Paris-Nice *spoiler*

frenchfighter

1 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM 4:52:46
2 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:06
3 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling
4 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
5 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha Team
6 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:00:16
7 Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat
8 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:24
9 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling
10 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 0:00:30
GC
1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 18:23:40
2 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM 0:00:06
3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:00:10
4 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:18
5 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha Team 0:00:37
6 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:39
7 Maxime Monfort (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:46
8 Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat 0:01:06
9 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quick Step 0:01:16
10 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Astana Pro Team 0:01:21

Turfle

Wiggins dull again. Following.
Valverde showing his usual true panache.

Or something like that.

frenchfighter

Liking the winning salute.

lostboysaint

Turfle wrote:

Wiggins dull again. Following.
Valverde showing his usual true panache.

Or something like that.

And I resisted posted something very similar.

frenchfighter

How about every other rider behind them? Never mentioned obviously as always certain individuals targeted.

Wiggins wasnt exciting either - rode behind wheels as he should all day then rode a high tempo with a short while to go, then upped it and maintained it to the finish. All in the saddle - not sure he can get out of it sometimes - just a grinder.

I know many of you don't watch many races other than the main ones but fyi, Valverde has 4 wins this season already. Yes, 4. He also leads, yes leads, the CQ rider rankings. (And fyi, 2009 he was 1st. 2008 he was...1st, 2007 he was 3rd, 2006 he was 2nd and 14, 5, 7 in years before that). So basically he is Supreme.

Turfle

frenchfighter wrote:

How about every other rider behind them? Never mentioned obviously as always certain individuals targeted.

Wiggins wasnt exciting either - rode behind wheels as he should all day then rode a high tempo with a short while to go, then upped it and maintained it to the finish. All in the saddle - not sure he can get out of it sometimes - just a grinder.

More exciting than Valverde, the most negative rider in the peloton. Incidentally, I don't know that Valverde got out of the saddle either, mainly because the first time we saw him was 4 metres from the line.

I know many of you don't watch many races other than the main ones but fyi, Valverde has 4 wins this season already. Yes, 4. He also leads, yes leads, the CQ rider rankings. (And fyi, 2009 he was 1st. 2008 he was...1st, 2007 he was 3rd, 2006 he was 2nd and 14, 5, 7 in years before that). So basically he is Supreme.

And how is any of that relevant to Valverde being dull as dishwater yet having a reputation as an attacking swashbuckler?

rick_chasey

Westra for the podium? Or will he drop out after the TT?

Turfle

Westra should do very well in the TT. As big a danger to Wiggins as Leipheimer is.

rickyrider

frenchfighter wrote:

So basically he is Supreme.

And he also happens to be not very contrite despite cold scientific evidence. And its that that sticks in the craw for many of us.

rick_chasey

Oh yeah! Totally forgot Westra can TT.

Rabo get all the talent and then Vacon go and get the trousers.

Dutch cycling eh? It's an enigma.

josame

sorry blatant steal but it appears Ivan was riding very much like Bassey :roll:

inkyfingers

Where the hell did Westra come from? I never knew he could climb?

Great ride from Porte, really paid back Wiggins for his help at Vuelta a Algarve. Good to see Wiggins putting in a dig, but he went very deep, looked completely finished at the finish whereas Valverde looked like he had just finished his sunday ride.

rick_chasey

inkyfingers wrote:

Where the hell did Westra come from? I never knew he could climb?

Great ride from Porte, really paid back Wiggins for his help at Vuelta a Algarve. Good to see Wiggins putting in a dig, but he went very deep, looked completely finished at the finish whereas Valverde looked like he had just finished his sunday ride.

No me neither. Knew he could shift.

Nearest thing to climing he's done well at is 3rd in the tour of Algrave. He's TTer by trade it would seem. Seems pretty good across all TT distances.

Hmmm... Spidey senses tingling.

Shame, really enjoyed that effort today!

Turfle

inkyfingers wrote:

Where the hell did Westra come from? I never knew he could climb?

Great ride from Porte, really paid back Wiggins for his help at Vuelta a Algarve. Good to see Wiggins putting in a dig, but he went very deep, looked completely finished at the finish whereas Valverde looked like he had just finished his sunday ride.

Safe to say Valverde and the rest were fully spent too, otherwise they'd have followed Westra.

mroli

Either that or they were sitting there hoping that Wiggins would blow chasing down Westra and they'd get time on him. Pretty negative either way.

Pross

Good stage, I do like that climb. Credit to Porte as he must have been setting a fair pace to deter anyone attacking, Uran could have done with being at the front earlier though. Valverde couldn'y have been that fresh at the end or would have had a dig I'd have thought. Nice to see Wiggo get out of the saddle and interesting to hear his comment when the interviewer said it was the sort of climb that doesn't suit him.

VeloPeloton

Will he be in yellow on July 22nd?

Lightning

I seriously hate that helmet..

pat1cp

FF, your reasoning at times is bewildering. You obviously love the sport but......

I think Brad, and SKY did a good ride today and the returning Valverde rode with them and beat Wiggins on the line. He didn't burst off the front like a "true champion". I fancy because he was hurting as much as the rest.

Racing a bike at times is horrible, something, sometimes some people forget.

Good race to come I reckon. Col D'Eze TT will be great.

dave_1

what was Westra thinking with that victory salute and losing yellow?

frenchfighter

Looking down the list of finishers is pretty interesting. GT hopefuls that cant perform early season and a great ride by Szmyd. Spilak always impresses.

woody1545

Pross wrote:

Nice to see Wiggo get out of the saddle and interesting to hear his comment when the interviewer said it was the sort of climb that doesn't suit him.

I missed his interview, what did Wiggo have to say?

LeicesterLad

woody1545 wrote:

Pross wrote:

Nice to see Wiggo get out of the saddle and interesting to hear his comment when the interviewer said it was the sort of climb that doesn't suit him.

I missed his interview, what did Wiggo have to say?

He said 'its the sort of climb that didnt used to suit me, but ive been working on my weaknesses this winter, so now it suits me'' was the jist of it.

LangerDan

Dave_1 wrote:

what was Westra thinking with that victory salute and losing yellow?

I got the impression that he didn't expect the attack to work quite so well. In any case I think Vacansoleil are probably happier to let Sky control the race for another couple of days.

rick_chasey

Dave_1 wrote:

what was Westra thinking with that victory salute and losing yellow?

Don't think it cost him 6 seconds.

rick_chasey

Latest odds I've seen:

Wiggins roughly 1/2 or 4/7
Westra: 3/1 or 11/4
Leipheimer: 6/1 or 11/2
Valverde: anywhere from 8/1 and 16/1.

inkyfingers

Leipheimer is quietly ominous, as normal.

RichN95.

Rick Chasey wrote:

Latest odds I've seen:

Wiggins roughly 1/2 or 4/7
Westra: 3/1 or 11/4
Leipheimer: 6/1 or 11/2
Valverde: anywhere from 8/1 and 16/1.

Very good value for Levi, I'd say.

rick_chasey

Peloton split almost on the gun. Wiggins in the lead group with 27 others.

rick_chasey

Rick Chasey wrote:

Peloton split almost on the gun. Wiggins in the lead group with 27 others.

28 guys are 35 secs clear.

Valvarde caught behind - Movistar chasing.