Tour de France 2009 Thread

[edinatlanta]

I said it before, I'll say it again Cavendish=Beast.

 

[Merckx]

Originally Posted by edinatlanta

I said it before, I'll say it again Cavendish=Beast.

Tyler Farrar is racing real well, he's just missing out.

 

[dcg]

What seems to be lost (or at least glossed over) in all the Armstrong/Contador talk is that Leipheimer is still sitting there right behind them both in 4th place. What are the expectations for Levi?

 

[4Mica]

Originally Posted by dcg

What seems to be lost (or at least glossed over) in all the Armstrong/Contador talk is that Leipheimer is still sitting there right behind them both in 4th place. What are the expectations for Levi?
Levi is a great rider but he doesn't seem to have the force of will of Contador or Lance (IMO). Of course anything can happen so he is in a good position if those in front of him falter or have bad luck.

 

[Pilot]

It'll be interesting to see how levi does in stage 18 , individual TT. Out of the 3 lance, contador, and levi i def think levi is the favorite. Really looking forward to that one if everything else remains the same, time-wise, after the alps.

edinatlanta- totally agree, you can basically count any flat stage with a good sprint finish as a win for Cav.

 

[Merckx]

Levi time trials well and climbs well, it's not out of the realm that AC could have a bad day. He cracked at Paris-Nice earlier this year. I see they rescinded the 15 second penalty they assessed to his overall time yesterday.

 

[4Mica]

Originally Posted by Stylish Pilot

It'll be interesting to see how levi does in stage 18 , individual TT. Out of the 3 lance, contador, and levi i def think levi is the favorite. Really looking forward to that one if everything else remains the same, time-wise, after the alps.

edinatlanta- totally agree, you can basically count any flat stage with a good sprint finish as a win for Cav.

But what are the odds of that happening? If Lance or Contador attack Levi has to play a defensive role and is going to lose time. Also, things almost never stay the same in the mountains.

 

[RedLantern]

Originally Posted by edinatlanta

I said it before, I'll say it again Cavendish=Beast.

Word. Next level ****.

 

[Piobaire]

Man, I wish the Lion King were in his prime still. Him vs. Cavendish would be epic.

Did you know he holds several records? Most Giro stages wins, most consecutive Tour wins, and led the peloton in the Tour's fastest recorded stage?

 

[Merckx]

While Cavendish is a phenomenal talent, he is benefitted from having a very good lead out team. Farrar is having to mainly rely on Dean.

Cipo revolutionized the sprint train for a lead out and Petacchi used this to great benefit as well. It's fascinating to watch when implemented to perfection.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by Merckx

While Cavendish is a phenomenal talent, he is benefitted from having a very good lead out team. Farrar is having to mainly rely on Dean.

Cipo revolutionized the sprint train for a lead out and Petacchi used this to great benefit as well. It's fascinating to watch when implemented to perfection.

Yeah, remember the "red train"?

And the thing about Super Mario is, did any one that actually won multiple stages in a grand tour, ever have more fun or dress better?

 

[Merckx]

Bah! Levi withdrawals with a broken wrist.

 

[RedLantern]

Yeah, that sucks. Funny how riders can come away uninjured from major crashes, but have a tour-ending injury from what appears to be a minor crash. **** luck.

 

[Piobaire]

It's a shame for Levi, but at least Astana is down to two, maybe three yellow jersey contenders!

 

[Merckx]

Nice. Some idiot is shooting at Tour riders. http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/tdf200...=ESPNHeadlines http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/a...-by-pellet-gun

At least two riders suffered light injuries after being hit by shots fired from an airgun on the 13th stage of the Tour de France on Friday, according to team sources. New Zealander Julian Dean of Garmin-Slipstream and Spaniard Oscar Freire of Rabobank were hit with pellets near the 165km mark of the 200km stage in the hilly Vosges region. Freire, a triple world road race champion, had to have a pellet removed from his leg by his team doctor after finishing the stage. "He's got a bit of bruising but he will be able to start on Saturday," said his team boss. Dean, the main lead-out man for American sprinter Tyler Farrar, was hit on a finger of his left hand, according to his Garmin team. Police working on the stage were immediately alerted by the teams.