‘Machine Gun Sally’ Commeso orders up a hit.
Don’t get between Sally and his prosciutto.
Stage 11
July 12, 2005 Baby Claire is home and she is a mellow customer so far. Many thanks to all of the well wishers for the kind thoughts.
Dumoulin (the crash-hole) and Thor are off the front early. THOR WILL SMASH! Let me just copy that to paste in later. Jolly green is obviously going after the intermediate sprint points. Skor Thor!
Riding next to Thor, Dumoulin looks like a racer who has been in the dryer too long. THOR WILL SMASH!
Thor drops Dumoulin on the climb. THOR WILL SMASH! That’s my boy! You wouldn’t see McEwen off the front dropping Frenchmen.
The climbers who got bee-ach slapped yesterday are off in a chase group. Horner is in there. So is Vino. He has to drop Vino to have any hope to take the stage, or the Disco chase will be on.
Thor is on a little descent. C’mon Thor, you can hang on until the sprint. THOR WILL SMASH!
Thor is getting caught by the climbers. He looks not so fresh. THOR WILL SMASH! I wonder if he can hang on. He will drop like a big green stone on the descent.
The devil is in green today, obviously a tribute to Thor. THOR WILL SMASH!
I would have to say that Lance is a master of psy-ops, he likes to put a hurt on in the first serious hill in the Tour and get inside the other guys’ heads.
Thor is trying to hang on with the flyweights. I wonder of he could twist their bikes into pretzels with his bare hands? THOR WILL SMASH!
Botero, Vino and Pereiro are off the front the summit. Let’s see if Thor can catch back on. I think I would like to follow Thor down any mountain. THOR WILL SMASH!
Pereiro takes a drink at the wrong time and takes a Beloki line around the corner with an Armstrong finish.
Thor has been swallowed up. THOR WILL SMASH! The break is about 50 seconds. Things look like they are going to get back together between the hills. Two Tivo arrows time.
Not wanting to surf the grass, Vino stays away from the two Phonaks on the descent.
Now there are 4 at the front at 1:23 with the addition of Martinez.
On the flats, guts are picking up their speed bottles. The only people watching this section closely are the Tour officials looking to raise some money with fines.
Moreau is going for the KOM jersey, that’ll keep France off his back.
On the last climb, it’s just Vino “Mr. Freak Head†and the “Rambo of Sex†Botero.
They’re showing this stage live in Times Square, so everyone will know that Survivor is sponsoring the Cyclism II.
Vino is trying to drop Botero. It’s Freak Head vs. Sex Rambo.
Horner gets popped with 5 k to go to the climb, better luck on the coming stages.
Razzy jumps on the hill for the points in the KOM, I don’t think he’s looking for time. He’s dropped Moreau like a lead beret.
I guess in France, guardrails are for suckers.
Rambo catches Le Head du Freak on the descent. This will be a fun finish. I would expect Vino to finish him off like a cold-blooded assassin.
“Il Falco†Salvodelli is leading the Disco boys down the hill. Watch for Cadel Evens’ collarbone on this descent.
Back at the climb, Chechu grabs a newspaper and heads to the toilet.
Paul tries to make an over-technical explanation for putting newspaper into your jersey. Paul has been listening to too much Trek Rep talk.
Vino’s transponder has come loose, I wonder if Jan’s brother installed that one.
Getting close to the finish, let’s see who gets this one. Botero offers to switch nicknames in return for the win.
1K Vino has the position on Botero. It’s a slo-mo sprint, and – not wanting to be known as the “Rambo of Sex†– Vino gets it.
Moreau gets third, France high fives her hairdresser.
A perplexed crowd of Times Square tourists wonders whether Lance just lost the Tour.
From Cyclingnews.com:
One rider who won’t be going for the win today is Tom Boonen (Quick.Step). The green jersey won’t start today’s stage as a result of injuries sustained in a crash on the descent from Courchevel yesterday. That means Thor Hushovd is the new leader of the green jersey competition.
I heard the crowd at Times Square they kept talking about was like 10 people.
What he said: “If you try to win, you might lose. If you don’t try to win you will lose for sure.
Only two Norwegians in the Tour, and both of them now has a stage win.
I knew Arvesen was on form when he won the National Champs one week before the Tour. Only 8 of 148 riders finished the race. Halfway, with most of the field already dropped, KAA was asked how he was feeling, and he said he didn’t know because he hadn’t tested his legs yet.
Keep SMASHING!
Had a better quote yesterday: “That was pretty good – I dropped Valverde and Cunego!”
If you try to lose, you might win, but if you don’t try to lose, you will win for sure!
Actually he’s an albino Smurf
Riccardo Ricco!! Dirtbag and Doper!!
Who’s next? How long before one of Vaughter’s boys get’s popped?
Plus ca change, plus ce la mem chose.
Wonder if OLN will still claim Bryneel is the best DS "bar none" now ?
19mph av. speed as well – adds credence to the theory that this is the cleanest Tour since…….pre-War years ?
Panic and paralyzed chaos and no decisive moves until the switchbacks with less than 10k to go. Boogerd suffered the most of anybody, and his recovery is guaranteed because of the calcium deposits in his teeth. Leipheimer made a funny face at the finish line, as if he were recalculating his endorsement value out loud.
Baldwin should blog as well
wait, maybe not…they’d probably shut down the site
post puerto – about half the field had a bad day. 10+ mins back: cunego, razzy, VDV, 20+ mins back: hincapie, salvodelli, moncoutie, pereiro, garzelli, martinez, 30 + mins back – chavanel, gonchar, 40+ mins back: popo, rujano, briskie, chechu, horner
did they all eat the same bad fish?
They all slept with the ac blasting the night before!
Boy…the Hincapie campaign sure did go down the pooper pretty quick. This is what happens to a guy that rides the wheel of a climber all day on the toughest mtn stage in the 05′ tour and then snatches the victory with a clean conscience – all of a sudden he’s a climber …yea right!
Levi will have to have a few more days of days like this to get back in this thing. I wont scratch’em off the list just yet. There’s still a little fight in the dog.
Race to Replace – DSC – Soon, they’ll be in a race to replace their title sponsor.
Big brewhaahaa stirring up over race radios. I for one am all for keeping them for all team members. Riders still react to breaks forming without radio assistance. The instincts are still there. I’d rather see radios as opposed to 4 to 5 team cars trying to get to the front to help thier respected riders with ill regard to spectator or rider safety. Hey I think we’ve got ourselves an NYVC poll on our hands.
I would dispose of the radios altogether, but I think the one radio per team is a good compromise. This talk of safety is a load of bunk to a great degree, the DSs come barging up in their cars anyway. Did we forget the Davitamon DS knocking Basque spectators out of the way with his car last year?
The problem is the radios make for boring racing that takes the initiative away from the racers. It kills breakaways. Plus, the directors conspire together via cellphone. Everyone knows the racers are supposed to offer the cash!
The blackboard moto gives time splits so how does it kill break-aways? The field can still time the catch in the same way without radios. Knowing who’s in the break would be no secret either. What about crashes or flat tire needs? Things would be much smoother in that regard with free flowing info. If one has a strong team or if all the teams are strong, radios dont hinder performance and shouldnt be a big deal. DS types can still control the races and strike deals radios or not, no?
two things: if floyd wins it will be the greatest achievement in any sport. a hip replacement due in two weeks and a team so bad I may be offered a contract. merckx was at 4:45 but not involved when needed, the entire rest of the team was over 26 minutes back. that’s championship material.
finally the hincapie bullshit can be put to rest. look, he never won shit when he was a sprinter. as a routier he won a semi-classic. somehow he is supposed to be a tour rider without having won any stage race (3 days of de panne does not count). I cannot believe boonen hasn’t laughed out loud when people ask him if he wants to morph himself like hincapie. great rider, no doubt, but lets be real about it – his achievements rank him in about the 30th percentile of pro racers in history, being generous. I like him and hope he wins some big races, but he is not a tour winner and never looked like one at any time.
Lee3 – check for gas leaks in your room. In a breakaway situation every moment is precious. The time it takes for Race radio to get the split to the chalk guy and then to the riders could be minutes. Time for the break to get away or stay away. Also, guys lose track of each other all the time – there’s 180 or so guys in the race, radios just keep the un-vigilant in the race when they should be getting dropped.
The problem is that DSs get their calculators out and gently murmur to the riders exactly how many KPH it’ll take to catch the break, when it should be the rider’s duty to do this. Plus, the agreements to chase together are made by the directors now. Who do you want controlling the race? The racers or the tubby fellow in the team car? I want intelligence and race savvy to be a part of a Tour winner’s make up, instead of the ability to say "ok" to race director’s orders.
As far as crashes and flats go, if it’s the race leader, wouldn’t his guys be around him anyway? If it’s a support rider, it’s not like they would get any help anyway.
The radios are choking the initiative out of races and racers – period. Jacky Durand practically fumes when he hears about them. Do you remember him? Was he not one of the more entertaining members of the peloton? He wouldn’t stand a chance today.
Ok so you give one guy from each team a wire as you’ve suggested that you could live with. The tour still has the live video tap within the every team car upon which vital info is being shared by all. Do they ban this as well? Info that could be sent to the lone holder of the rider with a wire. You mind as well give’em all wires. If you dont have the legs you dont have the legs. Lone breakaways still happen. Having the instinct to know which stage lends itself to that condition has nothing to do with radios and there are certain conditions that make moves stick. Look at all of the successful lone breaks within the last 5 years and see what they have in common. There is a common factor.
These guys do a lot more thinking than you give them credit for. The directors definitely make the deals on working together and such but a lot of that deal striking goes down on the road with the racers as well ie friendships or favors from past races or whatever. There will come a day when GPS will make its way onto every bike (that new garmin) showing the time and position of the yellow jersey or any rider relevant to anothers position on GC just a button push away!
GPS on every bike! Let’s make the entre thing into just a quasi-team TT! Maybe even little screens that show where everybody is on the course for every rider. So they can go faster or slower accordingly. No chances for any sneak attacks or anything.
Zzzzzzzz…. Without the chaos of not knowing who is away and by how much, these races will be dead boring, with no one taking chances.
I would say in the last 5 years the amount of lone breaks are waaaaaay down. Especially in the first week – where they have practically disappeared. Think of the classic stages of the past: Ciapucchi’s attack that nearly stole the race, even Pantani’s swipe at Armstrong. Those were not radio inspired. For the record I am also against the DH, I would like quarterbacks to call their own plays, and Van Halen should be forced to perform with David Lee Roth, I don’t care how big a dick he is…
Schmaltz – – your writing is the only thing entertaining about this year’s race. Don’t stop. Please.
Love this quote after stage 11
Gert Steegmans (Davitamon, 160th at 44’20)
"I’m completely f***ed up. Even the speed of the bus was almost too fast for me."
Now playing on cable at the Luchon Days Inn – "The Last Days of Disco"
What are the chances Lance shows up to help cheer on the team in the Alps – Zero unless he pulls a Steinbrenner and yanks Johan.
Lastly – Where can I go to get a bitchin’ dead hip?
Boonen was complaining about the length and severity of the stages, saying that it makes doping an attractive remedy. And Voeckler said something like "I would have finished in the lead group instead of 33 minutes back if I hadn’t attacked like a complete glory-hog on the first Col and just stayed in the wheels. But it felt good to relive my two-years gone glory in the Pyrenees." I think he might have the same performance incentives in his endorsement contract as Leipheimer.
Might’ve missed that – was it on the “Enhanced coverage”? I don’t watch the enhanced coverage
amateurs.
Italian bike shop owners are never wrong about anything
No schmalz snark about the “Bob Roll as a young bike-throwing punk” footage? That was awesome!
Astana jumped as they turned and the wind changed. That is when to do it. That Moreau was at the back probably had little to do with the timing. Once they realized they dropped him, then continue on. But, make no mistake, Vino is doping.
Vino will attack. attack. attack. tack. taaaack!!
F the french
I was in Italy this past week riding around. Met a owner of a local bike shop who was a local pro/champion.
I was asking him of his opinion about various riders and the doping matters…as I went down the list of suspects and idol riders, I asked him “How about Tom Boonen, what do you think?”…He smiled, proceeded to gesture pumping a gloor pump, shook his head and said “ah, (he is a)POMPA!”(like he pumps dope-in)…From now on, I am going to call him “Pompa” not “Boner”
Maybe Vino felt they beat up on him a bit after his crash and subsequent injuries, time to exact a pound of flesh and put some time on a rival. Not sure how smart it was, I’m thinking that maybe Kloden should be saving it for the time trial where he has a real opportunity to crush Razzy.
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I heard conflicting reports on where Moreau was when Astana jumped. At one point I heard he was “visiting the medical car” and at another point they said he had returned to the field, but was clearly on the back. I didnt see any actual footage of him returning to the field, but he was clearly riding with a back group when the split ocurred, or at least immediately after. Not sure, but sounds like they certainly jumped with him on back. I gather they jumped when he was nearly through the cars, likely with a nicely timed radio call from the Astana team car to point out that fact…VERY smart racing, to take advantage of the crosswind at such a perfect time, but also a great case against radios for the purists. Frankly not sure where I stand on this…
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