love the points ranking
it would be very hard to have andy schleck on your team. a lot of pressure you know. imagine the fights with kirchen, gerdemann or lovkvist

Schleck signed with Astana and just found out... Rojas with Euskaltel.

Le Tour de France Stage 14


Wiggins was one of the early leaders today.


Martin and Hagen had good times today as well


Hincapie and Gerdemann were even better. They both were provisional leaders


But then this guy came and beat them all: Fabian Cancellara


Rogers had a nice time too but not as good as his team-mates


Karpets, Luis Leon Sanchez, Dekker all had the potential to beat Cancellara but they didn't


Kloden was really one of the strongests today


Kirchen did a good job today, but Kloden's good time will force him to lose a place in the overall rankings


Contador was there today, without losing too much time


Evans (no picture ) beat Cancellara today. Menchov crossed the line... too slow... Evans is the new yellow jersey!


Stage
1. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto 1h17'56
2. Fabian Cancellara Team CSC - Saxo Bank + 22
3. Vladimir Karpets Caisse d'Epargne + 28
4. Andreas Klöden Agritubel + 44
5. Thomas Dekker Rabobank + 48
6. Mikel Astarloza Euskaltel - Euskadi + 52
7. Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto s.t.
8. Denis Menchov Rabobank + 1'00
9. Markus Fothen Gerolsteiner + 1'08
10. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team + 1'10
11. Luis León Sánchez AG2R La Mondiale + 1'18
12. Óscar Pereiro Caisse d'Epargne + 1'52
13. Kim Kirchen Team Columbia s.t.
14. George Hincapie Team Columbia + 1'56
15. Haimar Zubeldia Euskaltel - Euskadi + 2'00
16. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
17. Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank + 2'18
18. Linus Gerdemann Team Columbia + 2'20
19. Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel - Euskadi + 2'28
20. Michael Rogers Team Columbia s.t.

Overall
1. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto 55h22'16
2. Denis Menchov Rabobank + 58
3. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team + 2'32
4. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne + 2'43
5. Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
6. Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank + 3'42
7. Andreas Klöden Agritubel + 3'45
8. Kim Kirchen Team Columbia + 4'49
9. Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto + 5'13
10. Thomas Dekker Rabobank + 5'32
11. Mikel Astarloza Euskaltel - Euskadi + 5'55
12. Óscar Pereiro Caisse d'Epargne + 6'13
13. Haimar Zubeldia Euskaltel - Euskadi + 6'24
14. Luis León Sánchez AG2R La Mondiale + 6'42
15. Robert Gesink Rabobank + 6'50
16. Vladimir Karpets Caisse d'Epargne + 7'05
17. Carlos Barredo Quick·Step + 8'00
18. Danilo Di Luca Team CSC - Saxo Bank + 8'10
19. Carlos Sastre LPR Brakes - Ballan + 8'17
20. Markus Fothen Gerolsteiner + 8'26

There was a sprint in a tt

as some stages end after 150km and the last climb is after 175.


no, there was no sprint

Le Tour de France Stage 15


Gerdemann was today in the breakaway and won some more points for his polka dot jersey.


Andy Schleck made the first attack on the last climb of the day...


Though he is not in the first group on the downhill. Luis Leon Sanchez, Kirchen and Di Luca are there


But Sanchez doesn't seem interested today and only Di Luca and Kirchen are in front now.


The pack seems to lost the fight for the stage win today


Di Luca attacks with 1.5km to go...


He surprised Kirchen with that and won some metres


Kirchen is trying to get back there but I don't think he can beat Di Luca now...


Di Luca wins, Kirchen second but at least he won some seconds over the other big guys in the pack.


Stage
1. Danilo Di Luca Team CSC - Saxo Bank 4h18'24
2. Kim Kirchen Team Columbia s.t.
3. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto + 34
4. Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto s.t.
5. Thomas Dekker Rabobank s.t.
6. Gilberto Simoni Astana Cycling Team s.t.
7. Óscar Sevilla Astana Cycling Team s.t.
8. Denis Menchov Rabobank s.t.
9. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team s.t.
10. Robert Gesink Rabobank s.t.

Overall
1. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto 59h41'14
2. Denis Menchov Rabobank + 58
3. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team + 2'32
4. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne + 2'43
5. Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
6. Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank + 3'42
7. Andreas Klöden Agritubel + 3'45
8. Kim Kirchen Team Columbia + 4'15
9. Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto + 5'13
10. Thomas Dekker Rabobank + 5'32

Points
1. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 233
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Columbia 170
3. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne 158

Mountain
1. Linus Gerdemann Team Columbia 115
2. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team 53
3. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto 52

Young: Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank
Teams: Rabobank

what I meant was that I think it would be hard to have schleck on your team, and it was good that you didn´t got him concetrate on develop gerdemann instead.
anyway, nice 2nd place.

gerdemann is five or six potential

...Gianni Meersman


We need a new cobble rider to help Maaskant and Burghardt. For that we were in negociations with Terpstra and Meersman. Gianni was the one that was happy with the contract that we could offer. He is a young Belgian nothen classics specialist that already can have good results, but he is more a promise for the future.


If we have a better look at his stats we will see that he is some kind of an all-rounder being a good fighter for the flat races, with the ability to sprint, which can make him one of our main riders for the sprints and have an important place in our train. Also he can climb, his hill and mountain stats are looking good. He know that at the moment he is just a team-mate for the big guys but he and we hope that he will be the leader in future.

Nice signing in Meersman!

yeah thanks, someone gave me the idea, but I forgot who,sorry.

Hello there.

so you was. thanks then

Le Tour de France Stage 16


A big breakaway group. Lampre and LPR had even 2 men there.


We are there for the final sprint. This could be our 8th and Eisel's 5th win this Tour.


Hincapie is in front. Only CSC is somehow close to us.


And the sprint starts... Hincapie in front... still only Breschel and Cancellara close to us


Hagen is now leading with Eisel ready to do the big move, while the CSC guys are really having a 'team strategy' at the moment.


It's time for Eisel's move now... and he got the lead


Cancellara accelerates... wtf... someone should tell him that this is a mass sprint!


And he gets it. Come one... Cancellara... ?! Still good day for us with 2 riders on the podium.


Stage
1. Fabian Cancellara Team CSC - Saxo Bank 3h14'35
2. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia s.t.
3. Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Columbia s.t.
4. Kenny Dehaes Topsport Vlaanderen s.t.
5. Heinrich Haussler Gerolsteiner s.t.
6. George Hincapie Team Columbia s.t.
7. Luciano Pagliarini Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
8. William Bonnet Crédit Agricole s.t.
9. Matti Breschel Team CSC - Saxo Bank s.t.
10. Filippo Pozzato Liquigas s.t.

Overall
1. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto 62h55'49
2. Denis Menchov Rabobank + 58
3. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team + 2'32
4. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne + 2'43
5. Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
6. Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank + 3'42
7. Andreas Klöden Agritubel + 3'45
8. Kim Kirchen Team Columbia + 4'15
9. Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto + 5'13
10. Thomas Dekker Rabobank + 5'32

Points
1. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 263
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Columbia 196
3. George Hincapie Team Columbia 178

Mountain
1. Linus Gerdemann Team Columbia 115
2. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team 53
3. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto 52

Young: Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank
Teams: Rabobank

No problem...always happy to make a suggestion.

lol @ Cancellara winning a bunch sprint. I'm not that surprised that Cancellara contested the sprint though because in my career(s) he tends to serve as a leadout man to Goss or JJ Haedo. I guess he got the nod to be the teams sprinter.

yep but I was expecting to see him leading-out for Breschel not the other way around

CSC sprinting is a bit messed up in the Tour 09 I guess

yeah but proably Breschel couldn't beat Eisel there so they had a good decision in the end.

Le Tour de France Stage 17


Rogers was today in the breakaway so Gerdemann's opponents won't get so much points for the polkda dot jersey.


Andy Schleck, Valverde, Sastre made an early attack today, on the penultimate climb. Yeah they need to win a lot of time


Samuel Sanchez made the first move on the last climb


Menchov went after him, he wants the yellow jersey back. Sastre, Andy and Valverde are almost caught


But Cadel is coming too


Kirchen attacks, Kloden is right after him. This could be the battle for the 7th place overall


Kim catches the first group, but Kloden cracked somewhere on the road. So a good chance for Kirchen to get back the 7th place that he lost in the TT


The front group is made by: Samuel Sanchez, Contador, Evans, Gesink, Menchov, Andy Schleck, Valverde, Kirchen, Sastre, Di Luca, Pereiro, Luis Leon Sanchez.


Impressive move by Menchov...


Contador and Evans are the only riders that can go after him. Still there's a gap made there


No problems for Menchov to take the win today. But can he take the yellow jersey as well?


No, Evans lost just a few seconds and keeps the yellow jersey


Good job for Kirchen, again arrived in the second group. Kloden wasn't there and Kim is now 7th overall


All the riders that finished today in the last group were eliminated. Wiggins and Eisel were there untill the last climb, but from there Wiggins started to work for Eisel and somehow the left the group behind and got in time at the finish.


Stage
1. Denis Menchov Rabobank 5h41'03
2. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team + 16
3. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto s.t.
4. Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel - Euskadi + 27
5. Carlos Sastre LPR Brakes - Ballan + 43
6. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
7. Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank s.t.
8. Robert Gesink Rabobank s.t.
9. Kim Kirchen Team Columbia s.t.
10. Danilo Di Luca Team CSC - Saxo Bank s.t.

Overall
1. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto 68h37'08
2. Denis Menchov Rabobank + 42
3. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team + 2'32
4. Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel - Euskadi + 2'54
5. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne + 3'10
6. Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank + 4'09
7. Kim Kirchen Team Columbia + 4'42
8. Andreas Klöden Agritubel + 5'22
9. Óscar Pereiro Caisse d'Epargne + 6'40
10. Yaroslav Popovych Silence - Lotto + 6'50

Points
1. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 263
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen Team Columbia 196
3. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne 181

Mountain
1. Linus Gerdemann Team Columbia 115
2. Cadel Evans Silence - Lotto 79
3. Alberto Contador Astana Cycling Team 79

Young: Andy Schleck Team CSC - Saxo Bank
Teams: Rabobank

Great move by Wiggins and Eisel. I think it would be a great feature in future PCM versions to see the time limit the riders need to be in. I often hope that sprinters will be out of time, but it doesn't happen that often.

Any big names that abandoned?