TdF Stage 3 *spoiler*

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Comments

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,157
    calvjones wrote:

    On form this morning Rich!

    That's because I've got the day off.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Niki Terpstra has not taken the start.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    4763497801_ff15344b2f_b.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • squired
    squired Posts: 1,153
    I don't want them crashing and getting hurt, but I'm hoping Andy, Frank and Mr Contador all lose a few minutes today. The reason I want this is that it will lead to some attacking riding when the race hits the mountains. If they all get through today without losing any time the Alps will just be a case of "defend and wait for the final week". Then we get to the big finish on the Tourmalet and a headwind nullifies attacking...

    I also hope Chavanel loses time. He was the only guy riding hard yesterday at the end and it would be disappointing to see him sit in the yellow jersey for the next week.
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    RichN95 wrote:
    calvjones wrote:

    On form this morning Rich!

    That's because I've got the day off.

    b*stard.

    Locking my door in the Business School at 1pm and it ain't opening til 5...
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,328
    squired wrote:

    I also hope Chavanel loses time. He was the only guy riding hard yesterday at the end and it would be disappointing to see him sit in the yellow jersey for the next week.

    I hope the opposite for the same reasons. Good luck to him.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Me too, re: Chavanel. He managed himself down the descent ok, pressed home his advantage, has a team more than capable of making the big favourites lives difficult today and can climb a bit.

    Has to be good for the race.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,865
    Kléber wrote:
    mididoctors wrote:
    wiggins can ride the cobbles ok

    placed 14 in PR
    He was supposed to be handy in prologues too :wink:

    can't handle the hype and pressure?
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,865
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Me too, re: Chavanel. He managed himself down the descent ok, pressed home his advantage, has a team more than capable of making the big favourites lives difficult today and can climb a bit.

    Has to be good for the race.

    good for most of the Gc guys as well

    QS control the race for the first week...
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,819
    Can see some people doing well that might surprise a few :
    Wiggins : as said already, has ridden P-R and done ok, Millar - not sure he's ridden P-R but did RVV this year, I know the P-R cobbles are much worse but still, he has an idea of how to ride them.
    Cav - could do ok if he is motivated.
    Evans - in the nasty conditions on the Giro Eroica roads he did fine.
    Schlecks however coudl do real bad, they're skinny bu66ers and don't seem to like it when the going gets tough : Frank is only 63Kgs or so, Andy 67 ?
  • Ash_
    Ash_ Posts: 385
    Regarding the no bike changes from the roadside 'rule' - Couldn't Mavic get some of those nice, never-ever-used, yellow neutral service bikes* off their cars and position them along the pave? a sort of compromise measure if you will.






    *Which are Cannondales, in case you were wondering.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,865
    millar is on record for saying he hates the cobbles
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • tomb8555
    tomb8555 Posts: 229
    mididoctors wrote:
    millar is on record for saying he hates the cobbles

    Doesn't mean he's not good on them.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,648
    I hate the cobbles, but I'm ace on them. It's all about technique, which Millar has falling out of his eyes.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,865
    the whole mechanical doping thing

    retarded
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Attack by

    Steve Cummings (Team Sky), Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions), Pavel Brutt (Katusha), Pierre Rolland (Bbox Bouygues Telecom), Roger Kluge (Milram), Stéphane Auge (Cofidis) and Imanol Erviti (Caisse d’Epargne)

    30 seconds up
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,865
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    I hate the cobbles, but I'm ace on them. It's all about technique, which Millar has falling out of his eyes.

    hope your right

    I would like to see Millar up in the mix
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,865
    or ryder
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    Any idea how many riders started today? According to Cycling News there were 197 riders who posted times for the Prologue, and 193 classified finishers yesterday.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    iainf72 wrote:
    Attack by

    Steve Cummings (Team Sky), Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions), Pavel Brutt (Katusha), Pierre Rolland (Bbox Bouygues Telecom), Roger Kluge (Milram), Stéphane Auge (Cofidis) and Imanol Erviti (Caisse d’Epargne)

    30 seconds up
    Good group, Erviti's a bit out of his depth but the rest are solid.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Very solid. All tough guys too.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    andyrr wrote:
    Can see some people doing well that might surprise a few :
    Wiggins : as said already, has ridden P-R and done ok, Millar - not sure he's ridden P-R but did RVV this year, I know the P-R cobbles are much worse but still, he has an idea of how to ride them.
    Cav - could do ok if he is motivated.
    Evans - in the nasty conditions on the Giro Eroica roads he did fine.
    Schlecks however coudl do real bad, they're skinny bu66ers and don't seem to like it when the going gets tough : Frank is only 63Kgs or so, Andy 67 ?
    Basically you see English-speaking riders do well, and others less?
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    Fraenk and Andy can speak English.
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    iainf72 wrote:
    Attack by

    Steve Cummings (Team Sky), Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions), Pavel Brutt (Katusha), Pierre Rolland (Bbox Bouygues Telecom), Roger Kluge (Milram), Stéphane Auge (Cofidis) and Imanol Erviti (Caisse d’Epargne)

    30 seconds up

    Some very strong names for the finale in there. Interesting, no Lotto, no QS, no Belgians...
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Can't see QS pressing home their advantage - they'll be forced to defend yellow whilst other teams without GC contenders will try and force a break - expect to see Katusha, Lotto, B Box and FdJ on the front
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,648
    Lack of QS explained by the two jerseys and a feeling they'll try to rip it up later
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    mididoctors wrote:

    can't handle the hype and pressure?

    Yep - because he's really screwed up at the Olympics when a clear fav.... :P
    http://www.georgesfoundation.org
    http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
    http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    CN Ticker saying Chavanel stopping the peloton to water the verge, gap out to 3 minutes. QS clearly like what they see up there.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • clanton
    clanton Posts: 1,289
    Approx what time will they hit the pave? Want to try to watch that!
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Dave Harmon has tweeted about the cobbled sections. He thinks it'll be a much bigger group at the finish than people expect.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.

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