A Sunday spin in the park for Gilbert. How could a team/those guys be close to content with 2nd and 3rd without trying anything. Let’s nurse Andy to the line so he can finish 3rd? Boy, I love defensive bike racing. I wish Greg Van Avermaet, BMC, could have somehow managed to make it back. That would have been interesting at least. I guess Gilbert must of been just that much better. Or the Schlecks are just stage racers that grew up with radios and have no race tactics in their heads at all? One of the two.
Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad finishing 18th was a highlight though.
Pretty stressed, huh?
Looked like a Sunday training ride for Gilbert.
Must not have had their radios on…
That was disgraceful! Why train and prepare for a lifetime and not even try? Gilbert dropped Andy when he attacked, but Frank was never even gapped off, it seems he should have tried to go over the top as soon as Gilbert’s effort faded, if it didn’t work, at least he tried. The old 1, 2 also could have been attempted, but instead they could be seen talking to Gilbert, and never even tried to beat him. They said he was too strong, but how do they know if they didn’t even try?
It equates to walking away from a fight after the other guy starts it. You may live to fight another day, but you have to live with being a pussy.
If they tried and failed there would be a lot more honor in that. Something is up with those Schleck boys, they didn’t just send 8000 euros to Fuentes because they think he’s a swell guy, who deserves some free money.
As far as Gilbert goes, I’m sorry, but I don’t believe for 1 second what we saw this week. Remember the last guy that pulled off that triple? Rebelin was doped to the gills…..just like all of them. They seem to “cycle up” to prepare for the races they want to “peak” for, and within a couple weeks they’re no longer able to contend for a win. It’s become pro wrestling…..Sad.
Schlecks can’t take a classic. They need to spread the love around before the tour. Lotto need to take a 3 week bike tour of France in July and maybe put 9 riders on the front on stage 14 for no reason.
It’s going to be epic when Phil gets busted.
I also couldn’t help but think that Gilbert must have been channeling his “inner Rebellin”.
From an earlier post of mine: Gilbert won’t be busted. Not with Pat McQuaid’s brother representing him as an agent. Yes, pro cycling is ripe with corruption…
@intheknow.
Thanks that helps. Phil gets the classics with an agreement, here, with the Schlecks and a nod from the UCI (watch for the series of DNFs and 135 places for Phil to follow now). Schlecks get the tour. Only AC can go off the reservation again and screw the story. He has powerful backers too, as we have seen.
Even if cycling was clean it would still be dirty. Even amateur racing that is pretty clean is dirty in other ways. It’s all fun and games, until you are on the end of the game and get screwed.