I hadn’t initially considered this article to be of much merit. After all, the Texan has been quoted as saying “I’m here to win”. And even then, “ambiguity” isn’t really an asset if two of your riders split the team’s limited support resources attacking each other in the final week.
But then I caught this tweet, in which Christophe LeMevel claims the gap between echelons today started with the ’07 Tour champ. I realize the Spanish reputation in this sport involves having no clue what to do when the wind blows or when the road gets bumpy, but still—it defies credulity that a man capable of the wattage Contador can produce would get left behind like that.
Could it be that Johan gave the order to let Lance get away? If so, what would be the point? To conceal from the other teams who the strongest Astana rider is? To create the illusion of internal discord? To make friends with Columbia, whose watt-heavy flatlanders—including longtime Armstrong associate Hincapie—have the race-controlling ability that Astana is so desperately lacking?
Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe Contador just wasn’t paying attention. Maybe Johan only ordered Lance to go all-in once the writing was on the wall for the group behind, just to create controversy and distract a few precious braincells in the minds of his fellow Directors. Whatever the root cause, Bruyneel’s well-established penchant for trickery makes it pretty much impossible to dismiss any possibility out of hand, for this development and any other that happens over the next few weeks.
That, not the any of its possiblw GC contenders, may be the Kazakh squad’s greatest weapon at this year’s Tour.
“Bruyneel’s well-established penchant for trickery ”
First thing that crossed my mind.
If there were any tactics involved on the part of Bruyneel it was after the break had already demonstrated it was not going to be caught. And at that point, there wasn’t much room for tactics. What else could he do really?
I am not sure I buy your characterization of Spanish riders as inept in the wind or bumps in the road. I’ve lived in Spain for the last five years, and I can tell you among the amateur cyclists there is incredible lack of interest in any flat riding. They only take any interest in pedaling when the road tilts upwards.
Based on that, I think Contador is waiting until Friday to punish Armstrong, Leiphemer and Kloden into their eventual and inescapable submission as domestiques. I wouldn’t at all be surprised if he joined forces with Sastre to help him do it.
The “bumps in the road” comment confuses me also. If there’s anything I think of Spaniards as, it’s as climbers.
Oh wait, I think Cosmo means that they suck on cobbles.
Bumps in the road = cobbles, in this case. I see how that might have been unclear.
Also, both Sean Kelly and French journalist Alexandre Philippon, who apparently knows the region, anticipated things would come back together until fairly late in the stage.
It was a freak opportunity nothing more; Everyone has been watching too many reruns of the X-files. Looking at my Michelins with a small interest in metrology from the far southern hemisphere. The mistral blows NE the Sirocco blows S the sea breeze there is a E to SE, the wind today was SW, not your usual opportunity. I had noted earlier the direction and condition of the wind on the petit Rhone and noted it was quite docile. But as they approached the coast under the strengthening conditions opportunity loomed and chance gifted those up front. Simple as that. Sure you had to be there true. But for Bruyneel there was no chance to play cards things just clicked for them , a little energy expended to get a surprising opportunity for Lance to collect yellow tomorrow by just siting in, Coloumbia drove, Astana bluffed, Lotto struggled as they have all season expending energy, Saxo bank were left thinking about the effort required tomorrow. The biggest loser was Garmin and Wiggers left with a whole minute to beat every one by, to chance yellow.
I think everyone has negated the Spanish ability to ride the esscilon on the plana during the Vuelta. By talking about invisable cobbled bollicx, every department will reseal and brush up patch and smooth the roads the tour takes each year, that is a given condition stipulated by the ASO!
Lance has taken a gift, he will not return it.
Ok, today was the second time I’ve watched this (Sunday being the first). I don’t mean this year but ever. I have about 1000 questions.
So the Columbia team was pissed off because nobody joined them in the front. Is that a sportsmanship thing? Is it easier when you have more people joining you?
And did the other teams not bite because they wanted to save energy for the team trials tomorrow, given that these numbers are added to individual times this year?
And is Astana sort of like the All-Star team with big egos that is actually less effective than a team with compatible parts? Watching Armstrong interviewed. “It doesn’t take a genius to know that when there’s wind and you round a corner you get to the front.” He’s completely dissing the six guys, especially the “leaders” of his own team. If Contador and Armstrong are in a power struggle there’s no way Armstrong loses. I mean, he’s in third place and hasn’t been in the race for how many years, at 37 years old? Everyone must be freaked out. But doesn’t Armstrong risk alienating his teammates and screwing himself later when he’ll need them?
Nobody needs to answer all these, I guess. I’ll figure it out over the next couple of weeks. What a cool world this is.
Ray
1) They were not upset that no one joined them on the front of the break, they were upset that none of the other sprinters’ teams had helped them bring back the earliet break most of the day. Every team who wanted their sprinter to win should have helped pull, but they did not (presumably thinking Cavendish was going to be tough to beat, and choosing to conserve for tomorrow). When Columbia knew the headwind would turn to a crosswind when the road turned, they took the opportunity to split the field by all going to the front.
Yes, the dynamics of Astana are going to be weird. They have 4 guys that can TT and climb, the essential ingredients for the GC win. I think the story of the tour will be what will happen on this squad. At some point one would presume they have to make a choice. Also, it is worth noting, not suprising that LA was in the front 1/5 of the pack when the break occured. This is where he has always ridden, as he puts it, to “stay out of trouble”, he is right, AC, Levi and Kloden should have been there too. If coumbia knew about the wind, so did Astana.