2012 Le Tour De France

[Grahaml]

Wiggins doesn't have the resiliency of Cadel who made a little statement last night without claiming any time.

Sure, wiggins has got an advantage in the TT, but its one thing to do a great TT at start of the tour as opposed to posting a great time at the end after some gruelling mountain stages.

Cadel had done it before whilst Wiggins claims he can do it ... I'd back the guy who has the runs on the board any day.

There is someone who understand cycling on here!

Wiggins I expect to take a bit more time in the next time trial, but I think Cadel is really starting to wind up and Wiggins perhaps is cooling off. If Cadel is close to Wiggins tomorrow (and I'm not convinced he will definitely lose time) then take it as a guide that Cadel will win the final time trial.

Back in the days when Cadel wasn't good enough to win, he never attacked and he always got led. Last year he attacked and he didn't let gis rivals lead him home. Last night and tonight, Wiggins was close to losing time and finished behind Cadel. I can certainly see Cadel riding away on a big mountain down the track sometime, possibly a couple of times. The old mantra was you can't hit the tour at full form. You need to build throughout the first week and start heating up during the second to hit week 3 at full form. Wiggins perhaps doesn't understand that yet while Cadel learned the hard way a couple of times.

As for the rest, Nibali looks good, he's not out of this. Van Den Broeck is another looking strong. Menchov, Zubeldia Froome and a few others I think will slip off the back again.

[pels]

Wiggins doesn't have the resiliency of Cadel who made a little statement last night without claiming any time.

Sure, wiggins has got an advantage in the TT, but its one thing to do a great TT at start of the tour as opposed to posting a great time at the end after some gruelling mountain stages.

Cadel had done it before whilst Wiggins claims he can do it ... I'd back the guy who has the runs on the board any day.

There is someone who understand cycling on here!

Wiggins I expect to take a bit more time in the next time trial, but I think Cadel is really starting to wind up and Wiggins perhaps is cooling off. If Cadel is close to Wiggins tomorrow (and I'm not convinced he will definitely lose time) then take it as a guide that Cadel will win the final time trial.

Back in the days when Cadel wasn't good enough to win, he never attacked and he always got led. Last year he attacked and he didn't let gis rivals lead him home. Last night and tonight, Wiggins was close to losing time and finished behind Cadel. I can certainly see Cadel riding away on a big mountain down the track sometime, possibly a couple of times. The old mantra was you can't hit the tour at full form. You need to build throughout the first week and start heating up during the second to hit week 3 at full form. Wiggins perhaps doesn't understand that yet while Cadel learned the hard way a couple of times.

As for the rest, Nibali looks good, he's not out of this. Van Den Broeck is another looking strong. Menchov, Zubeldia Froome and a few others I think will slip off the back again.

Who made you the cycling expert on this forum?
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and sorry its doesn't agree with you.

[pels]

Entertaining stage to watch and a fantastic win by the Frenchmen, The team director was going nuts at him in the last 5kms.
Good to see ligugas and lotto take up the pace making on the final hill and shed a few sky riders.
Van Den Broeck was unlucky to have a puncture at the start of the climb on stage 7 and lost 2 mins, he looked good tonight.
Along with Evans, Nibali & Menchov hopefully they can fire up the race in the mountains and take it up to Sky.
TT tonight is the 1st major test for the contenders

[Grahaml]

Wiggins doesn't have the resiliency of Cadel who made a little statement last night without claiming any time.

Sure, wiggins has got an advantage in the TT, but its one thing to do a great TT at start of the tour as opposed to posting a great time at the end after some gruelling mountain stages.

Cadel had done it before whilst Wiggins claims he can do it ... I'd back the guy who has the runs on the board any day.

There is someone who understand cycling on here!

Wiggins I expect to take a bit more time in the next time trial, but I think Cadel is really starting to wind up and Wiggins perhaps is cooling off. If Cadel is close to Wiggins tomorrow (and I'm not convinced he will definitely lose time) then take it as a guide that Cadel will win the final time trial.

Back in the days when Cadel wasn't good enough to win, he never attacked and he always got led. Last year he attacked and he didn't let gis rivals lead him home. Last night and tonight, Wiggins was close to losing time and finished behind Cadel. I can certainly see Cadel riding away on a big mountain down the track sometime, possibly a couple of times. The old mantra was you can't hit the tour at full form. You need to build throughout the first week and start heating up during the second to hit week 3 at full form. Wiggins perhaps doesn't understand that yet while Cadel learned the hard way a couple of times.

As for the rest, Nibali looks good, he's not out of this. Van Den Broeck is another looking strong. Menchov, Zubeldia Froome and a few others I think will slip off the back again.

Who made you the cycling expert on this forum?
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and sorry its doesn't agree with you.

Some people clearly have absolutely no idea what's really going on. And yes, everyone is entitled to their opinion, that is mine. Sorry if it doesn't agree with you.

[pels]

Some people clearly have absolutely no idea what's really going on. And yes, everyone is entitled to their opinion, that is mine. Sorry if it doesn't agree with you.[/quote]

And you do

[dedja]

Gents, concentrate on the cycling ...

Tonight's TT will be intriguing ... can Cadel post a respectable time and not lose too much ground to Wiggins?

Can't wait see how it pans out.

Disappointing to see so many crashes ... really feel for Sanchez.

[am Bays]

Game on in the time trial.

Froom is flying ATM, he's a serious bike rider with an serious engine!!!

[pels]

This is ridiculous SKY are smoking this

[pels]

Evans rode a good 2nd half of the TT, but strange he lost heaps of time at the start

[pels]

Wiggins wins the stage, need Evans,Nibali & Menchov to start attacking on Wednesday & try and put SKY to the sword.
But now Sky have 2 cards to play in Wiggins & Froome and thats dangerous.

General classification after stage 9
1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 39:09:20
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:01:53
3 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:02:07
4 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:23
5 Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:03:02

[am Bays]

Bit like the TT in the Dauphne when Wiggins almost caught Evans in the 1st half of that ride but then either Wiggins backed it off a tad or Evans picked up the pace and minimised the damage.

1:53 down Cadel is going to, as a minimum, need to make on average 20 sec per stage on Wiggins over the next 10 so he has some sort of defendable lead going into the final TT. Even that would only give him a 1:27 advantage, which over 50 kms based on last nights TT, wouln't be enough.

He is going to need some mates over the next 10 stages from other teams as they will all need to attack Wiggins. Going to be some serious descents as Evans uses his strengths to try and win this thing.

Time to stock the cellar with some more red, get more cheese and bikkies and get some sleep tonight as the next 10 stages are goining to be compulsory viewing.

[scoob]

Wiggins is home!

[The Sleeping Giant]

Even if Evans can get some time back, it will all be lost again in the last tt. Evans will need a miracle from here.

[mickey]

Even if Evans can get some time back, it will all be lost again in the last tt. Evans will need a miracle from here.

Another broken Wiggins collar bone wouldn't go astray...

[cripple]

Wiggins had all the advantages going into last nights TT and the result showed. After two weeks solid climbing in the alps and pyrenees it would be unlikely of him to perform that far above everyone else again. On the other hand Evans has done it in the past and for this reason shouldn't be.discounted yet.

[scoob]

Wiggins had all the advantages going into last nights TT and the result showed. After two weeks solid climbing in the alps and pyrenees it would be unlikely of him to perform that far above everyone else again. On the other hand Evans has done it in the past and for this reason shouldn't be.discounted yet.

Im hoping that 2 more weeks of growth into his lamb chops with be a massive disadvantage in the streamlining during the last TT

[pels]

Evans, Nibali & Van Den Broeck have all been talking that attacks need to happen, maybe an alliance gets formed
Also saying they need to destroy the Sky train early on and isolate Wiggins from Froome if possible.
Its gonna be fun watching
Tonight profile - Grand Colombier 17km at 7.1%

[pels]

Tonight is d-day, someone who harbors ambition of winning has to attack Wiggins & Sky.
Richie Porte was a beast last night doing a ton of work.
Profile of tonight’s stage

[RustyCage]

Cancellara has left the tour to be with his pregnant wife

[dedja]

Cadel makes a run for it ... let's see if Wiggins has got some balls or just sits back and is happy to lose some of his lead.