Rasmussen ready to crack

My prediction, which might allow for some extra crow in my diet next week,
is that Contador, Pop and Gusev have got a good chance at cracking
Rasmussen, leaving, unbelievably (at least that would have been the case two
weeks ago) Contador as the winner. (I don't see Levi as being a huge factor
because, as he's said himself, he has problems instantly following attacks,
just like Rasmussen, so it's difficult to see him initiating them).

You listen to the guy in interviews, and watch him when he's racing since
carrying the Yellow Jersey, and he seems terribly nervous and ill-at-ease
with his situation. I wasn't giving it much though until I looked at a photo
my son took at the top of today's Port du Bales climb, and he really doesn't
look the part of someone who will survive the final time trial.

Not the gameplan Discovery entered the TdF with, but certainly a better
outcome than they had hoped for.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in message
. net...
My prediction, which might allow for some extra crow in my diet next week,
is that Contador, Pop and Gusev have got a good chance at cracking
Rasmussen, leaving, unbelievably (at least that would have been the case
two weeks ago) Contador as the winner. (I don't see Levi as being a huge
factor because, as he's said himself, he has problems instantly following
attacks, just like Rasmussen, so it's difficult to see him initiating
them).

I think that you're pretty close to correct. If Rassmussen doesn't crack,
which seems likely, I think he won't be able to follow Contador close enough
to avoid losing some little amount of time. And Rassmussen will probably
blow his lead in the TT against Contador.

The real race now is between Levi and Cadel.

On Jul 23, 6:04 pm, "Mike Jacoubowsky"
wrote:
My prediction, which might allow for some extra crow in my diet next week,
is that Contador, Pop and Gusev have got a good chance at cracking
Rasmussen, leaving, unbelievably (at least that would have been the case two
weeks ago) Contador as the winner. (I don't see Levi as being a huge factor
because, as he's said himself, he has problems instantly following attacks,
just like Rasmussen, so it's difficult to see him initiating them).

You listen to the guy in interviews, and watch him when he's racing since
carrying the Yellow Jersey, and he seems terribly nervous and ill-at-ease
with his situation. I wasn't giving it much though until I looked at a photo
my son took at the top of today's Port du Bales climb, and he really doesn't
look the part of someone who will survive the final time trial.

Post the picture, please.

R

In article ,
"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote:

My prediction, which might allow for some extra crow in my diet next week,
is that Contador, Pop and Gusev have got a good chance at cracking
Rasmussen, leaving, unbelievably (at least that would have been the case two
weeks ago) Contador as the winner. (I don't see Levi as being a huge factor
because, as he's said himself, he has problems instantly following attacks,
just like Rasmussen, so it's difficult to see him initiating them).

You listen to the guy in interviews, and watch him when he's racing since
carrying the Yellow Jersey, and he seems terribly nervous and ill-at-ease
with his situation. I wasn't giving it much though until I looked at a photo
my son took at the top of today's Port du Bales climb, and he really doesn't
look the part of someone who will survive the final time trial.

Go look at a photo of him last year. He looks about as at-ease as Lance
In Chemo. Who he also resembles, sans super-sized head scar.

Not the gameplan Discovery entered the TdF with, but certainly a better
outcome than they had hoped for.

I think Chicken has as good a chance as any in the end.

The fact of the matter is jours sans are wildly unpredictable (Vino? 30
minutes??), and there's maybe five riders left in contention, and it
looks like the margin of victory will be small. No more than two minutes
I would guess, and very possibly less than a minute.

If Rasmussen just doesn't do it on Wednesday, he's boned like a
McNugget. Evans really has to gain time on Wednesday to be in, Klodi and
Leipheimer really have to gain time on Wednesday, or hope that Chicken
falls fowl of a non-negative result (must be all that new blood this
year...). That's my guess. Also, even if Rasmussen were to fall apart in
the TT, 4th and 5th still have to overtake 2nd and 3rd.

Contador might actually TT into the win,

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

in message .net, Tom
Kunich ('cyclintom@yahoo. com') wrote:

"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in message
. net...
My prediction, which might allow for some extra crow in my diet next
week, is that Contador, Pop and Gusev have got a good chance at cracking
Rasmussen, leaving, unbelievably (at least that would have been the case
two weeks ago) Contador as the winner. (I don't see Levi as being a huge
factor because, as he's said himself, he has problems instantly
following attacks, just like Rasmussen, so it's difficult to see him
initiating them).

I think that you're pretty close to correct. If Rassmussen doesn't crack,
which seems likely, I think he won't be able to follow Contador close
enough to avoid losing some little amount of time. And Rassmussen will
probably blow his lead in the TT against Contador.

The real race now is between Levi and Cadel.

Neither Levi nor Cadel will be on the podium. Rasmussen, Contador and one
Astana, probably Kloden, will.

Rasmussen doesn't have Contador's acceleration on the climbs, but Contador
has not shown he can sustain as high a speed on the climbs as Rasmussen
can. So what Rasmussen needs to do on Wednesday is rip the legs off the
whole lot of them, by just ignoring them and riding as if they weren't
there. And the rest of the leaders are going to have to co-operate with
one another if they want to keep him in sight.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
There's nae Gods, an there's precious few heroes
but there's plenty on the dole in th Land o th Leal;
And it's time now, tae sweep the future clear o
th lies o a past that we know wis never real.

On Jul 23, 11:42 pm, Simon Brooke wrote:
in message .net, Tom





Kunich ('cyclintom@yahoo. com') wrote:
"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in message
.net...
My prediction, which might allow for some extra crow in my diet next
week, is that Contador, Pop and Gusev have got a good chance at cracking
Rasmussen, leaving, unbelievably (at least that would have been the case
two weeks ago) Contador as the winner. (I don't see Levi as being a huge
factor because, as he's said himself, he has problems instantly
following attacks, just like Rasmussen, so it's difficult to see him
initiating them).

I think that you're pretty close to correct. If Rassmussen doesn't crack,
which seems likely, I think he won't be able to follow Contador close
enough to avoid losing some little amount of time. And Rassmussen will
probably blow his lead in the TT against Contador.

The real race now is between Levi and Cadel.

Neither Levi nor Cadel will be on the podium. Rasmussen, Contador and one
Astana, probably Kloden, will.

Rasmussen doesn't have Contador's acceleration on the climbs, but Contador
has not shown he can sustain as high a speed on the climbs as Rasmussen
can. So what Rasmussen needs to do on Wednesday is rip the legs off the
whole lot of them, by just ignoring them and riding as if they weren't
there. And the rest of the leaders are going to have to co-operate with
one another if they want to keep him in sight.




Dumbass -


That works on everyone but Contador.

If the Chicken were actually foolish enough to do as you suggest,
Contador would sit in his slipstream for a few k's, then launch one of
his attacks. Those guys climb fast enough so the draft matters,
especially if there's any sort of headwind or crosswind.


thanks,

K. Gringioni.

"Kurgan Gringioni" wrote in message
oups.com...

Rasmussen doesn't have Contador's acceleration on the climbs, but
Contador
has not shown he can sustain as high a speed on the climbs as Rasmussen
can. So what Rasmussen needs to do on Wednesday is rip the legs off the
whole lot of them, by just ignoring them and riding as if they weren't
there. And the rest of the leaders are going to have to co-operate with
one another if they want to keep him in sight.




Dumbass -


That works on everyone but Contador.

If the Chicken were actually foolish enough to do as you suggest,
Contador would sit in his slipstream for a few k's, then launch one of
his attacks. Those guys climb fast enough so the draft matters,
especially if there's any sort of headwind or crosswind.

Another factor at play here that will unintentionally intertwine with the
race for GC:

Soler could work a deal with Rasmussen to win the mountains jersey. Contador
is probably too far back and the jersey perhaps of lesser importance to him.

In article
.com
,
Kurgan Gringioni wrote:

On Jul 23, 11:42 pm, Simon Brooke wrote:
in message .net, Tom





Kunich ('cyclintom@yahoo. com') wrote:
"Mike Jacoubowsky" wrote in message
.net...
My prediction, which might allow for some extra crow in my diet next
week, is that Contador, Pop and Gusev have got a good chance at cracking
Rasmussen, leaving, unbelievably (at least that would have been the case
two weeks ago) Contador as the winner. (I don't see Levi as being a huge
factor because, as he's said himself, he has problems instantly
following attacks, just like Rasmussen, so it's difficult to see him
initiating them).

I think that you're pretty close to correct. If Rassmussen doesn't crack,
which seems likely, I think he won't be able to follow Contador close
enough to avoid losing some little amount of time. And Rassmussen will
probably blow his lead in the TT against Contador.

The real race now is between Levi and Cadel.

Neither Levi nor Cadel will be on the podium. Rasmussen, Contador and one
Astana, probably Kloden, will.

Rasmussen doesn't have Contador's acceleration on the climbs, but Contador
has not shown he can sustain as high a speed on the climbs as Rasmussen
can. So what Rasmussen needs to do on Wednesday is rip the legs off the
whole lot of them, by just ignoring them and riding as if they weren't
there. And the rest of the leaders are going to have to co-operate with
one another if they want to keep him in sight.




Dumbass -


That works on everyone but Contador.

If the Chicken were actually foolish enough to do as you suggest,
Contador would sit in his slipstream for a few k's, then launch one of
his attacks. Those guys climb fast enough so the draft matters,
especially if there's any sort of headwind or crosswind.

Yes. Still, you have not explained the part where
Contador gets two and a half minutes.

--
Michael Press

Michael Press wrote:
Yes. Still, you have not explained the part where
Contador gets two and a half minutes.

Voodoo.

Yes. Still, you have not explained the part where
Contador gets two and a half minutes.

Near the end of Wednesday's stage send Levi on the attack on the Col
de Marie-Blanque. Rasmussen is forced to chase while Contador sits in.
This will cost Rasmussen a lot in the 21 km between the Col de Marie-
Blanque and the final climb of the Col d'Aubisque. Contador rides away
on the final climb, taking a couple of minutes from a shattered
Rasmussen. Or something close to that.

Andy