TDF: Survivor Day 2 (Mountains - results inc.)

[Robot]

A solid climbing day today for Evans and Landis. They put some time into a couple pretenders (Kloden) and kept others from even poking around (Rasmussen).

And Dessel must be choked -- he led out Mercado yesterday in a super slow final km and the seconds he lost there cost him yellow for today.

Anybody have thoughts on the rest of the stage? Or the next few flat stages before they move back into the mountains?

[sanrensho]

And then there were six.

It looks like the GC race will be down to Landis, Menchov, Evans, Rogers, Kloden and Leipheimer.

Huge props to Pirate Landis and his Peg Leg. He can't walk worth sh*t right now, but he pedals a mean bike. Levi too for climbing back into this thing.

It's time for Disco to kill the Popovych experiment--his climbing is not that great and neither is his time trialing. Rasmussen will never see the Top 10 GC again in his career. It's clear that 2005 was a fluke after the peloton let him go on that breakaway.

[Wayne P]

Its Landis' race to lose right now, even with an 8 second lead. Either he has a mean poker face or he's feeling great. I loved seeing Levi attack and cross in 2nd place. Yes, I'm going for an American to win. T-Mobile gave it to him today with that blistering pace they started but couldn't finish.

Kloden is shaping up to be another 'has been'. Too bad nobody on Disco is showing anything promising. Hincapie is what, 23 minutes back?!

I'm calling the overall TDF podium to be Landis, Leiphiemer, and ....hmmmm, don't know yet.

Finally, an exciting stage!

[thebigchin]

Rasmussen will never see the Top 10 GC again in his career. It's clear that 2005 was a fluke after the peloton let him go on that breakaway.

Didn't he ride the Giro? Too burned out after that?

Maybe he's racing clean this year due to the scandal. Too bad. That dude had potential.

[sanrensho]

Didn't he ride the Giro? Too burned out after that?

He raced and DNF'ed the Giro. The team gave him free reign on his schedule this year, so he should be fresh.

The only reason he finished high last year was because he was an unknown quantity, so Lance-led Disco didn't chase down his long breakaway. They figured he would eventually fade on the mountains (wrong) and would ride like crap in the TT's (right).

Unless Rasmussen learns to TT, he'll never get that close to a TDF podium spot again. He's now a marked man, making it doubly hard to gain any time on breakaways.

[Robot]

Discovery just faded away today, with everyone except Popovych and Azevedo sitting over 20 minutes back. T-Mobile was pretty beat too. Good to see Leipheimer suck it up and ride with some pride though. Mayo didn't finish today, which is probably a good thing since he was so far back yesterday...

What a strangely intriguing race. In a sad, kind of half-sack way. Hopefully the top guys will keep it close for the rest of the TdF...

[CraigH]

Maybe he's racing clean this year due to the scandal.

I started to wonder if a bunch of riders are doing that after the TT results. Riders with good TT results in past were minutes off the pace.

[wallyjames]

Wayne has it right. Even at a mere 8 sec, Landis has been revealed as the man to beat. Things should be a lot clearer now and oddly many of the teams will breathe a sigh of relief as they can stop entertaining vague hopes of GC glory and return to their traidtional roles of breakaways, sprinting and so on. Phonak will begin to control the peloton and defend the jersey and they should do a good job of it. They have been conspicuously absent from the front, prudently keeping their heads in and conserving energy against this moment.

I thought Floyd showed his real mettle today. His constant, unflappable efforts on the final climb were the mark of a mature racer whose time has come. He covered all attacks and kept a beautifully measured pace that slowly but surely cut into the yellow as well as some key opponents. Phonak is a solid team that was built around Floyd for GC, no ambiguity about leader. Now that Floyd has answered all questions about his strength in the mtns and TTs, they'll ride like Terminators for him.

Dessel got his real reward today as his dicking around in the last km yesterday cost him the chance to be in yellow on Bastille Day. Nice to see that greed sometimes gets justly repaid.

[pete@nsmb.com]

What should be interesting is to see what Rabobank can do to be a pain in Phonak's arse. The orangemen sure were looking good yesterday. Of course it also came out that Floyd told his boys he could go it alone without their help yesterday on the last climb. Studly.

Great stage win by Popvych today. That'll put the Discos at ease a bit - not that I care about their peace of mind, but I do like some of their riders. Too bad to see Savoldelli drop out, though. These spectator-related incidents seem to be getting more and more common...

[Robot]

Savoldelli crashed out of the Tour after yesterday's stage. Apparently he was riding down the road, clipped a spectator and went down. Without a helmet. 15 stitches later, he abandoned the race. Smmmarrrrtttt.

http://www.velonews.com/tour2006/news/articles/10373.0.html

Doh! Didn't read Pete's post...

[pete@nsmb.com]

No doh! You provided way more useful detail than I did. Butthead move by il Falco...

[sanrensho]

Great stage win by Popvych today.

I get up this morning and I have to eat crow. Props to Popo for driving the break and then shedding them before the finish.

I'm bummed that Savoldelli DNF'ed, we still haven't seen his famed descending skills in the Tour.

[Wayne P]

So when are we back to the mountains? Is there a TTT this year?

[pete@nsmb.com]

No TTT which is another blow to Disco but I personally think it makes for a fairer race.

Wednesday's stage is the big one - or is that Tuesday? Here it is:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2006//tour06/?id=stages/tour0616

Bitchin'

[sanrensho]

Back to the mountains on Tuesday with a finish at Alpe d'Huez (St. 15). Simoni said he was targeting this stage.

Until then, we've got a weekend of semi-flat stages and then a rest day on Monday. (Good route planning on the part of the organizers...not.)

The Alpe D'Huez stage coming right after a rest day is going to push a few GC contenders out the back. Kloden and maybe Menchov. Although the latter won yesterday's stage, he looked a bit laboured on the bike, while Leipheimer and Landis both looked relatively at ease spinning lower gears. I bet that both will be fresher for the Alps, and Landis hasn't even had to attack yet.

[Wayne P]

Simoni? I wouldn't be surprised if he abandons before then. Yea, he's going to atack the sprinters up those climbs. :lol:

There has only been one quality stage so far. I'm not too impressed with all the flat stages. Enough already!

[sanrensho]

Simoni? I wouldn't be surprised if he abandons before then. Yea, he's going to atack the sprinters up those climbs. :lol:


We'll see who's laughing on Tuesday/Wednesday. Simoni won a summit finish stage in the TDF a few years ago, so it isn't beyond him. Besides, he probably has only one bullet left after riding the Giro, so he might make it a good one.

If he doesn't have the legs to win the stage, I have it on good authority that he'll ride up next to Landis at the base of the climb, rub shoulders minutely, and take a simulated dive/fall in front of the cameras. Lots of rolling on the ground and wincing from Simoni. A huge appeal to the race referees will ensue, in an attempt to get Landis disqualified.

Just be thankful its not soccer.