Schleck96 wrote:
I think that you need to attack more with Andy. I'm not playing though so I don't know the energy he had. I just have to wish you good luck
Andy had a daily form of -1, Gesink of +2, so Andy worked a bit for Gesink today. Next stage features the Turmalet and after the summit a 10km descend, so whoever has the best daily form, will attack.
@ baseball: well, it has become a team like Real Madrid or Barcelona, almost too strong. Luckily, there is the player (me) that will prevent the team from wining everything. But for sure, Andy Schleck won't be at the team the next season, so De Gendt and Kelderman will have a shot at a GC-podium (Giro, Vuelta), which will be more fun to follow.
fernando97 wrote:
Doesn`t De Gendt also leave??? I had Lotto in my mind. But I might be wrong, I don`t really remember.
He didn't want to resign. But I thought: "give it 1 last try". And he actually resigned. So yes, De Gendt stays with the team and will be a GT-leader next year.
47km to go
After a restless start of the stage, with many attacks, but none of them succesful, a group of 7 forms the BOTD. The group is very strong, possiby too strong to let them create a margin too big: LL Sánchez, Nicholas Roche, Sylvain Chavanel, Fabian Cancellara, Simon Gerrans, Philippe Gilbert and Fabio Duarte. With 47km to go, they are 5 minutes in front of the peloton. In between ride Simon Spilak and Pierre Rolland (2 minutes behind the 7 leaders).
27km to go
Both Movistar and Monster Energy realize that they have to work hard to close the gap. At the foot of the Tourmalet, the lead has decreased to 4'03. Spilak and Rolland are about to join the 7 leaders.
24km to go
Our plan for today reveals itself 14 kilometres before the summit of the Tourmalet. While the margin to the 9 leaders has decreased to 3'16, Robert Gesink attacks! His team mate Andy Schleck is patiently sitting in the peloton, waiting who is going to counter and spoil energy.
20km to go Gesink hasn't got the legs (fitness of 89, daily form of -2) to create a big gap. 4 kilometres after he started his attack, he has a gap of '24 to the chasing peloton and got joined by JoaquÃm RodrÃguez and Christopher Froome. Team Radio Shack is setting the pace in the peloton for their leader Nibali, while Andy Schleck, and Contador, sitting comfortably in the group. As a result, the margin to the leaders has decreases with another minute.
14km to go
Meanwhile, 2 riders have attacked out of the leading group: Pierre Rolland (Omega Pharma) and Philippe Gilbert (Lotto). The other 7 follow at '47. Behind them, the group Gesink has been caught, so it's time for a new attacker.
At the same time as Andy Schleck wanted to launch his attack, big bro Fränk did so. Together with GC-leader Alberto Contador, Andy counters him. The others can't or won't react and follow at '19 behind the 3. This group exists of Van den Broeck, RodrÃguez, Kiryienka, Froome, Kern, P. Velits, Wiggins, Nibali, Kruijswijk, Basso, Hesjedal and Gesink, who has to regain some energy after his earlier attack.
11km to go
When Andy realizes that both Fränk and Contador haven't got the legs to create a big margin to the group Nibali, and Nibbles is closing the gap again, he launches his attack. Just 1km before the summit, he has Gilbert and Rolland in sight (+'35). Nibali, Contador, F. Schleck and Van den Broeck follow at 1'11 and the group Gesink at 1'40.
10km to go
At the summit of the Tourmalet, Andy Schleck has joined Gilbert, who is the first to crest the summit, and Rolland. Nibali and F. Schleck follow at 35 seconds, and a group with Roche, Van den Broeck, Contador, Gerrans, Spilak, Basso and Gesink, who seems to have found his 2nd breath, at 1'11.
Finish Andy Schleck transforms into a daredevil to maintain the gap to Nibali, the best descender in the peloton. Both Gilbert and Rolland have problems in staying in his wheel, so it's easy for Andy to win the sprint and taking his 2nd stage win this Tour!
Nibbles has regained 5 seconds in the descend, and finishes as 4th at '30, followed by F. Schleck. The group Gesink finishes 1'26 behind the winner, what means that Contador will loose the maillot jaune! That jersey goes to Nibali, with a margin of only 5 seconds to Andy and 10 seconds to Contador.
Word from the DS
What a stage for us! We used our advantage of having 2 of the best climbers. The others had to waste their energy in catching Gesink, and after it, Andy attacked. Too be honest, we're happy of not having the GC-lead, as Radio Shack now has to control the race.
Maddrengen wrote:
Surpised to see Andy sprint away from Gilbert!
Probably Gilbert stat isn't much high that Andy. Andy with 68, Gilbert probably with 70+, but really tired. So, the outcome was expected.
Something like that. Think Gilbert has 70 or 71. He and Rolland had problems in staying in Andy's wheel. Andy had a small gap entering the last km, and I hit the s-button with 99 effort and aggressive sprinting with some energy left.
49km to go
During the 4th climb of the day, the Col du Marie Blanque, Pierre Rolland and Fabio Duarte go in the counterattack and they close the gap to the 8 leaders.
At the foot of the penultimate climb of the day, the Col de Bouesou, the peloton arrives with a margin of 3 minutes to them. At this point, Chris Froome and Sylvain Chavanel attack.
43km to go
Duarte and Rolland drop the 8 others in the ascend of the Bouesou and arrive at the summit with a gap of 2'24 to the 8, who have been joined by Froome, Chavanel, Karpets and Pellizotti. The peloton seems to have a day off, as it follows at 6'15.
33km to go
Rolland also collects the maximum amount of KOTM-points at the summit of the Col de Labays. Froome, Karpets, Chavanel and Pellizotti follow at 2'52 and the peloton at 8'53.
This means that the 2 will fight for the stage win, and Duarte is in virtual yellow! It seems like Nibali doesn't want to defend his jersey!
Finish
Duarte really wasn't a match for Rolland in the sprint for the stage win, so Rolland brings his home crowd in ecstacy by winning the 8th stage. For Duarte, the waiting starts if he gains enough time to get in yellow!
One man is crossing the line 20 seconds in front of the peloton (yes, the jury decides to give time gaps, unbelievable), and because that rider is Andy Schleck (at 8'21), Duarte misses the GC-lead by 7 seconds....
GC
And the new GC-leader is...... Andy Schleck! Duarte follows at '7, Nibali at '15, Contador at '25 and Gesink at 2'30.
1
Andy Schleck
Monster Energy - Subway
29h55'22
2
Fabio Duarte
Pro Team Astana
+ 7
3
Vincenzo Nibali
Radio Shack - Nissan
+ 15
4
Alberto Contador
Movistar Team
+ 25
5
Robert Gesink
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 2'30
6
Fränk Schleck
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step
+ 2'31
7
Franco Pellizotti
Lampre - Generali
+ 3'16
8
Jelle Vanendert
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 3'36
9
Jurgen Van den Broeck
BMC Racing Team
+ 5'09
10
Peter Velits
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step
+ 5'25
Points
1
Sylvain Chavanel
Garmin - Barracuda
151
2
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Lotto - Belisol
100
3
Pierre Rolland
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step
94
4
Andy Schleck
Monster Energy - Subway
87
5
Lars Boom
Rabobank Cycling Team
77
KOTM
1
Jelle Vanendert
Monster Energy - Subway
51
2
Blel Kadri
AG2R La Mondiale
37
3
Pierre Rolland
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step
26
4
Andy Schleck
Monster Energy - Subway
22
5
Philippe Gilbert
Lotto - Belisol
22
U25
1
Peter Sagan
Monster Energy - Subway
30h29'35
2
Romain Bardet
FDJ
+ 5'41
3
Romain Sicard
Euskaltel - Euskadi
+ 8'53
4
Omar Fraile
Euskaltel - Euskadi
+ 18'08
5
Jesús Herrada
Movistar Team
+ 18'55
Teams
1
Monster Energy - Subway
89h48'55
2
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step
+ 4'02
3
Radio Shack - Nissan
+ 5'23
4
Pro Team Astana
+ 15'53
5
Sky ProCycling
+ 25'29
Today's winner
Word from the DS
What seemed to be ending in a stage were we wouldn't loose time, ended in a stage were we have the yellow jersey, takes to truely unattention by Nibali and Contador. Not bad!
