TDF 2011 - Stage 11 Spoiler

mroli

1) I've got my 108 t-shirt - got it a week ago.

2) Greipel is a v good sprinter.

3) Cav is unstoppable when he kicks "properly"

4) Sky have been doing a good job as his train

5) Enjoyed it a LOT so far, but expecting to enjoy it even more now we're in the mountains. Apart from all the injuries, has been a really good tour for me so far.

frenchfighter

The sprints and small hill finishes have been great. The total rubbish from the crashes etc is what is most annoying.

Ben6899

verylonglegs wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

verylonglegs wrote:

OffTheBackAdam wrote:

emadden wrote:

thank God the mountains are here from tomorrow... Was getting really bored with all these stages... 11 days is enough

I think you've been watching another race!

I don't know, granted a couple of hilly finishes have livened it up but we're over halfway into a 3 week race and only about to find out who's got it and who hasn't. It's taken too long imo.

To have any hopes of finishing in Yellow, you have to "survive" these opening stages. We have found out that Wiggins and van den Broeck won't be in Yellow on the Champs Elysées.

Plus, Contador has taken a few heavy knocks which could affect his ambitions.

QED it hasn't taken too long.

Opening stages makes it sound like a gentle prelude but its more than half, 11 stages of 21, watching the top contenders pretty much just trying to avoid accidents. Yes, keeping upright is part of bike racing but it's not really what we watch if for is it?

The Tour de France's origins are based on an attrition and last man standing ethos. These flat stages are all a part of that battle to stay alive and in touch. I concede my use of "opening" was a bad choice.

There are three types of cyclist roughly speaking: Contadors, Gilberts and Cavendishes.

The arrangement of stage profiles offer something to each rider and promote differing team and peloton dynamics. It's all part of the fun/entertainment/suffering.

TMR

Excellent photos FF!

bazbadger

frenchfighter wrote:

The sprints and small hill finishes have been great. The total rubbish from the crashes etc is what is most annoying.

Too right. Really feel for Vino - a very nasty break. Shame he's out too.

inkyfingers

I don't care what the moaners say, I've really enjoyed it so far. It's not like we've had 11 days of bunch sprints, there's bee a bit of everything. I am looking forward to the mountains though...lets hope that the GC contenders keep up the excitement.

I'm also delighted to see Cav in green, you could see how much it means to him. Hopefully the green jersey battle will continue as it has been.

TheBigBean

I think delaying the mountains is a good thing. You get riders like Hushovd wearing yellow and desperately trying to keep it.

If the mountains are really early then you get a bunch of flat stages in the middle where there is no action for the yellow jersey. You also are more than likely to find out who is going to win at a very early stage. Alternatively, you could have an uphill finish every stage like this year's Giro and get the same result every day - dull. Variety is the best idea.

RichN95.

I just realised that I forgot to put in a PTP pick for today (of all days). Why didn't the rest of you 'wait' for me and not pick yourselves? I declare that you are all without honour and whoever wins, it will be by default.

graeme_s-2

avoidingmyphd wrote:

Markwb79 wrote:

brettjmcc wrote:

I am particularly amused at the feed on Cycling News

16:02:46 BST
Cavendish stopped to watch the sprint replay on television and could see how he beat Andre Greipel and Tyler Farrar.

Almost like he was trying to prove a point... Can't wait to watch the highlights later and the post race interview

I thought he was looking to see where the others finished.

He was - he was doing the green jersey maths before the commentators (on french TV at least, a rare slip) realised there was maths to be done.

The interviewer on British Eurosport told him he had taken the green jersey and he reacted as if he didn't already know.

PBo

RichN95 wrote:

I just realised that I forgot to put in a PTP pick for today (of all days). Why didn't the rest of you 'wait' for me and not pick yourselves? I declare that you are all without honour and whoever wins, it will be by default.

depends whether this counts as a mechanical or a dodgy gear change.....

Doobz

Gracious in Defeat!

avoidingmyphd

Doobz wrote:

Gracious in Defeat!

cheap trick, posting yesterday's photos in today's thread

rebs

With the middle points. I'm supraised HTC arn't being more aggressive with sending Goss and Renshaw to try to contest the points to knock points off Gilbert.

Same with the points in the mountains. Using Tejay, Velits and Martins to knock points off Gilbert. I might be missing something so likely I'm just sounding like an idiot?

Ben6899

Renshaw took some intermediate sprint points yesterday. It didn't go down well.

verylonglegs

Ben6899 wrote:

verylonglegs wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

verylonglegs wrote:

OffTheBackAdam wrote:

emadden wrote:

thank God the mountains are here from tomorrow... Was getting really bored with all these stages... 11 days is enough

I think you've been watching another race!

I don't know, granted a couple of hilly finishes have livened it up but we're over halfway into a 3 week race and only about to find out who's got it and who hasn't. It's taken too long imo.

To have any hopes of finishing in Yellow, you have to "survive" these opening stages. We have found out that Wiggins and van den Broeck won't be in Yellow on the Champs Elysées.

Plus, Contador has taken a few heavy knocks which could affect his ambitions.

QED it hasn't taken too long.

Opening stages makes it sound like a gentle prelude but its more than half, 11 stages of 21, watching the top contenders pretty much just trying to avoid accidents. Yes, keeping upright is part of bike racing but it's not really what we watch if for is it?

The Tour de France's origins are based on an attrition and last man standing ethos. These flat stages are all a part of that battle to stay alive and in touch. I concede my use of "opening" was a bad choice.

There are three types of cyclist roughly speaking: Contadors, Gilberts and Cavendishes.

The arrangement of stage profiles offer something to each rider and promote differing team and peloton dynamics. It's all part of the fun/entertainment/suffering.

oh I appreciate all the different facets of racing and a TTT is the only kind of stage I haven't been to watch so far but I just think setting the race up like it is could backfire if there are no racing 'incidents', you could end up with nearly two thirds of the race gone, all the main contenders still together and no-one any wiser as to who's good and who isn't.

TMR

Ben6899 wrote:

Renshaw took some intermediate sprint points yesterday. It didn't go down well.

With who?

greeny12

If Cav stays upright and gets over the hills he's looking really good for green.

Rojas simply doesn't have the speed to beat him in the two properly flat sprint stages remaining, nor is he much of a climber. Same with Greipel.

Gilbert will get very little in those two ourt-and-out sprint stages and realistically his only chance of a stage winner's haul with Cav getting nish is St 16 to Gap. Even if he goes full gas for the intermediates there aren't *that* many where his superior climbing power will give him a critical advantage - many of the upcoming intermediates are before the big climbs...

I'd be so pleased for Cav if he finally wears the Maillot Vert in Paris!

RichN95.

verylonglegs wrote:

oh I appreciate all the different facets of racing and a TTT is the only kind of stage I haven't been to watch so far but I just think setting the race up like it is could backfire if there are no racing 'incidents', you could end up with nearly two thirds of the race gone, all the main contenders still together and no-one any wiser as to who's good and who isn't.

Similarly, with mountains early, the race can be all but over with a week to go (see this year's Giro). Such is the lot of the course designer - they can't tell what's going to happen, just vaguely guess.

verylonglegs

RichN95 wrote:

verylonglegs wrote:

oh I appreciate all the different facets of racing and a TTT is the only kind of stage I haven't been to watch so far but I just think setting the race up like it is could backfire if there are no racing 'incidents', you could end up with nearly two thirds of the race gone, all the main contenders still together and no-one any wiser as to who's good and who isn't.

Similarly, with mountains early, the race can be all but over with a week to go (see this year's Giro). Such is the lot of the course designer - they can't tell what's going to happen, just vaguely guess.

True, I wouldn't want the job in all fairness.

frenchfighter

Getty

frenchfighter

Love these photos
Getty

pat1cp

frenchfighter wrote:

Getty

Ouch !! I might order that T-Shirt.

mididoctors

greeny12 wrote:

I

Rojas simply doesn't have the speed to beat him in the two properly flat sprint stages remaining, nor is he much of a climber. Same with Greipel.
!

rojas got over the tourmalet to contest the sprint in 2009 came 2nd or third IIRC

similar stage this year over the Aubisque

Ben6899

verylonglegs Nice one, we're on the same wavelength.

The Mad Rapper I don't recall, possibly Rojas.

Le Commentateur

frenchfighter wrote:

Getty

He's asking for an infection, riding in the wet.

frenchfighter

Getty

knedlicky

JonGinge wrote:

Did you see the interview just now where Cav said he told Griepel that he'd done the perfect sprint?

Today was another example of who really should get the praise, and if it were possible, glory for the perfect sprint - not Cavendish but Renshaw.

I don't remember any of the other recent successful Points winners (Zabel, Kelly, Abdu, Hushovd, Jalabert, Boonen, Freire) being quite so dependent on their last lead-out (before Renshaw, Ciolek) even if Cavendish might infrequently prove he can do it without a last lead-out.

I hope Cavendish also thanked Lars Ytting Bak (how do you pronounce his middle name?) for riding about 110 miles at the front to help the HTC cause.
I just hope they haven't worn out Tony Martin in the GC for the sake of Cavendish.

jerry3571

Tony Martin and GC are two words that I thought would never be seen together but I did see Cancellara and GC together once or twice but that was a few years ago now, don't think I'll see that again.
Cancellara being Tour de France winner
-Jerry

Pross

knedlicky wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Did you see the interview just now where Cav said he told Griepel that he'd done the perfect sprint?

Today was another example of who really should get the praise, and if it were possible, glory for the perfect sprint - not Cavendish but Renshaw.

I don't remember any of the other recent successful Points winners (Zabel, Kelly, Abdu, Hushovd, Jalabert, Boonen, Freire) being quite so dependent on their last lead-out (before Renshaw, Ciolek) even if Cavendish might infrequently prove he can do it without a last lead-out.

I hope Cavendish also thanked Lars Ytting Bak (how do you pronounce his middle name?) for riding about 110 miles at the front to help the HTC cause.
I just hope they haven't worn out Tony Martin in the GC for the sake of Cavendish.

He may only infrequently prove he can do it without a last lead out man but on the occassions he has to (e.g. tail end of last years Tour) he still does it. The problem he has without Renshaw is that the other sprinters will ride to stop Cav winning, Renshaw's biggest asset is the way he protects Cav more than the actual lead out.

RichN95.

knedlicky wrote:

I don't remember any of the other recent successful Points winners (Zabel, Kelly, Abdu, Hushovd, Jalabert, Boonen, Freire) being quite so dependent on their last lead-out (before Renshaw, Ciolek) even if Cavendish might infrequently prove he can do it without a last lead-out.

But he's won without Renshaw several times. Stage 5 this year, stage 19 in 2009, two stages in 2010. Several of those names had lead-outs, you just didn't notice them, because they didn't win as many stages.

Part of his success is down to getting his team to work for him and believe in him. I've seen more than one rider (from other teams) say he's an exceptionally good team leader.