Jay-W

He's the best TT but I still have flashbacks to Sastre in 2008.

Quel

2010, stage 19, 50km TT: Contador @5:03 back (from Cancellara), Sanchez @ 5:51, A. Schleck @6:14, Voeckler @ 9:11.

The takeaway: Voeckler lost 3 minutes to Andy Schleck over 50km in that TT. He's boned.

Evans was @10:57, but at that point was just done. Had a broken bone or something wrong with him iirc. (edit: fractured elbow from a crash.)

mountainjesus

^^ good point

Well in the Dauphine Cadel did it 1:58 faster than Voeckler, but of course Voeckler didn't have anywhere near the sort of motivation to do well in that as he would if he were riding it to defend the jersey. Then again, he also hadn't had almost three weeks of hard racing behind him. Hard to extrapolate but I think it's clear that Evans is the better time-trialist, but how much is that worth in this case? 1:00? 1:30? I think it will be close assuming Voeckler doesn't crack tomorrow on the Alpe.

geist

Man, what a great Tour. Tomorrow could flip the GC again!

ravenmore

well, Voekler is riding better this year obviously, and he would be wearing yellow if he can hold on tomorrow.

Soloist Assassin

Mighty fine ride for Thomas today. Andy finally made himself know. Wow what a stage. This is now an amazing race. I think it may be the best that I can remember.

jeebusaurousrex

This just in: Despite finishing outside the time limit in a grupetto of around 35 riders, Mark Cavendish and the rest of those with him have been allowed to stay in the race. The Manx rider may, however, face a points penalty.

https://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011...-stage-18-live

Nerull

Thor was in the same group, looks like he hasn't improved his form enough to hold his own on the really big climbs.

Rojas barely made the time cutoff, so it's possible if Cav is docked points the green jersey could change. Everyone else even close to the green jersey was in the Cav group, so I would assume they would be docked the same.

pbd

Cav was docked 20 points, he's now 15 ahead of Rojas.

dayday82

It's sad to say, but it's curtains for Contador. Please prove me wrong though.

patentcad

It's not sad. What would be sad would be Contador winning or getting a podium spot, only to have it stripped if he loses the CAS ruling later this year.

patentcad

That's why they call it the Autobus Fredly. The riders all bunch together and finish in a group of 25-40 cyclists because they know damn well the Tour organizers aren't about to toss out 20% of the peloton (including several major cycling stars like Cav) over their stupid friggin time limit rules. That's been going on @ the TdF since forever. Ask TV announcer Paul Sherwin who was a regular passenger on the TdF Autobus back in his riding days.

justkeepedaling

I'm happy to say it's curtains for Contador.

equipe

+1

kstephens

marcosbullock

+2

And a 200KM stage with mountains and there's a 30 minute time cap? When will UCI stop hating on sprinters?

dgasmd

Correction: 3 TdF wins, 2 Giro, and one Vuelta

That was funny!!

I was thinking the same thing today too. I still don't think the TT is going to move many people back or forth in the GC by more than 30 sec at best. Vockler may suck at TT, but he also sucked at climbing and looked at what happened today, look where he is at, and look at what he did in the last 1 KM not to loose the jersey. They are going to have to rip it out of his hands when they find the remains on the side of the road!!

Nah, he knows he is done. The fatigue from the Giro, the mental fatigue from all the legal stuff, the rejection and booing of the public, and the numerous crashes took a toll that even him couldn't ignore. He is very young still and have plenty of grand tour victories under him. There is always next year. tomorrow's stage is too short to make any real difference for him. I think Cadel may take a few seconds from Vockler ahead of him, but otherwise it will conclude at the TT with no much change.

Agree indeed.

Bob Dopolina 

Really?

I thought Thor was trying to become a GC contender.

That's what I read on BF.

ahsposo 

BF is the refutation of the theory of the wisdom of groups.

patentcad

Who's fault is that?

patentcad

I'm going to become a GC contender as well by the way.

patentcad

I credit the Cervelo bicycles for this.

ravenmore

Actually I think Andy is going to try d@mn hard to take the jersey tomorrow. What we're going to see is how good Voekler is at wheel sucking AS's wheel up a mountain.

ravenmore

Btw, if anyone doesn't think Voekler has a chance ponder my next sentence.

Voekler dropped Contador on a climb today.

ahsposo 

"GC" meaning Gamey Coot?