Stage 15 - spoiler

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Keith Oates

Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
There is still a long way to go but Evans has to pull something out now to bring the CSC train back. Good performance by Schleck and also by the breakaway squad. Slipstream will be happy with Danny Pate's performance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

joshw

New Member
Location
Peak District
^ Are the exclamation marks really necessary?
 

mondobongo

Über Member
Criminally Serious Cyclists showed absolute domination and put a serious dent into Evans's chances. On the subject of Evans yes he might not have had many of his team with him but even so he looked dreary bereft of ideas and practiced wheelsucking once again when will he show a little aggression and attack?
 

Steve Austin

The Marmalade Kid
Location
Mlehworld
I think thats all he's got Mondo. He rode on the back of the CSC team until the last climb and after the rest of the riders realised he wasn't going to ride them off (i don't think he could anyway) they all attacked him.
To win the tour you have to beat other riders, and i don't think Evans can do that.
 

Tetedelacourse

New Member
Location
Rosyth
Marnin! Probably a bit late contributing to this thread, but hey it's rest day!

Yesterday was best stage so far in terms of entertainment I thought. No-one's mentioned how unlucky Menchov was falling over when he was attacking. Total shame for him. Who knows how much time he'd have put in had that gone smoothly.

Also brilliant ride from Kohl too, turning himself inside out to get to the line with as big a margin as possible. Valverde finally looked like he was interested, even if he blew up a bit in the last 2km.

Schleck looked great.

BUT. It looked to me like Evans was hanging on by the skin of his teeth earlier in the climb. I know Schleck only needed a second, but I was shouting at the TV ATTACK HIM ATTACK HIM! I felt he could have put serious time into Evans yesterday but focussed only on getting yellow.

I enjoy Mondo's and Steve's indictment of Evans yesterday - dreary, bereft of ideas, little aggression, rode on the back of CSC. Ha ha! It was the responsibility of ALL the other contenders to attack Evans, not his to ride excitingly! He covered a lot of attacks before he finally exploded, and only then limited his losses to 7 seconds from Schleck. All these other exciting riders you lot talk about must be cack if all they can do is creep away from him in the last 200m!

I still don't like his style, but I see it as a helluva lot more than "wheelsucking"!

Finally, Gerrans did brilliantly to win but maybe he shouldn't smile too much!!

Oh and ta ra Cavendish. Cock you may be but bloody hell you know how to skelp it!
 

Flying_Monkey

Recyclist
Location
Odawa
Tetedelacourse said:
No-one's mentioned how unlucky Menchov was falling over when he was attacking. Total shame for him. Who knows how much time he'd have put in had that gone smoothly


I was gutted - he was tip for the day! But I still reckon he will more dangerous than any of the other top ten riders in the next two Alpine stages.
 

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
CSC's depth really showed in that stage - did any of the other teams have as many riders up with that group?

Whatever you think of Evans, he didn't gift the jersey to his opponents at all, I was quite impressed by his riding, but not surprised that he ended up losing the yellow jersey in the end. Terrific ride by both Schlecks, and it was good to see Frank in yellow.
 

Flying_Monkey

Recyclist
Location
Odawa
John the Monkey said:
Whatever you think of Evans, he didn't gift the jersey to his opponents at all, I was quite impressed by his riding, but not surprised that he ended up losing the yellow jersey in the end.

I would have been more impressed with him if he had gifted it - that would have showed tactical nous as well as form. As it was, he just couldn't manage to keep it. He has got to show that he can control a race if he's going to be in yellow in Paris.
 
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Keith Oates

Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
I think he will struggle in the next 2 stages and hope to limit his losses and then try to get it back on the TT. Hope I'm wrong as I think he is a genuine rider and has worked hard to achieve what he has done so far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

mondobongo

Über Member
I think CSC will drive the race hard especially over the 2 Alpine stages and keep pushing Thurs and Fri looking to put a lot of time into him before the TT. O'Grady was a monster pulling the peloton yesterday can see him and Voigt doing some punishing time on the front. I still believe that Sastre is the dark horse and may yet surprise said to the missus at the start yesterday a couple of riders including Valverde had been written off too early.
 
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