemond won the TT on the final day? That was '89, not '90.

[weisan]

factchecker on duty.

[93legendti]

Sorry, if it wasn't '89, I am confused. To be a contender for the overall, Vino needs to lose 2 kilos to climb better; save his best attacks for the 1rst and last days in the mountains and conserve energy!!

Failing that, given that Vino and Basso TT with about the same ability, Vino needs to stay with the leaders in the mountains and use his kick to take the bonus seconds for 1-3 placings.

Levi and Floyd have not shown the ability yet to win a major tour--the ability to win a mountain stage and/or TT and not lose time on other important days. In other words, they have not shown the ability to inlfuence the race as leaders, rather than follow wheels.

[Dr. Doofus]

93 is right. psychotic, but absolutely right. we could fight them for years with conventional weapons....

never mind that

the real contenders next year are basso and ulrich. its not going to be such a free for all -- sure, no "boss," but just because you have six guys who are more or less equal in their flaws -- vino, levi, floyd, moreau, valverde (if healthy for three weeks), and mancebo -- doesn't mean that eight guys will fight out the win.

the first mountain stages will show a close gc, then the race will wear it down to a couple of proven qualities, and maybe, maybe, one entertaining opportunist who follows the real battle (vino). losing those 2-3 kilos would take away from some of vino's explosiveness...and his TT...so he'd be playing the Olano game of trying to gain one strength by losing two others...he's never been strong in the high mountains...he's a fine rider who's been around for a while at a high level, and unless he goes on a new "program" he's not winning the tour anytime soon....

its rare for a guy to go from 6th or 8th one year to winning it the next unless something goofy produced that placing -- like Indurain having to wait on Delgado in 90...and in that Tour mig showed himself a legitimate contender for '91 by winning the last TT and being the last rider to stay with Lemond on the stage when Il Diablo cracked in the Pyrenees...its not like he followed wheels for three weeks and lost time on the money stages (an Alcala-style 7th).

just the thoughts of one wannabe press room hack

[BumbleBeeDave]

D@mn! I hate it when he does that!

BBDave

[e-RICHIE]

Jerk, are you talkin' about when Lemond won the TT on the final day? That was '89, not '90.


plus...
he was nearly a minute down on gc
going in to the last stage. no one
would tank the tt on the last day if
they thought the gc could change.i
see it as a completely different animal
than a final road stage.

[andy mac]

this is a stupid question. of course he would race for it. remember 1990? that was a tt but same deal. the fact of the matter is that csc and t mobile didn't attack on the last stage because there was no way it could ever stick. were anyone back six or seven seconds you can bet every time bonus and the final would be hotly contested. the champagne would be saved for the post race interviews.

jerk
___


so you CAN attack on the last day? what about the 'tradition'?

does 'tradition' depend on the time gap?

cheers,

andy.

[e-RICHIE]

this is a stupid question. of course he would race for it. remember 1990? that was a tt but same deal. the fact of the matter is that csc and t mobile didn't attack on the last stage because there was no way it could ever stick. were anyone back six or seven seconds you can bet every time bonus and the final would be hotly contested. the champagne would be saved for the post race interviews.

jerk
___


so you CAN attack on the last day? what about the 'tradition'?

does 'tradition' depend on the time gap?

do i remember 1990? kind of, i was sitting around waiting, dreaming of going to junior high.

cheers,

andy.


it's a tt.
is greg supposed to tank the tt??!!