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Anyone in?

So far the stage is pretty good. 35K to go.

 

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i cant tell if ricco is just gonna hang with conti until mid climb, "look him in the eye," then strike like the "cobra" he is.

 

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one wonders how much help colom will be now after a solo break on teh mountain

 

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you must also ask yourself if astana did, in fact, have a deal with CSF yesterday and today. a little help yesterday and astana helps them up the hill, letting sella solo away on the last col.

 

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sella is just marching up the road, like he needs the green points. of course, he has that jersey sewn up.

 

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shucks. we lost a reader

 

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colom munches a sammy and tries to pass a nanner to contador.
meanwhile, the cobra is telling conti to race, but conti gestures, "im not gonna carry you up the hill to beat me. ill eat this here banana. yumm. dont you wish you had one."

 

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sella is still crusing, now in the drops.
but he grimaces a bit.

meanwhile, there is some rather intense conversation back in the pink jersey group

 

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conti is riding with pink bar tape today. and it looks as though the guys in chicago may have produced some one-off pink hoods for the sram group.

too bad for astana there will be no yellow hoods. only possible for saunier

 

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diluca is having trouble trouble today, and looks quite tiny behind the caisse rider he is marking

 

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sella now gets some g2 looking drink and tries to un screw the top with one hand and his teeth. its tough to climb no handed, but he ends up making the sacrifice for some beverage

 

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race situation from Cycling news:
Emanuele Sella (CSF Group Navigare)

Gilberto Simoni (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli) at 0.13

Antonio Colom Mas (Astana), Alberto Contador Velasco (Astana), Riccardo Riccò (Saunier Duval - Scott), Denis Menchov (Rabobank), Joaquin Rodriguez (Caisse d'Epargne), Domenico Pozzovivo (CSF Group Navigare), Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre), Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Silence - Lotto), Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas), Tadej Valjavec (AG2R La Mondiale) and Fortunato Baliani (CSF Group Navigare) at 0.54

Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes) at 1.28

 

[Guest]

Is Di luca still in the front group?

 

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jains 89: diluca is 1:28 back and struggling.

not a fake struggle, either.

 

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sweet. ccyling news is behind me in making comments. hehe.

diluca is still with the caisse rider, but now the lead wheel. he looks hurt, bobbing his head, riding the bike like a monkey. he is even straining out of the saddle.

 

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the pink jersey group is now working together, with conti last wheel.

sella now gets some GU.

simoni is dropping a bit back from sella

 

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Bruseghin is chomping at the bt to get the pink group moving, and the cobra comes up to the front, too.

i wouldnt be surprised if these two tried to attach together

 

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the DS is banging on the car door to give simoni inspiration. it might be working, as simoni seems to be goin better

 

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20k to the finish for sella as he goes under the banner

 

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the cobra is very focused as he leads the pink group with bruiser second wheel.

ricco slithers back two wheels to take a place behind denny menchov