Stage 2 SPOILER ( Do not read if you don't want to know res)

jimmythecuckoo

What was happening with Boonen today?

He couldn't get round Steeeeeeegmans in the final metres and ended up second.

I have added a poll below to get your opinions.

In other news Cav fell again and if he was the T-Mob rider who ended up on the right hand side of the road he is very lucky only to have gashed his arm. Cancellara looked a bit unhappy as he crossed the line holding his arm and we had the unique moment where all the riders held up behind the crash watched the finale on the big screen, a bit like me in the Mall on Saturday...only I am not a pro bike rider...

Other than that, not much happened today, there was a super break which got caught with 3k's to go and a very long straight road by a canal where the local amateurs where riding on the toe path the other side to try and keep pace with the peloton. Very amusing stuff.

I am watching on Eurosport as it is less cliche ridden than ITV4 (yes even with Duffers) and they picked out a camera motorbike falling into a ditch as their highlight of the day.

Has Stephen Roche's luggage turned up yet? as he was wearing an even tighter t-shirt today and sat in the studio with his arms crossed to hide his belly

Dingbat

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

Has Stephen Roche's luggage turned up yet? as he was wearing an even tighter t-shirt today and sat in the studio with his arms crossed to hide his belly

Don't knock it. seeing as he's three years younger than me, it makes me feel less self conscious about mine!

ridgerider

Boonen did give a very good impression of trying to win the stage today.

Mr Bumble

I have a kind of feeling that Boonen will not be wearing green for long....

Though I would love it if he could show the 2005 form again

Bronzie

Poor old Fast Freddy Rodriguez..............looks like he's broken his collarbone...............and had to have ITV4's mike shoved under his nose as he crawled over the line at the same time.

Cav was "not available for comment" at the finish............can you blame him, he must be so pi$$ed off. 2 stages, 2 crashes, no points..............it's a steep learning curve for a 21-year-old.

digitaria

I think Steegmans was as surprised as everyone else when he pipped Boonen to the post. It wasn't supposed to happen like that but Steegmans thought everyone else was right on their wheels and he couldn't afford to let up.

Gentleman that he is, Tom didn't resent the result.

afx237vi

The same thing happened at this year's Het Volk when Steegmans was well ahead in the sprint and actually had to brake to let Tom win. I guess it must be kinda embarrassing being beaten by your lead-out man...

ridgerider

Was he too good for McEwan last year, was that why did they let him go?

Dingbat

afx237vi wrote:

The same thing happened at this year's Het Volk when Steegmans was well ahead in the sprint and actually had to brake to let Tom win. I guess it must be kinda embarrassing being beaten by your lead-out man...

you've just reminded me of today's pre-stage chat on Eurosport, when someone emailed a question about how domestiques can 'move up', and Stephen Roche mentioned that Sean Kelly managed it when he was told to be lead-out for Freddy Maertens, and Maertens couldn't keep up with him.

Mr Bumble

I think today Boonen showed just how gracious a sportsman he is again....saluting the victory of his comrade, you could see he was genuinely delighted for him! Just like how he raised his arms and beamed when Pozzato won the Milan San Remo in 2005 ahead of him...

Makes the victory the more beautiful when they salute together like Gibo and Piepoli on the zoncolan....

jimmythecuckoo

I do like Boonen and do not want to be seen as casting an aspersion, but it is interesting to see how he has slowed down since the drug rumours.

hevipedal

digitaria wrote:

I think Steegmans was as surprised as everyone else when he pipped Boonen to the post. It wasn't supposed to happen like that but Steegmans thought everyone else was right on their wheels and he couldn't afford to let up.

Gentleman that he is, Tom didn't resent the result.

Tom didn't mind???? you mean in front of the cameras...... he probably ripped into his teddies once he got to the hotel.

skut

afx237vi wrote:

The same thing happened at this year's Het Volk when Steegmans was well ahead in the sprint and actually had to brake to let Tom win. I guess it must be kinda embarrassing being beaten by your lead-out man...

I think it was actually Kurne-Bruxelles-Kurne - and I'm not sure he braked, just freewheeled.

Can't see Boonen playing second fiddle to Steegmans for too long - he definitely seems to be out of form though, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he doesn't win a single stage in this years TDF

Gussio

Quotes from both of them in the press (and on the BikeRadar news section) suggest that Boonen gifted the stage win in return for past helps. If that is the case, I tip my hat to him.

"I put it in my 53x11 gear and went as hard as could for as long as possible." Good going given the incline!

xio

looked to me like Boonen eased off when he saw there was no danger from anyone else - I think he let him take it.