2011 Tour de France Stage 11: Blaye-les-Mines Lavaur 167.5 km

[superconfex]

His shoe caught in Rojas' wheel at 500 meters and he had to rebuckle it.

Cheers for clearing that up

 

[UpTheRoad]

How many times do these idiotic teams have to get bashed in a sprint to know they have no chance? Seriously lame...

What would you suggest? If you have a sprinter on your team, would you do something else other than try to get him into position to go for the win?

You can take a few flyers and try to disrupt the train, but you still have to give your sprinter a shot. Garmin did, and Sky tried to, but HTC has a great train and the best sprinter.

 

[El Pistolero]

It is supposed to be a jersey for sprinters!

Then why bother with it at all? Isn't winning 6 stages enough?

I want an epic battle for the green jersey like this year. But I'm smart enough to realize that this year it's only an epic battle because of the great parcours. A normal Tour has easier stages and that's what I'm afraid of. Cav winning them easily in the years to come under these new rules.

 

[cineteq]

Now they just need to rename the green jersey in the Cav jersey for the years to come. Even with so many hilly stages the point system still easily favors sprinters.

You mean Gilbert right?

 

[El Pistolero]

What would you suggest? If you have a sprinter on your team, would you do something else other than try to get him into position to go for the win?

You can take a few flyers and try to disrupt the train, but you still have to give your sprinter a shot. Garmin did, and Sky tried to, but HTC has a great train and the best sprinter.

Do nothing at all till the last 3-5km. Now Lotto was helping from way too far. As were other teams like Lampre(Hello, Petacchi sucks, how long will it take you to figure out?) and Garmin.

 

[Benotti69]

No, I'm just getting sick by other teams helping HTC and the only result is they getting owned by the HTC train. You'd think they know by now.

for all you negative posts against HTC they have only won 3 stages out of 11 this year but put in a huge amount of work, more than most other teams. Cav has not won a green jersey on the Champs de Lysses yet.

 

[Peccio89]

That's a pity that Petacchi doesn't have a good shape in this tour, but apparently he has some personal problems and he is not really focused on cycling right now, and besides that he had some breath problems with the bad weather of these days; i'm really disappointed cause i was expecting a big tour from him because of how well he rode in the giro; and certainly the decision of the italian federation of not letting him race the world championship has made him less motivated

 

[Captain_Cavman]

No, I'm just getting sick by other teams helping HTC and the only result is they getting owned by the HTC train. You'd think they know by now.

You're spot on. There was a moment there when HTC couldn't chase down the break AND give Cavendish the leadout, so they stopped the chase to see whether there were any other mugs willing to do it for them. And lo, step forward Lampre and Garmin, both with out of form sprinters.

What would HTC done if the others hadn't taken over the chase? Let the break go? No they would have sacrificed the leadout and hoped Cavendish could win it from off somebody else's wheel. I.e. Give everyone else a much better shot at the win.

People on here complain about the HTC tactics but they need other teams to be stupid enough to make it work for them. And in general, they are.

 

[Jamsque]

Green Jersey:

Cavendish 251
Rojas 235
Gilbert 231
Greipel 164
Hushovd 163

It's really between those top three now. Cav should keep the jersey tomorrow, Rojas and Gilbert will have a chance to get it back on Friday's stage to Pau.

 

[sublimit]

Greipel came from way back again. Thomas with a perfect leadout... for Renshaw. I seem to remember Cav whinging about people trying to bump him off Renshaw's wheel. Today it looked like Renshaw bumped EBH off Thomas'.

Greiple fighting for Cavs wheel again, but its not easy to go round.

 

[El Pistolero]

You mean Gilbert right?

Who's leading the green jersey?

I'll put it like this: despite the many hilly stages the point system still favors a sprinter like Cav.

 

[Four Winds]

Do nothing at all till the last 3-5km. Now Lotto was helping from way too far. As were other teams like Lampre(Hello, Petacchi sucks, how long will it take you to figure out?) and Garmin.

If nobody does anything till 3km to go and leaves it all up to HTC then they'll not be sprinting for the win either?

 

[spalco]

Do nothing at all till the last 3-5km. Now Lotto was helping from way too far. As were other teams like Lampre(Hello, Petacchi sucks, how long will it take you to figure out?) and Garmin.

Then the breakaway wins and Garmin has nothing, and neither does OPL, Lampre or Sky. Great, the sponsors just love panache like that.

 

[El Pistolero]

Green Jersey:

Cavendish 251
Rojas 235
Gilbert 231
Greipel 164
Hushovd 163

It's really between those top three now. Cav should keep the jersey tomorrow, Rojas and Gilbert will have a chance to get it back on Friday's stage to Pau.

It's no battle anymore. Gilbert can't earn 120 points anymore lol.

 

[Benotti69]

Sean Kelly won 5 green jerseys over what 13 years but not that many stages, 5 only. It was for the most consistent stage finisher. still is.

 

[Jamsque]

I'll be curious to see at the end of the race what the points standings would be like if the old system was still in place.

 

[MartinGT]

I'll be curious to see at the end of the race what the points standings would be like if the old system was still in place.

Thats a good shout.

 

[thirteen]

lol at Cav snuggling the Green jersey before zipping it up

 

[dlwssonic]

greipel had a bad position and went too early. OPL needs to get him into a better position.

 

[goggalor]

Greiple fighting for Cavs wheel again, but its not easy to go round.

Greipel/Farrar/EBH/Feillu etc. need to take Renshaw's wheel to win the sprint I think. Easier said than done obviously, but worth a shot.

 

[cineteq]

Who's leading the green jersey?

I'll put it like this: despite the many hilly stages the point system still favors a sprinter like Cav.

Oh you missed it again...the right question is: Who's leading temporarily the green jersey?

 

[El Pistolero]

Then the breakaway wins and Garmin has nothing, and neither does OPL, Lampre or Sky. Great, the sponsors just love panache like that.

They have nothing now as well. Instead of working for Greipel getting second they should have gotten Phil up there.

 

[Benotti69]

the badger having a sly look at Hoogerland's wounds and giving a shrug too say yep Hoogerland is tough stuff.

 

[Tuarts]

Who's leading the green jersey?

I'll put it like this: despite the many hilly stages the point system still favors a sprinter like Cav.

Can someone post the top 20 for the stage?

 

[Mambo95]

Sean Kelly won 5 green jerseys over what 13 years but not that many stages, 5 only. It was for the most consistent stage finisher. still is.

I think El Pistelero's point is that is should be for the most consistent finisher on stages that suit Phil Gilbert.

In a couple of years Sagan will show Gilbert how it should be done.