2009 TDF stage 16: Martigny Bourg-Saint-Maurice 159 km

[limerickman]

They're on the petit-Bernard and the breakaway is working hard,

Bouygue boys are working hard at the front.

hard climbs today.

 

[limerickman]

Andy Sckelck and Frank Schleck have now started to burst from the group.

Kloden still there, Contador still there.
Nibali there.
Armstrong can't respond and is dropped.

 

[limerickman]

this is a good stage.

Contador is able to stay with the Schlecks, Nibali.
Kloden is with Contador.
Wiggins is there too.

Great climbing.

 

[limerickman]

Very heavy crash by jens : looks really painful (lost grip his bars while descending).
Very painful

 

[David_Zen]

Did Cadel Evans have another bad day? I was really hoping for a better performance from him. It looks like he won't even make top 10 this year.

 

[DV1976]

this is a good stage.

Contador is able to stay with the Schlecks, Nibali.
Kloden is with Contador.
Wiggins is there too.

Great climbing.

***** of a fall i cringed when i saw it

 

[limerickman]

Did Cadel Evans have another bad day? I was really hoping for a better performance from him. It looks like he won't even make top 10 this year.

He didn't have a good day, lets say.
He finished 4 mins down on GC.
he had a chance to latch on to the sastre/armstrong/wiggins group but he couldn't.

 

[slovakguy]

hoping this stage is a prelude for the fireworks of tomorrow's stage. looks like the future belongs to contador and andy schleck. and armstrong shut my mouth by bridging up to those two. shame that saxo got weaker with voigt's crash.

 

[Eldrack]

Missed the end of this stage, I was in the lab so I've read through the live report. Happened pretty much as predicited. Nobody was goingto win the tour today but it did eliminate Cadel Evans completetly from contention. No way he's going anywhere at 7 minutes back unless he pulls a Landis move tomorrow .

Also saw that Armstrong missed the initial split then rode himself across to that front group with Contador in? So Astan still have three in the top 4. So nothing really interesting today but it'll have softened everyones legs up for tomorrow!

 

[jhuskey]

Evans would be good sacrificial lamb now to draw out Contador. I mean what does he have to lose by going for it tomorrow.
I do not see Contador being dropped but anything is possible.

 

[nonns]

I hope Jens Voigt is ok. He's such a solid bloke. Always gives a good interview. A good laugh also.

 

[thebluetrain]

Armstrong can't respond and is dropped.

Looks like LA fooled you like he fooled Ullrich.

 

[limerickman]

Looks like LA fooled you like he fooled Ullrich.

He got back on when the climb started to flatten out.
Along with the rest of the others - who got dropped by the acceleration of the Schlecks/Nibali/Wiggins/Contador/Kloden.





He couldn't respond.

 

[limerickman]

Jens Voigts crash

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V0VsKznyzA"]YouTube - Jens Voigt crash stage 16[/ame]

Dreadful stuff

 

[thebluetrain]

he got back on when the climb started to flatten out.
Along with the rest of the others - who got dropped by the acceleration of the schlecks/nibali/wiggins/contador/kloden.

He couldn't respond.

lol,

 

[IH8LANCE]

He got back on when the climb started to flatten out.
Along with the rest of the others - who got dropped by the acceleration of the Schlecks/Nibali/Wiggins/Contador/Kloden.

He couldn't respond.

Of course, one might also say that when Schleck/Nibali/Wiggins/Contador/Kloden shot their wad and Armstrong calmly made his way back up to them, they couldn't sustain their acceleration. Point is, they all ended up in the same place. As between the two groups, I wonder which expended more adrenaline and effort to get the same finishing time.

 

[limerickman]

Andy Sckelck and Frank Schleck have now started to burst from the group.
Kloden still there, Contador still there.
Nibali there.
Armstrong can't respond and is dropped.

Looks like LA fooled you like he fooled Ullrich.

He got back on when the climb started to flatten out.
Along with the rest of the others - who got dropped by the acceleration of the Schlecks/Nibali/Wiggins/Contador/Kloden.
He couldn't respond.

lol,

truth hurts.

 

[limerickman]

Of course, one might also say that when Schleck/Nibali/Wiggins/Contador/Kloden shot their wad and Armstrong calmly made his way back up to them, they couldn't sustain their acceleration. Point is, they all ended up in the same place. As between the two groups, I wonder which expended more adrenaline and effort to get the same finishing time.

Schlecks were testing Contador by acclerating.
Contador is the rider to beat in this race.

 

[jhuskey]

Tomorrow will be a very tough stage.It will be so painful that you will need 3 days recovery just from watching the finish.
A stage to separate the contenders from the pretenders.

 

[thebluetrain]

truth hurts.

No I just found it funny, your spin on the situation. You are always a sucker for good spin.