The OFFICIAL Tour de France, thread.

[Stat Brother]

The best thing about the rest of the week, is that Schleck does have to try, which will be great viewing.

We all knew back in Oct, that the TT will decide this, if AS loses more time this year than last, he's a mug and definitely doesn't deserve yellow.

So with that in mind, I'll got for 58 secs, making the 10 secs lost in Mende even more valuable.

 

[k2bluesky]

Shame Contador and Schleck won't have to pay a bigger price for their arrogance in dismissing Menchov etc while they played silly games with each other, would be really nice to see a third rider join their little party.

 

[Pantani]

Well that was a bit weird. Contador and Schleck are a bit thick aren't they. Yes, you have to mark each other. No, you can't stop riding. Andy is the dumber of the two though as he needs more time before the time trial. I would say he needs around a minute and a half advantage over Contador to hold on to yellow. He needs to attack every day from here onwards.

I was also very impressed with Menchov yesterday. He looked the third strongest rider. I think the final podium place will go to whoever rides best on the second Tourmalet stage, which will depend on how riders react to the rest day.

 

[Pantani]

Contador = Wanker. You do not attack when one of you rivals has a mechanical problem. I didn't want him to win before, now I really don't. Absolutely despicable. I have lost all respect I ever had for him. Schleck will have to attack on the next two stages and I hope he destroys Contador up the Tourmalet.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

To be honest I'm fine with what he did.

Saxo Bank had already used up their good will card when Cancellara made the field sit up and allow Shcleck to catch up on that day, by rights he shouldn't have had that chance.

You can't expect every time something goes wrong with their GC rider that other teams give them an easy ride back into the game.

Did Cancellara stop driving Schleck to a time advantage on the day of the cobbles when others fell or had mechanical trouble? Nope he didn't.

 

[Pantani]

To be honest I'm fine with what he did.

Saxo Bank had already used up their good will card when Cancellara made the field sit up and allow Shcleck to catch up on that day, by rights he shouldn't have had that chance.

You can't expect every time something goes wrong with their GC rider that other teams give them an easy ride back into the game.

Did Cancellara stop driving Schleck to a time advantage on the day of the cobbles when others fell or had mechanical trouble? Nope he didn't.

Who out of the GC contenders actually fell on the cobbles though? Armstrong got a puncture but with hindsight he is not a GC contender anyway. The others just couldn't stay with the pace set by Cancellara, Andy could. If the other teams had wanted to push on when Schleck fell in Belgium they could have, Cancellara is not all powerful. My problem with that stage was that they did not start to race again once it came back together. Finally, on the Belgian stage most teams had someone who fell thats why the front of the peleton slowed down.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Who out of the GC contenders actually fell on the cobbles though? Armstrong got a puncture but with hindsight he is not a GC contender anyway. The others just couldn't stay with the pace set by Cancellara, Andy could. If the other teams had wanted to push on when Schleck fell in Belgium they could have, Cancellara is not all powerful. My problem with that stage was that they did not start to race again once it came back together. Finally, on the Belgian stage most teams had someone who fell thats why the front of the peleton slowed down.

Cancellara went to the commissars car and complained. And it was his rider that gained the most advantage time wise from that decision.

Added it actually shouldn't matter who the rider is who falls or has a mechanical issue, it should be race on.

Nioclas Roche had a mechnical issue at a crucial stage today that cost him time and contact with the main peleton, nobody sat up and waited for him.

It's not like what Contador did was illegal nor a one off, been done many a time in various situations by other riders.

It was the perfect time to strike and he took it. Anyone who wouldn't have taken advantage of that situation would never win a Tour.

 

[Pantani]

Cancellara went to the commissars car and complained. And it was his rider that gained the most advantage time wise from that decision.

Added it actually shouldn't matter who the rider is who falls or has a mechanical issue, it should be race on.

Nioclas Roche had a mechnical issue at a crucial stage today that cost him time and contact with the main peleton, nobody sat up and waited for him.

It's not like what Contador did was illegal nor a one off, been done many a time in various situations by other riders.

It was the perfect time to strike and he took it. Anyone who wouldn't have taken advantage of that situation would never win a Tour.

Lance Armstrong? Jan Ullrich? Off the top of my head both of these have waited for a rival who has had a mechanical problem. It has long been cycling etiquette to wait (that is not to attack) in these situiations. All that being said I was expecting this debate. It will probably be about 50-50 peoples opinions on this.

If Contador wins by less than the 39 seconds he gained today it will be a sad way for one of the best Tours ever to be decided.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

The thing is, people will point the finger squarely at Contador for doing it.

Yet two other riders also agreed it was a good time to hit the Schleck and the rest of the GC Peleton.

Menchov and Sanchez also made time on Schleck and yet it's Contador who'll be singled out.

Contador only made up so much time on the descent because he was on Sanchez's wheel.

 

[Pantani]

The thing is, people will point the finger squarely at Contador for doing it.

Yet two other riders also agreed it was a good time to hit the Schleck and the rest of the GC Peleton.

Menchov and Sanchez also made time on Schleck and yet it's Contador who'll be singled out.

Contador only made up so much time on the descent because he was on Sanchez's wheel.

True, but Menchov and Sanchez had also dropped the other contenders for a place on the podium, they had to continue to push. Before today it was a two horse race for first and three or four contenders for third. Contador had most to gain and attacked over the top of the climb, if he had ridden in the wheels of Sanchez and Menchov that would have been fair. Instead Contador pulled Menchov and Sanchez over the top, Sanchez pushed on the descent as he was always going to do.

 

[1066familyman]

When watching back the live programme I thought it was a bit naughty of Contador. Answering questions from my kids I said that it's a tricky one as they won't stop for every little thing and potentially Schleck could have been at fault with a dodgy gear change anyway. I added though that I didn't agree with it and what annoyed me most was that spectators there today without hearing the news would be thinking as they came through that Contador had actually dropped Schleck. I said it would be sad if Contador takes yellow today because of this. :sad:

Then having skipped through the highlights show for all the interviews and features. I agree with Pantani here - Contador = Wanker ! To claim he was attacking at the time and didn't realise Schleck had a mechanical is an insult, especially as it was Schleck who had attacked !. Had Contador attacked and Schleck had that happen as he gave chase, then yes, Contador doesn't see him and he can hardly be blamed. As it is, today was a sad day.

Only good thing is that it really is game on now, not that it wasn't already of course. I'm now firmly in the Schleck camp and will be willing him to beat Contador more than ever now. What would be even better than a Schleck win though is if Sanchez and Menchov, driven so hard by that battle for a podium place, go on and upset the whole apple cart. Basically, anything other than a Contador win will do me.

 

[chimneys]

I'm with Tyrone on this one.

Schlek/Saxobank used their luck in Belgium, Contador his today. Quid pro quo!!

As they said on the Highlights show, Schlek could have used a chainguard, but that would have cost him 50 grams!! Might put one on now.

What a Tour!

 

[Stat Brother]

The whole 'I was attacking and didn't see' is the only part that is troubling me, as it's bollox.

Other than that, game on, Schleck may well have screwed up, he might have been 'forcing' a gear change or something.
He went on the attack, and it failed, leaving Contador to take advantage.

The not attacking unwritten rule, does strike me as a little bizarre, it sounds so English.
Not what you'd expect to turn up in what has always been a Europe wide event, with load of chances to 'stick it to johnny foreigner'.

 

[chimneys]

This unwritten code of fairplay that's been going on for years. Shame it didnt stretch to not taking performance enhancing drugs!!

 

[1066familyman]

The whole 'I was attacking and didn't see' is the only part that is troubling me, as it's bollox.

Exactly !!!

Up until I'd seen that interview, I was sat on the fence as to whether it was right or wrong for Contador to do what he did. I didn't particularly like it, but again, I could have accepted it.

That interview however, made me lose respect for Contador as he knows full well it's bollox too.

 

[Pantani]

I don't buy this chain guard nonsense. I have three road bikes not one has a chain guard. No shimano chainsets come with chain guards, in fact off the top of my head neither do SRAM or Campag. In fact I have just checked out pictures of Contador's, Sastre's, Menchov's, Armstrong's, Basso's and Cavendish's bikes on cycling news and not one of them has a chain guard. Conclusion, Boardman is wrong. Stat Brother's 'forcing' a gear change theory holds the most water. Although you would expect to be able to change in to the big ring without losing your chain. Next time I am sprinting up a Pyrennean mountain I will see if the same happens.

Either way, I hope Contador does not go on to win the Tour and his 'I didn't realise he had a problem' excuse indicates to me he knew he did wrong, even if he did not see it, his team would have known and told him over the radio.

I am sticking to my original opinion. Contador =

 

[1066familyman]

Although you would expect to be able to change in to the big ring without losing your chain. Next time I am sprinting up a Pyrennean mountain I will see if the same happens.

 

[Buffalo Seagull]

Surely mechanical failure is just part and parcel of any sport that involves machinery. If it happened during the time trial they wouldn't add thirty seconds to everyone else's time. Or if Contador had been two minutes either in front or behind Schleck on the road he wouldn't have been expected to slow right down for thirty seconds, so why should he have to if he is next to right next to him. Also, what if someone else (who wasn't next to Schleck when his chain came off, and therefore didn't slow down) were to go on to win the race ahead of Contador by less than thirty seconds. Contador woudn't be able to get the time back after the event.
Next time Lewis Hamilton (as the yellow jersey wearer in the F1 World Championship) has a mechanical failure while leading a race, should we expect to see all the other drivers slow down to give the McLaren mechanics time to fix the problem?

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

True, but Menchov and Sanchez had also dropped the other contenders for a place on the podium, they had to continue to push. Before today it was a two horse race for first and three or four contenders for third. Contador had most to gain and attacked over the top of the climb, if he had ridden in the wheels of Sanchez and Menchov that would have been fair. Instead Contador pulled Menchov and Sanchez over the top, Sanchez pushed on the descent as he was always going to do.

Given how poorly Schleck rides a TT i'm sure Menchov ( a decent TT rider) and Sanchez had it in the back of their minds 2nd place is a possibility if we can take time off him.

 

[k2bluesky]

Just what we wanted a bit of needle between those two, lets hope we get some really strong attacks although I fear it will still be a bit handbags but have a suspicion Contador is not as strong as before - re the chain coming off, think it was due to Schleck changing small/big chainring under tension, would you be expected to stop for a puncture, crash on descent, for your rival, no, I think the only thing you should stop for is outside interfernce, like getting knocked of by some twat running along otherwise its just a racing incident, they shouldn't have stopped before when Schleck crashed, all part of the skill of bike racing.