If there was a team TT this year, do you think it would have sealed the deal for Sastre?

Question

I realize the Schleck's and Sastre aren't the best time trialest's, but Team CSC as a whole is very strong, while Silence-Lotto is pretty much just Cadel.

Answer 1

true dat - the way sastre looked yesterday, he could do it alone without the schleck bros. they are unbeatable. at the end of stage 17 they all looked so strong and they were the ones driving the peloton. evans looks whooped, he has been alone out there. evans is still great tho. you are right on the money csc is head and schoulders above everyone else.

Answer 2

there was a team time trial

Did you miss the stretch between the Tourmalet and Hautacam when CSC laid an absolute beating on Caisse d'Pargne and Valverde?

Valverde fell off the back and was only a little ways behind (15 or 20 seconds) going up the Tourmalet.  CSC had put Cancellara in the break so that when they started downhill Cancy was well rested and waiting for them.  Between him and Voight they gave Sastre and the Schlecks 3 or 4 minutes on Valverde, effectively putting the spanish national champion off the podium.

CSC is just monstrously tough.  According to stories Stuey had some bracelets made up for the team that said "Harden the F*** up".  He's just a beast.  Stuey, Cancy and Voigt are amazing workhorses this year.

Answer 3

While I believe that phoster has an excellent point. Just because CSC is strong in the mountains does not mean that they would have done well in a TTT. These are two very different disciplines. In a TTT you not only need riders that are good TT riders in their own right, but they need to be able to work together as a team.

But if you look at the results of the Stage 4 TT, you'll see that:



CSC's top 5 riders were in places, 5th, 12th, 18th, 23rd, 28th.

Silence Lotto's top 5 riders were in places, 4th, 48th, 80th, 91st, 102nd.

Gerolsteiner's top 5 riders were in places, 1st, 20th, 24th, 58th, 60th.

Rabobank's top 5 riders were in places, 11th, 32nd, 61st, 72nd, 76th.

So based solely on their times in the ITT, it seems that CSC would have won a TTT. But there are a lot of other factors besides how the top guys from each team did in the ITT. For instance, a lot of the sprinters don't really go all out in the time trials, they save their energy for the sprint stages, but they are actually very good TTT riders. Second, teams are selected based upon the course and stage layouts, and without a TTT this year, teams weren't selected with a TTT in mind. Third, unless they're in contention for the GC most riders don't go flat out in the ITT. Whereas CSC had at least three riders who were legitimate contenders in the overall. So they had plenty of incentive to ride as hard as they could.

So although it might seem like CSC would have won a TTT, we have no way of being sure. But we'll find out on Saturday how well the contenders time trial. Sastre lost more than a minute in the first TT. So a 1' 34" lead doesn't look real safe to me. To really feel safe, I think that CSC would have had to beat Silence Lotto by 3 minutes in a TTT. That's a lot to ask.

Answer 4

Yes, csc is leading the team classification about 2hrs on silence lotto they would have put at least 2 min. on Cadel

Answer 5

Yep, most likely, CSC is the strongest this year. Cadel has no team and would have lost minutes.

Answer 6

typically when there has been team TT the american teams have done very well.  CSC was very strong in the mountains, but typically the team is flat.  it is hard to draw the conclusion that just because they dominated the alps that they would have done well in a TT.  i think as strong as columbia is in TT they would have won, and evans' team isnt as weak on the flats as they are in the mountains, so you can't really just say CSC would destroy everyone.

Answer 7

Sastre looked much stronger than Evans yesterday. As you say they are a strong team. Evans has had very little team support whether they just cant keep up with him or are not trying (although i don't really believe that.  you cannot cycle 3000 + km and not try!) But after watching yesterday you got the feeling that the whole TDF were 'ganging' up on Evans, tactics? maybe, probably. Evans is only 1.34 down he can make it up he is the best TT.  Lets see what the weather has to do with the final couple of days.  Either way it will be exciting.  So come on Cadel