Stage 18 SPOILER

rick_chasey

Aw c'mon guys. This Cavendish stuff is boring.

The race was taken by the balls by someone, and everyone else shat the bed.

Find it difficult to see why Basso didn't stick his Pole on the front earlier.

It was obvious from the start that Contador was in problems, so he was hardly in good shape to chase down.

It was bizarre. Given the way it played out on the Plateau, it makes sense though.

And, for the record - the Schlecks have been the most aggressive of the GC contenders, along with Contador probably.

mz__jo

However, on the subject of points deductions:

NO points were deducted from the climbers!!!
Roy still has 45
Chavanel still has 38

Both are acknowledged climbers. Either could have a field day today, take all the points and beat a lot of riders who were not "hors delai". The gap between Vanendert and Roy is 39 points.
The rules are fair, clear and the same for everyone?? Beware low-flying porcines.

camerone

mz__jo wrote:

However, on the subject of points deductions:

NO points were deducted from the climbers!!!
Roy still has 45
Chavanel still has 38

Both are acknowledged climbers. Either could have a field day today, take all the points and beat a lot of riders who were not "hors delai". The gap between Vanendert and Roy is 39 points.
The rules are fair, clear and the same for everyone?? Beware low-flying porcines.

are you talking king of mountains points? i believe that its green jersey points that are deducted.

thomasmc

Good quote from Cadel
"I just took one turn on the front. For 9k"

rick_chasey

thomasmc wrote:

Good quote from Cadel
"I just took one turn on the front. For 9k"

Hah. Good for him.

Shows how strong they both are.

Happiness1982

thomasmc wrote:

Good quote from Cadel
"I just took one turn on the front. For 9k"

I've definitely come around on Evans. I hope he's recovered enough today to do his own thing and at least not lose any time to those 2 Twiglets

rick_chasey

Just noticed (this is mainly for Ian) Cunego's not even the highest Italian on GC! :O

Bronzie

Rick Chasey wrote:

Just noticed (this is mainly for Ian) Cunego's not even the highest Italian on GC! :O

CyclingNews wrote:

5 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:03:46
6 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:03:46

Only because "C" comes after "B" in the alphabet

knedlicky

Not everyone is displeased about the minus points.
Grischa Niermann of Rabobank joked, thanks to the minus points he collected, he’s now listed in the points classification!
Before yesterday, he (like several others) had no points so wasn’t listed.

rick_chasey

knedlicky wrote:

Not everyone is displeased about the minus points.
Grischa Niermann of Rabobank joked, thanks to the minus points he collected, he’s now listed in the points classification!
Before yesterday, he (like several others) had no points so wasn’t listed.

He's a fun bloke Niermann.
Then again, as a German in a Dutch team, you'd have to be.

mz__jo

The Rule:

Coefficients d’élimination
En fonction d’événements exceptionnels
(conditions climatiques, routes coupées,
accident ou incident grave, etc.) les délais
peuvent être modifiés selon l’appréciation
du Collège des commissaires, en accord
avec la direction de l’épreuve. Si le pourcentage
de coureurs éliminés dépasse 20 % des
partants de l’étape, les délais peuvent être
augmentés par décision du Collège des
commissaires, en accord avec la direction
de l’épreuve.
Bien entendu, tous les coureurs arrivant
dans le nouveau délai ainsi fixé demeurent
qualifiés pour les autres étapes sans qu’un
précédent puisse être créé pour la suite
de l’épreuve.
Repêchages éventuels
Le Collège des commissaires, après en
avoir informé la direction de l’épreuve,
peut exceptionnellement repêcher un ou
plusieurs coureurs particulièrement malchanceux
dans une étape.
Dans ce dernier cas interviennent comme
éléments d’appréciation :
• la moyenne générale de l’étape ;
• le point kilométrique où s’est produit l’incident
ou l’accident ;
• l’énergie apportée par le ou les coureurs
retardés ;
• le possible encombrement des routes.
Les délais étant calculés par rapport au
temps réalisé par le coureur classé premier
de l’étape, les déclassements résultant
des décisions du Collège des commissaires
et connus ultérieurement ne
peuvent en aucun cas donner droit à repêchage
pour quelque coureur que ce soit.
Dans le cas où des coureurs hors délais sont
repêchés par le Collège des commissaires,
ils se verront retirer l’équivalent des points
attribués au vainqueur de cette même étape
à leur classement général individuel par
points même si leur capital en points à ce
classement devenait négatif.

In this case more than 20% of the starters of the stage were "hors delai"; it would be reasonable that the commissaires applied the rule and extended the delay (which is not the same as repêchage).
I still don't understand why the riders in the climbers classification don't lose points as well but that's the way it is written. All still a bit farcical as it was applied in my mind. (Perhaps it has never entered in the heads of the course direction that a climber could be "hors delai" on a mountain stage)

graeme_s-2

mz__jo wrote:

I still don't understand why the riders in the climbers classification don't lose points as well but that's the way it is written. All still a bit farcical as it was applied in my mind. (Perhaps it has never entered in the heads of the course direction that a climber could be "hors delai" on a mountain stage)

The climbers were docked points - they were docked green jersey points like everybody else.

Agree it's hardly the same penalty for them as it is for guys like Cav and Gilbert, but for the riders in the middle (Cancellara, Voight etc) neither would be any sort of penalty, so how would you decide which points to deduct?

rick_chasey

Graeme_S wrote:

mz__jo wrote:

I still don't understand why the riders in the climbers classification don't lose points as well but that's the way it is written. All still a bit farcical as it was applied in my mind. (Perhaps it has never entered in the heads of the course direction that a climber could be "hors delai" on a mountain stage)

The climbers were docked points - they were docked green jersey points like everybody else.

Agree it's hardly the same penalty for them as it is for guys like Cav and Gilbert, but for the riders in the middle (Cancellara, Voight etc) neither would be any sort of penalty, so how would you decide which points to deduct?

Deduct from both.

Point is, green jersey contenders usually cut it pretty fine when it comes to getting in on time.

As this case shows.

Not sure what people are whinging about. You come in late, you get penalised.

It's the Tour right? You have to race over the mountains whoever you are.

graeme_s-2

Rick Chasey wrote:

Not sure what people are whinging about. You come in late, you get penalised.

I'm not whinging - I think the rules are perfectly clear, make sense and have been applied as written. I agree with you, what's the big deal?

skylla

Happiness1982 wrote:

thomasmc wrote:

Good quote from Cadel
"I just took one turn on the front. For 9k"

I've definitely come around on Evans. I hope he's recovered enough today to do his own thing and at least not lose any time to those 2 Twiglets

Anyone read a good write up of an interview with CE this morning?

cheers

Road Ace

Magnificent rides by both Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans. Best attack in years!

Well done to Tommy......

Cavs point deductions are in the rules so what the hell is the fuss all about? Everyone knew about them before the start of stage 1 so let it go! Rojas jas stated his tactic is to get Cav outside the time limit so Cav has to sort it out.

skylla

RUSSELL Collett was a teenager when he first noticed Cadel Evans riding on his back wheel.

LOL

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cycling/ ... z1SpObpDiT

skylla

"....I think that Europcar guy who could have had White today did one short turn"

http://www.cadelevans.com.au/cadelsdiary.aspx

stfc1

Moray Gub wrote:

Brilliant and very brave ride by AS could have all went tits up for him and dare i say it the ride of a true champion ©FF, speaking of whom where is he today anyway ? Yesterday as Bertie and his team mate Sanchez wasted energy on a fruitless downhill attack he was shouting about greatness and taking people to pain cave today his boy takes a packet and he strangely absent.

In FF's absence, I will say this much for Contador:

This - "Andy played his cards in an intelligent way. He got team mates into the breakaway and he rode a great stage. Congratulations to him" - is a far superior response to defeat than the graceless complaining we heard from both Schlecks earlier in the week.

Genuinely great ride by Andy though, and if it wins him the Tour it will have been won in style.

Snorebens

skylla wrote:

"....I think that Europcar guy who could have had White today did one short turn"

http://www.cadelevans.com.au/cadelsdiary.aspx

"it put me in a loosing situation"

PEDANT - Why can't the world and his wife spell 'losing' ? - PEDANT

Happiness1982

Snorebens wrote:

skylla wrote:

"....I think that Europcar guy who could have had White today did one short turn"

http://www.cadelevans.com.au/cadelsdiary.aspx

"it put me in a loosing situation"

PEDANT - Why can't the world and his wife spell 'losing' ? - PEDANT

Try using a forum full of Americans then you'll bear witness to a true soul-crushing misunderstanding of the English language. 'then' often confused with 'than', for starters. I smh.

mrushton

[quoteGenuinely great ride by Andy though, and if it wins him the Tour it will have been won in style.[/quote]

Andy Schleck - WTF????????? was all I could think of. When has he ever ridden like that? 60km solo, headwind, dodgy descending. He hates risks yet yesterday went out on the attack in a Hamilton/Vino/Landis stylee. Well done to him but it just didn't seem right. I am happy to be wrong tho'.Contador popping - somehow I thought I'd be glad but felt sorry he couldn't hang on - Cunego placed above him - that doesn't seem right either.

lostboysaint

38 pages and still no FF.................

skylla

Snorebens wrote:

skylla wrote:

"....I think that Europcar guy who could have had White today did one short turn"

http://www.cadelevans.com.au/cadelsdiary.aspx

"it put me in a loosing situation"

PEDANT - Why can't the world and his wife spell 'losing' ? - PEDANT

".....can't quite think of his name, but then there's also that other eurocart guy with the german name, you know that dude in yellow..."



[i made that up by the way, for those of you not tuned to the moon]

takethehighroad

Happiness1982 wrote:

Snorebens wrote:

skylla wrote:

"....I think that Europcar guy who could have had White today did one short turn"

http://www.cadelevans.com.au/cadelsdiary.aspx

"it put me in a loosing situation"

PEDANT - Why can't the world and his wife spell 'losing' ? - PEDANT

Try using a forum full of Americans then you'll bear witness to a true soul-crushing misunderstanding of the English language. 'then' often confused with 'than', for starters. I smh.

A part of my job is reading letters from customer and so many confuse the word "bought" with "brought" (I brought it at the shops) but by far the worst one I've seen was someone who spelt the words "have to" as "after"

skylla

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

Happiness1982 wrote:

Snorebens wrote:

skylla wrote:

"....I think that Europcar guy who could have had White today did one short turn"

http://www.cadelevans.com.au/cadelsdiary.aspx

"it put me in a loosing situation"

PEDANT - Why can't the world and his wife spell 'losing' ? - PEDANT

Try using a forum full of Americans then you'll bear witness to a true soul-crushing misunderstanding of the English language. 'then' often confused with 'than', for starters. I smh.

A part of my job is reading letters from customer and so many confuse the word "bought" with "brought" (I brought it at the shops) but by far the worst one I've seen was someone who spelt the words "have to" as "after"

how about 'have' spelled as 'of'......

And when I'm at it: how about 'spelt' rather than 'spelled' Have you got a wheat problem?

Happiness1982

Hahaha Jesus Christ

'might of' instead of 'might have' URGH

Bronzie

mrushton wrote:

Andy Schleck - WTF????????? was all I could think of. When has he ever ridden like that?

Liege Bastogne Liege 2009............although not on quite the same scale as yesterday.

rick_chasey

Bronzie wrote:

mrushton wrote:

Andy Schleck - WTF????????? was all I could think of. When has he ever ridden like that?

Liege Bastogne Liege 2009............although not on quite the same scale as yesterday.

Quite.

He also launched a big attack in last year's Tour, only to fat finger the gears.

He's got the talent, and likes to use it sparingly.

Good for him.

I like his style on the bike too.

Guys like him only have that acceleration when they're on super form - whereas guys like Contador can increase the pace whatever their form is (as you saw when he was dropped, he accelerated hard to get back briefly, before exploding) but they just won't be able to make it stick.

Hence LBL this year.

Everyone chastised them for not trying but Gilbert was in a league of his own then and they did well to even stay with him. They'd had got less abuse if they'd done a Voeckler; dropping back on the final climb, pulling faces.

graeme_s-2

skylla wrote:

how about 'have' spelled as 'of'......

This makes me wince. The problem is people have started to write like they speak. They would say "could've" which is a contraction of "could have", but not realising that they write "could of" instead ARGH!