TDF 2018, Stage 4: La Baule > Sarzeau 10/07/2018 - 195 km *Spoilers*

ShutupJens

Uran back on, fair play

No_Ta_Doctor

Zakarin way off the back

blazing_saddles

Zakarin isn't getting back by the looks.

dolan_driver

smithy21 wrote:

Uran back. Phew.

Indeed.

Zakarin off the back.

ShutupJens

Break now screwed, losing time rapidly

Vino'sGhost

blimey the peloton is flying

ShutupJens

Bury yourself GUillame

above_the_cows

Cav got totally blocked in.

No_Ta_Doctor

Woah.

They know how to get 10" of excitement out of all those hours.

blazing_saddles

Zakarin ships 59 seconds.

Vino'sGhost

OOOOOOFt and who was the wanty sprinter? Greipel just jinxed right and he had to put his brakes on Gaviria boom

dolan_driver

Gaviria, Sagan, Greipel.

ShutupJens

That was a top tier TDF sprint. Heart is racing! Real drag race

gweeds

For me Cav was done well before the switch. His leg speed just isn’t there. Labouring too big a gear and lost wheel after wheel. All is not well.

ShutupJens

KOM Jersey in the top 10 or so on a sprint stage, such a weird sight

m.r.m.

Above The Cows wrote:

Competition time.

Whose shoes are these?

Those shoes are finished!

above_the_cows

Above The Cows wrote:

Cav got totally blocked in.

And then got slightly cut-off by Groenewegen.

above_the_cows

Gweeds wrote:

For me Cav was done well before the switch. His leg speed just isn’t there. Labouring too big a gear and lost wheel after wheel. All is not well.

Indeed. Just doesn't have the confidence in his form.

Pross

Cav really lacking pace at the moment, understandably waving a hand at Groenewegen's switch but he was already going backwards having been well placed for the whole run in. Impressive late pace from Sagan but Gaviria held on well.

m.r.m.

Utterly hate Kirby. Starts screaming way too early, so by the time it gets to 400m it's just incomprehensible gibberish.

ShutupJens

Kittel would have been all over that stage a couple of years ago, now is an afterthought.

Is Katusha the new BMC, where big stars go for big cash and then fade

dolan_driver

Hopefully Greipel will gain a little more zip in his legs and take a stage this year.

Cav not looking great. Both he and Kittel look out-of-sorts.

DD.

ShutupJens

Cav's post stage interview is always worth watching. Such a likeable bloke

RichN95.

Wanty with three riders in the top ten. Pick one boys, don't be a Poundshop Movistar.

G Hincapie

These initial sprint stages have been very difficult to watch as a Cavendish fan. What happened today?

I wouldn't be concerned if he was contesting every sprint but coming short, but that hasn't been the case. Griepel was right up there today as well, so Mark should have been. Instead Renshaw seemed to be on his own with 200m to go and I couldn't even see Cav.

I am struggling to see him taking any stages at the Tour this year; no form and fast young guns firing with both barrels.

Makes me feel sad. And old.

gweeds

He looks like an old prize fighter chasing one last payday.

Gaviria is Cav 10 years ago. Winning for fun.

Kittel just looks bored.

Dorset_Boy

Cav never looked like getting there even before Groenewegen clipped his bars as he cut across him.

Sagan once again veered over half way across the road in his sprint - he's going to end another sprinter's Tour again this year if he doesn't wise up.

awavey

G Hincapie wrote:

These initial sprint stages have been very difficult to watch as a Cavendish fan. What happened today?

I wouldn't be concerned if he was contesting every sprint but coming short, but that hasn't been the case. Griepel was right up there today as well, so Mark should have been. Instead Renshaw seemed to be on his own with 200m to go and I couldn't even see Cav.

I am struggling to see him taking any stages at the Tour this year; no form and fast young guns firing with both barrels.

Makes me feel sad. And old.

Cav was next to Greipel right up to 300m to go, his issue was he stayed left thinking the gap would open as everyone else veered right, but it didnt and he lost the wheel and momentum by being blocked, and got caught in the headwind.

the problem is he is so small he disappears in a bunch if he's not visibly at the front. and his habit of sitting up immediately if he cant win always make it look likes he finishes completely nowhere, I think given the amount of racing/form and so on coming into the Tour, actually today wasnt that bad, he seemed happier with the performance if not the result

G Hincapie

awavey wrote:

G Hincapie wrote:

These initial sprint stages have been very difficult to watch as a Cavendish fan. What happened today?

I wouldn't be concerned if he was contesting every sprint but coming short, but that hasn't been the case. Griepel was right up there today as well, so Mark should have been. Instead Renshaw seemed to be on his own with 200m to go and I couldn't even see Cav.

I am struggling to see him taking any stages at the Tour this year; no form and fast young guns firing with both barrels.

Makes me feel sad. And old.

Cav was next to Greipel right up to 300m to go, his issue was he stayed left thinking the gap would open as everyone else veered right, but it didnt and he lost the wheel and momentum by being blocked, and got caught in the headwind.

the problem is he is so small he disappears in a bunch if he's not visibly at the front. and his habit of sitting up immediately if he cant win always make it look likes he finishes completely nowhere, I think given the amount of racing/form and so on coming into the Tour, actually today wasnt that bad, he seemed happier with the performance if not the result

Thanks for that. Fingers crossed then, would really love to see him get one more TdF win.

DeVlaeminck

I thought it looked like the problem was his legs, I don't expect him to be top 3 unless he can grow in form and come good in the last week.