Where's Lance? - Page 14 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

07-07-2004, 01:42 PM

Badger_South <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message news:<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>. ..
> The announcers were just talking about Lance hanging in like 8th place to
> stay out of trouble and stuff, and I don't see him in any of the stages,
> except for the 2nd place in the Prologue. Yet they're talking about this as
> a winning strategy.
>
> How can he do this. Uh, I'm pretty clueless about how they score and get
> "points" and stuff, so if there's a FAQ for TdF dummies, a pointer perhaps?
>
> Do you have to win a certain number of stages, or do you just hang back and
> then get a time lead in the mountains or something?
>
> Sorry for the possibly dumb questions on this... ;-)
>
> -B

You've got a lot of good, informative answers. By now, if you have
followed all week, you will have seen a great set of tactical moves,
and a big strategic alliance, in stage 3. Lots of tactical
maneuvering to get to the front of the pack before the cobbles, and
Hincapie/Ekimov did a great job of pulling LA into that lead position
as the main peleton entered that segment. The big strategic move came
as the peleton split in that section, leaving many riders including
one of the favored contenders, Iban Mayo, in the rear. With the
possibility of opening up a time gap between a team leader and a major
rival you saw USPS, Phonak, T-Mobile, etc. turn up the tempo in the
front section of the peleton. Cooperation to put a rival at a
disadvantage.

The more subtle strategy of the week was to position USPS as the top
team before stage 4; that gave them 21st position (last) in the team
time trial. Important as they then had info on the status of the
course and how all their rivals were faring, and could adjust
appropriately. You will see the results of that strategy, and todays
TTT results, mirrored in the current individual standings.

- rick

07-07-2004, 02:02 PM

On 7 Jul 2004 13:42:28 -0700, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Rick Warner) wrote:

>You've got a lot of good, informative answers. By now, if you have
>followed all week, you will have seen a great set of tactical moves,
>and a big strategic alliance, in stage 3. Lots of tactical
>maneuvering to get to the front of the pack before the cobbles, and
>Hincapie/Ekimov did a great job of pulling LA into that lead position
>as the main peleton entered that segment. The big strategic move came
>as the peleton split in that section, leaving many riders including
>one of the favored contenders, Iban Mayo, in the rear. With the
>possibility of opening up a time gap between a team leader and a major
>rival you saw USPS, Phonak, T-Mobile, etc. turn up the tempo in the
>front section of the peleton. Cooperation to put a rival at a
>disadvantage.
>
>The more subtle strategy of the week was to position USPS as the top
>team before stage 4; that gave them 21st position (last) in the team
>time trial. Important as they then had info on the status of the
>course and how all their rivals were faring, and could adjust
>appropriately. You will see the results of that strategy, and todays
>TTT results, mirrored in the current individual standings.
>
>- rick

I'll be on the lookout for these. Unfortunately, I don't get the OLN feed
until the 11th. I've been trying to keep up with the daily broadcasts web
sound broadcasts and streaming vids.

Can you elaborate just a teensy bit more on the big strategic move for
those of us following along the hard way? I assume it was to take advantage
of the cautiousness in the cobblestone section? (The USPS strat is pretty
self-explanatory.)

Thanks for the heads up on these, Rick. I'm in serious envy of those with
video, until Sunday, I'm afraid.

-B

07-07-2004, 02:02 PM

On 7 Jul 2004 13:42:28 -0700, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Rick Warner) wrote:

>You've got a lot of good, informative answers. By now, if you have
>followed all week, you will have seen a great set of tactical moves,
>and a big strategic alliance, in stage 3. Lots of tactical
>maneuvering to get to the front of the pack before the cobbles, and
>Hincapie/Ekimov did a great job of pulling LA into that lead position
>as the main peleton entered that segment. The big strategic move came
>as the peleton split in that section, leaving many riders including
>one of the favored contenders, Iban Mayo, in the rear. With the
>possibility of opening up a time gap between a team leader and a major
>rival you saw USPS, Phonak, T-Mobile, etc. turn up the tempo in the
>front section of the peleton. Cooperation to put a rival at a
>disadvantage.
>
>The more subtle strategy of the week was to position USPS as the top
>team before stage 4; that gave them 21st position (last) in the team
>time trial. Important as they then had info on the status of the
>course and how all their rivals were faring, and could adjust
>appropriately. You will see the results of that strategy, and todays
>TTT results, mirrored in the current individual standings.
>
>- rick

I'll be on the lookout for these. Unfortunately, I don't get the OLN feed
until the 11th. I've been trying to keep up with the daily broadcasts web
sound broadcasts and streaming vids.

Can you elaborate just a teensy bit more on the big strategic move for
those of us following along the hard way? I assume it was to take advantage
of the cautiousness in the cobblestone section? (The USPS strat is pretty
self-explanatory.)

Thanks for the heads up on these, Rick. I'm in serious envy of those with
video, until Sunday, I'm afraid.

-B

07-07-2004, 02:02 PM

On 7 Jul 2004 13:42:28 -0700, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Rick Warner) wrote:

>You've got a lot of good, informative answers. By now, if you have
>followed all week, you will have seen a great set of tactical moves,
>and a big strategic alliance, in stage 3. Lots of tactical
>maneuvering to get to the front of the pack before the cobbles, and
>Hincapie/Ekimov did a great job of pulling LA into that lead position
>as the main peleton entered that segment. The big strategic move came
>as the peleton split in that section, leaving many riders including
>one of the favored contenders, Iban Mayo, in the rear. With the
>possibility of opening up a time gap between a team leader and a major
>rival you saw USPS, Phonak, T-Mobile, etc. turn up the tempo in the
>front section of the peleton. Cooperation to put a rival at a
>disadvantage.
>
>The more subtle strategy of the week was to position USPS as the top
>team before stage 4; that gave them 21st position (last) in the team
>time trial. Important as they then had info on the status of the
>course and how all their rivals were faring, and could adjust
>appropriately. You will see the results of that strategy, and todays
>TTT results, mirrored in the current individual standings.
>
>- rick

I'll be on the lookout for these. Unfortunately, I don't get the OLN feed
until the 11th. I've been trying to keep up with the daily broadcasts web
sound broadcasts and streaming vids.

Can you elaborate just a teensy bit more on the big strategic move for
those of us following along the hard way? I assume it was to take advantage
of the cautiousness in the cobblestone section? (The USPS strat is pretty
self-explanatory.)

Thanks for the heads up on these, Rick. I'm in serious envy of those with
video, until Sunday, I'm afraid.

-B

07-07-2004, 02:02 PM

On 7 Jul 2004 13:42:28 -0700, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Rick Warner) wrote:

>You've got a lot of good, informative answers. By now, if you have
>followed all week, you will have seen a great set of tactical moves,
>and a big strategic alliance, in stage 3. Lots of tactical
>maneuvering to get to the front of the pack before the cobbles, and
>Hincapie/Ekimov did a great job of pulling LA into that lead position
>as the main peleton entered that segment. The big strategic move came
>as the peleton split in that section, leaving many riders including
>one of the favored contenders, Iban Mayo, in the rear. With the
>possibility of opening up a time gap between a team leader and a major
>rival you saw USPS, Phonak, T-Mobile, etc. turn up the tempo in the
>front section of the peleton. Cooperation to put a rival at a
>disadvantage.
>
>The more subtle strategy of the week was to position USPS as the top
>team before stage 4; that gave them 21st position (last) in the team
>time trial. Important as they then had info on the status of the
>course and how all their rivals were faring, and could adjust
>appropriately. You will see the results of that strategy, and todays
>TTT results, mirrored in the current individual standings.
>
>- rick

I'll be on the lookout for these. Unfortunately, I don't get the OLN feed
until the 11th. I've been trying to keep up with the daily broadcasts web
sound broadcasts and streaming vids.

Can you elaborate just a teensy bit more on the big strategic move for
those of us following along the hard way? I assume it was to take advantage
of the cautiousness in the cobblestone section? (The USPS strat is pretty
self-explanatory.)

Thanks for the heads up on these, Rick. I'm in serious envy of those with
video, until Sunday, I'm afraid.

-B

07-07-2004, 02:02 PM

On 7 Jul 2004 13:42:28 -0700, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Rick Warner) wrote:

>You've got a lot of good, informative answers. By now, if you have
>followed all week, you will have seen a great set of tactical moves,
>and a big strategic alliance, in stage 3. Lots of tactical
>maneuvering to get to the front of the pack before the cobbles, and
>Hincapie/Ekimov did a great job of pulling LA into that lead position
>as the main peleton entered that segment. The big strategic move came
>as the peleton split in that section, leaving many riders including
>one of the favored contenders, Iban Mayo, in the rear. With the
>possibility of opening up a time gap between a team leader and a major
>rival you saw USPS, Phonak, T-Mobile, etc. turn up the tempo in the
>front section of the peleton. Cooperation to put a rival at a
>disadvantage.
>
>The more subtle strategy of the week was to position USPS as the top
>team before stage 4; that gave them 21st position (last) in the team
>time trial. Important as they then had info on the status of the
>course and how all their rivals were faring, and could adjust
>appropriately. You will see the results of that strategy, and todays
>TTT results, mirrored in the current individual standings.
>
>- rick

I'll be on the lookout for these. Unfortunately, I don't get the OLN feed
until the 11th. I've been trying to keep up with the daily broadcasts web
sound broadcasts and streaming vids.

Can you elaborate just a teensy bit more on the big strategic move for
those of us following along the hard way? I assume it was to take advantage
of the cautiousness in the cobblestone section? (The USPS strat is pretty
self-explanatory.)

Thanks for the heads up on these, Rick. I'm in serious envy of those with
video, until Sunday, I'm afraid.

-B