The Official 102nd Tour de France, thread.

[Lady Whistledown]

Sad end for Tony Martin. By the way he's holding his arm across the line, looks as though he might have cracked his collarbone.

 

[Pantani]

Looks like a collarbone for Tony Martin. Got to feel for the guy.

I had Coquard 26-1 each way today. He finshed 4th

 

[Lady Whistledown]

What a stupid move by Martin. All his own fault, that kind of shoulder charge was pointless.

Think from the slow-mo replay, it looks like he might have clipped the wheel of the rider in front and fallen into, rather than charged, the next bloke.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Think from the slow-mo replay, it looks like he might have clipped the wheel of the rider in front and fallen into, rather than charged, the next bloke.

Looked like to me he moved right off his line and dropped his shoulder into the other rider and he came off second best. Don't have any sympathy for him after what he did. Thankfully nobody else was hurt given his actions caused Nibali to fall as well.

 

[Stat Brother]

Heart in mouth stuff, he's got to be gone which is a shame.
TM mountain exploits last year were great fun.

Hopefully they'll be cameras on the finish as I have no idea quite how Stybar could get the jump on the quality of riders left fighting for the win.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Looked like to me he moved right off his line and dropped his shoulder into the other rider and he came off second best. Don't have any sympathy for him after what he did. Thankfully nobody else was hurt given his actions caused Nibali to fall as well.

One of the Sky riders just escaped by the skin of his teeth too. No idea which one. Froome appears to have finished safely.

 

[Stat Brother]

Froome back in yellow for a sprint stage tomorrow, then Gallopin for the weekend.


(Spot the geek getting to big for his prognosticating britches, 'pride' and 'fall' springs to mind!)

 

[Pantani]

I had Coquard 26-1 each way today. He finshed 4th

Scrap that, he did finish 3rd. Should know by now not to just listen to Carlton Kirby call a finish. Got a couple of extra quid to waste on other cycling bets now.

 

[1066familyman]

What a massive let down that finish was on so many levels.

First up, poor Tony Martin, gutted for him. Almost certainly a collar bone break and game over for him. At first it looked a bit to me like a Europcar rider, possibly Coquard cut across his wheel and caught him causing a domino effect onto Nibali. But having watched the replays I now think Tyrone is spot on, Tony Martin just shoulder barges the rider in between him and Nibs Bizarre move!

Sagan a victim of his own strength yet again. Unbelievable how they all just leave it and leave it because no one wants to tow Sagan to the line and lose it so they let Stybar ride away for the easy win instead. Biggest let down finish of the race so far, and yet it promised to be a cracker too. Sagan needs to come up with a different approach for this kind of scenario because it's one that keeps happening to him time and time again and he always ends up placing 2nd or 3rd as a result.

 

[Pantani]

Is that Mark Cavendish in the break?

Just watching the highlights on ITV. No actual coverage of the Stybar's break though.

 

[Pantani]

Nibali threw a bidon at Froome because he though he caused the crash! That is pretty silly.

 

[Stat Brother]

After today's stage

Portsmouth - Caen
Caen - Etretat 71 miles
Etretat - Dieppe 50 miles
Dieppe - Newhaven

looks like a cracking long weekend.

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 6 result

1 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step 4:53:46
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:02
3 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Team Europcar
4 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
5 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
6 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal

General classification after stage 6

1 Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx - Quick-Step 22:13:24
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 0:00:12
3 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:25
4 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:27
5 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal 0:00:38
6 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:40
7 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:00:46
8 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:48
9 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:01:04
10 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:01:15

 

[CP 0 3 BHA]

Simon Brotherton on 5 Live has just posed the question as to whether Froome will wear Yellow tomorrow. Given the circumstances, if its an option i could imagine him preferring not to - particularly as he seems happy to stay out of the limelight at this stage in the proceedings.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Nibali threw a bidon at Froome because he though he caused the crash! That is pretty silly.

When you see the replay its perplexing what Nibali thought Froome did!?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Simon Brotherton on 5 Live has just posed the question as to whether Froome will wear Yellow tomorrow. Given the circumstances, if its an option i could imagine him preferring not to - particularly as he seems happy to stay out of the limelight at this stage in the proceedings.

Not sure he'll have a choice given that despite a broken collar bone they forced Martin to put a new one on just for the sponsors photos!

 

[Stat Brother]

Simon Brotherton on 5 Live has just posed the question as to whether Froome will wear Yellow tomorrow. Given the circumstances, if its an option i could imagine him preferring not to - particularly as he seems happy to stay out of the limelight at this stage in the proceedings.

Not sure he'll have a choice given that despite a broken collar bone they forced Martin to put a new one on just for the sponsors photos!

There's a fair few examples of not 'taking yellow off a dead man's body'.
I can't see him wearing it today. It's not as if he hasn't worn it already and is preparing himself to wear it again, on merit.

When you see the replay its perplexing what Nibali thought Froome did!?

It is very odd.
But further proof that this year Froome ain't taking no s*** from no one.


I did chuckle at the race neutralising.
The latin temperaments were up at the car windows wildly gesticulating at the officials, while the anglos either looked on bemused or went of a pee in the town square.

 

[Pantani]

Some of Martin's collarbone had come through the skin! Yet the Tour officials still made him put on a new jersey for the presentation. Hope Froome refuses/doesn't wear the yellow today. Fine if you win it, but not through someone else's misfortune.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Some of Martin's collarbone had come through the skin! Yet the Tour officials still made him put on a new jersey for the presentation. Hope Froome refuses/doesn't wear the yellow today. Fine if you win it, but not through someone else's misfortune.

I think they've announced that he can't wear yellow!

Froome - "I don't want to wear yellow... Out of respect to Tony"

ASO -" It's not your decision, we're in charge...... You can't wear the jersey"

 

[strings]

Froome won't be wearing yellow today:

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