TdF 2012 Stage 1 **Spoilers**

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Comments

  • cogidubnus
    cogidubnus Posts: 860
    Fungus The Muffin Man wrote:
    Theres only one reason why one of the cervelos snapped the way it did. Its obvious that garmin have got their bikes off ebay and bought a load of taiwan fakes.

    lol they had better start posting on some forums about the dodgy frames and not to trust anything out of China... :D
  • Jez mon
    Jez mon Posts: 3,809
    I think that the hype around Sagan was such that maybe it's a bit of a disappointing first win, it would have been nice(!) if Sagan had taken a bit of a turn, or if he'd gone for a longer sprint.

    However, he used his brain, got Canc to work for his benefit and won, despite perhaps not being as strong (in absolute terms) as Cancellara. Being able to win without being the strongest rider one the day...isn't that what road racing is about, otherwise we'd all be petitioning for every stage to be run as a TT.
    You live and learn. At any rate, you live
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    zammmmo wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    Savoldelli:"Sagan wanted to help Cancellara but from the car they ask him not to do it" #sagan #tdf #cycling

    via @albertocelani

    Thanks for that, puts a different spin on things!

    It's the old "I was just following orders" excuse. :-p
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    Jez mon wrote:
    I think that the hype around Sagan was such that maybe it's a bit of a disappointing first win, it would have been nice(!) if Sagan had taken a bit of a turn, or if he'd gone for a longer sprint.

    However, he used his brain, got Canc to work for his benefit and won, despite perhaps not being as strong (in absolute terms) as Cancellara. Being able to win without being the strongest rider one the day...isn't that what road racing is about, otherwise we'd all be petitioning for every stage to be run as a TT.

    As Tweeter Sagan noted - Press ask Sagan if he have favourite Armchair, Sagan say "Yes, he called Fabian" :P

    With regard to the helmets, it does mark out the team that is winning really well, which makes the competition a bit more important, and also is a hell of a marketing boost for the team sponsor winning it as the commentators are talking about them all day!

    As is well known, I could nt care less what they look like really...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,470
    wiggins seemed to disappera just before the climb, i wonder if it was to do with froome's puncture?
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    gsk82 wrote:
    wiggins seemed to disappera just before the climb, i wonder if it was to do with froome's puncture?

    He seemed to be moving up just as Fab lit the blue touch paper. I seem to recall a brief overhead shot of the lemon and lime modfather doing his up the tempo thing and FC just disappearing off. My concer for Wiggo is that although I think he can ride very hardup hills he still doesn't have the killer climber kick that is sometimes necessary.

    Having said that I don't think he was interested in the stage at all but just marking the contenders.
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    I think all his help went back to help Froome so he was alone. That said, all he had to do was stay quietly in the bunch. No point going for the stage win today really. It's not the Merckx way but....
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,585
    Did Rogers ever get back after his crash? The way the bunch started going just afterwards it would have been hard to get across.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    OK, this does come from the CN forums, but....
    Brian Holm says Martin's at the hospital to get an X-ray of his hand, not collarbone.

    as of about 10 minutes ago.
    The break is in the scaphoid bone of his hand. He's going to carry on, with a protective sleeve around the area.
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Pross wrote:
    Did Rogers ever get back after his crash? The way the bunch started going just afterwards it would have been hard to get across.
    Yep, got back and finished in the first group. Pretty impressive given how fast the bunch were going at the time.
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    Pross wrote:
    Did Rogers ever get back after his crash? The way the bunch started going just afterwards it would have been hard to get across.

    He did, yes. Richie Porte lost a few minutes, apparently he was helping Froome but he finished a couple of minutes further back so not sure what happened there. Helps sort out who's who in the Sky pecking order though, although still not sure which of Rogers / Froome will be allowed to hang on for high GC place and which will be required to bury themselves every day (ultimately both if necessary I guess, but I would expect them to try and have another man up there in the GC as a insurance policy if possible...)
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    some interesting posts, so ff does not like it if some one wins other than how he approves? Sagan did the right thing Fab had to keep going or he would have been caught, so what was sagan supposed to do? . I dont think he will win the flat stage sprints with the main sprinters so he has to take advantage of events like yesterday, felt sorry for fab but there you go its a race. As for teams yellow helmets, ffs get a life is it really that important what colour helmets are? Anyway makes it easier to spot the team. Wiggo looked comfortable moving up the field on the steep bit, my money is still on him to win though evans is also looking sharp. Early doors yet, theres normally a surprise rider pops up at some point.
    http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5Bfqj5fxY
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    potd_5007406.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    ^Come 'ere and take that photo...I double dare you!!

    :D
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Monty Zoncolan
    Monty Zoncolan Posts: 341
    iainf72 wrote:
    Dear people new to the Tour. To answer your question, no, it's not always this dull.

    In the words of Mrs Doyle, 'Maybe I likes the misery.'

    It's the TDF FFS. Dullness is relative. I'd opt for the dullness of a quiet stage of this over many more 'engaging' pursuits!

    So, on the team competition leaders' helmets - they're optional? I'm actually wanting sky to be overtaken by a team that decides not to wear them.

    Oh also, I completely accept that teams will acquire sponsors just before the biggest race in the calendar, but the lovely all-blue Saxo Bank kit has been ruined by the inclusion of the yellow parts! People moan about football teams constantly changing their kits (and the more garish designs).
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    Dear new people, iain hates cycling on general principle. Ignore stuff like the above.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Whilst I normally disagree with Iain's cassandra-like (or Private Frazer, if you need a pop culture reference) approach to bike racing, I actually dozed off between 70 and 60km to go.

    I did see them ride past the Achouffe brewery though complete with enormous gnome statue.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,815
    Tony Martin confirmed as still in the race, despite a fracture on the scaphoid of his left hand.
    Will wear a plastic cast and see how it goes..........
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Jez mon
    Jez mon Posts: 3,809
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Whilst I normally disagree with Iain's cassandra-like (or Private Frazer, if you need a pop culture reference) approach to bike racing, I actually dozed off between 70 and 60km to go.

    I did see them ride past the Achouffe brewery though complete with enormous gnome statue.

    Have to admit I wasn't watching, but was it any more boring than a normal flattish stage of a GT?
    You live and learn. At any rate, you live
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    I think it was... It was in most regards, your usual GT flat stage, however, what made it extra dull was that the break was never allowed more than 4 minutes, once the race was on telly. It was supremely well controlled.

    You just knew that as soon as one team got it into their head to ride, they had less chance than an average break.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,391
    Always the way in the first week though as everyone in the break has a genuine shot at yellow (assuming they did nt loose buckets of time in the Prologue). I Wiggo had won the Prologue then maybe they might have let them go but RSNT have nothing else to defend this year...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Abdoujaparov
    Abdoujaparov Posts: 642
    Today's announcement of the 2013 Tour Down Under route is a good reminder to be grateful for the TdF.
  • le_patron
    le_patron Posts: 494
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    I did see them ride past the Achouffe brewery though complete with enormous gnome statue.

    Sampled a few of their products in Maastricht after Amstel Gold.
    I can confirm they are really rather good and get better the more you have.
  • Jez mon
    Jez mon Posts: 3,809
    Even then, possibly if Canc was within a second(ish) of yellow, we could well have seen them dragging it back to try and set Cancellara up to gain a few seconds over Wiggo.

    Talking of RSNT, Schleck did make it in with the main group yesterday didn't he? I don't recall seeing him in the last 15 k
    You live and learn. At any rate, you live
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,100
    Jez mon wrote:
    Talking of RSNT, Schleck did make it in with the main group yesterday didn't he? I don't recall seeing him in the last 15 k
    Yep. 34th.
    Team My Man 2022:

    Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,585
    Didn't see much of the race live but I did see two of the hills where it seemed that the riders at the rear of the peloton were going so slowly that had to stop. Could have been a good stage on that route.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    “I tried to get Sagan to come through to do some work, I think we could have gained time, but he wouldn’t, just like in Milano Sanremo. During the race I asked him to put a teammate up in the front to pull but he claimed he wasn’t sure he had the legs today. I know how it is in your first Tour de France. It’s always difficult. But attacking and then stopping and ending up somewhere in the back is not my style. When I go, I like to really go and put the hammer down.”
    -Cancellara
    Contador is the Greatest
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,157
    Sagan's SRM file for the stage, for those of you who like that sort of thing:

    http://www.srm.de/index.php/us/srm-blog ... france/727
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • zammmmo
    zammmmo Posts: 315
    frenchfighter wrote:
    potd_5007406.jpg

    When he's been interviewed what struck me was how lean Cancellara looks ATM.
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    RichN95 wrote:
    Sagan's SRM file for the stage, for those of you who like that sort of thing:

    http://www.srm.de/index.php/us/srm-blog ... france/727
    Interesting stat 209 watts average, guess most uk racrs could stay inthe bunch with tha if they weighed 60kg instad on 80 like me :lol:
    http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5Bfqj5fxY

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