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*Official* 2008 Tour de France Thread

Nate

You'll Never Walk Alone
Isn't it true that the final stage is tomorrow? If so, if Cadel closes the gap to 20 seconds or less, anything is possible, regardless of how the final race normally goes re: sprinters.
 

Magrat Garlick

Global Moderator
Isn't it true that the final stage is tomorrow? If so, if Cadel closes the gap to 20 seconds or less, anything is possible, regardless of how the final race normally goes re: sprinters.
Look at it this way: Evans would have to race better than 9 CSC riders doing team work, in what is essentially another time trial when he tries to escape from the field.

Anyway, rather academic, Señor Sastre leads by roughly a minute I think. Bravo!
 

Isolator

State 12th Man
SASSSSSSSSSTRE! Yes! Bloody excellent stuff on the Alpe de Huez (or whatever), glad he managed to pull this off. Spain are having a pretty good year sports-wise, seems like.
 

Matteh

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Code:
69  (-10)  Mørk        (554, +22)
101 (+25)  Pickup      (543, +31)
131 (+18)  Mitchell    (532, +29)
304 (+ 8)  Bowen       (468, +30)
309 (+36)  Walsh       (467, +48)
345 (+25)  Dwyer       (442, +43)
357 (+ 5)  Thomas      (435, +31)
401 (- 3)  Clapham     (387, +19)
415 (- 3)  Gray        (368, +25)
420 (+ 3)  Reddlapalli (354, +31)
431 (- 5)  Young       (332, +14)
Sastre basically wins Le Tour with a very decent time trial, Evans does about his best, but Sastre lifted his game enough. Kohl was solid too and gets himself a spot on the podium. Schumacher won the stage from Cancellara, then a full minute back were the rest.
Craig nets a 9th for the stage, with Moerk and Pickup still close enough for a Champs Elysees shootout for the overall CWer win. Bowen and Walsh have a very tight chase for 4th place and it looks like Young is rooted to the bottom.
 

Chubb

International Regular
Cadel left himself too much to do. He should have ridden more aggressively in the Alps, maybe not on Alpe d'Huez but at Prato Nevoso. He looked in good shape in the mountains, but it's just his nature and it has cost him dear. If he wants to win he must take a leaf out of Armstrong's book.
 

Magrat Garlick

Global Moderator
Cadel left himself too much to do. He should have ridden more aggressively in the Alps, maybe not on Alpe d'Huez but at Prato Nevoso. He looked in good shape in the mountains, but it's just his nature and it has cost him dear. If he wants to win he must take a leaf out of Armstrong's book.
Think he rode exactly as hard as he could tbh. If he had tried to counter a lot of attacks he'd lose even more time.

What he needs is a team who can counter and chase those attacks, not for him to do it himself. That way he can give himself some room to attack at the very end of the climbs.
 

Craig

World Traveller
Serious questions have to be asked of Yaroslav Popovych, when he was needed to be there for Cadel he was usually off the back and no where to be seen. And they let go Chris Horner why? Who was a lot more reliable then any of the other guys has been.

Robbie McEwen is rumoured to be joining Tinkoff (or whatever they will be called), so his money should be used to get some guys who can actually last in the mountains and be there when they are needed.

That said, kudos to Carlos Sastre, anybody who has the balls to go on such an attack the other days deserves to win the Tour de France.
 

Johnners

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Out of interest, what are the chances of the Kazhak team being invited to the tour next year? And in the event that they are, would you expect them to really take up the challenge to Evans?
 

Magrat Garlick

Global Moderator
Out of interest, what are the chances of the Kazhak team being invited to the tour next year?
Decent, you would think - most people assume it'll still happen. Assuming the Kazakh coffers are still open. I suppose with a new sponsor they'd be guaranteed though.

And in the event that they are, would you expect them to really take up the challenge to Evans?
Er, you know Evans didn't win this year either right :ph34r: Anyway, they'll do the same thing as CSC, attack like maniacs in the mountains to gain time and tire out Evans. And Contador has the ability to do so.
 

Johnners

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Decent, you would think - most people assume it'll still happen. Assuming the Kazakh coffers are still open. I suppose with a new sponsor they'd be guaranteed though.



Er, you know Evans didn't win this year either right :ph34r: Anyway, they'll do the same thing as CSC, attack like maniacs in the mountains to gain time and tire out Evans. And Contador has the ability to do so.
Yeah, was aware that Evans didn't win :p was more thinking about all the talk on the coverage we've received here in Australia saying that this was basically Sastres last chance to win (or last TDF). Aside from Contador, are Leipheimer and Vinikorov part of the team?
 

Magrat Garlick

Global Moderator
Yeah, was aware that Evans didn't win :p was more thinking about all the talk on the coverage we've received here in Australia saying that this was basically Sastres last chance to win (or last TDF). Aside from Contador, are Leipheimer and Vinikorov part of the team?
Aussie commentators are probably right, yeah, but I don't think he'll retire and CSC will still be the best team in the peloton. Alternatively, Sastre retires and CSC uses the money to get Evans. :ph34r:

Astana has Leipheimer - who will be on show at the Olympics along with Contador, should be interesting. Vinokourov no, he's persona non grata. Klöden also rides for them.
 

Johnners

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Haha, certainly wouldn't complain if Sastre/CSC did that tbh. Astana would still be fairly a fairly scary prospect with those 3 in the team though yeah? (Assuming you mean Andreas Kloden)
 

Magrat Garlick

Global Moderator
Haha, certainly wouldn't complain if Sastre/CSC did that tbh. Astana would still be fairly a fairly scary prospect with those 3 in the team though yeah? (Assuming you mean Andreas Kloden)
Yep, it's a strong lineup on paper. Both Leipheimer & Klöden a bit of lone horses, however, so there's a severe question mark over their team abilities.
 

Craig

World Traveller
Dmitriy Fofonov failed a drugs test, that should put to the end of Credit Agricole. I guess if that is the case, Milram would be a good bet to pick up Thor Hushovd and few others, they actually could do with some decent riders on their squad.
 

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