Team Time Trial

homeycheese

Even though everyone knew the rules, even if Bruyneel couldn't articulate them, it still sucks that such a dominant performance is not adequately rewarded.

The TDF is a team event and the notion that the organizers want to minimize the damage done to great individual riders who have inferior teams is laughable and hypocritical.

Gone are the days when great individual riders like Mercyx could overcome weak teams.

The untold truth is the TDF organizers have tried to limit the damage that USPS, their superior equipment, training and preparation could do in pushing Lance towards number 6.

It's now all about marketing and hype and covering up the damage done by doping scandals. They so desperately want a close race even though they know Bruyneel has put togther a dominant force that could destroy the others if the gimmicks were were shelved.

Even relenting on letting Cipo back in with his weak team shows how far the organizers will go to maximize the circus.

Now they not only match NASCAR in appearance but in their convoluted rules designed to "level" the playing field.

birdman23

Simoni crashed going into one of the final corners.

Watching the Postal train was a thing of beauty! They really had it together today. Too bad they don't get the full time advantage. Oh well, it was still a grand stage!

GO POSTAL, GO LANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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gntlmn

One of the OLN commentators put it aptly, that the TTT just confirms the status quo. It puts a little more distance between teams, but it doesn't change much the places relative to each other. It's a metaphor for the Tour, that the strongest team wins. This means the team that is most capable of riding in the most favorable zone of the peloton, and that would be the TTT winner.

What happened to Noval? I have been trying to figure out why he got dropped. I think he finally made it in within the time limit to avoid being eliminated from the Tour. USPS needs him in the mountains.

musette

Yes, he made it within the time limit. See the "best team" thread. Noval was injured in yesterday's crash, and couldn't keep up early on. His team decided to drop him. That was the right decision, because, while everybody would like his assistance later, the TTT was too important.

The LA website indicates: "Curious what happened to Benjamin Noval today? We got the word from Johan Bruyneel: 'He was involved in the Iban Mayo crash yesterday and was hurting this morning before we started. With the bad weather and cold start it was simply difficult for him to keep up.'"

Also, Noval is less experienced with respect to TTT, and probably was best left off, so long as he finished no later than the elimination time. With the roads as wet and dangerous as they were, Noval could have gone down and taken another Postie (or more than one) with him. Noval is the only "dispensible" Postie, to put it directly.

Only one rider got eliminated, but Noval is pushing things a bit too close.

birdman23

Is this a beautiful thing or what!

Check out this picture...

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gntlmn

Poetry in motion

birdman23

That my friends was awesome. I got the chills when the helicopter flew over USPS and you could see how perfectly they were riding. Freakin' awesome.

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musette

Yes, it was very distressing at first, when I looked at the first time check for USPS. I hadn't quite focused on the effects of the tailwind and hadforgotten that USPS picked up speed later during last year's ITT as well. And they had lost Noval. So it was slight anxiety, coupled with a wonderful feeling later when USPS won so brilliantly.

musette

I checked on Noval's time. He is the very last rider to have finished the stage and continued with the Tour. The rider after him (one rider) was disqualified for having spent too much time. One report indicates the Posties were looking out to see if their new recruit would make it.

Rider 183 -- Benjamin Noval (Spa) US Postal p/b Berry Floor +13'16" from USPS team time

davidbod

A thing of beauty and certainly sent a message to the rest of the peleton. The best though was the finish and seeing them smiling and congratulating each other. They realy are a close group and you can see how dedicated they all are to Lance and the team.

Noval was in tears when came in thinking he had let them down and big George was there as well as Lance to let him know it was all OK.

birdman23

Postal exemplifies the meaning of team!

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Lisbon

i really don't like these new rules. Even though i am a US Postal fan and Lance Armstrong fan. But even if I liked someone else i still wouldn't like them because you saw in the TTT USPS rode so hard to get that minute on everyone in the GC, what did they get out of it? a whole 20 seconds thats just not right

Lisbon

that is by far the most prepared team. Look at the picture that line is perfect you couldn't beat that line by ant meens. Some of the other teams were in clumps but this...no...it's perfect

birdman23

Agreed! Hey Lisbon are you from Portugal? If not, why do you use Lisbon as your handle? I am curious because I used to live in Portugal.

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