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

[Trofinios]

I wonder whether sagan will go for the stage win tomorrow.
I hope he does, I want to see how good his sprint really is against the big boys.

After looking at stage 3, it seems ideal for Gilbert.
It will be between him and sagan. Maybe valverde and some others like gerrans or even EBH.

Well he is aiming to win the point classification, so naturally he will go for the stage tomorrow. Oss will be crucial for him.

 

[burning]

I mean you maybe don´t know it but you have just expressed the greatest of the compliments to anybody who can suck the wheel of Spartacus!!! it´s much more than "good job", because anyone who can do that is a true great rider

Yeah I'd be really proud of myself if I can suck his wheel

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

They got 11th, not bad.

Gilbert was epxected to win such stages when he signed up for BMC, now he's not even close

It was money well spent, covering an obvious need in the squad. Not like they could have spent it on even more climbers, that would just be silly.

 

[Cerberus]

Or he can keep going, to secure for himself the best result he can. Is that so radical a suggestion for a sportsman?

And, just sometimes, the sprinters won't beat him. EBH didn't today. Only 4 managed to do so in the World Champs. Cancellara is no mean finisher.

Sure he could and he did do that. The problem is that if he keeps doing that he tells the sprinters that not taking a pull is free, don't worry, push come to shove I'll drag us to the finish line and we'll be fresh. If he let the peleton reaborb them a couble of times, the sprinters might take a pull or two. It would probably give Cancellara fewer podium spots but perhaps more wins.

As for EBH not beatign Cancellara today it's worth nothing that EBH was working hard behind Cancellara most of the time,

If you were watching carefully you would have seen that Canc did turn around and go to the side and see what was going on behind him but when he saw how close the bunch was he went full steam ahead as it was obvious that he wouldnt have made it to the finish unless he went full steam with no hesitation or contribution from the hesitant and weaker Sagan, who didnt mind waiting for the bunch either.

They had 7 seconds at the finish line, they wouldn't have been caught just because Sagan had taken a pull that might have been a bit slower. Besides. I'm not saying that Cancellara would necessarily have won if he'd forced the issue. They might have been caught, or Sagan might have out-sprinted him despite doing some of the work, but IMO Cancellara should have gambled his certain top 3 (not a significant result for someone like Spartacus), for a better chance of winning.

 

[jens_attacks]

news about froome's time?will it be corrected?

 

[goggalor]

Crap display from Sky.

Broken apart by the nervousness at 15km to go, and didn't have the presence of mind to pull themselves together, but instead rode home as individuals from that point onwards.

I hope they learn from the experience before Tuesday.

Ironically the only well placed Sky rider was EBH.

lotto were incredibly fail today.
Hopefully they will get it right tomorrow.

Lotto didn't fail as a team, in fact they were very strong and stayed together when all the other teams split. Same with greenedge. Their guy just didn't have the legs to finish the job. If BMC had been as good as Lotto Gilbert could've won.

 

[El Pistolero]

They got 11th, not bad.

Gilbert was epxected to win such stages when he signed up for BMC, now he's not even close

He was too far back for most of the climb. His form is decent. You'll do plenty of cursing when he drops Cav on Box Hill. Don't worry.

 

[Gubby Allen]

How does anyone reckon stage 3 will play out? Who would you expect to be left with at the finish & who will be the favourites?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

news about froome's time?will it be corrected?

If the puncture was in the last 3km it should be. Some rather worrying rumours it occured earlier however.

 

[DominicDecoco]

Sagan has lost a lot of respect today. I used to like him a lot but, who he thinks he is? JUST A ****ING POOR WHEELSUCKER!

He knows he is THE FASTEST and does not give one turn to Cancellara. What a shame, poor wheelsucker. I wouldn't be proud if I were riding this way.

Respect to Cancellara. He makes cycling attractive and thrilling. No wonder he's called Spartacus. Better a proud second than a poor winner.

Cancellara makes cycling attractive and thrilling with his style. Which unfortunately can't be said yet of Sagan. But he will grow up, I'm sure. He still has a lot to learn.

Sagan won a stage, but he lost his pride.

Doesnt deserve it.

What a ****ing pathetic win. Simply ****ing pathetic

Lame win for Sagan. Very lame.

Canc magnificent, Sagan should have put a better effort, not a well deserved win for him!

Someone needs to read more books about cycling.

 

[la.margna]

get a clue.

I have my view, you have yours. While I respect other views and never claim mine to be infallible, your answer confirms just my quote to which you responded.

Class or honor can't be bought, can't be injected or transfused. Either you have it or you don't.

So you will never find a post from myself where I call anybody else stupid or state that he has no clue. No way I'll let myself down to that level.

If you think wheelsucking to win is fine & smart, that's okay. It's your view. I accept it and would never respond to you like you did to me. That's the difference.

And no worries, I am used to be part of the minority who does not cheat or exploit or wheelsuck to just achieve wins or goals. I have learned in my life that unfortunately about 80% or even more of the people don't have a sense for this as they are just "eat as much as you can" guys - success at any price, at the whatever cost and collateral damage.

Ok, I went a bit far now, let's go back to cycling...

Viva il ciclismo | Vive le cyclisme!

 

[Mellow Velo]

lol Lotto's fail was way worse than BMC's fail please....
Gilbert got a 4th what did lotto get????

Please, that was his big chance in front of his home crowd.
4th? Might as well be 44th. It doesn't make the podium.
Why do you always feel the need to belittle the efforts of other teams, yet become so defensive when anyone suggests that someone riding for BMC is anything less than stellar?

At least Lotto made the rest work for any reward.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

How does anyone reckon stage 3 will play out? Who would you expect to be left with at the finish & who will be the favourites?

It's pretty flat, so I expect a field sprint, with Sagan to attempt to double up. We'll see just how much Cav has in the tank tomorrow.

 

[Gloin22]

He was too far back for most of the climb. His form is decent. You'll do plenty of cursing when he drops Cav on Box Hill. Don't worry.

I don't care about Cav

Personally I want attacks and Cav not winning at Olympics just to show our public - Cav is just a sprinter and not how media portrays him as invincible cyclist sometimes

Some of my collegues thought, him getting Green last year meant he finished 2 in TDF in GC. That's worrying

 

[El Pistolero]

I don't care about Cav

Personally I want attacks and Cav not winning at Olympics just to show our public - Cav is just a sprinter and not how media portrays him as invincible cyclist sometimes

Some of my collegues thought, him getting Green last year meant he finished 2 in TDF in GC. That's worrying

Fair enough. Make it JTL then.

 

[ggusta]

Someone needs to read more books about cycling.

to heck with godwin's law, I think we've all just about beaten this poor thread into submission by now!

if it gets any worse it will be forced to wear a yellow helmet while riding a very short yellow school bus painted to LOOK like a bicycle.

 

[Gloin22]

Fair enough. Make it JTL then.

Yess, but Gilbert kicking JTL *** can be expected more or less

Definitely, Olympics in my view will be between Cancellara v Sagan v Boonen v ( Gilbert ) as big favourites.

Will be interesting how Belgium plays it out with both Boonen and Gilbert. Freire and Chavanel are quite strong dark horses too with strong teams something which Cance or Sagan can't say.

 

[la.margna]

Btw, when is Sagan's contract with LIQ (or the subs. team) running out?

But watch out if BMC should sign him... mediocre results 2 follow

 

[Gloin22]

Btw, when is Sagan's contract with LIQ (or the subs. team) running out?

But watch out if BMC should sign him... mediocre results 2 follow

He extended this year for another 2 years after this

 

[la.margna]

Yess, but Gilbert kicking JTL *** can be expected more or less

Definitely, Olympics in my view will be between Cancellara v Sagan v Boonen v ( Gilbert ) as big favourites.

Will be interesting how Belgium plays it out with both Boonen and Gilbert. Freire and Chavanel are quite strong dark horses too with strong teams something which Cance or Sagan can't say.

Albasini in current form (2day was a bad example, he went 2 early) is on Gilbert 2012 level. But of course, size and quality of the team still not to be compared with BEL or ESP. Although all riders named in your post are fuoriclasse riders that can win with bascially no team.

 

[Arnout]

All people accusing Sagan of bad sportmanship are socialists.

 

[whittashau]

Wow, Levi, Pinot, Cobo, Horner, Coppel, Velits and obviously Froome all losing time. I wasn't expecting that sort of carnage.

 

[la.margna]

He extended this year for another 2 years after this

what a pity

 

[burning]

I think Freire will be the main man in the Olympics, I might be totally wrong though

 

[Froome19]

It's pretty flat, so I expect a field sprint, with Sagan to attempt to double up. We'll see just how much Cav has in the tank tomorrow.

No it will carnage most likely.. 4 categorised climbs in 16km will be prime attacking foder.

news about froome's time?will it be corrected?

He punctured 5km out