TDF Stage 7 **SPOILERS**

123457

Comments

  • ms_tree
    ms_tree Posts: 1,405
    Hinzy9 wrote:
    Whatever they gave him in that hospital... I want some! :P :shock:

    Yeah! He was kinda spaced out wasn't he. Almost human!
    'Google can bring back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.'
    Neil Gaiman
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    RichN95 wrote:
    I have to say, ITV excelled themselves with their highlights package tonight.

    The in-car footage used to help tell the story, interviews with all the right people, and all edited together really fast (as it was later finish today).

    Chapeau ITV.

    You're of the Welsh. Is it normal to pronounce Geraint like you're flemish? Mr Sherwen seems to think so....
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • shakey88
    shakey88 Posts: 289
    I'd offer my soul to the devil for it to be Vino crashing out and not Wiggins. Where's the justice in that!>?
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    iainf72 wrote:
    You're of the Welsh. Is it normal to pronounce Geraint like you're flemish? Mr Sherwen seems to think so....

    I'm only half of the Welsh (originally from Berkshire, Welsh mother).

    But yes, I did notice he says 'Heraint' yesterday. I don't usually slag off commentators but I did half shout at the screen "he's from Cardiff, not Rotterdam!"
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • woodford2barbican
    woodford2barbican Posts: 1,505
    Wiggo was in my fantasy team. Gutted.
  • le_patron
    le_patron Posts: 494
    Anyone else thinking that Prudhomme's desire to make the first week more open is having an unintended effect ? Maybe that succession of 'boring' flat stages for the sprinters before the GC guys take off in the mountains makes more sense now, everyone knows their place, nerves are worked out of the system and there is less movement in the bunch.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,795
    le patron wrote:
    Anyone else thinking that Prudhomme's desire to make the first week more open is having an unintended effect ? Maybe that succession of 'boring' flat stages for the sprinters before the GC guys take off in the mountains makes more sense now, everyone knows their place, nerves are worked out of the system and there is less movement in the bunch.

    hmmmm lets see how it pans out

    I think its good what they have done

    this all happened on a boring flat stage
    "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: 18,795
    le patron


    I think what we are seeing really has its origins in the closeness of the GC contenders in GTs these days with tours won by margins of less than 2 mins

    the gaps are smaller making racing incidents more important.. and I dont think the course per sae will change this new "higher standard" of race.. everybody is wary of losing position and time on every stage flat or not
    "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
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Lots of crashes isn't entertaining though, is it?
    _
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    iainf72 wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    I have to say, ITV excelled themselves with their highlights package tonight.

    The in-car footage used to help tell the story, interviews with all the right people, and all edited together really fast (as it was later finish today).

    Chapeau ITV.

    You're of the Welsh. Is it normal to pronounce Geraint like you're flemish? Mr Sherwen seems to think so....

    He is an equal opportunity commentator.
    Bit of a shock to get home from Le Grand Boucle to find out that Wiggins, Horner and Leipheimer are either out, probably out, or the newly designated water boy.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • pb21
    pb21 Posts: 2,171
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Lots of crashes isn't entertaining though, is it?

    Almost by definition its more entertaining.
    Mañana
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    shakey88 wrote:
    I'd offer my soul to the devil for it to be Vino crashing out and not Wiggins. Where's the justice in that!>?

    He'll probably win the stage tomorrow with a typical attack inside the last few kms and end the day in yellow.
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • secretsqirrel
    secretsqirrel Posts: 2,041
    Le Commentateur wrote:
    shakey88 wrote:
    I'd offer my soul to the devil for it to be Vino crashing out and not Wiggins. Where's the justice in that!>?

    He'll probably win the stage tomorrow with a typical attack inside the last few kms and end the day in yellow.

    Sad about Wiggins. However, Vino has has had a good tour so far. He has not lost anytime since the TTT, and seems to be riding sensibly. I would like to see him do well in his last Tour.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    le patron wrote:
    Anyone else thinking that Prudhomme's desire to make the first week more open is having an unintended effect ? Maybe that succession of 'boring' flat stages for the sprinters before the GC guys take off in the mountains makes more sense now, everyone knows their place, nerves are worked out of the system and there is less movement in the bunch.

    It seems to be that the new intermediate sprints may be causing problems. In the first couple of stages they were exciting, but today only Rojas, Cav and Feillu went for it (even Andy Schleck got points!) and it seemed to contribute to the frantic nature.

    Maybe these 'super sprints' need to be reassessed. None of the riders like them, that's for sure.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Cumulonimbus
    Cumulonimbus Posts: 1,730
    RichN95 wrote:
    le patron wrote:
    Anyone else thinking that Prudhomme's desire to make the first week more open is having an unintended effect ? Maybe that succession of 'boring' flat stages for the sprinters before the GC guys take off in the mountains makes more sense now, everyone knows their place, nerves are worked out of the system and there is less movement in the bunch.

    It seems to be that the new intermediate sprints may be causing problems. In the first couple of stages they were exciting, but today only Rojas, Cav and Feillu went for it (even Andy Schleck got points!) and it seemed to contribute to the frantic nature.

    Maybe these 'super sprints' need to be reassessed. None of the riders like them, that's for sure.

    I think the reason that few riders went for it today was because it was so close to the end - Cavendish said he had trouble recovering in time for the finish.

    It has surprised me how many people have been going for the sprints - ok if people are high up in the points but if not then why do they go for the intermediate? I supposse you never know whether the top 3 will crash or get ill.

    Whether they make crashes more likely, i dont know - maybe the increase in the bunch's pace towards them makes people worry that a team may try and hijack the sprint, ie a small gap appears 20-30 back because of HTC's work and a GC team such as Leopard then tries to make sure the gap stays there?

    I thought it was interesting that when asked about Wiggins' crash, Cavendish thought it had happened at the intermediate sprint. Maybe something else lead him to assume that - he was at the back after the intermediate sprint and maybe that was the first he saw of the gap and so assumed it happened at the sprint.

    Have heard a few times in recent days that riders have been saying that they get a lot of pressure over the team radio to get to the front. Cant imagine this is new though.
  • sonny73
    sonny73 Posts: 2,203
    Wiggo talking to Ned outside hospital: http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/2011/ne ... the-floor/
  • sonny73
    sonny73 Posts: 2,203
    ddraver wrote:
    Sonny73 wrote:
    Even if he'd not been injured Wiggo would have lost 3 minutes, so either way that crash was going to cost him the great position he was in.
    Such a shame for him, I really hope he finds that form again for next year.
    Well, I'm putting my full support behind Cadel now.

    Well no, if he'd have been Ok they'd have all hopped on the new bikes and got going straight away. They lost so much time as they were all waiting to see if he was OK or not...

    Fair point, I was just taking in to account the actual time the Sky boys crossed the line.
  • thamacdaddy
    thamacdaddy Posts: 590
    Cav was also having a bit of a dig in interviews that some of the other riders (bar garmin who he said were justified) were trying to push him off his train and use it themselves for the sprints. He also said it was crazy that Frank Schleck was next to him jostling for position at 4k to go.

    Brads interview after quite good to see. Be interested if he keeps upbeat following the drugs wearing off, hopefully no old school wiggo soul searching.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    thamacdaddy wrote:
    Cav was also having a bit of a dig in interviews that some of the other riders (bar garmin who he said were justified) were trying to push him off his train and use it themselves for the sprints. He also said it was crazy that Frank Schleck was next to him jostling for position at 4k to go.

    Brads interview after quite good to see. Be interested if he keeps upbeat following the drugs wearing off, hopefully no old school wiggo soul searching.

    Just read this thread and was quite surprised no-one mentioned Eisel's interview on Eurosport after the stage. He was quite blunt in saying the GC riders are making it more dangerous for themselves by always trying to ride up the front and getting in the way of the sprinter's teams. If they just chill out and ride further down, there would be fewer crashes.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,662
    ^did nt see that one, where was that?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    There's increasinly frequent chat about a noticable increase in nervousness and desperateness in the peloton this season.

    Weylandt was complaining of it, and I've herad many guys say the same since.

    Eisel saying this is just more of the same.

    I guess the more people care, the more dangerous it is...
    _
  • Doobz
    Doobz Posts: 2,800
    Really nice Video here of Cav from this morning and then from after the stage

    http://www.sporza.be/permalink/1.1062356


    Looks like he Likes Haribo!
    cartoon.jpg
  • camerone
    camerone Posts: 1,232
    he clearly gets on well with the sporza guys, i guess they have massive enthusiasm and knowledge and he respects that
    i liked his reaction when asked if greipel would win yesterday, he just laughed
  • wicked
    wicked Posts: 844
    Shame Cav was quirted with water by another Cadel Evans hissy fit
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBtqSRsV ... r_embedded
    What a knob.
    It’s the most beautiful sport in the world but it’s governed by ***ts who have turned it into a crock of ****.
  • PBo
    PBo Posts: 2,493
    wicked wrote:
    Shame Cav was quirted with water by another Cadel Evans hissy fit
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBtqSRsV ... r_embedded
    What a knob.

    think you're making something out of nothing - and I'm not a Cadel fan at all. he even made a point of reaching to mark to apologise..
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    pb21 wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Lots of crashes isn't entertaining though, is it?

    Almost by definition its more entertaining.

    Not so much the crash itself but the aftermath will he/they get back on scenario that is exciting at times
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • moray_gub
    moray_gub Posts: 3,328
    RichN95 wrote:
    le patron wrote:
    Anyone else thinking that Prudhomme's desire to make the first week more open is having an unintended effect ? Maybe that succession of 'boring' flat stages for the sprinters before the GC guys take off in the mountains makes more sense now, everyone knows their place, nerves are worked out of the system and there is less movement in the bunch.

    It seems to be that the new intermediate sprints may be causing problems. In the first couple of stages they were exciting, but today only Rojas, Cav and Feillu went for it (even Andy Schleck got points!) and it seemed to contribute to the frantic nature.

    Maybe these 'super sprints' need to be reassessed. None of the riders like them, that's for sure.

    Dont see what the problem is myself yesterdays crash happened 15k before the sprint so i doubt it was a contributory factor. Think there is over reaction here to first week crashes they have been happening for donkeys years its not new.
    Gasping - but somehow still alive !
  • le_patron
    le_patron Posts: 494
    Moray Gub wrote:

    Dont see what the problem is myself yesterdays crash happened 15k before the sprint so i doubt it was a contributory factor. Think there is over reaction here to first week crashes they have been happening for donkeys years its not new.

    Well then the riders are over-reacting too, a number are quoted as saying it's more stressful than usual, e.g. Leipheimer : "the blend of uphill finishes, the lack of a time trial to sort out the standings and the narrow roads had made this year's race particularly stressful and crash-ridden".

    They seem to be under more pressure to be at the front, maybe it's just a vicious circle that's gone on a little longer than usual, crashes (or threat of crashes) = more pressure to be at front = more crashes. Hopefully calm down now.
  • jerry3571
    jerry3571 Posts: 1,532
    I mentioned this before but the GC riders have always stayed near the front except for now they have the whole entourage protecting them. These GC riders have got to have a chat to get all thier watercarriers from getting in the way. I saw a shot where the Peleton was riding full width of a wide road and riders were on the edge of the road dodging cars and spectators so they could squeeze up the outside. If this carries on then more riders hitting in to the back of cars and spectators being hit. Bonkers.
    Not impressed with some Teams profitting from the big crash; this is not in the spirit of the sport.

    Uran as a GC rider? not unless they bring some heavy chemicals to get him up to speed (top 20 at best).

    Cadel lost the plot again; he does get stressy at the pointy end of a race.

    As a great man said "Calm down it's only an advert!!"

    Also,also- except for Canc', no one seems to be stepping up as the big cheese of the Peleton as LA and Hinault used to. They need someone who lays down the law. AC seems a bit of a numpty for that.

    -Jerry
    “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”- Albert Einstein

    "You can't ride the Tour de France on mineral water."
    -Jacques Anquetil
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    According to Nic Roche, who was just behind Wiggins, the crash was caused when a Lampre rider got his raincoat caught in his back wheel. (His own wheel, not Wiggins's)
    Twitter: @RichN95

Categories