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Paris-Nice

Phil

Maximum Pace
Sep 1, 2007
1,816
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Did anyone else catch this? One of the more action-packed stages races I've seen, like a Giro or TdF highlight reel: Wiggins losing out to Contador in the Prologue when it looked like he had the win, Rabobank ripping the peloton apart in the wind but failing to get the stage win, a Frenchman (Chavanel) reaching the podium and very nearly first, Contador utterly dominating on one day in the mountains and then bonking the next, and a descent specialist taking the overall victory. Good stuff.
 
Was interesting. Did Contador do a Froid Landis with his conking or was it a tactical 'better slow down' to go inder the radar.
He was riding like a legend before he bonked.

Looks like an interesting season approaching till the cheats get caught....
 
Yeah, don't know what happened...think he probably just forgot to eat. If he wanted to stay under the radar, he probably shouldn't have beaten Wiggins by 7secs in a flat 10km TT, eh? :)

Also, he might have just overdone it in the first few stages--perhaps he's gotten a little over-confident? He tried to bridge between group 3 and group 2 on his own in the wind when Rabobank pulled their stunt back on stage 3(?), and got completely stranded in no-man's land until Moreau arrived and threw him a lifeline.

BTW, did you notice Cadel pull a 20-strong peloton on his lonesome for the last 40kms of that mountain stage? Looking to shed his wheelsucker image, perhaps?
 
Cadel is being smart this early in the season. Had a somewhat unorthodox off season training with an Aussie rules football club. Looks like he is working on his fitness now and trying to keep out of trouble (crashes).
I'm sure he will peak at the right time and I hope his ACL is not causing a little discomfort. It took my severed ACL over a year to get used to cycling. Used to feel like raw meat mashing together when I pedaled in the winter.
 
Both Lance and Johan felt Cantador made a typical mistake as a young rider. Though Cantador made a tactical error, he did try and redeem himself on the last stage turning over an incredible pace. I was impressed. I thought Chavanel should have been DQ'd for drafting behind his team car, but that is just me being critical. I also agree that had Cantador had the likes of Horned or Leipheimer along for the ride things may have been different. Yes he did have Popovych, but he needed more support. Sorry for the Astana focus.

James
 
clearly one of the most dynamic and fun races to watch in a long time... Lots of interesting twists/turns, and open questions, like:

- Why did Saxo Bank pull the breakaway back in (by close to 1:40 mins) when they really did not need to?
- Where was Bruyneel? Astana team manager on site is a competent guy, but its one of the bigger races of year... Perhaps off with Lance to check out Giro/TDF routes?
- What happened to Popo in the last two years? Seemed like he was a no-show for Cadel in last year's TDF and for Contador in this year's Paris Nice.
- What might have happened if Levi was not injured?

At any rate, this year's grand tours are going to be a hoot to watch.
 
Where did you guys watch the race? Sky Perfect or something?
 
Sky Perfect + the extra J Sports package... Coverage for almost all of the major European races, no commercials. Commentary in Japanese and sometimes the local language(?), but I think chazzer mentioned it's possible to get an English audio stream off the internet and listen as you watch.
 
Sky Perfect

Also there is the E2 service which is digital and carries hi-def where the source is broadcast in hi-def. This was the case last year with the TdF and is also the case with the Premier League every weekend if you have an interest in that. Most of the other cycle events are normal def so it does not matter whether you choose good 'ol Sky Perfect or E2.

There are some annoying aspects where Sky P is now also developing its own digital service so that if you want to follow Champions League soccer you will find that only a limited subset are broadcast on E2. So, if you are a real soccer buff, and you want to see all PL and CL and take advantage of hi-def then you need both E2 and Sky P. Two dishes, two receivers.

Luckily this problem does not yet apply to cycling and E2 gives you everything you need and it is hi-def if the original source is hi-def.

Re commentary - only have a real-time feed for the Tdf on Yahoo Sports which is a Eurosport provider.

That was last year....who knows what will happen this year !

The good sign was that Paris-Nice was receivable either on Sky P or E2.

Clear as mud huh !

chazzer:(
 
clearly one of the most dynamic and fun races to watch in a long time... Lots of interesting twists/turns, and open questions, like:

- Why did Saxo Bank pull the breakaway back in (by close to 1:40 mins) when they really did not need to?
- Where was Bruyneel? Astana team manager on site is a competent guy, but its one of the bigger races of year... Perhaps off with Lance to check out Giro/TDF routes?
- What happened to Popo in the last two years? Seemed like he was a no-show for Cadel in last year's TDF and for Contador in this year's Paris Nice.
- What might have happened if Levi was not injured?

At any rate, this year's grand tours are going to be a hoot to watch.

Trad,

Great questions. Popo, exactly what happened. I remember a couple of years ago he was on a tear. I would have liked to see Chris Honer in this line-up. Had Levi not been injured, I think things would have been very different.

I think the Saxo Bank v Astana feud will make for an interesting season.

James
 
This just might be one of the more interesting years to follow the stories that develop. Do hope that Astana does not steal the show all the time. Be nice to see Saxo, Garmin, HighRoad, and Caisse make a real run for it...
 
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