Stage 3 Waterloo - Wasquehal
07-06-04, 11:03 PM
#51
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Originally Posted by Thylacine
Man, it's 3 hrs before the Tour is on telly. Damn this forum. Damn it to Hades.
Some of the animosity towards Mayo has been pretty suprising here. What's the deal? Like to kick people when they're down? Some anti-Spanish sentiment? Give the guy/team a break!
It's true that the Tour is a team event, and Armstrong has leveraged this to good advantagein the past as well as today, it seems. I think half the problem is with some of these other teams is that although they may have one stong GC contender, it's almost appears as like the priority is shifted away from a top ten finish in the GC to stage wins. The tour is, afterall, about exposure for sponsors, so maybe that accounts for some part as to why some teams seem less 'teamy' than others?
How did Hamilton, Ulrich and the other contenders go today? Can someone post up the stages placings? Any thoughts on the TTT tomorrow?
Some of the animosity towards Mayo has been pretty suprising here. What's the deal? Like to kick people when they're down? Some anti-Spanish sentiment? Give the guy/team a break!
It's true that the Tour is a team event, and Armstrong has leveraged this to good advantagein the past as well as today, it seems. I think half the problem is with some of these other teams is that although they may have one stong GC contender, it's almost appears as like the priority is shifted away from a top ten finish in the GC to stage wins. The tour is, afterall, about exposure for sponsors, so maybe that accounts for some part as to why some teams seem less 'teamy' than others?
How did Hamilton, Ulrich and the other contenders go today? Can someone post up the stages placings? Any thoughts on the TTT tomorrow?
G'day,
wot...you don't have radio or the Teve up there in FNQ?...Pedal abit harder Tigerboy!..all that matters is ...Robbie's in yellow, mayo's & all the Euskatels are gone,so is mick rogers (sob), all the other names are OK....I agree with you on the interesting posts regarding mayo's misfortune. Who woulda thought that the tour coulda gone on for 90 odd years without Lance?...wonders will never cease,
cheers,
Hitchy
07-07-04, 12:06 AM
#52
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Don't insult me Hitchy, I'm in Melbourne too mate.
Disasterous Tour for the Aussies already. Who do we have left? Where's Cookey? It pains me to see that we might have to rely on McEwan for glory, although heIs paid to ride a bike fast, not be a spokesperson for world peace.
Well, I guess he didn't leave his wife for a rock star girlfriend or anything.
Disasterous Tour for the Aussies already. Who do we have left? Where's Cookey? It pains me to see that we might have to rely on McEwan for glory, although heIs paid to ride a bike fast, not be a spokesperson for world peace.
Well, I guess he didn't leave his wife for a rock star girlfriend or anything.
07-07-04, 03:53 AM
#53
Aluminium Crusader :-)
You've gotta like anyone who calls his kid Ewan McEwan. Or do ya?
Like I said, I like to watch the SBS show without knowing the results, so it sure is tough work avoiding every news report for 18 (or so) hours.
Like I said, I like to watch the SBS show without knowing the results, so it sure is tough work avoiding every news report for 18 (or so) hours.
07-07-04, 05:38 AM
#54
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Brent: I agree with you on the others chasing down the gap. Liberity Ser did bridge and you know the big boys from T-Mobile, USPS, Phonack (SP?), CSC would have gone like a frieght train to bridge.
PS I do like your sig!
Thylacine: MPO, Mayo is an Opportunist and will take advantage of every downed person that can. The team makes no bones about this and rides that way.
PS I do like your sig!
Thylacine: MPO, Mayo is an Opportunist and will take advantage of every downed person that can. The team makes no bones about this and rides that way.
07-07-04, 06:11 AM
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Originally Posted by wheelman
Another interesting factor was how long it took Mayo's team to regroup around him after his crash. He was on his own for several minutes before they came to his aid. Any self-respecting tour team would have stopped immediately. This is a clear indicator of bad team unity and leadership.
I am really bummed that Mayo is now so far down on GC, with only more to come in today's TTT. I was looking toward a real battle between GC contenders in the mountains. This materially changes the dynamic of the race.
07-07-04, 04:55 PM
#56
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Many things can happen, illness, crash as we have seen already, bad luck will lose a tour just as easily as bad riding.
Even Lance can have bad luck.
Even Lance can have bad luck.
07-07-04, 05:10 PM
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Okay, now that I've watched this stage a few things come to mind that nobody mentioned.
First up, it was a very wide very flat section of road where the crash happened, so I think that's why all the team cars appeared slow in responding. Who would've thought a crash would happen on such a road? Weird.
Secondly, I agree EE did a bad job today, no question. I think a lot of riders freaked out as the cobbles approached, and as the pack got strung out almost single file, that helped blow out the time gap for Mayo - exacerbated by USPS/Hindcapies' taking the initiative.
John M, any evidence you have regarding Mayo's or EE's mercinary approach to taking advantage of crashes - post it here. Can't say I've ever heard any, yet I didn't see USPS stop for Mayo today themselves. Seems to me they went to the front and took advantage of Mayos misfortune.
Here is a kettle. Here is a kettle calling a kettle black.
First up, it was a very wide very flat section of road where the crash happened, so I think that's why all the team cars appeared slow in responding. Who would've thought a crash would happen on such a road? Weird.
Secondly, I agree EE did a bad job today, no question. I think a lot of riders freaked out as the cobbles approached, and as the pack got strung out almost single file, that helped blow out the time gap for Mayo - exacerbated by USPS/Hindcapies' taking the initiative.
John M, any evidence you have regarding Mayo's or EE's mercinary approach to taking advantage of crashes - post it here. Can't say I've ever heard any, yet I didn't see USPS stop for Mayo today themselves. Seems to me they went to the front and took advantage of Mayos misfortune.
Here is a kettle. Here is a kettle calling a kettle black.
07-08-04, 06:02 AM
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My bud the hard core racer and follows all the races. We been friends for 15+ years now and I understand his analysis of the situation. He supplied me with most of my background info and from what I saw watching the tours - classicis over the last few years I made the same conclusions. Take the climb up the alp last year, Mayo sat on Urlich's wheel and did not work and sprinted away at the end. The look on Urlich's face was not pleasent. You can see that in the DVD version. A year before he took advantage of someone's misfortune and bolted while the others waited. I just did not like the attitude. I dealt with this when I was racing. But as they say racing is racing. I saw this in the auto racing I did also. It is going to happen and there is nothing I can do about. FWIW I did not like Laurent Fignoen either, his typical I am better than you or anyone else go the best of me. The person I feel the most sorry for this year is Matty White, I was expecting to see a good showing from him. To get nailed by a blasted TV cable is rotten luck 
