(Warning: only bike racing content.)
(also: I dont like Levi. I do like Horner)
Last stage of the ATOC. Horner bridges up to the lead group. Why? Horner Leads out the sprint... why?
Results after the TT
1 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia 29:46:06
2 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin-Transitions 0:00:09
3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack 0:00:25
4 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:12
5 Rory Sutherland (Aus ) Unitedhealthcare Presented by Maxxis 0:01:26
6 Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack 0:01:32
Last 10 minutes of the race.
-Horner needs 1:32. He has 45 seconds with 5.7 to go.
-Langeveld is on the front of the chase group. Im sure Rogers put some money in his pocket.
- 50 seconds at 5k
-4.4k to go POPOVICH is on the front
-3.7k to go Radioshack has 2 guys on the front!
-3.5k to go Horner is riding like a guy not interested in a stage win.
-3.3k to go Does Hincappie have a freaking pink back wheel?
They do not show the yellow jersey group from here.
@7:10 Rogers pulls off and the Radioshack train is chasing full charge.
-Horner looks back, sees nobody and drills it from 1k.
Results of the stage
1 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Transitions 3:21:56
2 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team
3 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step
4 Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack
5 Oscar Pujol Munoz (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 0:00:05
6 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:28
7 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack
Final GC
1 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia 33:08:30
2 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin-Transitions 0:00:09
3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack 0:00:25
4 Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack 0:01:04
So the question is, if Radioshack sat on Rogers could Horner have gotten the 25 seconds to take the podium form Levi? What about the 34 to take 2nd from Dave Z or even the 1:04 to WIN THE RACE OUTRIGHT?
So much for the "dark horse" strategy.
Also from a strategy point of view. If Ryder H still won, Horner would have beaten him on GC even with the bonus time. Ryder would have finished 2nd, same as Dave Z his teammate. I think Garmin hates Columbia or whatever, so maybe they would have liked to have seen them not win.
3 comments:
yo thanks for this breakdown! I had not seen any footage, but was 'watching' the live updates as it went and was wondering the same thing! Was pulling for Horner and wanted to see the time made up. Imagine if a time bonus was the deciding factor?
I was at the race in one of the follow cars listening to race radio. I don't think you are giving a fair analysis to just how hard they were riding and how tired everyone was. Both the Shack and Garmin were taking major shots at Rodgers and they couldn't drop him.
Levi was marking Rogers. Remember he also had a flat in a key moment of the race where he was planning to attack.
Garmin and HTC's managers hate each other. Remember Garmin bringing back Hincapie at the TDF last year?
What the commentators didn't see then was Stapleton and Vaughters texting each other during the chase, talking shit, and threatening each other.
I assume there was something similar going on here.
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