TDF Stage 1 **SPOILERS**

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  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    mididoctors wrote:
    inkyfingers wrote:
    mididoctors wrote:
    contador to climb off before paris

    Unless he's ill or really injured I can't see that happening. Even if he loses another 3 seconds tomorrow he'll still only be 2 minutes down. If he's even close to his Giro form then he can take that time back in the mountains and the final TT.

    Does anybody know if there are green jersey points available in the TTT tomorrow?

    its not just the time but the pressure

    booed across the line again

    I'm not Contador's biggest fan, but he's shown on several occasions that he's thick skinned enough not to care about that sort of thing
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • --Darren--
    --Darren-- Posts: 70
    I'm not Contador's biggest fan, but he's shown on several occasions that he's thick skinned enough not to care about that sort of thing

    Skin as thick as a bull's :wink:
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    edited July 2011
    Go Gilbert. How amazing to watch someone of such supreme and reliable dominance.

    Contador will have to demonstrate pure class and dominance and CRUSH these LUCKY riders in the TT and mountains.

    If it was a spectators fault then that person is a total dickhead.

    Getty
    1fb35034c2257bec2bf9eaeeaa6539f1-getty-_.jpg
    e9d38ecdf921deaf4e17f35b9ddf4f27-getty-_.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Brajkovic and Tom D down too. Not fair for those two. GRM not in luck.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • rjh299
    rjh299 Posts: 721
    Pokerface wrote:
    Was anyone from crash 1 delayed by crash 2? Or was the road clear by the time the riders from crash 1 got to the site of crash 2?

    It seems they were 30 seconds back at one point, but then ended up finishing over a minute (1:20) down. That's a lot of time lost in a short space?

    Was also surprised to see them casually rolling in. Would have thought they would be caning it to try not to lose extra time.

    I thought that, they were 30-40 seconds back, 2nd crash fills whole of the road with cars aswell, surely this must have slowed Contador aswell?
    Should open up the race anyway, Tony Martin for yellow tomorrow.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Just saw the crash. The guys in front are without honour.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • avalon
    avalon Posts: 345
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Just saw the crash. The guys in front are without honour.

    You have the upper hand there. The guys in front didn't see the crash.
  • cogidubnus
    cogidubnus Posts: 860
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Just saw the crash. The guys in front are without honour.

    So you mean a true champion wouldn't attack when someone's chain has come off?
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    I am not rising to that BS. Go educate yourself.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,662
    FF are you suggesting that the group should have waited for AC?!
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • pb21
    pb21 Posts: 2,171
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Just saw the crash. The guys in front are without honour.

    The race was on!
    Mañana
  • seanoconn
    seanoconn Posts: 11,633
    Turned the telly off in a huff when i thought Wiggins had lost over a minute on the first stage. just found out the updated times.

    :D:D:D GET IN!
    Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    pb21 wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Just saw the crash. The guys in front are without honour.

    The race was on!

    Exactly. No-one's going to sit up a wait with 5km to go.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    What's done is done. The race begins and I hope Alberto rides cut-throat style. No holding back, no gifts, just all out at every good opportunity to annihilate them.

    Mollema, Kreuziger down too. Feel sorry for all these guys having to start out on the backfoot from go.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • sing_for_absolution
    sing_for_absolution Posts: 1,908
    Indeed. Don't let your support of Contador cloud what was a racing incident. That's life. It's made the rest of the race a lot more interesting.
  • avoidingmyphd
    avoidingmyphd Posts: 1,154
    Pokerface wrote:
    Was anyone from crash 1 delayed by crash 2? Or was the road clear by the time the riders from crash 1 got to the site of crash 2?

    It seems they were 30 seconds back at one point, but then ended up finishing over a minute (1:20) down. That's a lot of time lost in a short space?

    Was also surprised to see them casually rolling in. Would have thought they would be caning it to try not to lose extra time.

    Contador's chase group caught up with the victims of the 2nd crash. There was nothing stopping Contador, Sanchez et al pushing all the way to the line but they didn't - they just joined that group. The 36 seconds they lost due to the first crash is bad luck. The other 45 seconds, which they lost because they decided to amble along in the Andy Schleck/Wiggins group rather than pushing on is entirely their own fault. Tactical error.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    I like the Skoda advert just on ITV4

    Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI2mCONkoro
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Just saw the crash. The guys in front are without honour.

    Does that include Gilbert?
  • sing_for_absolution
    sing_for_absolution Posts: 1,908
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Just saw the crash. The guys in front are without honour.

    Does that include Gilbert?

    :lol:

    I wonder who that woman in the yellow t-shirt was. She wasn't even looking!
  • avoidingmyphd
    avoidingmyphd Posts: 1,154
    Bruyneel lying here, at 16-20 seconds:
    "At no moment we've been driving the bunch".
    http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/07/ ... uck_181276
    Does he know the race is televised?
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Does that include Gilbert?

    No, because he is a great champion. And stylish. Or so my style bible tells me.

    stylish_mastubator_small-1.jpg[/url]
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • B3rnieMac
    B3rnieMac Posts: 384
    from Flandis' twitter:

    "getting caught up on 1st stage: 6 miles to go, and person in YELLOW on side of road threw an elbow. Who always wears yellow and is mean?"

    :lol:
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,462
    frenchfighter wrote:
    G

    Contador will have to demonstrate pure class and dominance and CRUSH these LUCKY riders in the TT and mountains.

    If the shoe had been on the other foot, would you have been saying that only a champion avoids crashes?

    Contador's position in the bunch was suspect, he paid the price for that.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    andyp wrote:

    Contador's position in the bunch was suspect, he paid the price for that.

    In the last 30km I kept looking for him. Saw Evans right on the front, A Schleck, Basso, Wiggins, all with their noses just about in the wind but no sign of Bert.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • secretsqirrel
    secretsqirrel Posts: 2,041
    The spectator was hit by Max Iglinskiy. He's OK, but I suspect the spectator has a big dent.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    Yes, it must be said, Contador made an elementary mistake on narrow roads, being that far back with well under 10kms to go.
    Maybe he was chatting to Samu, or maybe it was just a lapse in concentration, which would be uncharacteristic, but possibly a result of his "reception" from the French fans.

    Either way, it probably means the mountain stages might kick off a bit earlier than usual.

    AndyP has nailed Frenchfanboy to perfection, with his shoe on the other foot, call.

    Andy S has criticized Contador for being asleep.
    http://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/tour-de-fr ... 581090.ece

    Oh, the irony.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    RichN95 wrote:
    pb21 wrote:
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Just saw the crash. The guys in front are without honour.

    The race was on!

    Exactly. No-one's going to sit up a wait with 5km to go.

    I remember in 1999 when GC contender Alex Zulle lost 5 minutes after the riders who didn't get caught in the crash on the Passage du Gois raced away – that was something like with 15km to go. Rather ironic that the same place was in today's stage.
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Le Commentateur wrote:
    I remember in 1999 when GC contender Alex Zulle lost 5 minutes after the riders who didn't get caught in the crash on the Passage du Gois raced away – that was something like with 15km to go. Rather ironic that the same place was in today's stage.

    It was more like 100km to go...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T66LLvqgZS4
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,246
    Not a good day for the French hopes. The three guys who've been getting most of the press I've seen (Coppel, Kern and Gadret) all finished 1:55 down.
  • dougzz
    dougzz Posts: 1,833
    iainf72 wrote:
    andyp wrote:

    Contador's position in the bunch was suspect, he paid the price for that.

    In the last 30km I kept looking for him. Saw Evans right on the front, A Schleck, Basso, Wiggins, all with their noses just about in the wind but no sign of Bert.

    I think this could make the race interesting. Is this an early indication that Bert is not the invincible force, or is it a nothing incident that will be long forgotten when he takes 5 minutes out of any one that matters to Luz Ardiden? Was his failing to be in the right place at the right time an indication of poor conditioning post Giro, or just a random chance? Personally I thought today was great, it was the Tour, it was big and colourful, Gilbert was so strong, watching Canc just give up when he knew that Gilbert had too much. Poor old Cadel did everything right and still didn't gain much, he deserves better. Personally, I'm lovin' it.

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