Showing posts tagged tourmalet
Tourmalet | Stage 17 Andy Schleck played his only card on the Tourmalet and it just wasn’t enough. Contador did everything he needed to do - following, following, following the white jersey all the way up the brutal climb. His only deviation - one little dig to see if he could shake the man in the white loose. Schleck proved he was up to the challenge, Contador dropped back into ‘Position A’ and the two powered towards the finish leaving everyone else in their wake. In the end, Contador chose not to sprint for the finish, gifting Schleck the win - an appropriate reward for having done the lion share of the work. Barring accident, illness or injury Alberto Contador now has his 3rd Tour de France title in the bag. His 8 second lead likely to blow out to more than a minute at the conclusion of the Stage 19 ITT. Schleck promised much in this Tour and consistently talked up his chances but tactically Saxo Bank had very little in their playbook other than their ‘one mountain, one attack’ strategy from 2008. Schleck will need a significantly improved time trial and a better plan if he is to seriously threaten Contador. And if he doesn’t, he’s destined to continue to be cast in the role of Raymond Poulidor to Contador’s Jacques Anquetil for years to come. View high resolution

Tourmalet | Stage 17

Andy Schleck played his only card on the Tourmalet and it just wasn’t enough. Contador did everything he needed to do - following, following, following the white jersey all the way up the brutal climb. His only deviation - one little dig to see if he could shake the man in the white loose. Schleck proved he was up to the challenge, Contador dropped back into ‘Position A’ and the two powered towards the finish leaving everyone else in their wake. In the end, Contador chose not to sprint for the finish, gifting Schleck the win - an appropriate reward for having done the lion share of the work.

Barring accident, illness or injury Alberto Contador now has his 3rd Tour de France title in the bag. His 8 second lead likely to blow out to more than a minute at the conclusion of the Stage 19 ITT. Schleck promised much in this Tour and consistently talked up his chances but tactically Saxo Bank had very little in their playbook other than their ‘one mountain, one attack’ strategy from 2008.

Schleck will need a significantly improved time trial and a better plan if he is to seriously threaten Contador. And if he doesn’t, he’s destined to continue to be cast in the role of Raymond Poulidor to Contador’s Jacques Anquetil for years to come.

TDF 2010 | Stage 17 The equation is pretty simple, really. Andy Schleck needs two minutes over Alberto Contador if he is to have any chance of not just seizing the yellow jersey from the Spaniard, but protecting it through the Stage 19 Time Trial and onwards to Paris. The tactic required is even simpler - attack! There’s no doubt Schleck has talked a good game throughout the Tour, it’s just a shame he hasn’t let his legs do the talking and raced more aggressively. He’s tagged himself as the best climber in the world and the heir apparent to Contador but his consistently conservative tactics (showboating aside) have been more fizz than fireworks. Instead, Schleck and Saxo Bank are betting everything on one climb - tonight’s ascent of the mighty Tourmalet. No surprise, really, as these are exactly the same tactics Bjarne Riis used successfully on Stage 17 in 2008 when Carlos Sastre launched his bid for victory on the slopes of Alpe d’Huez. Contador on the other hand has an even simpler proposition - follow Andy Schleck everywhere he goes, everywhere except back to the Saxo Bank team car that is. We can also expect to see some fireworks from Samuel Sánchez (02:00), Denis Menchov (02:13) and Jurgen Van Den Broeck (03:39) who are all racing furiously for the 3rd step on the podium. Sánchez will fancy keeping the other two at bay on a day like today but Menchov has looked increasingly dangerous as the race has worn on, while Van Den Broeck gave a hint the other day that his young legs may be tiring. The break will get away early with all the KOM contenders hunting for points on the final day in the mountains. Expect to see the lieutenants of the GC big guns in amongst them too - a rider each from Saxo Bank (Fuglsang or Voigt), Lotto (Lloyd), Euskaltel - Euskadi and Rabobank for sure and possibly Vino for Contador. It’s unlikely that they’ll stay away, though - there’s just too much at stake on this, the Queen stage. My tip: Contador. He’s out to prove a point. Bang, bang Andy. You’re dead.

TDF 2010 | Stage 17

The equation is pretty simple, really. Andy Schleck needs two minutes over Alberto Contador if he is to have any chance of not just seizing the yellow jersey from the Spaniard, but protecting it through the Stage 19 Time Trial and onwards to Paris. The tactic required is even simpler - attack!

There’s no doubt Schleck has talked a good game throughout the Tour, it’s just a shame he hasn’t let his legs do the talking and raced more aggressively. He’s tagged himself as the best climber in the world and the heir apparent to Contador but his consistently conservative tactics (showboating aside) have been more fizz than fireworks. Instead, Schleck and Saxo Bank are betting everything on one climb - tonight’s ascent of the mighty Tourmalet. No surprise, really, as these are exactly the same tactics Bjarne Riis used successfully on Stage 17 in 2008 when Carlos Sastre launched his bid for victory on the slopes of Alpe d’Huez.

Contador on the other hand has an even simpler proposition - follow Andy Schleck everywhere he goes, everywhere except back to the Saxo Bank team car that is.

We can also expect to see some fireworks from Samuel Sánchez (02:00), Denis Menchov (02:13) and Jurgen Van Den Broeck (03:39) who are all racing furiously for the 3rd step on the podium. Sánchez will fancy keeping the other two at bay on a day like today but Menchov has looked increasingly dangerous as the race has worn on, while Van Den Broeck gave a hint the other day that his young legs may be tiring.

The break will get away early with all the KOM contenders hunting for points on the final day in the mountains. Expect to see the lieutenants of the GC big guns in amongst them too - a rider each from Saxo Bank (Fuglsang or Voigt), Lotto (Lloyd), Euskaltel - Euskadi and Rabobank for sure and possibly Vino for Contador. It’s unlikely that they’ll stay away, though - there’s just too much at stake on this, the Queen stage.

My tip: Contador. He’s out to prove a point. Bang, bang Andy. You’re dead.