2012 Tour de France; Stage 1: Liège → Seraing (198km)

[movingtarget]

Quite a big blow for sky yesterday with froome being quite unlucky and having a puncture. He lost quite a lot of time and will be seen as less of a threat now.
Sky obviously want him to go for GC.
Porte lost a lot of time yesterday as he sacrificed himself to try to bring back froome.

They would not have wanted Froome to lose any time as he is their GC rider after Wiggins. If Wiggins has a bad day they had Froome as backup but then they have said all along "it's all for Wiggins." Cav does his own thing which will be enough for a stage win or two. They were going very fast before the climb started and not an easy run in to the finish. Sometimes I think Rogers is cursed in the Tour. Never any luck. Still has not really changed the tactics for Sky. Wiggins is still their man.

 

[dlwssonic]

Wait, what?

Do you even know which rider Gilbert is?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g6lRr_EdrE - one of many.....

well Gilbert had the form of his life then. Even in 2010 he didn't perform that well in FW.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Seems a bit of Cadel kept in cotton wool overkill for BMC not to allocate one carer for Phil, just on these opening stages.
Surely, they could have seen their way to giving him a bit of relay help, back towards the front.
In any case, if that kick from Cancellara couldn't get rid of Sagan, I seriously doubt Gilbert would have fared any better.
Maybe his current form has played a factor in the protection stakes, too.
I suspect that TJVG is also pretty heavily protected in anticipation of the mountains, or an Evans mishap.

 

[JA.Tri]

What an intriguing finale.

Sagan/Spartacus: kudos to PS for the win, kudos Fabian for the work. Similar to MSR, Fabian had an invidious choice.

Was interesting to see the peloton gradually pull up to Cadel, content to sit on and allow the race to head up the road. Then PG hammers it drawing everybody along, closing the time gap and finishing a valiant warrior.

Earlier I was dismayed to see yet another idiot (bit harsh?...inconsiderate/inattentive/ignorant) spectator cause/contribute to a significant crash. One day a fatality will result! I look forward to identification and fining such culprits.

 

[Trofinios]

I hope Sagan was gentle.

 

[Hammerhed]

Though I was sorry to see Sagan win the stage by "wheelsucking," after I thought about it for a while, I realized that for him to play it any other way would have been foolish. Likewise, Fabian rode it the only way he could have, with a bold attack far enough away so that he had a chance to ditch the sprinters, a tactic that almost worked. After breaking away, he had no choice but to play his hand: sitting up would have allowed ten more players into the game. Surely Fab was the strongest rider, but he was also the unluckiest. I'm afraid that the youngster from Slovenia(?) is going to bring down rain on many parades in the next few years. The boy is twenty-one and barring injury can only get better. So, to paint him with that "wheelsucker" brush is really unfair: After all, he is not a Pozzato with many seasons of living on Fab's back wheel to his credit, even though PP may have rediscovered himself this past classic's season, but that's another issue.

 

[greenedge]

He is from Slovakia- to answer your Q.

 

[RHRH19861986]

I follow pro cycling since 1997, and Peter Sagan, IMHO, is the most impressive active rider I´ve ever seen during this time. And I don´t forget Armstrong.

Hard to find words for Sagan. He became pro 2010, aged 19 or 20, and look what he´s done since then. Just incredible.

One doesn´t have words for him, he´s just better than everything I´ve seen the last 15 years, considering his age.

 

[Gloin22]

Popovych was considered future GT winner. In his 2nd year as Pro he came 3rd in Giro.

And then...

It may happen to Sagan too, we never know.

 

[El Pistolero]

Seems a bit of Cadel kept in cotton wool overkill for BMC not to allocate one carer for Phil, just on these opening stages.
Surely, they could have seen their way to giving him a bit of relay help, back towards the front.
In any case, if that kick from Cancellara couldn't get rid of Sagan, I seriously doubt Gilbert would have fared any better.
Maybe his current form has played a factor in the protection stakes, too.
I suspect that TJVG is also pretty heavily protected in anticipation of the mountains, or an Evans mishap.

Last year Phil dropped Cancellara like a stone on a similar finish. Gilbert in his best shape would drop Sagan in a heartbeat. Of course he isn't in that shape, but I'm sure he'll get reach it again this season.

 

[greatking88]

Dan Martin is keeping a diary for the TdF.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0702/1224319185258.html

 

[Azabael]

Popovych was considered future GT winner. In his 2nd year as Pro he came 3rd in Giro.

And then...

It may happen to Sagan too, we never know.

One Major difference: Popovych was part of Armstrong's entourage. Sagan isn't.

 

[Angliru]

Good stage, personal highlights were:
- seeing about half the peloton go for the intermediate sprint.
- Greenedge showing their face on debut.
- Paul Sherwin on commentary just about having a fit when he noticed Greipil was leading out Lotto and utterly failing to comprehend what sort of strategy that was (in fairness, I was a bit lost there too).
- Sagan's explanation for his celebration. I thought he was meant to be a personality free, smileless bore?
- A few of my less favoured riders having off days/bad luck (Leipheimer, Cobo, Vino, Froome all finding any GC ambitions taking a knock) - not a noble sentiment I know.

Greipel leading out Lotto was fairly logical. With the twisting parcours leading to the final climb teams were in constant battle to get to the front, otherwise there was the risk of losing time for their protected rider(s) and not being in contention for the win. No way Greipel would be in contention for the win on a finish like this. Lotto just didn't have the legs to finish the job in the end but their riders stayed out of trouble for the most part as a result.

 

[FabulousCandelabra]

I'd like to see the spectacle of Fabian just giving up and taking whatever-place instead of gifting another wheel sucker with a victory. It'd be interesting to see what Sagan would do if Fab just stopped riding..