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#1
07-13-2006, 10:24 AM
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Pla De Beret Spoiler
rabo has the best team in the mountains but menchov doesn't look to be strong enough to drop landis
landis looks the strongest but has no team levi is back, but too far down to be anything other than an ally t-mobile has depth but no "finisher" evans will follow the battle -- no team mates, no risk, no attacks. its floyd vs. the rabo triumvirate for the next two weeks. everybody else is a spectator. its up to rabo to make the race...if menchov is up to it. neither yeehaw nor i will get a cheesburger. Last edited by Fat Robert; 07-13-2006 at 10:26 AM. 
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#2
07-13-2006, 10:25 AM
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I guess we can finally dismiss those fanciful notions of Big George ever being a gc contender in the big tours. I guess one stage win does not a yellow jersey in Paris make.
__________________
"Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." - Robert Heinlein
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#3
07-13-2006, 10:26 AM
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.
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#4
07-13-2006, 10:27 AM
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What a great stage.
Rabo rode so agressively, that was cool to watch. Should be great to see what happens from here. Floyd can't afford a bad day, without the team to help. g
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#5
07-13-2006, 10:28 AM
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but the trek poster of george as an angelic "saint" is cool
not
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#6
07-13-2006, 10:30 AM
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Quote:
no one will win by attacking -- the strongest guys have no support and as a result won't take the risk, and menchov, although he has the support, doesn't look to have the punch. its going to come down to who just doesn't have a bad day. of course, if everyone ends up with a bad day, now that will make it interesting....
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#7
07-13-2006, 10:38 AM
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Landis looks smooth, great stage.
Now recovery follow thru essential to defend time positions by top riders
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#9
07-13-2006, 10:43 AM
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Quote:
and roll the rest of the way... I though Menchov looks mighty strong, plenty of punch, but it looked to me that Floyd could care less about the stage, and had lots in reserve. g
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#10
07-13-2006, 10:50 AM
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Menchov looks very dangerous. He has a team and is strong. I think it will come down to seconds and then the final TT.
For me a question is whether or not Landis's hip injury is really affecting him or what that is all about. I still am not certain about the role of declaring it on the rest day. Anyway, all three of the first guys looked to have lots in reserve today and were about equal. The others showed cracks.
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#11
07-13-2006, 10:53 AM
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Great day!
Phew! This is the kind of Tour I dreamed on watching for more than 7 years!!!!
I said earlier: http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpo...86&postcount=2 Doping aside, if I had to put my money on someone on this Tour, that would be the Floyd. And still think so... I feel bad for De La Fuente, I hope he keeps the KOM jersey, however!
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#12
07-13-2006, 11:02 AM
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[QUOTE=Avispa]
Doping aside, if I had to put my money on someone on this Tour, that would be the Floyd. And still think so... /QUOTE] You and me both. My man Floyd!!! Gotta love his determination even without a team to support him! 
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#13
07-13-2006, 11:03 AM
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Quote:
 You probally thought Armstrong was good for a 7th last year too. I guess Rabo is really confident for Menchov to do the win, they totally sacrificed Michael Rasmussen today. He finished over 11 minutes back. It kinda looks bad on t-mobile strategy when their boy doesn't come through at the finish with the goods. All that work for nothing. g
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#14
07-13-2006, 11:45 AM
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Quote:
It reduces his peak wattage, so he won't be winning any sprints, but he can still put down the power on these climbs. If it acts up it could also affect his recovery if he can't sleep through the night. In terms of him being a contender in this Tour, on the climbs and the TT, it shouldn't be too much of a factor. I was rooting for Totschnig to stay with the lead group. Too bad. He never, ever gets mentioned on the coverage, unless he's winning a stage. He's getting a bit long in the tooth, but should be good for one big day in the Alps, as usual. Big blow for CSC, losing Lombardi today, and thus being reduced to even more of a skeleton crew. Good job by Sastre and Schleck though. All of their troubles aside, Sastre really couldn't ask for more than to be 5th on GC, less than 2 min. down, at this point in the game. Levi showed some cracks on one of the intermediate climbs, but he obviously came back strong, so I hope this is a sign of better things to come. Phonak may not be a team to ride tempo with four guys all day, but I suspect that they can still come up with a little something when they need to. Popovych, Hincapie, Savoldelli . . . wow. The great disappering act continues. OK, I never really expected anything from the latter two, but I did expect Popovych to at least hang with, say, Moreau. Out of the GC top-10 I think Floyd and Cadel are the two least likely to have a really bad day. Cadel (almost) never attacks, but he's also (almost) impossible to shake. As far as Rasmussen is concerned, I doubt he minds losing the time. It only makes it more likely that he'll be let go for a monster points collecting expedition.
__________________
Jeder geschlossene Raum ist ein Sarg.
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#15
07-13-2006, 12:36 PM
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i don't know that menchov makes the podium. he seems to aggravate the contenders around him by just following wheels--last year's vuelta (where it paid off post-scandal) and this spring. his tactics may serve to unite landis, levi, cadel etc against him at a critical point in the high mountains.
disco. what is with that team. hincapie fantasies aside, popo and paolo should be better than this, shouldn't they?
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