the real mountains, at last!

lots of posturing in interviews, tweets, and team newsletters...

what would you like to see?

my guess is that because astana is not that strong, alberto will not be able to inflict carnage. unless vino becomes the worker, the group will be too big for alberto to ride off his wheel. so i'm not sure there'll be fireworks today. i think they may rather hold vino in reserve because there's value in having him high on gc.

A certain group of favourites leave another certain group behind, but that's not gonna happen
I think that the last climb is too shallow to make a difference, the steepest part is some 6-7kms out. LA was probably right that the Ramaz was the key.

Hmm....

Menchov being dropped on the very first ascent? Is this yet another year where he demonstrates that he just doesn't have it when competing in France/July.

Cadel Evans involved in the first crash of the day. Back to the same old, same old for Evans?

Will be interesting to see who has it and who doesn't, today. Even if it is still in the early going. A lot of riders will have to start taking time on Evans, Andy, Vino and Contador already today, if they hope to be on that podium at the end of the race.

I'd like to see some action on the penultimate climb, and then a proper slugfest on the last climb. Would like to see Wiggins in the mix.

I almost every mountain stage, cycling fans almost always wish for action on the penultimate climb - but it almost never happens. Still we wish.

should we stop?

Not at all, it happens every now and then and those are the epic stages we remember.

radio shack would have most to gain by a penultimate climb attack -- they are down on gc and their climbers can't outdo alberto and cadel on the hc climbs. these easier climbs could be an opportunity. maybe if they got the proper "preparation" last night?

just checking...



you mean for his saddle sores?


any little observations you care to share, i'd be much beholden. only tele in the is currently sporting Silverstone (12 laps and press conferences to follow).

er . . . there have been stages in year's past when armstrong's teams come out and even the heaviest time triallists find wings in the mountains. these days often come unexpectedly and often follow a tough day in the mountains when everyone else seems very tired

Armstrong being shelled out the back - perhaps sore after a crash. Not good for Radioshack after Klodi yesterday. They are racing on the penultimate climb. Props to Team SKY (though I think they went too soon)

the end of LA? The year too much?

Vino bringing water bottles to the Astana guys leading after getting dropped earlier. What a selfish backstabber.

his table manners do leave something to be desired, though

Hey, VdB, are we looking at the rise perhaps of another VdB?

poor Vino! he wants to ATTACK but...

he can bring me water anytime

CRASH!

Armstrong has crashed again. I'm a bad person but I'm enjoying this.

He didn't look in too much of a hurry to get back up. I'm not a fan and want to see him beaten but don't want to see him victim of crashes. Never seen him looking so brow beaten, so I hope he doesn't give up. He can be a team mate to Bottle if he has it in him

I don't really want to see anybody crash at all, ever. I think Phil and Paul have just been winding me up with their Lance-focused commentating. So, it'll be good if he is out of contention for the race today.

It's very weird for them to be racing through Mourzine and not finishing there.

there's a randomness to the crashing i don't like. i just like to see him dropped like a stone. the lance-centric commentating is ridiculous, with the obvious star power of contador, schleck, and evans.

Yes, they seem to be dropping for no reason, at low speeds too.

Giuseppe Martinelli beating Johan Bruyneel by using JB's favorite tactic.

Oh my, there's Basso & he's got that look in his eye...

sweet!

(i do think he's one of the most elegant climbers around)

contador made some huge mistakes in the finale -- once you mark those attacks you have to counter or else you open yourself up for attacks. very surprising.

Schleck grabs not only the stage win, but manages to gap Contador in the last K. Wow.

Evans in yellow, Wiggins loses lots of time in a short distance, and Armstrong completely implodes. What a stage!

AC of the recent past would not have let Schleck go, obviously. Then Sanchez dropped him. He looks very beatable now.

...and where the heck was Horner today!?

He gets the invite to the Tour he's deserved and shows up to be a non-factor?

so is Lance going to stay in?

(i always thought he'd try to win the stage when they go up the Col de Portet d'Aspet, seeing as it's the 15th anniversary of Casartelli's death...)

Good to see Gesink & Van Den Broeck live up to "wave of the future" promise.

Dennis "Sleeper" Menchov now in 5th place in the GC

Wonderful, isn't it? Now we got an exiting Tour on our hands - a seemingly beateble champ and lots of young guns (VdB, Schleck, Kreuziger, Gesink) looking very, very good. Sanchez wasted his energy and could have won today.

Schleck looks very smooth. Late attack may prove costly. Perhaps they should have tried before?

Navarro is a beast. The Szmyd og this years Tour. Wonderful riding.

Anyways... things may change when we reach the Pyranees. Lots of riders I think are gunning for a peak here - that includes the Schlecklett and Contador. Gesink I thing is the most likely to falter in the third week, while on the other hand I thing Kreuziger has gotten everything right form wise. I predict a perfect third week for the Czech.

Clever riding by Schleck by sitting on Sanchez' wheel for 500 metres or so.

Wiggins says he over-cooked and he's been struggling with the heat. "I don't mind admitting that I wasn't good enough today".

About Sky taking control: "we knew if we didn't do it somebody else would".

Contador definitely not in his best form. But we'll see - there is a rest day tomorrow, the weather will change, and this is a long and very hard Tour. 10 secs is absolutely nothing. But psychologically this is - without a doubt - a very important stage win for Andy.

Evans looked cooked. I wouldn't begrudge him a GT win, but I doubt he will be able to hold this jersey all the way home. Doesn't look to be in the very best form, and his team is not good enough to protect him.

As often happens - so much talk about other teams being strong, and when push comes to shove, a lower rated team does the damage. Powerhouse ride by Astana anno 2010. Totally phenomenal by Navarro and it was awesome watching Vino ride so unselfishly. Other great champs of the past should watch and learn.

A pity that Armstrong crashed. I don't mind seeing him dropped like a stone - IMO, he should never have come back. But I'm with perseguidor re: crashes - can't ever enjoy seeing riders crash.

(Edit: Heh - perseguidor's last sentiment, that is - not the first. ).

True. Gesink we all knew would prevail eventually, whilst Van den Broeck has been more of a wild-card - personally I have been hyping him quite a bit. Nice to be proved right

contador got gapped because he tried to cover three attacks in a row. he has to let someone else do that or join in on the attack. he's still very strong

Wow, I didn't realize Sastre hung on. Both he and Menchov just sat on the back the whole time looking like they would soon let go. Sastre does some strange riding.

I think Schleck needs at least 2 or possibly 3 minutes by the last TT. But, since AC may not be the same maybe he could hold him off with less. I agree there is a long way to go, but I am just glad it looks like we have a race on our hands.

I am really surprised LA dropped. After his good ride in the prologue I thought he was a lock for top 5. I guess age and the crashes took their toll.

Apparently not.


Partying like it's 1999?


Nice to see you Perse


"Here's your bottle, Bottle"


+1

But Schleck covered all the same attacks - he never left his wheel, and as far as I know there wasn't any wind.

But obviously Contador is still good. But still not the same Contador who gapped Schleck by almost a minute on last years first mountain top finish on Verbier.

Obviously he is not as confident (and strong) as last year.

the person in front marking the attack is the one who gets gassed, not the one who catches a ride to the attack

Why did Contador bother chasing down the Gesink/Sanchez attack? Neither are a "real" threat and it was just a waste of energy. Schleck jumped right after that and Contador couldn't respond. Sometimes seems like Contador just can't help himself.

very true!

(i used to be an attacker and the boys i rode with would always take turns trying to exhaust me because i never learned... attacking is irresistible and exhausting! they treated me a bit like a puppy.

either overconfidence or just poor tactics

While we can all agree Contador closed way to many gaps, a rider I never can understand i Gesink? Why did he chase like he was wearing a yellow jersey? Never rides like the underdog he is. Shame.

The fact that Contador is so eager has always been his biggest weakness. We'll see if the others are able to stress him sufficiently in the final week. I doubt it.

But that's just it - the other GC riders will need to take advantage of this flaw and take turns attacking him when/if he's isolated. That's the only way they're gonna crack him, by working together to take down the strongest favorite.

After the last crash, which also involved Matti Breschel, Armstrong allegedly said (according to Matti): "I'm too old for this race and I look forward to getting hom to the USA to eat pizza and drink beer."

I wonder what the odds are on Lance completing the Tour? Can he really take being a domestique for Leipheimer and not having anything to ride for other than a stage (and question is whether anyone will let him take one...)

Basso looked relatively composed I thought. Still wonder how his form will hold up, but if it does he'll do some damage in the Pyrenees.

are we happy today?

gesink was the perfect springboard to his own attack. eventually schleck and sanchez (and maybe a few others) would have joined, but it would have been a more manageable number for alberto.

Well, I'm happy that gob####e is out of the running, but it wasn't quite the type of action I wish for.

the question is whether there will be any fireworks on Tuesday or if we have to wait for the Pyrénées? whatever. it's tight enough that i think you'll get your wish one of these days

I was rooting for Ryder Hesjedal to pull a miracle today...third overall at today's start...there was a moment when he could have ended up in yellow...that would have been huge....he amazes me constantly...such a hard*ss...and a big guy to boot...making it up those category 1 climbs with the contenders...but he's still in the top 10 so I'm hoping that he makes the top 10 overall. Would love to see him crack the top 5.

But hey....Liquigas is looking to spoil the party...Krueziger and Basso what a combo today....

They wanted your "wheel"