Le Tour

[Missing-Dog]

Re: Le Tour

The other contenders would have been hoping Cadel would hit the wall, because they all needed to gain time on him before the TT to have any chance. So not much sense in them helping to drag him up to Sastre. Menchov, who can TT, would be the exception, but he got dropped early on the climb and probably spent all his energy getting back into the group.

Popyvich was disappointing after such a good stage the previous day. Cadel really could have used someone up front slaughtering themselves to help hold Sastre in check.

Here comes another excruciating to watch TT to decide the winner, just like last year.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Le Tour

Will he win or nah?

[LostDoggy]

Re: Le Tour

Comfortably.

Cadel should gain over 2 minutes on Sastre over 50km in the TT, which would put him comfortably in the yellow going to Paris.

[GVGjr]

Re: Le Tour

Comfortably.

Cadel should gain over 2 minutes on Sastre over 50km in the TT, which would put him comfortably in the yellow going to Paris.

I'm not so sure. I hope I am wrong but I think he will fall just short by 20 seconds or so.

[BulldogBelle]

Re: Le Tour

Comfortably.

Cadel should gain over 2 minutes on Sastre over 50km in the TT, which would put him comfortably in the yellow going to Paris.

Looking forward to tonight's TT, hopefully Cadel Evans will make up those minutes over Sastre - will be interesting to watch.

[Raw Toast]

Re: Le Tour

Not too long to go now - I'm hopeful rather than very confident, but from the ride Cancellara is doing, it seems like its possible to put a fair bit of time into people on this course.

[Missing-Dog]

Re: Le Tour

For those who have been watching it closely, if Cadel manages to win it, where will it rate in your personal history of following sport?

I've watched every stage in full (foxtel IQ helps, admittedly some parts i have watched in fast forward), and i will be very excited if he can put himself in yellow tonight. It will be right up there with any of my other fave sports watching moments.

None of you are likely to respond before you know one way or another given the TT has started on SBS. I am finding the waiting for Cadel and Sastre a bit painful though, so here i am, posting to fil in time.

For those who know more about cycling than me (wouldn't be hard, i only started following it half way through last year's tour, when i fell in love with it), does SBS, or even foxsports, cover any of the other major european events? Particularly the grand tours, the giro and the spanish tour.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Le Tour

Not the greatest 1st sector by Cadel but he does have a record for negative splitting his TT.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Le Tour

Well that was shit.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Le Tour

pffft. Not even close for Cadel. Sastre has ridden mathematically 3 mins better then should have. I'm starting to think time trials are just for those who care.

[Missing-Dog]

Re: Le Tour

It's disappointing, but CSC and Sastre have done a great job and deserve the win.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Le Tour

Geez that wasn't even close. That wasn't Cadel, and that CERTAINLY wasn't Sastre. This will just add to the ridiculous 'yellow jersey' myth. Pfft is right.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Le Tour

I think it was a case of Cadel not being himself more than anything. He was more than 2 minutes off the stage win in his best discipline. That would have be easily enough.
We don't know how much the Alps and CSC tactics there took out of him. I suspect they broke him.
If Cadel was in a team like CSC he would have won easily.

[BulldogBelle]

Re: Le Tour

We don't know how much the Alps and CSC tactics there took out of him. I suspect they broke him.
If Cadel was in a team like CSC he would have won easily.

Cadel didn't have much support in the Alps from his team, Popyvich didn't deliver the goods and at times seemed to want to go his own way.

Yeah you are right had he been in a team like CSC things would have been different.

[Mantis]

Re: Le Tour

Yeah a disappointing night, never got close. Hasn't been a great week for Aussie sports fans, first Norman now this.

Watching it last night I was thinking that the top 10 should go off in order of time that they are behind. ie. Sastre at time zero, then Schleck 1'23" behind, etc... Making it a virtual race would be pretty interesting.