2011 Tour de France Stage 1: Passage du Gois - Mont des Alouettes 191.5 km

[Scansorial]

Why did Contador stop chasing in the end? Did he seriously think he was going to get the same time gaps as the peleton?

I would guess he saw Schleck and figured they'd both get the same time. I don't think he was worried about Evans.

 

[The Hitch]

This is bike racing people. Often fair does not come into it. Luck has always cost or won many bike races. Alberto has been lucky that he has been riding the past year. Now unlucky to loose the tour after day one. This will now be one of the best tours in history
excitment guaranteed

Uran Samu CVV Danielson could care less about how lucky or unlucky Alberto has been in the past

 

[dlwssonic]

I would guess he saw Schleck and figured they'd both get the same time. I don't think he was worried about Evans.

he should be worried about the others in the leading group then. he seemed like he gave up.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Standing Team Time Gaps
1. OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO 14h 04' 45"
2. BMC RACING TEAM 14h 04' 48" + 00' 03"
3. TEAM LEOPARD-TREK 14h 04' 51" + 00' 06"
4. HTC - HIGHROAD 14h 04' 51" + 00' 06"
5. TEAM RADIOSHACK 14h 04' 51" + 00' 06"
6. COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 14h 04' 51" + 00' 06"
7. LAMPRE - ISD 14h 04' 51" + 00' 06"
8. SKY PROCYCLING 14h 04' 51" + 00' 06"
9. KATUSHA TEAM 14h 04' 51" + 00' 06"
10. PRO TEAM ASTANA 14h 04' 51" + 00' 06"
11. MOVISTAR TEAM 14h 04' 51" + 00' 06"
12. QUICK STEP CYCLING TEAM 14h 04' 51" + 00' 06"
13. TEAM EUROPCAR 14h 04' 51" + 00' 06"
14. TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO 14h 04' 51" + 00' 06"
15. LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE 14h 04' 51" + 00' 06"
16. FDJ 14h 06' 05" + 01' 20"
17. RABOBANK CYCLING TEAM 14h 06' 05" + 01' 20"
18. SAUR-SOJASUN 14h 06' 40" + 01' 55"
19. AG2R LA MONDIALE 14h 06' 40" + 01' 55"
20. VACANSOLEIL-DCM 14h 07' 54" + 03' 09"
21. EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 14h 09' 27" + 04' 42"
22. SAXO BANK SUNGARD 14h 09' 43" + 04' 58"

saxo and euskatel start as the first and second tomorrow. talk about insult to injury. rabo and liqui start early tomorrow. great advantage to bmc and leopard.

You say that now. Until it turns out the wind was more favourable to earlier starters then you start whining.
You don't know if it will be an advantage so...why be so premature?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

It's the time of the group you were riding in at the time of the crash. Gesink, Andy and Wiggins were all riding in the group with Hushovd, Rojas etc. when they crashed, so they are treated as part of that group.

They are not given the time of Gilbert or Evans because Gilbert and Evans left that group and finished solo, so no longer constituted part of the group. This is why they do not enforce this rule on MTFs, when groups splinter to individuals and it becomes unenforcable.

So basically had Evans not finished solo but with one other rider, everybody would have gotten their time? This is bull****.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

if contador was serious about the tour he would have ridden the last few km properly and not stroll in. And no he wasnt conserving energy.

Correct, he wasn't conserving energy, he was stuck behind the 2nd crash - have you not been able to keep up, that ridiculous situation is the main topic of discussion on this thread now.

For the record, Contador is still favourite on betfair (although obviously at longer odds), so you should probably stop talking to me and make your fortune laying him on there.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Wiggins as far as I know was involved in first crash, but I have to recheck that.

wiggins, gesink, basso, brajkovic, leipheimer, andy schleck

 

[Captain_Obvious]

I would guess he saw Schleck and figured they'd both get the same time. I don't think he was worried about Evans.

I figure the same. Conti must be furious... Wonder if Riis is going to make a big deal about this and protest... No ofcourse.

Sucks.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

So basically had Evans not finished solo but with one other rider, everybody would have gotten their time? This is bull****.

no. you still have to be in the 3km.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

This is the Tour. Not a huge deal. Contador will be well motivated anyway.

 

[mewmewmew13]

This is bike racing people. Often fair does not come into it. Luck has always cost or won many bike races. Alberto has been lucky that he has been riding the past year. Now unlucky to loose the tour after day one. This will now be one of the best tours in history
excitment guaranteed

I have to agree with this. This is bike racing, and the outcomes don't always please everyone.

We now have to move forward and take each stage day by day. There will be other crashes and disagreements, but this is certainly the way to start off this tour with a bang.

I think it will be an interesting tour!

 

[jobiwan]

All 4 Shackers still in front. (Was hoping Levi would have been ruled out )

 

[Libertine Seguros]

So basically had Evans not finished solo but with one other rider, everybody would have gotten their time? This is bull****.

No, because the number of people finishing with Hushovd/Rojas etc would still outnumber them, and therefore constitute the main body of "the group" as it was when Schleck/Wiggins/Leipheimer/Gesink all crashed.

If Evans attacked and about 10 people rode in and in the sprint Hushovd and Rojas ended up right on Evans' back wheel and there was therefore no time gap between Evans and the people back in 15th-20th place, then they would have got Evans' time.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I'm sorry but this doesn't make sense. Why is everybody given the 6 seconds time? Why not the same as Evans or Gilbert for that matter? Because the 6 seconds group was NOT the main group, it was either the one behind that or the one behind that one. The crash victims should be given that time and not the 6 seconds time. The guys finishing at 6 seconds rode away from the main group. If rules are rules, they should be applied consistantly. Well, that's how i feel about it.

ugh, my god who opened up this can of imbeciles in the past week?

 

[The Hitch]

go look at other posts, I continuously said that this was still entertaining. Although I would have been upset that gesink lost time, I still like this sort of racing.

Please post everything next time, not just items that suit your point.

Gesink was presumably going to be at 3-4 minutes down as his time hadn't come up. So the fight for podium wasn't looking good.

Again 1.20 is not that bad.

The tour is not over.

so yeah, 1.20 isn't the same as potentially 5 minutes. But whatever.

The other parts of your post dont matter to me because im not talking about whether this is entertaining or not or any of the other stuff.

The one part of your post im focused on is where you said Gesink 2.25 (that is not 5 minutes) down "Tour over for him".

Then the part of my post where i said Samu was 1.2 +1 minute (=2.20) down and the part of your post where you said that i am being "Dramatic".

So answer the question on that bit.

Why is it dramatic to say Samu is out at 2.20 but not Gesink at 2.25 (the figure you gave).

Im not challenging anything else in your posts.

 

[jobiwan]

No one forget who won the stage!

Congrats Philippe!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Why did Contador stop chasing in the end? Did he seriously think he was going to get the same time gaps as the peleton?

like he's going to lose the tour with 1:20. no use to waste energy on final climb considering tomorrow and coming 3 weeks, for sure he isn't in topshape yet. all he has to make sure now not to loose more time coming 2 weeks

 

[Spine Concept]

ugh, my god who opened up this can of imbeciles in the past week?

He's just mad Gesink didn't lose more time to VDB2.

 

[No_Balls]

This is the Tour. Not a huge deal. Contador will be well motivated anyway.

+ For that

If he is in proper shape. 1 minute out of Baby, at some occassion, in the mountains is absolutely not of the question. Then we have the two minutes he will gain on the Time Trial.

The Tour has just begun.

 

[Escarabajo]

if contador was serious about the tour he would have ridden the last few km properly and not stroll in. And no he wasnt conserving energy.

It was already explained that actually he would not have lost so much time if it wasn't for the second crash. You are exagerating things too much IMO.

 

[Ramira]

No one forget who won the stage!

Congrats Philippe!

Can't help feeling a bit sorry for Gilbert. This whole crash stuff is taking a lot away from what should be a great day for him. Then again it's his better half's birthday and he got a nice present so I doubt he'll care that much.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

So basically had Evans not finished solo but with one other rider, everybody would have gotten their time? This is bull****.

can you pls change your name, or better yet delete your whole acount?

 

[Spine Concept]

can you pls change your name, or better yet delete your whole acount?

+1. That is all.

 

[Scansorial]

I agree that it's not over for Contador. In all honesty it's not fair, but it will make the rest of the race more interesting.

I think the weakness of his team is way overrated. They'll lose 20 seconds to Leopard at the max. That would put him 1:40 down, which he could make up in the final TT alone. Realistically he could gain 40 seconds in the mountains and easily make up a minute in the TT.

 

[phanatic]

I don't know why the 3k rule was being applied for this stage. As the rule is designed to prevent crashes rather than make fair the results, and there is no way the favorites wouldn't be attacking in the last 2-3 k...? Bad luck on one crash, less so on the other.