Dauphine 2012 Spoiler

andyp

The Grand Colombier is significantly tougher than anything they use in Lombardy or Liege. The frequent changes in gradient make it a real bitch.

sportbilly1976

TV coverage just started...

afx237vi

Split in the field. Evans 27" ahead of Wiggins, with 2 team mates.

frenchfighter

Gazzetta67 wrote:

Hey Frenchie race apart - you must be happy bertie`s signed for another 3 years ?

Yep!

viewtopic.php?f=40002&t=12858251

frenchfighter

Andy dropped. On the descent.

Gazzetta67

frenchfighter wrote:

Andy dropped. On the descent.

He will blame God because it rained and the course and the other riders.

mroli

What's going on - have it in French but with no sound - Liquigas and BMC in a break with 30sec on the peloton with Wiggins - probably 15 people in the break - some Eurocar too? Sky drilling it.

inkyfingers

Wow, thought this stage would be dull.

How did the split occur? Crash, echelon or was Wiggins just dropped?

afx237vi

inkyfingers wrote:

Wow, thought this stage would be dull.

How did the split occur? Crash, echelon or was Wiggins just dropped?

Live pictures hadn't started, but it was the descent I think. Nibali is in the group, so it's easy to imagine. All coming back together anyway.

LeicesterLad

Working for a living in a sh*t office with a sh*t computer system and no television has really ruined my cyclingfandom. :evil:

mroli

Dropped on the descent apparently.

inkyfingers

Interesting. The thought of Evans and Nibali attacking on the descents in the Tour is rather exciting.

frenchfighter

EBH had to peel off. Porte on the front.

BMC hammer down made the split.
Evans, Hincapie and Van Garderen (BMC), Kashechkin (AST), Malacarne (EUC), Bouet and Chérel (ALM), Nibali, Nerz and Paterski (LIQ). + Kern and Feillu

25 secs

Evans attacking, once again.

mroli

WTF was Nertz doing there - just swung back at the line!

sportbilly1976

Nerz nearly taking the Sky train out there as he got swallowed up by the peloton..

frenchfighter

WIGGINS BRIDGING SOLO!!

afx237vi

inkyfingers wrote:

Interesting. The thought of Evans and Nibali attacking on the descents in the Tour is rather exciting.

It didn't really work when Nibali did it repeatedly in the Giro last year, though.

sportbilly1976

That short effort from Wiggo now means he can sit in the group and let BMC do all the work, saving the other Sky riders for efforts tomorrow / sunday

inkyfingers

afx237vi wrote:

inkyfingers wrote:

Interesting. The thought of Evans and Nibali attacking on the descents in the Tour is rather exciting.

It didn't really work when Nibali did it repeatedly in the Giro last year, though.

I know, but it was fun watching him try. Is it possible that BMC and Liqui could collude if they can't drop Wiggins on the climbs?

Damn my rubbish net connection at work.

CakeLovinBeast

sportbilly1976 wrote:

That short effort from Wiggo now means he can sit in the group and let BMC do all the work, saving the other Sky riders for efforts tomorrow / sunday

That was sweet. Psychological effects of him doing that can't be discounted either...

afx237vi

inkyfingers wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

inkyfingers wrote:

Interesting. The thought of Evans and Nibali attacking on the descents in the Tour is rather exciting.

It didn't really work when Nibali did it repeatedly in the Giro last year, though.

I know, but it was fun watching him try. Is it possible that BMC and Liqui could collude if they can't drop Wiggins on the climbs?

Damn my rubbish net connection at work.

Maybe... I haven't looked at the Tour route close enough, but obviously you need a descent close enough to the finish to make it work. I'd bet Wiggins is about as good as Evans at descending. Nibali is in another league, but will he be close enough to yellow to make it worthwhile?

afx237vi

CakeLovinBeast wrote:

sportbilly1976 wrote:

That short effort from Wiggo now means he can sit in the group and let BMC do all the work, saving the other Sky riders for efforts tomorrow / sunday

That was sweet. Psychological effects of him doing that can't be discounted either...

Conversely, his rivals might think "Sky weren't strong enough to close that final 15 seconds so Wiggo had to do it himself".

LangerDan

CakeLovinBeast wrote:

sportbilly1976 wrote:

That short effort from Wiggo now means he can sit in the group and let BMC do all the work, saving the other Sky riders for efforts tomorrow / sunday

That was sweet. Psychological effects of him doing that can't be discounted either...

True, but Sky letting one of their main rivals and three of his team mates ride off the front - descent or not - was an amateur error. Bridging across to BMC was an effort that Wiggins shouldn't have had to make. Plus it looked like the chase took a fair bit our of some of the Sky riders.

rick_chasey

afx237vi wrote:

CakeLovinBeast wrote:

sportbilly1976 wrote:

That short effort from Wiggo now means he can sit in the group and let BMC do all the work, saving the other Sky riders for efforts tomorrow / sunday

That was sweet. Psychological effects of him doing that can't be discounted either...

Conversely, his rivals might think "Sky weren't strong enough to close that final 15 seconds so Wiggo had to do it himself".

Or, more likely, given that cyclists aren't always the most interesting people.

"Racing happened. Sh!t happened".

ilm_zero7

crazy - all the effort to get the gap sub 30 seconds, then let them go again - now 45 seconds

ilm_zero7

sky driving again with 3 and wiggins on the front

sportbilly1976

20kms with 55 seconds the current lead - sprint finish anyone?

ilm_zero7

are Sky cooked? the gap opens up to over a minute now, despite their driving efforts

smithy21

Is there anyone there they need to chase down?

afx237vi

smithy21 wrote:

Is there anyone there they need to chase down?

No.