The Official 98th Tour de France, thread, 2011.

[Stat Brother]

As for HTC & Cav.
That was (my word of this Tour) IMMENSE, total text book.
They looked fantastic from the helicopter, at sure a high speed.

Greipel definitely got over the top of Cav, until our boy lit up the afterburners, poetry in motion.

 

[Statto]

As a sky fan im absolutley gutted for Wiggo, this was possibly his best chance to finish in the top 3 of the GC. Been on top form after winning the duphine, so its a terrible shame.

Im not sure what sky will do now, hopefully swifty can pull of a win in the flat stages and Thommo can get back in contention for the white jersy. Uran and Boasaan Hagen will be strong.

On to tomorrow, its the first proper mountain stage, so we should see the real main contenders coming to force. Looking forward to it.

ps. Great win by Cav again.

 

[Pantani]

But I'm now more gutted for G, sure he would have had to man up, a year or 2 earlier than planned, but I'm sure he could have taken the mantle on, but not giving 2-3 mins away, to the big boys.

This is my over riding feeling now too. Thomas now has no chance of winning the white jersey and neither does Boassan Hagen. Sky unfortunately made the wrong decision to wait for Wiggins and it has cost their whole team any chance of winning anything, except more stages. They will be putting riders in breaks and trying to lead out Swifty/Boassan Hagen for the rest of the tour I should think.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Anyone see the Wiggo interview at the end of the itv4 show tonight. He was off his gourd and I reckon he thinks he may have just won the TDF, not just abandoned it....

Added a bit of amusment to the tragic news.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

This is my over riding feeling now too. Thomas now has no chance of winning the white jersey and neither does Boassan Hagen. Sky unfortunately made the wrong decision to wait for Wiggins and it has cost their whole team any chance of winning anything, except more stages. They will be putting riders in breaks and trying to lead out Swifty/Boassan Hagen for the rest of the tour I should think.

I think the same, its easy in hindsight but if they had kept kness and one other back and let the others keep pace, they could always have dropped back if Brad needed pacing back.

Bosan and Geraint are now down on time in the the white jersey. The team have dropped in the standings and they have no one who could get high GC.

However if they have trained for getting Brad up the mountains perhaps they could set up Uran for a win, Flecha for a classics day, and Bosan/Swift for sprints.

Wonder if they even had a plan b, will be interesting to see how it pans out.

Could Cav get green on the intermediate sprint tomorrow.

 

[skipper734]

What was Wigo doing in the middle of the bunch anyway? Easy to say in hindsight I spose.

 

[Pantani]

What was Wigo doing in the middle of the bunch anyway? Easy to say in hindsight I spose.

He was hardly the only one caught out back there though. It was not that far back in the pack judging by the number of riders in that second peloton. I wouldn't put too much blame on Brad's position in the peloton, plenty of other contenders got caught out by the crash.

 

[Stat Brother]

As Imlach said, 'you can't all be at the front'.
He must have been around the top 50, so certainly nearer the front than the back, in around the front 1/4.

G should have been plan B, lead out duties, yes. Pacing a man back with 40k to go, no.
That's Lance team territory, and with the best will in the world, BW isn't in that league.
I feel Sky's immaturity shone through today, not a statement I thought I'd be making this season.

 

[1066familyman]

HTC master class, Cav is awesome

High and lows of British cycling all in one easy stage.

Excellent assessment by everyone of todays stage on here as per usual, and the above sums it all up perfectly for me.

Real shame for Wiggins today

 

[Stoichkov]

Great route for todays stage - brilliant bit of France if you fancy a cycling holiday

 

[Pantani]

A tough stage to pick a winner for today. Get the feeling that a break may stay away today. None of the major contenders will want to be in yellow this early so their teams won't be inclined to chase. So my picks for the win are two frenchman, Voeckler and Gadret. They both like the hills and ride for teams who are likely to want them in breaks.

Edit: and a reaction from Sky, so someone in the break for them. I hope they will be really busy for the rest of the Tour as unless they get in breaks they will come away with very little from this Tour.

Edit 2: and Hoogerland to try and get in the break too, so he can keep the polka dot jersey and because he is Johnny Hoogerland and feels he must be involved in a futile break every few days.

 

[Stat Brother]

I can see Millar or Kloden making a dart for yellow today.
Hesjedal, is now a couple of minutes behind the GC riders in his own team, and will want to change that.
Gilbert has had a hard week, and I think this is one uphill finish too many.

Going to go for Vino today, in a mental attack, cos he can't do a sane one!.

 

[1066familyman]

Another Movistar rider in the break I see today. I'm probably imagining it but they seem to have had a rider in every single break so far.

Wiggins very pragmatic in the interview airing over the early part of the stage today.

 

[1066familyman]

If this break does stay away....Riblon for a French victory ?

 

[Stat Brother]

I guess predicting a Gilbert up hill win, and a mental Vino attack, is nothing really to be proud of.

 

[1066familyman]

Well done Movistar....think they deserve a victory

 

[Stat Brother]

And that's why I don't like Andy Schleck.
When will this guy grow the stones to stamp some authority on the entire group he was riding with.

 

[1066familyman]

And that's why I don't like Andy Schleck.
When will this guy grow the stones to stamp some authority on the entire group he was riding with.

Just a man marking job on Contador and Evans now though isn't it.

 

[1066familyman]

I'm beginning to warm to old frog face. Reckon he'll be on the podium this year.

 

[Stat Brother]

Just a man marking job on Contador and Evans now though isn't it.

That was the point I made in post 1.
I've not been convinced by Bert going up hill, this week, and at no point has AS put a wheel in front of AC.

That's twice now Evans has gone and AC has had nothing.
Sure you can argue he doesn't have to, just manage the seconds.
But if AC was pressured more esp after his big loss he might not be the man they think he is, esp after that tough Giro.