What now Vino????

ATM

Is there any drafting benefit on a climb? I didn't think they go fast enough uphill to have to worry about overcoming wind resistance.

spockroyaltea

isnt that T-mobile's entire armstrong beating strategy though? having 3 elite riders that can all pressure armstrong so that ullrich can take the win? obviously vino and kloeden arent "riding for" ullrich in the sense that the disco riders are riding for LA, but it could be a very effective strategy to get ullrich ahead of LA (if ullrich can stop having his weekly spills) ...having kloeden and vino be "windbreakers" for LA would be a waste of talent.

rejobako

I've done most of my cycling in Florida, so obviously I don't have much personal experience in the rigors of climbing. That being said, even if you discount the more modest aerodynamic benefits of drafting uphill rather than on a flat, generally speaking many cyclists find it easier to follow a wheel rather than lead. You don't have to expend mental energy establishing a tempo, maintaining cadence, etc; the work is all done for you -- all you have to do is pedal to stay on that damned wheel in front of yours.

Tonto

That's good to hear....I wasn't able to watch all the coverage today.
Ullrich really frustrates me with that way of his.

milker

Thanks mate - very good answer. The bit about dictating the pace to suit your strengths makes a lot of sense

renoster

The thought of Vino going to Discovery is quite interesting. I am not sure whether the DC model would fit his style very well, and not sure that his riding style is one that would sit well with Bruyneel - who seems to be quite conservative.

Vino always seems to be at his best as a terrier, taking the fight to the big dogs through breakaways. He might be a great candidate for one of the sprinting teams - particularly Davitamon Lotto or Quickstep - increasing their visibility during the non-sprint stages. Cadel Evans and Michael Rogers for just don't seem to make enough waves to get much exposure. They just seem to hang on in the peleton.

I think a rider like Rogers would be a better fit in the DC system. Great time trial skills and developing his climbing skills.

musette

I do not think DC will want Vino, given his performance in this TdF, as team leader of DC for TdF 06. If he wants to go over as a Classics participant or as a domestique in TdF and/or stage-winner in the Giro, they might be willing to take him at less pay than TM will likely offer vino.

limerickman

It was interesting to watch the body lanaguage : Landis, jaw set firm, just pedalled in the middle of the DC guys !
Valverde looked really comfortable as did Mancebo and Rasmussen and Basso.

Landis said to Botero after the stage - on camera - that DC were busting their nuts trying to catch him and Vino.

Ullrich tends to cycle on either the extreme right or extreme left side of the road.
He doesn't get in there.

Funny at the feedstation before the Galibier, the camera was on JU.
Plenty of chat going on - but JU said nothing.
Except as he passed Heras and Beloki : he appeared to greet them and smiled.

patch70

They have to take reality into consideration:
1. This would have been a very hard stage for Ullrich to get any significant gains. DC wouldn't have let him get far and would have caught him in the final 40km. Thus wasted energy for little or no gain.
2. Ullrich is almost certainly still hurting after the 2nd high speed crash.
3. T-Mobile realise the odds of beating Armstrong are very small.

Given this, better to let Vino go for the stage win & get some team glory, let Ullrich recover a bit more and perhaps tire out DC a fraction.

patch70

Once again - how about a bit of perspective?
He had a 'jour sans' then comes back and wins in a long breakaway. How many times have you done that?
The DC team pretty much all had a 'jour sans' in Stage 8 but luckily for them no damage done to Armstrong's chances.

He is one of the best all round cyclists in the world and certainly a potential tour winner. More likely to win in the next year or two than anyone else on the DC roster. Plus he will win other races. DC would be incredibly lucky to get such a freakishly good rider.