Archive for the ‘Pro Cycling’ Category
relitigating the past
Monday, July 26th, 2010What the hell language is this anyway? Danish I guess…
So I guess I was wrong when I stated:
It appeared that Schleck was shifting under load from the small ring to the big ring and through his chain off the crankset. This is not bad luck, it’s either bad mechanical work or just trying to force a shift under too much torque. Add to that there was obviously no chain guard on the frame to keep the chain from dropping off to the inside of the crankset when Schleck attempted to get the chain back on the rings. I’ve seen these chain guards used by pros lots of times in order to avoid this very problem. Why was it not used on Schleck’s bike?
I admit it, I was wrong. So what? You’re right about everything?
So Schleck was not shifting to the big ring. He was staying in the little ring and shifting down a cog. And he did have a chainguard on the bike. Lennard Zinn explained it all last week here.
Never the less, Contador had no reason to wait even if he did know what was going on with Schleck bike.
If the Saxo mechanic is going to run all kinds of custom mods to a stock rear derailleur, along with a non-spec 38 tooth inner chainring, and not warn the rider to avoid a bad chainline by trying to use a 38/13 gear selection then c’est la vie, as teh French would say.
As the ever wise Bob Schwartz aptly put it:
389€!! There is not a person here that wouldn’t hit the gas if someone with that stuff threw a chain.
My hand is up for sure.
Besides here is where Andy Schleck lost the 2010 Tour de France:
HE LOST 42 SECONDS TO CONTADOR IN JUST 8.9KM!
Tour de France Stage 20
Sunday, July 25th, 2010Who needs Renshaw?
GC summary:
1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 91:58:48
Fought hard for a deserved victory.
2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:39
Maybe check over that equipment in 2011 and it could be your year.
3 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 0:02:01
Finally made the podium. Just goes to show that not winning the Giro is the best path to success in the Tour.
4 Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:03:40
Nice ride.
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:06:54
Belgium goes ape.
6 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 0:09:31
Could be the future of the Tour.
7 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin – Transitions 0:10:15
Amazing ride. Can Garmin hold onto him?
8 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha 0:11:37
First Tour I think? Great ride.
9 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo 0:11:54
See Denis Menchov for 2011 strategy.
10 Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack 0:12:02
38 years old, the future Lance Armstrong.
11 Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 0:14:21
solid ride
13 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack 0:14:40
Just think what he could have done with total team support from day one.
14 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team Radioshack 0:16:36
See Leipheimer…or not.
15 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0:16:59
Great ride despite being stabbed in the back by John Gadret.
16 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana 0:17:46
Rides with the fury of two men, himself and his angry id.
19 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:24:04
At least he made a name for himself this year. And that name is “bastard”.
20 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 0:26:37
Attack was ignored…and for good reason.
23 Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack 0:39:20
Oh, was he in the race this year?
24 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:39:24
Time to retool…maybe Sky should throw some more money at the problem.
26 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:50:27
Curse of the rainbow jersey or curse of Cadel in the Tour? It will be debated for a thousand years.
29 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 0:56:53
Could be the future of the Tour, should focus on a Giro win first…hey, wait a minute…
31 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step 0:59:17
Bravo, fantastic Tour this year.
32 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 0:59:33
Uhhh…see Menchov for next year’s strategy.
37 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC – Columbia 1:10:11
Wha’ happen?
Thanks for following along this year as I provided the mostest expert commentary found anywhere on this blog.
Tour de France Stage 18 & 19
Saturday, July 24th, 2010Stage 18: Who needs Renshaw?
Stage 19: Everyone keeps talking about the 39 seconds that Contador now has in hand over Schleck and this time being the exact same about of time that Schleck lost due to his mechanical on Stage 15.
Much more interesting to me is the number of seconds that Schleck had in hand over Contador at the start of Stage 15: 31
The number of seconds that Contador beat Schleck by in the time trial today? 31
Combating Doping
Friday, July 23rd, 2010Years ago the UCI should have picked a date and declared amnesty for any doping cyclist that came clean up to that date so long as they also exposed their supply and/or distribution network. Any rider busted after that? Banned for life.
This of course would assume that the UCI is not a totally corrupt organization.
Tour de France Stage 17
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010In which Alberto Contador wins the Tour de France.
Tour de France Stage 16
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010Old 7 time Tour de France winners don’t die. They just fade away…
And they apparently don’t help Honer try and win the stage either.
Tour de France Stage 14 & 15
Monday, July 19th, 2010Stage 14: boring…
Stage 15: Not boring!
From the video above:
0:01 Schleck launches his attack
0:02 Vino begins his chase
0:06 Contador begins his chase
0:11 Schleck has his chain problem
0:14 Vino catches Schleck and seems to soft pedal past him
0:15 Contador catches Schleck, no soft pedaling
0:19 Schleck is off his bike, Contador continues full on
0:40 Schleck is finally back on his bike and begins to chase Contador
Was Contador obliged to wait for Schleck? No way. As opposed to the Ullrich crash of 2001 where Armstrong waited, this was the final few kilometers of the final climb of the stage. This was not some miscellaneous climb a hundred kilometers from the finish of the stage. And as much as people have been enjoying quoting this event from the 2001 Tour today, there are other historical cases that show Contador was well within the spirit of the race to keep the hammer down.
The 1999 crash on Le Passage de Gois? Armstrong sent his team to the front and GC contenders like Zulle and Boogerd lost six minutes by the finish. Should Armstrong have waited for those guys?
Look at Stage 3 of the Tour this year. Cancellara is at the front with Schleck on his wheel as the carnage of the cobble sections take out rider after rider. Contador himself was involved in a crash. Did he whine and complain about unfair tactics once the stage was over? Not at all. As a matter of fact, who did complain? Schleck’s own team mate Jens Voigt.
The 2003 crash of Beloki on the descent into Gap? Did Armstrong wait? No way. Why? Because Vino was up the road and putting time into the group.
Keep in mind that Contador made his move today before Schleck had his problem. If he would have pulled up his attack would Sánchez and Menchov also sat up? Contador may not have the prestige and respect of the peloton to be able to enforce a neutralization.
In addition, Schleck?s problem was not a crash or a flat or some other form of bad luck. It appeared that Schleck was shifting under load from the small ring to the big ring and through his chain off the crankset. This is not bad luck, it?s either bad mechanical work or just trying to force a shift under too much torque. Add to that there was obviously no chain guard on the frame to keep the chain from dropping off to the inside of the crankset when Schleck attempted to get the chain back on the rings. I?ve seen these chain guards used by pros lots of times in order to avoid this very problem. Why was it not used on Schleck?s bike?
My opinion is that Contador, despite his near total lack of personality as well as the fact that no one really seems to like the guy, was totally within his racing rights to keep the pressure on today.
That being said, it?s not how I would want to win the Tour de France.
Now Schleck is all mad. We shall see what he can do with his fury.
