TDF Stage 4 Tours - Blois TTT : Spoiler

Ullefan

I wouldn't read too much into it. Perhaps someone who is sweating is just putting in a greater effort? I know I'm a heavy sweater, so is my father....but that's just the body's natural cooling system, one could see it as an advantage to sweat alot.

whiteboytrash

...or that you're fat ? ;-)

jhuskey

Or that you drank a 12 pack the night before.

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Sobriety is over rated!

musette

Interesting CSC was shedding not only Zabriskie in the final portions before 1 km, but also Carlos Sastre (formerly a would-be GC contender for past years) and Luke Roberts. Riis was accurate in saying nobody would be waited for (except persumably Basso) if they fell behind after the first 40 km.

15 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Team CSC 0.06
16 Luke Roberts (Aus) Team CSC 0.10

Also shedding light on the folly of TM's picks for the TdF team, guess who were shedded except some of the people Kummer/Olaf had picked for their purported TT prowess?

88 Stephan Schreck (Ger) T-Mobile Team 2.01
88 Daniele Nardello (Ita) T-Mobile Team
179 Tobias Steinhauser (Ger) T-Mobile Team 7.17

Especially Schreck and Steinhauser.

Nicely, Popo starts in white tomorrow (although nobody, Popo included, will care at DC). It was nice to see B Noval in the front row on the podium, beside Hincapie, now beaming since he was able to keep up.

homeycheese

hey lim, i've been searching the rules but I don't think the kilo/group time rule applies to TTT. i missed the audio feed, did any of the commentators suggest otherwise?

Ullefan

The team tactic was for Steinhauser and Schreck to give it 100% in the first 50km, they're just excess weight in the final part espcially as it goes uphill. Musette you always must find something to criticise don't you?

Lonnie Utah

The Eurosport guys said they don't apply even in the last Km.

L

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Cheap, Strong and Light.
Pick any Two.

musette

Hmm, that's correct re: Stainhauser being deliberately shed. T-Mobile now indicates: "Three kilometres later, Tobias Steinhauser dropped off the back, a victim of his own pace making. "It was planned that Tobias would sacrifice himself in the earlier part of the course, take some big turns at the front and keep the tempo high for as long as he could," said Ludwig. Significantly, T-Mobile shed two more riders in the last few kilometres, coming home with six, whereas all nine Disco boys finished together."

From cyclingnews live coverage (approx times):

3:40 p.m. (15:40) - T-Mobile starts off

16:31 CEST
Tobias Steinhauser (TMO) is dropped.

Around 50 minutes into the 1.10.39 ride (using DC's faster time), Steinhauser gets shed.

The 1 km rule definitely applies to TTT. The regular rule for other stages (except obviously ITT) is now 3 km, but for TTT, it's 1 km. That was added in response to Simoni arguments he got a separate time last year because he fell in the final parts.

gpriatko

When two riders have the same time, but one rider wins the stage, the jersey goes to the stage winner.

IOW, Discovery won the stage so Armstrong gets yellow even if he has the same time as Zabriskie.

tcklyde

That was terrible. A great TTT marred by the worst possible crash: the yellow jersey crashing just outside 1 km. If he hadn't crashed CSC might have come in a second or two faster. Whatever the case, I was so disappointed to see this, both for CSC and Zabriskie.

T-Mobile and Liberty were wonderful. Discovery excellent, not surprisingly. Phonak looked out of practise on TTT...

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Harry

Bjørn P.Dal

I noticed when he crossed the finish line with a final 'thrust' several drops left his face.

rejobako

I saw the same thing happen in a porno I watched with my wife last night. Is Armstrong related to Peter North?

wolfix

I didn't actually see the TT that close, but it is my understanding that Lance had some extremly long pulls at the front. If that was the case, he must have wanted the last TT he rode real bad. Maybe he thought he could catch Ullrich again and pass him. Maybe after Sherwin's comments the other day , he wanted to catch the "strawberry" again and share it with his teammates.

Ted B

He could be. After all, both are renowned for their impressive finishes...