It's just March,and this Spanish boy has already terrified everyone.Today in fact Contador won the first stage (a ITT of 9.3 kms around Amilly) of P-N.And some people dare to say he's not a time-trialist..."I am a good time trialist, but this was a short distance, a flat course, not really my thing, and then against all those time trial specialists...Moreover, with the rain, I did not take extreme risks in the corners. Of course, everybody had the same bad weather conditions. I am becoming more and more a complete rider." We've noticed it! If Astana treats him well,and sir Lancelot doesn't disturb him,I think he could be able to win his second Tour this year.The weather was pretty bad ("it was raining cats and dogs",you say that in English,don't you?) and some riders suffered because of it.VdV,for example,didn't go well.
Kim Andersen,SB's ds,has said that "Larsson was really strong today, but unfortunately he crashed due to the slippery road when he actually had the second best time.Tomorrow we must keep Fränk [Schleck] and Chris [Sørensen] in front of the peloton because of the strong winds (go guys!), and otherwise try to get a rider in a breakaway."
Yeah,Frank.I think he went pretty well and that he's improved in the last months.He hasn't become the best time-trialist of the world,but I think he's improved a bit.Is it just an impression due to my lacking knowledge of cycling or do you think that too?
Btw,here's the stage's classification:
1 Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana 11.05 (50.346 km/h)
2 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream 0.07
3 Luis-Leon Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0.09
4 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - Highroad 0.11
5 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream 0.14
6 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank 0.18
7 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step 0.19
8 Antonio Colom (Spa) Team Katusha
9 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha 0.21
10 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis 0.22
13 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank 0.27
14 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team Columbia - Highroad 0.29
15 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram 0.30
19 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto
20 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Team Saxo Bank (good job!)
21 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana
27 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas
32 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank (yip de do da day!)
60 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team Saxo Bank
65 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0.47
73 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank
74 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
80 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Silence-Lotto (He went really well in last year Giro)
101 Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
103 Chris Sørensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank 0.56
111 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team Saxo Bank 0.58
138 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank 1.10
142 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Slipstream 1.15
157 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence-Lotto
(Photo from Chicago Suburbs Online).More photos available on Cyclingnews and probably also on TDW website.
Niki became 15th well done!!
RispondiEliminaAnd frank was also very good, saw him many times on the TV :)
Yes,Frank rode pretty well.Let's hope he's really improved in TT and that it's not just a personal impression of mine...Btw,I didn't know you liked Terpstra! He's a very good rider!
RispondiEliminaTerpstra is a good rider. I'm glad he has fully recovered from that falli in Beijing.
RispondiEliminaFränk did well (even the sportsreporter said he did good and he's not that found of the Schlecks). I hope he keeps up the good work :D
I hope it too.And I also hope that Andy's skills against the clock have improved too,because at this year Tour Contador will be very strong in the mountains and also in the TT.That boy is a monster (in the good sense of the term)!
RispondiEliminaYeah i like Niki, he's from the same area as were i live.
RispondiEliminaStupid reporter who doesn't like the schlecks.
I missed todays stage because of school but tomorrow i'm home early :)
Today's stage was pretty boring...Frank fell at the end of it but just broke his bike.I hope the next stages will be more exciting!
RispondiElimina