Cycling 2009

[Dodge]

I'm nearly certain that Deignan signed a two year deal with cervelo at the start of this year. Tbh if I was a top class cyclist Cervelo and Garmin are exactly the two teams I'd be looking to get signed by.

[Bluebeard]

I'm nearly certain that Deignan signed a two year deal with cervelo at the start of this year. Tbh if I was a top class cyclist Cervelo and Garmin are exactly the two teams I'd be looking to get signed by.

Were I a fifth class cyclist, they's still be the two teams I'd be looking to get signed by...

Joking aside, they seem to be really about building a team of equals, and everyone seems to have their chances in races. At CTT, Deignan had a few shots in that Spanish race earlier in the season, Haussler was encouraged to become an equal to Hushovd, rather than a train; Martin is being carefully coached at Garmin, Farrar is now a "name", Vandevelde is a tour leader, and by the looks of things, Wiggins is given his chance to show.

I am thinking at Sky it will be a very "follow the leader" style organisation, largely towards the benefit of the better British cyclist, or the big name: fair enough, they pay the wages, but not where you'd go if you have ambition to win, or develop, I am thinking.

[Dodge]

Levi Leipheimer becomes the first big casualty of the tour. He broke his wrist in a crash towards the end of yesterday's stage and won't start today

I'm hopeful (rather than expectant) that today's stage shakes things up a bit. A couple of decent climbs but, again, without the mountian finish, its hard to see too much changing between the real GC contendors.

Ag2R have been working unbelievable hard all week so this might be the day that they let the yellow jersey go

[Macy]

Levi Leipheimer becomes the first big casualty of the tour. He broke his wrist in a crash towards the end of yesterday's stage and won't start today

One less leader in Astana anyway, will probably help them!

[Dodge]

Nah, Leipheimer was definitely a Lance man

[Bluebeard]

Might help Contador so!

Of those remaining, I reckon Popovych would lean to Armstrong, seeing as he knows who the boss is from before. Paulinho was cited as being Contador's domestique by Horner when he wasn't called up for the tour.

Kloden of course is still a contender, and likely to be still there when Contador sets up with Alonso's new team, and the Armstrong bloc sets up Livestrong Nike, so he may have aspirations of his own.

You'd think that Dmitriy Muravyev and Rast would pair in their allegances as they are with the team around the same length and are likely to be in the new old Vino Astana. If Kloden doesn't decide to go for it himself, I'd expect all three of them to row in behind Contador. Zubeldia could swing either way.

Hopefully, the lot of them will be blown out of it today and someone outside of Astana comes along and shuffles the deck completely!

[Mr A]

Roche away in a break... 13 riders at about 4 minutes.

[Pauro 76]

Come on Nicolas!

[Mr A]

Ivanov wins, blew the rest away.

Roche second, great ride.

[Pauro 76]

Hope he gets a stage win under his belt in this Tour.

[passinginterest]

Felt sorry for Roche I think he had enough to beat Ivanov but team orders meant he couldn't try to chase him down. It worked too with Nocetini retaining the yellow, the way Roche comfortably held off the rest for second suggests to me he would have won it if allowed to chase him.

[Dodge]

Roche didn't have team orders not to chase him. Ivanov attacked just as the group caught a Roche attack. He was unlucky at the timing of Ivanov's break, thats all

Obviously he wasn't allowed move until the 10k mark, and the team are going to be extremely happy with him, and the way theday turned out

Fun and games over Hincapie missing yellow. He blamed astana. Astana blame garmin. Squabbling like babies. Its pro bike racing and if hancapie buried himself for the last 5k he'd be in yellow

[Billsthoughts]

stephen roche seems to rate him failry highly if his comments on eurosport are anything to go by....great result....was a bit of a weird one tactically with so may in the breakaway and they all seemed to be keepin an eye on roche as well...tomorrow should see an attack of some sort from the big guys..

[Dodge]

Oh and for those who missed it, more info was released on the Tour of Ireland

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cork...our-of-ireland

[passinginterest]

Roche didn't have team orders not to chase him. Ivanov attacked just as the group caught a Roche attack. He was unlucky at the timing of Ivanov's break, thats all

Obviously he wasn't allowed move until the 10k mark, and the team are going to be extremely happy with him, and the way theday turned out

Fun and games over Hincapie missing yellow. He blamed astana. Astana blame garmin. Squabbling like babies. Its pro bike racing and if hancapie buried himself for the last 5k he'd be in yellow

I'm not so sure, Roche was in a good position to counter Ivanov, I thought his own little attack was half hearted and just an attempt to take some of the legs out of the others for the closing stages, when he saw Ivavnov have a genuine go he just let him off. Then again you probably know a lot more about cycling than I do.

[Dodge]

Roche's take

Its possible he could've chased but if you look at the video Ivanov attacks the exact moment Roche is caught, so he was probably expecting someone else to chase, and then get on the back of that chase (if that makes sense)

[Macy]

Felt sorry for Roche I think he had enough to beat Ivanov but team orders meant he couldn't try to chase him down. It worked too with Nocetini retaining the yellow, the way Roche comfortably held off the rest for second suggests to me he would have won it if allowed to chase him.

Yes and no. Like Dodge says, Ivanov's attack was a counter to a Roche attack. But also team orders allowed Roche (quite legitmately) to do bugger all in the break to get that point freshest.

I'd also agree that Hincapie could've driven the break on more instead of getting involved in the fun and games over attacks and counters in the last 10km. He could've been shot, but I can't see how he wouldn't have got more time out of it.

After yesterday, Contador looks like he has it sown up. Another amazing ride by Wiggins. He's always been so anti-doping, and the team he's riding for too, that it is great to see him right up there going for the podium.

[Dodge]

Yeah, fabulous last 15km or so yesterday. Contador is a truly exceptional climber.

Great rides too by the Schlecks and Wiggins. I'd expect Wiggins to finish on podium now.

[Stuttgart88]

I hope he does tbh, he's a great rider. Such a shame Dan Martin isn't there. At worst he'd be Wiggins "chaperon" in the hills.

Do people think Cavendish's stage DQ was justified? I think he kept his line, but he knew that the fencing was narrowing and knew full well he was cutting up Hushovt. Totally unnecessary as he had the beating of him easily. Harsh lesson, but one he needed to be taught.

I think only a crash or illness can stop Contador. He's a cut above everyone in the hills and a quality TTist too.

Great ride by Roche. Where is he now in the GC?

[Dodge]

Roche is in the 35-38 region on GC now

I thought Cav's DQ was harsh until I read Robbie McEwan's view of it. He basically said that he wasn't disqalified for moving off the line, but rather for turning around and "lining up" Hushovd. Made a bit more sense to me.

Cav's mouth is the reason Hincapie didn't get in yellow too. Garmin obviously aren't happy with his constant sniping and worked pretty hard in the last 10k that day. His sprinting speed is the main reason breaks were allowed get away though as the other teams know there's no point in clawing back a break if they can't beat him in a sprint.