Which bold rider has this stage circled in their tour bible? Wednesday July 18th, Stage 16, 197 km. The day after a the final rest day. A climbing day with two HC climbs followed by two Category 1 climbs and a serious descent toward the finish. The Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin and Peyresourde: you better be a fearless climber and a good descender, but a better climber. This is not a stage for Sagan or Fränkie Schleck (sorry Frank). If Wiggo was going to have a bad day, this would be a special one to have it on. And this follows a rest day? Could the weather finally make a difference? Will the mad tacker return? Will climbers just try to survive this stage to perform on the fearsome Stage 17? More questions than answers in the Velominati Super-Bunker.
All VSP bettors better give an extra shake of the monkey bones before casting them down. Study them well. There is much at stake: Fizik R3s for the winner, 2 pair of DeFeet socks for first loser. The rules are the same as for the first single stage VSP. Points are awarded for correct place only. Delgado might have enjoyed this stage but don’t be like him.
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@Dr C
This. Sometimes the most straightforward scenario is correct.
@minion
Of course it's correct, just painful to watch. Good on em, they won the race the way they could do best.
This tit however, gets my prize for least suprising announcement of the year, and should be shot - ruined a good tour for so many people - what a wanker - makes me wonder when someone from Bulgaria wins on an impossible climb by 3 mins, why they didn't get the labs to analyse his sample that night - you could see the EPO pouring out of his shitty little body - bastard
Ivailo Gabrovksi, a Bulgarian rider who had a spectacular stage win for a Continental-ranked Turkish team at the Tour of Turkey and went on to win the race tested positive for EPO after that stage win, the UCI has announced. He has been provisionally suspended.
@brett
Truly this was one of the most painful things to watch - I am a not Cadel fan, but that was ghastly - it is sometimes not right that the cameras spend so much time on such a high profile star, who has contributed so much, fighting with the man with the hammer - my heart really went out to him - hope he has a better day today
@Dr C
1 29 actually.
@RedRanger
I love him, but he is such a cartoon character - he even shoves a bike the wrong way (maybe there isn't a right way) - apparently his sisters were at the finish line, which was nice
@Dr C
You want a first class tit? Listen to Andy going on...
"Today I can tell you that I am disgusted with cycling," Schleck said. "I love this sport more than anything but now it's really hard for me and for the whole family."
Poor little twats. The sport's done them wrong.
@minion
Great article on Henry Cardenas. Thanks a million, Minion.
@Mikael Liddy
One of the things that attracts me to this sport is the notion that it's a sport for those who take responsibility for their actions and results, something that seems increasingly lacking in society with all the X-Factor instant celebrity and entitlement culture. Instead I find myself surrounded by a whole bunch of people moaning that Sky have made this race boring because they've had a look at the route, assessed their strengths and weaknesses, come up with a plan and executed it to a t.
Wiggo gained time in the time trial and has been expecting his rivals to try to make it back up. Why would he look to attack and use up energy when there are several days left when he might still be attacked by a number of teams and that expended energy might prove decisive? So what if that's not Merckxian, if everybody did that it would lessen the legend and the ignorant public wouldn't ever believe the sport was cleaning up it's act.
If anyone has made this dull it's the other teams and their main players for not fronting up and having a serious, concerted do-or-fucking-die go. everyone knew they'd need to make up time to counter his TT but so far there's been no real attempt to do so. BMC have been a complete joke, after buying up all the available stars you'd be forgiven for not realising they were actually a team for the lack of assistance they've given Cadel; Radio Missin' Schleck couldn't even work out who their team leader was and we'll probably never be sure as to whether one of them committed chemical Schleckupu to avoid embarrassment or if he was poisoned by his evil manipulative boss; Liquigas haven't been quite as embarrassing but they've not shown the power that they demonstrated at the Giro, maybe they could have driven the peloton from the front as they did for Basso in Italy to try and soften up the Sky train or are their hearts not in supporting Nibbles now that they know he'll be taking the silverware with him?
It would be nice if Wiggo rode away from his rivals, including Froome, at today's summit finish as he hinted he might do to Nibbles at the top of the Peyresourde when his stamped on that last attempt.
@Mikael Liddy this little rant isn't aimed at you, more at the other teams for bottling it. I just can't see how doing something well and to your strengths can make a race dull when the other teams haven't done anything to counter. Obviously if someone takes a flier and puts time into him today then great but I can't see it.
@brett
I reckon it'll turn out that he was poisoned, and it's all Bruyneels dirty work, and we'll all come to love the Schlecks again - well actually, we won't care, as they aren't really competitive anymore
I wonder where this leaves Faboo and Jensie??