Tour De France 2011 - The Commuters Spolier Thread

tailwindhome

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Quick question for those in the know: why is it that a group of riders will often be awarded the exact same time even though many will have crossed the line several seconds later? A way to avoid potential carnage with aggressive riding within a bunch?

I'm not in the know but I'll answer anyway....yes.

The bunch are all awarded the time of the first rider across the line. If there is an indentifable gap in the bunch then the second bit of the bunch is awarded a different time.

This means it is really important for the GC riders to be in the main bunch with the other GC riders as they cross the line as being on the wrong side of even a smalll gap can cost several seconds for no reason.

suzyb

I see the French TV car driver decided to give Flecha the full British cycling experience :shock:

DonDaddyD

If I was Flecha I would finish todays race just to catch up with that driver and beat the effing living sh*t out of that driver!

Props to Flecha's MTFU ability by managing to get back up and on the bike, good thing he didn't go under the red car behind and I hope the other guy who was flung from the road and into the wire fenc is OK!

Team Sky's luck has been dreadful!

Oddjob62

Hope Hoogerland can at least finish this stage and get the Kom

DonDaddyD

Back of his legs look like a slaughter house flick

cjcp

Oddjob62 wrote:

Hope Hoogerland can at least finish this stage and get the Kom

+1

Agent57

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xju50g ... 2011_sport

Go forward to 0:45 for the crash. The car obviously swerved to avoid a tree, completely failing to consider the impact on the cyclists he was passing. Terrible driving; the sort of thing any one of us could encounter on our daily commutes, mind.

suzyb

cjcp wrote:

Oddjob62 wrote:

Hope Hoogerland can at least finish this stage and get the Kom

+1

+2

Did anyone else see Flecha clapping as he was caught. Bit of sarcasm perhaps.

Just watched the crash again. Hoogerland didn't half fly into that fence. Image terrible indeed.

And I see the water bottle from the tour of California is there.

optimisticbiker

Good to see Hoogerland on the podium to get the KOM jersey, but I have a nasty feeling he wont be riding out wearing it on Tuesday... he was in real pain...

Oddjob62

“Nobody can be blamed for this." - Johnny Hoogerland

I'm sure the inquiry will think differently, as will he when he sees the footage.

gaddster

Really nasty crash with that car, glad to see they got up and finished. Driver must have come from the commuter school of driving.

tailwindhome

"Compagnon désolé, je n'ai pas vous voir"

mtb-idle

yup really nasty.

The fence pic



to think that they both got up after that and rode another 35km over a couple of reasonable size hills is amazing.

Agent57

Kieran_Burns

Tour director Christian Prudhomme said the car had failed to heed directives on the race's official radio channel.

"I announced on Radio Tour, which is the channel everyone should be listening to, that all cars should pull to the side and give priority to the team cars," said Prudhomme.

"The car previously received the order from the race direction not to pass and let the Europcar team manager get through to the breakaway to give Thomas Voeckler the bottle he was asking for.

"They did not take that order into account... and caused the crash of both riders. This behaviour is intolerable."

rjsterry

Just caught this on the evening news.

:shock: is all I can say, really.

jonny_trousers

Youch! :shock:

I reckon a call to injurykawyers4u might be in order. It wasn't a NOTW car by ant chance was it?

Gussio

Enjoyed watching Hushovd have the cleat on his left shoe adjusted at 40mph yesterday, followed by him doing the domestique bit with the drinks. He is a very cool competitor.

navt

TailWindHome wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Quick question for those in the know: why is it that a group of riders will often be awarded the exact same time even though many will have crossed the line several seconds later? A way to avoid potential carnage with aggressive riding within a bunch?

I'm not in the know but I'll answer anyway....yes.

The bunch are all awarded the time of the first rider across the line. If there is an indentifable gap in the bunch then the second bit of the bunch is awarded a different time.

This means it is really important for the GC riders to be in the main bunch with the other GC riders as they cross the line as being on the wrong side of even a smalll gap can cost several seconds for no reason.

Spot on TWH. See this http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/knowing-some-important-tour-de-france-regulations.html

scattered pedals

Chasing Legends is on ITV4 after the highlights tomorrow

tailwindhome

Apparently there is some sort of race to decide the overall winner... a Yellow Jersey competition.

Dunno. Maybe it'll start soon.

iPete

Can't wait for Chasing Legends!

I'm sure I can could on BR for an honest commuter opinions.... would buying a HTC Highroad Team Jersey result in me A) looking like a d*ck attracting more wheel suckers or C) all of the above?

Yes... too much tour on telly!

greg66_tri_v2.0

TailWindHome wrote:

Apparently there is some sort of race to decide the overall winner... a Yellow Jersey competition.

Dunno. Maybe it'll start soon.

Hmm. My top 4 so far are the Schlecks (x2), Evans and Contador. And I don't see any of them trying anything decisive today. I think they will mark each other all the way to the top. all waiting for someone else to make the first move.

bigmat

There should at least be a selection today, with the main contenders being left as a smallish group at the end. Schlecks, Evans, Bertie, Sammy S should all be there, will be interesting to see how Basso is going. Who else? Maybe Gesink, Martin, Velits, Roche? Bound to be a couple of wild cards there too, someone usually flies under the radar. Could be Uran, although maybe he'll try a long one for the stage - not sure how he descends, but a group of good climbers could break on the Tourmalet and potentially stay away for the win.

cjcp

Hands up those who think they'll be able to any work whatsoever this afternoon?

I think Contador will try to have a pop at the Schlecks and Evans up Luz Ardiden. It's steep enough for him to take some time out of the other GC contenders, even if it means A Schleck can follow but Evans can't - at least, he'll then have weakened one of his rivals. He also needs to eliminate the threat posed by Frank - at the moment, he can't let Frank or Andy go (the problem Evans had in 2008 up ADH with Sastre and F Schleck), so he'll attack himself. When his back was to the wall in 2009, he attacked up Arcalis. He'll (try to?) do the same thing again.

jonginge

iPete wrote:

I'm sure I can could on BR for an honest commuter opinions.... would buying a HTC Highroad Team Jersey result in me A) looking like a d*ck attracting more wheel suckers or C) all of the above?

Yes... too much tour on telly!

If you want it buy it. I was wearing a Garmin top this morning (admittedly it came free with my 500 but still) and have a FdJ jersey which I really like. I wish I'd picked up a 2008 HTC-Colombia jersey. Liked those

That On-One jersey you had on today was fancy-dan


My boss is on holiday. This afternoon I will be mostly trying to find internet feeds that work.

pitchshifter

JonGinge wrote:

My boss is on holiday. This afternoon I will be mostly trying to find internet feeds that work.

If you can hack Phil and Paul and them Boardman adverts.

TvCatchup.com , harmless registration and stream ITV4.

Geraint Thomas is in the break! Hopefully takes the young jersey today.

jonginge

Yeah, signed up for itv streaming but I tend to watch ES at work from one of the streams listed on cyclingfans.com or steephill.tv

My DVR at home is recording all the live and highlights show on ITV4 (don't have ES at home). This combo seems to be the best of both worlds

MonkeyMonster

JonGinge wrote:

Yeah, signed up for itv streaming but I tend to watch ES at work from one of the streams listed on cyclingfans.com or steephill.tv

My DVR at home is recording all the live and highlights show on ITV4 (don't have ES at home). This combo seems to be the best of both worlds

It worked last year - is that lovely app called apple block can do the adverts too as they are tagged differently.

DonDaddyD

Nothing will happen today except some posturing and peacock feather waving. The most exciting thing about today's race will be the speculation happening in this forum.

Contador is too tactically minded to go launching a blitzkrieg attack now.

If Contador attacks, even if he attacks Cadel, both Andy and Frank will respond most likely working together to unstick and break him. He (Contador) knows there is strength in numbers and that he doesn't have a team or wingman strong enough to go with him to take the fight to the Schlecks.

What's more likely to happen is Contador will sit back and mark Andy/Frank and wait to see if Cadel will attack.

The Schlecks don't need to attack, they may not have the team (I think of the four Cadel has to be honest) but they have each other in the high hills/mountains. In their mind it's theirs to win, defend and control. They also no it's unlikely Cadel and Contador will work together.

Three things will unpick the Schlecks. One of them drops out (ala last year), one of them drops off the pace leaving the remaining Schleck fair game for Cadel and Contador to ravage or they get to a point in the race where they are both viable GC contenders and start racing each other - which would be counter productive.

Cadel he is the weakest of them all and the biggest threat as he has (in my mind) the team and will attack because he needs to in order to break the other guys. Schlecks and Contador will be weary of him because if he continually attacks they need to respond (fully) not leaving much left in the tank to combat each other.

If I was in anyone's shoes I'd be Contador's. I know I have the ability so I'd sit back and wait. Having said that, I think being in Cadel's shoes would be more fun!