IRW
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Everything posted by IRW
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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.
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Matty Goss close but no cigar. Tonight it gets interesting with a group of climbs and an uphill finish.Theres talk of wind and rain as well. Cadel might try and get a little closer to,or a little ahead of,Wiggins tonight without chasing the Yellow. Sky wont want that of course,it may be good viewing.
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In Bruges...a classic, ..dont get me started
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A pretty straightforward day although two crashes near the end spiced it up a bit..and didnt the leading teams put the hammer down to get clear of that. It was a reminder of the tension that must be in the Peleton most of the time,no matter how it looks.Nice to see a bit of a BMC 'train' going,hopefully this year they can do that in the mts because Cadel wont want to do it alone uphill again
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Thanks for that.I reckon Wiggins made a statement yesterday,Cadel will probably ignore him for a while but he wont be able to rely on the last time trial this time.
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Hincapie is the American of course and the the two new climbers are from Belgium.Given that there isnt much to do in Belgium beyond drinking good beer and riding I guess they will be pretty useful. Cadel did seem very exposed last year when the Schleks were ganging up on him
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I read somwhere that Evans had added two solid climbers to help him in the mountains as well as keeping Lances old team mate from Radio Shack. (the one who didnt do drugs). I guess there are two favourites baring the accidents which seem to happen early in the tour.
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Here we go,only a couple of hours away now.Blokes in funny costumes are checking tbemselves out in the mirror before their fleeting moment of .....fame?...Hopefully the man in the lime green mankini from the Giro Italia isnt around. I know nothing but Wiggins for the Yellow with Cadel brave in defeat. Sky gets a double with Crenshaw winning Green and Thomas De Gente (my smokey) to win a mountain stage somewhere.....All baring accidents and blood tests of course
