Can Contador win?

Contador was about 30 seconds faster than the Dane in the first TT, and he
certainly looked to put Rasmussen in some difficulty late in today's stage.
Phil has said repeatedly that "AC will not win this years TdF", but if he
takes some time on Rasmussen Wednesday he very well could give Disco the GC
win. MR's team has been tested and they seem up to the task, but Disco
could use a well placed Levi to put early pressure on Rabo and possibly
isolate MR by the final climb. And if Evans doesnt lose more time, we could
have three credible GC contenders going into the last TT. When was the last
time that happened?

This could be dramatic. It may surpass the Fignon/Lemond battle.

And just to make it more fun, Contador's not an american but he's on an
american team. How would the French feel about that if he wins?

The tour is so much more fun since Lance retired.

steve
--
"The accused will now make a bogus statement."
James Joyce

"steve" wrote in message
...
Contador was about 30 seconds faster than the Dane in the first TT, and he
certainly looked to put Rasmussen in some difficulty late in today's
stage.
Phil has said repeatedly that "AC will not win this years TdF", but if he
takes some time on Rasmussen Wednesday he very well could give Disco the
GC
win. MR's team has been tested and they seem up to the task, but Disco
could use a well placed Levi to put early pressure on Rabo and possibly
isolate MR by the final climb. And if Evans doesnt lose more time, we
could
have three credible GC contenders going into the last TT. When was the
last
time that happened?

In 1968 there were even nine contenders going into the last stage, a 55 km
TT (1. Van Springel 2. San Miguel 0'12" 3. Janssen 0'16" 4.Bitossi 0'58" 5.
Gandarias 1'15" 6. Aimar 1'38" 7. Bracke 1'56" 8. Wolfshohl 2'12" 9.
Pingeon 2'38")

Benjo

"steve" wrote in message
...
Contador was about 30 seconds faster than the Dane in the first TT, and he
certainly looked to put Rasmussen in some difficulty late in today's
stage.
Phil has said repeatedly that "AC will not win this years TdF", but if he
takes some time on Rasmussen Wednesday he very well could give Disco the
GC
win. MR's team has been tested and they seem up to the task, but Disco
could use a well placed Levi to put early pressure on Rabo and possibly
isolate MR by the final climb. And if Evans doesnt lose more time, we
could
have three credible GC contenders going into the last TT. When was the
last
time that happened?


I can't see Levi extending Rasmussen. Levi hasn't shown that he has the
explosiveness to take it out of Rasmussen's legs and I don't think that the
pace Levi would set would leave Rasmussen particularly vulnerable either.
Maybe if you gave Odessa a thong and an antler helmet to run alongside...

On 23-Jul-2007, smacked up and reeling, "Carl Sundquist"
blindly formulated
the following incoherence:

I can't see Levi extending Rasmussen. Levi hasn't shown that he has the
explosiveness to take it out of Rasmussen's legs and I don't think that
the
pace Levi would set would leave Rasmussen particularly vulnerable either.
Maybe if you gave Odessa a thong and an antler helmet to run alongside...

The idea would be to get him in an early break, too early for Rasmussen to
sensibly go. But LL would have to be willing to sacrifice his GC position
for ACs chance.

Than again, AC could just go when he feels it without relying on his team to
soften Rabo. But Wed will be his last chance to set himself up to win.
Disco should pull out the stops. Id like to be in on thier next couple team
meetings. They have to be thinking of AC for the GC win.
--
"The accused will now make a bogus statement."
James Joyce

"Carl Sundquist" wrote in message
...

"steve" wrote in message
...
Contador was about 30 seconds faster than the Dane in the first TT, and
he
certainly looked to put Rasmussen in some difficulty late in today's
stage.
Phil has said repeatedly that "AC will not win this years TdF", but if he
takes some time on Rasmussen Wednesday he very well could give Disco the
GC
win. MR's team has been tested and they seem up to the task, but Disco
could use a well placed Levi to put early pressure on Rabo and possibly
isolate MR by the final climb. And if Evans doesnt lose more time, we
could
have three credible GC contenders going into the last TT. When was the
last
time that happened?


I can't see Levi extending Rasmussen. Levi hasn't shown that he has the
explosiveness to take it out of Rasmussen's legs and I don't think that
the pace Levi would set would leave Rasmussen particularly vulnerable
either. Maybe if you gave Odessa a thong and an antler helmet to run
alongside...

Levi is a GC plodder - he can ride fast but he can't match the accelerations
of a true climber. While he has a definite advantage in a long hard stage
with a lot of fast flats between hard climbs, he isn't the sort of guy who
can make a fast final climb with the real climbers.

and I don't think that the
pace Levi would set would leave Rasmussen particularly vulnerable either.
Maybe if you gave Odessa a thong and an antler helmet to run alongside...
--------
Bravo, the truth.

"steve" wrote in message
...
On 23-Jul-2007, smacked up and reeling, "Carl Sundquist"
blindly formulated
the following incoherence:

I can't see Levi extending Rasmussen. Levi hasn't shown that he has the
explosiveness to take it out of Rasmussen's legs and I don't think that
the
pace Levi would set would leave Rasmussen particularly vulnerable either.
Maybe if you gave Odessa a thong and an antler helmet to run alongside...

The idea would be to get him in an early break, too early for Rasmussen to
sensibly go. But LL would have to be willing to sacrifice his GC position
for ACs chance.


You're assuming Menchov and BoogerD, et. al. won't be there for support at
that point.

On Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:41:44 GMT, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo. com
wrote:


Levi is a GC plodder - he can ride fast but he can't match the accelerations
of a true climber. While he has a definite advantage in a long hard stage
with a lot of fast flats between hard climbs, he isn't the sort of guy who
can make a fast final climb with the real climbers.

This also describes Kloden and Evans.

Evans, Kloden, Leipheimer and Contador can all out TT Skeletor. It's
simply a matter of can they stay close enough Wednesday to make it up
on a flat 55k TT Saturday?

Contador has the best shot time-wise to take yellow in Paris with
Skeletor on the second step.

Evans, Kloden and Levi are all shooting for third unless something
dramatic happens Wednesday.

Astana and Vino will support Kloden and who knows what those crazy
mofos can do to bust things up? Can they - and Disco - isolate
Skeletor and get sufficient time back for Klodi, Contador, and Levi?
Can Evans and his one mountain support, Horner, stay with them?

If they don't, then Skeletor will have enough to keep yellow all the
way to Paris by around 2 minutes.

On Jul 23, 6:49 pm, "Carl Sundquist" wrote:
"steve" wrote in message

...

On 23-Jul-2007, smacked up and reeling, "Carl Sundquist"
blindly formulated
the following incoherence:

I can't see Levi extending Rasmussen. Levi hasn't shown that he has the
explosiveness to take it out of Rasmussen's legs and I don't think that
the
pace Levi would set would leave Rasmussen particularly vulnerable either.
Maybe if you gave Odessa a thong and an antler helmet to run alongside...

The idea would be to get him in an early break, too early for Rasmussen to
sensibly go. But LL would have to be willing to sacrifice his GC position
for ACs chance.

You're assuming Menchov and BoogerD, et. al. won't be there for support at
that point.



Dumbass -


I speculate that the Chicken can be isolated, but it will take a
combine of a few teams to make it happen.


thanks,

K. Gringioni.

On Jul 23, 10:09 pm, Kurgan Gringioni wrote:
On Jul 23, 6:49 pm, "Carl Sundquist" wrote:





"steve" wrote in message

.. .

On 23-Jul-2007, smacked up and reeling, "Carl Sundquist"
blindly formulated
the following incoherence:

I can't see Levi extending Rasmussen. Levi hasn't shown that he has the
explosiveness to take it out of Rasmussen's legs and I don't think that
the
pace Levi would set would leave Rasmussen particularly vulnerable either.
Maybe if you gave Odessa a thong and an antler helmet to run alongside...

The idea would be to get him in an early break, too early for Rasmussen to
sensibly go. But LL would have to be willing to sacrifice his GC position
for ACs chance.

You're assuming Menchov and BoogerD, et. al. won't be there for support at
that point.

Dumbass -

I speculate that the Chicken can be isolated, but it will take a
combine of a few teams to make it happen.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

yeah. i went looking for the TT times again: 37 seconds. But the
expert flack wrote Contador rode a brilliant TT for Contador.
so of the assassins don't strike and its C vs R the last flat stages
give it dead even, even enough for a 3rd or 4th party.