Some questions to ponder with today’s announcement of the TdF route (nice synopsis here).
The first week features wind and cobbles, which will surely have Contador quaking. How are the Schlecks on the cobbles? Will Armstrong have an advantage if he can’t radio back to ‘Berto to tell him to sit up before the cobbles?
No TTT this year. Does this make Contador more likely to join Caisse d’Epargne, assuming he can get out of Astana? Is Wiggins cursing the ASO as we speak?
Only one TT this year, but with Contador dominating both mountains and TT’s, does it even matter? Once again, Wiggins cursing the ASO, Frank breathes sigh of relief.
The Tourmalet, so nice, they’ll climb it twice, with a rest day sandwiched in between.
Did Andy Schleck go to the presentation straight from a pony ride?
Ed Pickering’s take (from his twitter): My opinion – lovely opening few days, Alps good, Pyrenees fantastic except long run-in to Pau, boozy time trial in Bordeaux. Good effort.
the riders make the race, shocking they avoid Brittany/Normandy…nothing too long, 225km??? The racing, w or w/o radios, is boring. Teams control for sprints or GC…
Thor will repeat Green.
Alberto will repeat Yellow.
some has been, wasted talent, will go for Petit-Pois…
Young rider could be interesting…
Teams should be reduced to 7 riders…
Total Teams increased to 25…
and I’m spent, going to think of somn on my commute to the cubicle…
Ke Spectacolo!!!
The route of the tour is even more irrelevant than the tour itself.
This is about as boring as watching Dick Vitale countdown to until Duke can begin to practice.
From CW’s analysis:
“Dropped twice during this year’s Tour, Armstrong had to calculate when to back off and let them go and when to accelerate to recover his losses. That was with a relatively gentle itinerary in the mountains and with Contador, his team-mate in name, straining at the leash but on a leash nonetheless.
As Contador said shortly after seeing the route unveiled in Paris, he won’t have anyone telling him not to attack next year. He’s been telling people he intends to attack relentlessly in order to crack and humiliate Armstrong. With 13 Pyrenean climbs – including two ascents of the Col du Tourmalet, from the east and the west – he has been given the platform to do so.”
This is going to be fun to watch!
Soooo tired of Contador vs Armstrong. The best route would be one that allows neither to race.
im tired of you being tired.
Viva la rivalidad.
Berto solo breakaway to the finish –
http://www.steephill.tv/players/youtube/?title=tdf-2010-slick-move-Bert&id=30bsHmVUdVg&w=560
won’t happen. it might involve a sniper with s Shack scope.
The only thing that can humiliate Armstrong is the secret recording of his late night drunk dial to his mother, professing his oedipal desire. There’s a well-known rumor going around certain circles that McConaughey has the recording and this is the only reason LA has him in his entourage.
Mom! Meatloaf!
Dude. It’s Taco Wednesday. Asshole.
Yeah, Taco Wednesday in Oklahoma, maybe. Everyone knows a proper Taco night is on Tuesday. Taco Tuesday. Get it? Wednesday is for hot wings. Hot Wing Wednesday. Get it? Lose weight now, ask me how.
wednesday is for one thing only, weeeeeeeeeeeeed
please, none of you guys smoke weed
that’s funny. are you naive or just ignorant? there is a basic fallacy in your statement in that you are wrong. I may not win, and it may have something to do with the smoke, but that’s another claim…
I uh, uh. Damn, I can’t remember what was going to say
“I may not win, and it may have something to do with the smoke”
one word:
vaporizer.
Meeeeeatlooooooaffffff!
So who’s jacket is Schleck wearing?
That jacket looks like an Old Navy special. Looks like one of Mike Vicks dogs slept on it.
Quick step?
Caisse?
Garmin?
Luzzo’s Pizza?
I am assuming naturally that Astana will not get to do the Tour or lose it’s Pro License.