IRW
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I've missed the last few nights due to other involvements but I did see a highlight from Saturday that had Chief Wiggins leading out his sprinter (not Cav) at the end of the stage..Very impressive stuff I thought and not something I'd expect to see from a leading GC rider that everyone reckoned was going to crack. Wishful thinking that was He'll have to fall off to lose in my opinion,but slowing the peleton is to protect a genuine GC competitor suffering misfortune is the racing tradition so its not quite as wonderously sporting as some people are making out. I've seen it done before and I'm not a long time observer. That Frenchman however, upholds the tradition of Frog duplicitous hypocricy in all things,....politics ,human rights, bravery in battle, philosophy and now cycling. EDITS ..endless spelling mistakes
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What did he do/
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I'm still going with the Dalai Lama myself...the story of Milarepa the Tibetan Yogi who turned to witchcraft is too challenging. There's probably a wikipedia entry if you need an explanation,but expiation would probably be 10 Tours on an old bike with flat tyres and mountain stages only...in the snow and back to back.
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Lol ......thanks for that....you missed beautiful scenery. I not the press is moving towards sprinting coverage which pretty much tells us no one reckons Cadel has a chance. Maybe the Dalai Lama can do a puja for him,he's a Tibetan human rights supporter.
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Chief Wiggams looked pressured for the first time today. Its a pity Hincapie has stopped his Lance Armstrong drug regime and has only been useful when its flat. Apart from TJ, Cadel is going it alone pretty much while Axis 's observations also seem relevant. Put simply Wiggims is better than Cadel and Sky is better than BMC. Can some photo shop hero put Dunns mo onto Wiggs sideburned face so I can get a laugh..or throw darts at it. Hopefully Hincapie will leave the sport dammed as the longest term drug cheat in Tour history without being the 'winner' that Armstrong was, and not excused as a whistle blower. I guess he must be Catholic...turn to god at the very last minute (of your career) and all your wrongdoing is excused...
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It would be about the only trick they've missed if they did .Wiggins still has two riders to Cadels one and a two minute lead to go with
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call me a pessimist if you will,but .......
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its not going to happen this year
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Thanks as always Macca. Tonight Cadel MUST show something more than determination.
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Nice, I hope you're correct. But he didnt sound very confident to me, though no doubt he'll try something serious eventually....he's going to have to
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Yep Wiggins/Sky looks in total control at present .Only Aussie blinkers allow us to see him failing. Still, its a funny game cycling. Wheres he been? Winning everything on two wheels if you listen to him. He went out injured in last years Tour
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You dont think drafting a couple of 'climbers' into BMC and watching them leave Cadel one out on the climbs has a bit of Melbourne Football Club to it? Its like playing Key Position Forwards on the half back flank if you ask me. I'm a pessimist on international competition myself so I often watch this stuff with a sinking feeling. However with Big Thor, the God of Thunder, out injured I'm enjoying Matty Goss working his way into contention for Green without yet snaging a stage ....very smart riding imo and something Thor (I cant spell his last name) seemed to do as well.
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Cadel was nicely boxed in by Sky preventing him from all out attack......they seem to have a number of cunning plans,including Froome as back up. Even if Cadel gets over a tiring Wiggins (and thats Aussie speculation that doesnt appear on British sites) he still needs to get out in front by a substantial amount to be safe on the last TT. I just cant see it. My only hope for Cadel is that I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about!!
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Cadel is goorrnn imo. Sky has planned this to perfection,thus far at least,and every move he makes they have covered. With the final TT likely to favour Wiggins , Evans has to gain at least 3 minutes minimum before then and.......it just aint going to happen . Even if he gets away from Wiggins and /or Froome somewhere,it is unlikely to provide a sufficient buffer to allow him to wear Yellow in Paris.
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The Sky team looks ruthless to me.The way they have been training and racing together all year suggests a concerted plan to win this thing and thus far,even if Cadel has only been feeling them out,they seem to be holding the cards. The only advantage Cadel has been given in the reports I've read is that he descends better than Wiggins and today there is a big climb and plenty of downhill after that, so we may just get some confirmation of the real state of play tonight. Downhill gains seem high risk to me and if that is the only way to win then I reckon its clutching at straws. I imagine Frome will take it to Evans not vice versa with Chief Wiggams staying in touch and protected. He only has to hold onto a 10 second lead to be able to start the last TT last with all the numbers laid out for him.....a couple of weeks away maybe but I know who I'd rather be at present
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Its not over yet, he may have a John Bertrand moment. Here's hoping
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It is now obvious that Cadel is in trouble. He hasnt been able to shake Wiggins resolve one bit and is almost 2 minutes behind. With Frome also breathing down his neck needs to get clear in the mountains and build a lead before the last time trial . He still has a chance but Team Sky looks a whole lot tougher than the Schlek brothers did last year. Last night Wiggins just looked superior
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Nah Chief Wiggam has Cadels measure in time trials even if it was only 10 seconds in the first. The talk is that Cadel will have to limit his loss tonight and plan to get it back,and more, in the serious mountains.He may be better placed for the last trial when the mts have taken their toll on the Pommie.
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Its a worry I reckon. BMC looked super on the flat then essentially disappeared in the space of two nights. No doubt Cadel is up for fighting alone but we'll know he's in real trouble when the Rupert Guiness starts calling him a little Aussie battler
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With the proviso that I know nothing (quite obviously) it appears to me that Sky is playing a pretty good game. Chief Wiggam was stalking Cadel as much as he was defending Yellow and the Aussie has got some work ahead of him to find a weakness. Having the hypocritical drug cheat Hincapie et al helping him on the flats seems to be a counter intuitive plan considering the race will probably be won in the mountains,despite Cadel saying that its the flat stages where help is most efficient
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Last night was just play time in the greater scheme of things.BMC claim Cadel is ok with going it alone like he did last year if he has to. This time however he might get assistance from the likes of Frank Schlek who will be trying to work his way back into the race rather than win it for his brother and the pressure is on Chief Wiggam now he's got the Yellow.If Cadel can stay around 10 seconds through tonight and the next time trial I imagine he'll be pretty happy. But then I dont really have a clue.
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I'm really looking forward to tonight I must say.Its a pity the Dees arnt as organised as BMC seems to be
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As I understand it Wiggins is the equal of Evans as a climber but apparantly not as a descender due to Cadels mountain bike experience. The bloke from Sky was important for the mountain stages but I reckon they still have a team as strong if not stronger than BMC last year. Hopefully the BMC team will be as prominent in the bigger mountains as they have been thus far.
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Gee there was all the action they predicted,with chaos at the end. Wiggins 'lucky' he was in the last crash and didnt drop time to Cadel who looms very very much in control of his race at present...to quote Graeme Smith from Ology. " Wiggins...pffft". Tonight I sleep
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I dont think its a case of letting the pressure build on Wiggins.Everywhere outside of Oz he's the favourite not Cadel,and he's sitting nicely with Cadel 10 seconds back. Cadel has to catch him ,and tbough 10 seconds isnt much the balance remains in Wiggins favour.I suspect neither of them want the pressure of defending Yellow for another two weeks at least. Mind you I know nothing really.
