Tour de France

[john_1]

How many of you are following the drama. Its just increadable to watch those atheltes go at those speeds up those mountains..Oh and who thinks Contador should have waited???

[SimonPB]

you mean the drug cheats ??

[john_1]

Dude....you could take every known drug available and still you would not be able to catch the back wheel of the slowest rider in the tour...Viva le tour

[AJT]

Contador was in his rights to carry on riding...

[john_1]

Agreed, but had he sat up at the top of the climb and waited for him when decending, he would have won the support of the pelaton and the croud...you don't win the tour by making eneaies in the pelaton... you win by earning their respect

[AJT]

Valid point John, I just imagine they are 100m from the finish line and winner takes all, do you think Schlek would stop? Must say, if the chain had not broken, it would have been fantastic to watch...

[TOPIX]

Do you guys expect Alonso and everyone else to stop and wait for Hamilton if he has a puncture in a FI Grand Prix????

[john_1]

Thats a very weak argument, first and formost this is a battle of wills and bodies...not bicycles..motor sport is all about the car...to win because of a bike problem is not what the sport is about..

[richardw]

I think if he'd have waited he would still have had the edge because Schleck would have used up a lot just catching up. Contador would have looked like a champion who deserved the yellow jersey instead of a sneaky chop.

[TOPIX]

Nah, not so. To drop a chain is a rookie mistake when you change gears too quick. If your opponent get stopped because a spectator runs in front of him for example - yes, then you need to show sportmanship. If you make a rookie mistake you deserve to be left behind.

[john_1]

exactly..Contador has lost the support of the crouds and the pelaton...when he could have snatched thoses away from shlek...that was a serrious error of judgement.... As for the chain I still think Andy showed he was a much better climber in that moment as Contaor when attacking could not outrun Andy up the hill despite the stop... so I think he will have to watch his back on these last two days of climbing

[Major]

how long would should he wait for - 2 minutes and drop to 3rd place or worse? Contador saw his chance and took it, but the race isn't over yet, and we've still got some big mountains today. It's compelling viewing though!

[richardw]

It felt like he attacked immediately. What Armstrong did when Ullrich crashed is waited until he was back and then raced. That takes a lot.

[Harathke]

Lance Armstrong destroys bicycle after learning he could've taken the train around France = http://www.hayibo.com/lance-armstrong-destroys-bicycle-after-learning-he-could%e2%80%99ve-taken-the-...

[WES]

It is a bike race not a road race. Making sure you dont ride over bumps, like Schleck did, so that you chain doesnt come off is the riders ability, not some bad luck. The bike is part of the race.

[SimonPB]

john .. be that is may (an certainly true) .. doesn't mean they not drug cheats .. I figure tis easy, allow all doping, then all equal ..

[john_1]

I agree Simon.... as for the hole Contador thing... if he had sat up so would everybody else.. he was the closest rival, it is up to him to make that call because if he had attacked and the others had waited then they would have blown their chance... It does not matter what the reason for the chain coming off, it will never ever endure him to the fans of the tour. Remember these riders will come and go but the ethics of a race like this were established decades ago...we all know contador is the strongest time trialist of the two so he would most likely be in yellow in Paris.

[john_1]

its a three week race over 3600km if you cant win unless you attack when your rival has lost his chain you are not deserving of the yellow jersey...thats the point, not who wins and loses..

[SimonPB]

sat up ?? what's ?? sounds decidedly unkinky ??

[john_1]

LOL nothing sexy about a cyclist, they all ***** and ribs and because of the doping..not much ***** to talk of!