Stage 5 - Le Cap d'Agde > Perpignan SPOILER

245

Comments

  • sportbilly1976
    sportbilly1976 Posts: 524
    Gap of 9'30"

    first intermediate sprint:

    Geslin - 6pts
    Hutarovich - 4pts
    Voeckler - 2pts
  • sportbilly1976
    sportbilly1976 Posts: 524
    Columbia HTC chasing the gap down....

    now 8'10"
  • sportbilly1976
    sportbilly1976 Posts: 524
    now 5'20" ahead of the chasing group

    A bunch sprint seems the most likely - Columbia know they have today & tomorrow to get Cav the stage win points, then a few days "rest2 whilst in the hills before some more flatter stages...

    The other teams know this and so will let HTC do most of the work....
  • nolf
    nolf Posts: 1,287
    alfablue wrote:
    ITV4 red button from 13.30-16.30

    It's not working, they're just showing yesterdays stage on ITV4
    "I hold it true, what'er befall;
    I feel it, when I sorrow most;
    'Tis better to have loved and lost;
    Than never to have loved at all."

    Alfred Tennyson
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    French tv now live, with 128kms to go.
    Laurent Jalabert's prognosis: Immediately talks about the "dangerous" 40kms, between Leucate and Argeles. Almost a crosswind, (rear right shoulder) and a very "lively" finish.
    Gap at 4'-20"
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Anyone else see this - it was pretty disgusting? The police on mbikes that lead the riders should have sorted this indecent exposure out. You think they are from the US? Those guys in the TofCaliformia were pertty stupid.

    tdf09st04-naked.jpg

    Perhaps he's a hitchhiker on his way to Cap d'Agde?
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Breakaway is down to 3.30 now with 120km to go. Are the bunch, led by Garmin and Columbia, not chasing too hard? Maybe they are nervous and riding fast to stay at the front.
  • sportbilly1976
    sportbilly1976 Posts: 524
    any free streaming on t'internet available?

    ...Eurosport.fr is good for text commentary (and I get to practise my french :D )
  • sportbilly1976
    sportbilly1976 Posts: 524
    dble post
  • Rhods
    Rhods Posts: 400
    As we wait a while for the fun to begin, would anyone mind telling me how echelons work. I know that they go "diagonally" etc. and provide shelter but I can't work it out quite in my head! Does the 1st man go on the side of the road from where the wind is coming, or the other side?

    Thanks
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    On the side where the wind is coming from. If the wind is blowing from the left, then you as a rider want to be to the right of the rider in front of you, sort of diagonally, because you need to be behind his slipstream but also in the shadow of the wind coming from the left. After a few riders you run out of road, so the rider in the right gutter is the last in the shelter of the wind (crosswind and wind from pedalling forwards). Who ever is behind has next to no protection.
  • Obelix
    Obelix Posts: 18
    From twitter:
    lionelbirnie Stopped on the course around 65k from the finish and the wind is howling. It keeps changing direction too.

    Excellent!!!!

    Hope Quickstep and a few of the others go for some echelons!
  • Rhods
    Rhods Posts: 400
    That's made it clearer. Thanks Kleber.

    One more question! Is it as difficult as I think it is for the first rider to fit in at the rear of the echelon after he's peeled off?

    Thanks again.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    Rhods wrote:
    As we wait a while for the fun to begin, would anyone mind telling me how echelons work. I know that they go "diagonally" etc. and provide shelter but I can't work it out quite in my head! Does the 1st man go on the side of the road from where the wind is coming, or the other side?

    Thanks

    The Guardian's website has an animated explaination

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/interactive/2009/jul/02/tour-de-france-2009

    Click on the Tactics button.

    Essentially - what Kleber said
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • sportbilly1976
    sportbilly1976 Posts: 524
    Rhods - they can effectively chaingang it - I remember the group doing something similar during this years Tour of Oman..

    ..
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Rhods wrote:
    That's made it clearer. Thanks Kleber.

    One more question! Is it as difficult as I think it is for the first rider to fit in at the rear of the echelon after he's peeled off?

    Thanks again.

    They need to rotate but essentially a slight difference in speed soon generates big time gaps. Imagine riding into a big headwind when everyone is at 100%, lose the wheel in front of you and your chances of getting it back are slim. With a crosswind it's the same, only you need to think of positioning more carefully and you can only fit riders across the road instead of having a 100 rider long snake-shaped group.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Quite a few crashes today. Robert Gesink just went into a ditch and seems to be suffering with his left shoulder. Currently being paced back into the bunch.

    Matt Lloyd, Staf Schierlinckx and several others have also gone down today.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Bunch going for it now. A bit mean on Rabo and Gesink.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Gesink is screwed. Very harsh.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    They're coming on to the windy causeway section alongside the Leucate salt lake. Could get very lively now.
  • Mettan
    Mettan Posts: 2,103
    Anyone got an English (commentators) link guys? - I've got Russian (commentator) Eurosport Live on at the moment.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    63km/h a short while back - they are flying and Gesink is still not back on,. Two pacing him as well as the team car.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    The next 40km will be pan flat and exposed to a howling wind.

    Gesink seems unable to get on the drops, he's a minute behind already now.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Gesink is over a minute behind the bunch. Nightmare.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    BIG SPLIT IN PELOTON
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Boonen in 2nd half...is he ever going to get a chance to sprint?!

    He got caught out in Gent too (puncture I think) although he worked crazy hard to try and pull back.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    FOUR ECHELONS
    Contador is the Greatest
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Well, there you go. Leucate, as predicted. Eyeballs out time.
    Gesink couldn't have picked a worse spot to crash.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Boonen flatted which is why he is not at the front. Contador and Armstrong and Cancellara as well as most if not all Colombia at the front.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Eurostar
    Eurostar Posts: 1,806
    Right, just got in. Can somebody tell me who's trying to do what?
    <hr>
    <h6>What\'s the point of going out? We\'re just going to end up back here anyway</h6>

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