Quel

Of course I can. Speculation is awesome. I'd say Andy took advantage of the fact that he has the best cobbles rider on the planet on his team in Stage 3, not a crash. Though stage 2 neutralization did benefit him (and 90% of the peleton). Anyways, speculation doesn't change the result, but they were just so evenly matched that it's a shame to see things like those stages make the difference.

On another note, what would have happened if they went into Paris tied? That's not a stage you can gain any time on. Do the race organizers have a tie breaker, or did they just figure it will never happen?

raptor3x

This assumes that Cancellara, Voigt, O'Grady, et. al wouldn't have been able to bring Schleck back up to the front.

Ganesha

They would have added the milliseconds timing of the two time trials. I don't see any easy way of finding this so we are left to speculate on what the outcome could have been.

colombo357

Curious how Schleck will perform next year. There will probably be two ITTs again.

OrionKhan

Outside of the stages where each rider dropped the other to gain about 10 secs in the mountains, when did Andy gain any time on Contador? Stage 3 when Contador and the rest of the field (including the yellow jersey) got caught behind the crash. Cancellara with Andy in tow dropped the hammer. Andy gained over a minute from that. This the day after the entire stage was neutralized by Cancellara after Andy crashed and was a couple of minutes behind. Andy never put time into Contador of his own doing.
Contador gained 39 secs from the dropped chain that Andy caused on himself during an attack on Contador.
Contador put over a minute on Schleck just from the prologue and ITT. That's the difference in the race.

I really don't understand what some people's problem is with it. Other than they just don't like AC and want an excuse to denigrate his win.

rogwilco

I think I heard once that the points classification is the tie-breaker, which would be Schleck I guess.

OrionKhan

That's a pretty wild speculation. And besides you remember incorrectly. Cancellara was way up front. He was the one who shut it down. Cancellara would have had to stop wait for Andy and then drill it. That's with a hurting Andy in tow. They wouldn't have caught AC, with Vino hammering away, and all of the other contenders if they had dropped the hammer. Why else to think Fabian shut the stage down?

OrionKhan

For some reason I was thinking it was stage wins. But if that was the case AC would have been kicking himself for not really challenging to win a couple of those. So now I'm thinking that it must be something different. Maybe stage wins was for deciding the tied points competition.

under18cyclists

You are forgetting Schleck wasn't the only one that crashed. Contador fell too and benefited from the neutralization. If Contador stayed at the front of the field with Andy he would've been fine, his fault. When Schleck dropped his chain he also had a nice gap and probably would of gained a couple of seconds. He would of been in yellow during the ITT and he would be chasing Contador which is another advantage.

under18cyclists

They would have to be really low to hammer it after he crashed.

rogwilco

Because I was curious, I looked it up, here's what the official reglement says, Ganesha was right https://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/COURSE/docs/reglement.pdf

Quel

Thanks. I'm impressed they have that many tie breakers for a 3 week stage race.

raptor3x

I'm aware that Cancellara was at the front but don't forget that something similar happened to Schleck last year when he crashed and was in danger of losing a ton of time near the end of one of the flat stages and Saxo Bank was able to pull him back on before the end, even with the sprinter's teams gunning it all the way to the end.

reef58

Orion I don't disagree with you, but no matter what happened if Contador hadn't attacked the Yellow during a mechanical he likely would have lost this tour. AS won two stages AC none, although it looked to me like AC could have taken 17. Not saying it is right, but that is how this will be remembered. My opinion AS lost this tour in the Prolouge.

Richard

The Weak Link

Schleck = Poulidor?

SunSwingsLow

Had Contador know AS would TT that well he would have attacked way more during the stages. AC felt comfortable based on AS prologue and TT history.

He wont make that mistake next year.

Laggard

Anyone notice Armstrong was beaten today by Peta?

USAZorro

The ITTs are timed to 100ths of a second. The differences in time there would break the tie.

Devil

Really? The kid's 25. This is a weak troll.

raptor3x

Is it just me or is Ryder Hesjedal one freaky looking guy?

SouthFLpix

Well, I think Schleck put out just as much power if not more power then did Contador over the course of the time trial, but the difference is that Contador is able to ride in a more aerodynamic 'tuck', and over a long distance this adds up into a more efficient power delivery system and with that he was able to shave seconds off his time and come out on top. It's a small difference, but everything counts at this level. Congratulations to Contador, he performed extremely well and earned his 3rd Tour de France victory.

Quel

Looks like he's using that skinsuit I've seen Zabriskie use. That's extra material under his armpits, not a freakish body shape. Though those are still some skinny legs.

OrionKhan

I agree. The point of my posts was directed at the dropped chain comments costing Andy. The Tour is 21 stages. There are places that benefited both Andy and Contador. Both has ill luck that cost them time. They were evenly matched in the mountains. Its easy to say, "well if so and so didn't happen he would have won". When is comes down to it, it was the prologue and time trial that made the difference. Each rider going against the clock. Neither of them had any bad luck or incidents. Contador out road Schleck.

And in retrospect we pretty much figured that would be the case. Andy has pretty much equaled Contador in the mountains. And he's improved his tt, but not quite enough. Next year is going to be real interesting.

Layback

Agreed. Contador's tactics were cowardly. There will always be an asterisk next to him name in many people's hearts. Now he must live with that.

OrionKhan

What is the difference?
1. Stage 3: A crash that causes the peloton, including the yellow jersey and Contador, to stop. Cancellara, with Andy in tow, drill it and gain a minute on Contador, who was stopped through no fault of his own.

2. Stage 15: Andy Schleck attacks Contador, Sanchez, and Menchov in the mountains. Contador and the other react to cover the attack. Andy drops his chain, through what appears to be rider error. Note that Andy was still on the bike pedaling when they went by, but was definitely slowed trying to figure out what was going on. Contador and the others attack.

If you remove those two stages, at no point has Andy Schleck out ridden Alberto Contador. In stage 3, Andy made a larger time gain than Contador did in 15. So it boils down to the prologue and ITT. Contador out road Schleck in both. How are Contador's tactics cowardly any more cowardly that Schleck's? If you don't like Contador, just say it and try to have a quantifiable reason for doing so. Don't pick event out of a 21 stage race, and ignore others, to support you feelings.