2012 Tour de France: Stage 13: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux → Le Cap d'Agde (217 km)

[BillytheKid]

The stage would have been much better if it was in the first week of the tdf, because it was a challenging sprint stage:

1) trains need to sort themselves out
2) more GC contenders that can't lose time in cross winds
3)more GC contenders who could try to use the cross winds to catch so done by surprise
4) fresher legs for attackers, who could benefit from disorganization of train(s)/lack of hierarchy/ responsibility for chasing down a break.
5) more sprinters, some of whom would have gotten dropped on the mont Clair and some who would have made it. Now it was a Sagan greipel one on one. I think the sprint could have benefitted for another strong sprinter (EBH for example, but he had been working for wiggins all week long, so he was weakened)

Cadel did try. The climb made a good selction and added to the cross-wind selection. Lotto made it back in time to drive the front insanely. No other train available, you'll have to take the one after 909. Fresh legs are not on the menu. All the GC contenders made the front on the climb. Wiggins also made a good effort for EBH, but Eddy was not tight on his wheel and could not get the full effect.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I didn't watch this stage thinking it would be a yawn fest. It seems I have missed an interesting stage. From how far was the breakaway caught?

Same, but between this and the one where Urtasun was caught with only about 150m to go it seems flat stages have been much more interesting than mountain stages in this edition of the race.

 

[Arnout]

It's British TV, get over yourself!

It's the interview provided by the official coverage, meaning it's for everyone.

 

[Square-pedaller]

It's the interview provided by the official coverage, meaning it's for everyone.

No, the interviews aren't part of the official coverage. France 2 provide the official coverage, but all the interviews that they show are clearly additional to that, and they only show interviews by their reporters. Eurosport may use the interviews for their broadcasts in several different countries, though.

 

[argyllflyer]

No, the interviews aren't part of the official coverage. France 2 provide the official coverage, but all the interviews that they show are clearly additional to that, and they only show interviews by their reporters. Eurosport may use the interviews for their broadcasts in several different countries, though.

Yeah, the Tour de France Extra bit goes into SD, not HD, when the French TV turns off.

Ned works for ITV usually, so not quite sure what he's up to? Post-race interviews in English for USA/ITV4 and Eurosport?

 

[Arnout]

No, the interviews aren't part of the official coverage. France 2 provide the official coverage, but all the interviews that they show are clearly additional to that, and they only show interviews by their reporters. Eurosport may use the interviews for their broadcasts in several different countries, though.

They are part of the official broadcast provided to all broadcasters. I don't watch on Eurosport, I watch on NOS (Dutch television) or Sporza (Belgian) and unless the broadcaster decides to cut it away themselves, it is being transmitted there too.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

It's the interview provided by the official coverage, meaning it's for everyone.

Then reserve your complaints for the ASO in choosing a British employee of a British TV station to do the interview in a year when a British rider is in yellow and pulled the break back.

 

[Arnout]

Then reserve your complaints for the ASO in choosing a British employee of a British TV station to do the interview in a year when a British rider is in yellow and pulled the break back.

Where did I complain? I'm just stating some facts without voicing my opinion on anything.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

They are part of the official broadcast provided to all broadcasters. I don't watch on Eurosport, I watch on NOS (Dutch television) or Sporza (Belgian) and unless the broadcaster decides to cut it away themselves, it is being transmitted there too.

In his book "How I won the yellow jumper", Boulting explains that there is, each day, an interview with the stage winner known as the "Eurovision interview", for , as he describes it, "all the TV channels worldwide who do not have a reporter on-site, or who do not have airtime to wait for their own exclusive." It seems to be allocated to a journalist in a rather haphazard manner by ASO's press chief, but a co-national of the yellow jersey holder who is near-fluent in the language of the stage winner seems a reasonable choice.

 

[maxmartin]

Exactly if you want to set up EBH to win why let him doing so much pulling, last minute decision by SKY??

Quote:
Luis Leon Sanchez was obviously disappointed, but not bitter. “It’s a pity it didn’t work out, but we can’t keep going on about it. I also want to learn from today. I was amazed by my own strength. It was going so well I thought ‘let’s give it a try. I’m going for it’. It was looking really good for a while, but when the yellow jersey is chasing you, it turns into an almost impossible task. It’s a pity. Next time we’ll do it differently.”
Sports director Nico Verhoeven was especially annoyed the possibility for a stage win was frustrated because of a decision by Bradley Wiggins that ended up not helping the yellow jersey wearer in any way. “He had the illusion Boasson Hagen could sprint for victory, but that guy rode at the front of the peloton for the last five days. He’s really not going to beat the two best sprinters of the group. Wiggins ended up being the ideal team mate for two other sprinters, and ruined it for us. It was a little hard to swallow to see the yellow jersey closing the gap. Luis Leon’s gesture? He made room for the yellow jersey shortly before. Wiggins even thanked him at the time. While overtaking, Luis Leon thought about that.”

 

[Cimber]

Great stage !

Yes

Best TDF in many years

No (unless you are a limey of course)

 

[Bavarianrider]

Another great stage! What a Tour!

 

[Cimber]

What a Tour!

Ye its so thrilling. Impossible to predict who will take the overall. And all those attacks that really put pressure on the yellow jersey and is away his lead....





































might have been sarcastic. Good stage though.

 

[Bavarianrider]

It's the best Tour in years. I don't mind if one guy or team domiates as long as most stages are full of excitement and the stages are ridden hard. And that's what it is like this year.
Really sad Tony ain't in the mix

 

[diorgen]

This is the worst tour I have ever watched

 

[ridewithheart]

This is the worst tour I have ever watched

I've enjoyed it- some great stages ridden very hard. Sure most of us wish wiggins wasnt riding in this way but meh- the tour is about more than just the GC.

 

[maltiv]

Quote:
Luis Leon Sanchez was obviously disappointed, but not bitter. “It’s a pity it didn’t work out, but we can’t keep going on about it. I also want to learn from today. I was amazed by my own strength. It was going so well I thought ‘let’s give it a try. I’m going for it’. It was looking really good for a while, but when the yellow jersey is chasing you, it turns into an almost impossible task. It’s a pity. Next time we’ll do it differently.”
Sports director Nico Verhoeven was especially annoyed the possibility for a stage win was frustrated because of a decision by Bradley Wiggins that ended up not helping the yellow jersey wearer in any way. “He had the illusion Boasson Hagen could sprint for victory, but that guy rode at the front of the peloton for the last five days. He’s really not going to beat the two best sprinters of the group. Wiggins ended up being the ideal team mate for two other sprinters, and ruined it for us. It was a little hard to swallow to see the yellow jersey closing the gap. Luis Leon’s gesture? He made room for the yellow jersey shortly before. Wiggins even thanked him at the time. While overtaking, Luis Leon thought about that.”

Nothing delusional about thinking that EBH has a chance of beating Greipel and Sagan in a sprint...he did exactly that in T-A this year. Of course, the odds were against him, but it was a really nice gesture by Wiggins.

I hardly see how a yellow jersey giving something back to one of his most faithful domestiques is a bad thing.

 

[ridewithheart]

Nothing delusional about thinking that EBH has a chance of beating Greipel and Sagan in a sprint...he did exactly that in T-A this year. Of course, the odds were against him, but it was a really nice gesture by Wiggins.

I hardly see how a yellow jersey giving something back to one of his most faithful domestiques is a bad thing.

Agreed, as a Brit who is ambivalent at best about Sky and Wiggins, i thought this was a pretty nice but of riding...

 

[Pricey_sky]

This is the worst tour I have ever watched

I love it, after having just scraps of success for the British for many years we now have the best sprinter in tour history as voted today (Cavendish) and a Brit 1-2 in the GC going into the final week of the tour.

Hope it stays like this for many years to come!

 

[BillytheKid]

It's the best Tour in years. I don't mind if one guy or team domiates as long as most stages are full of excitement and the stages are ridden hard. And that's what it is like this year.
Really sad Tony ain't in the mix

+1 A very unpredictable route. Works for me.

 

[BillytheKid]

Nothing delusional about thinking that EBH has a chance of beating Greipel and Sagan in a sprint...he did exactly that in T-A this year. Of course, the odds were against him, but it was a really nice gesture by Wiggins.

I hardly see how a yellow jersey giving something back to one of his most faithful domestiques is a bad thing.

EBH might of had a shot if he glued up to Wiggins' wheel right in the turn and gone up outside on Wiggins' left. It was not a finish they might have practiced.

 

[ManInFull]

might have been sarcastic. Good stage though.

Funny. Almost as funny as Cadel's attacks. He's quite talented at opening up a 10 second gap for very short periods.

 

[Warhawk]

Funny. Almost as funny as Cadel's attacks. He's quite talented at opening up a 10 second gap for very short periods.

Clearly what he needs is a DISTRACTION!

...

Can Tejay juggle? Sing opera?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Funny. Almost as funny as Cadel's attacks. He's quite talented at opening up a 10 second gap for very short periods.

To be fair, that's no different for Van den Broeck and Nibali. And far better than all the other so called contenders combined. But this TDF shows Cadel really is over the hill. He placed ONE attack (i'm not counting his 50 meter sprints before the finishline) in two weeks and already had to suffer the consequences later on. Nibali attacked a couple of times and hasn't paid a price for it yet. Van den Broeck has been most active and also hasn't paid a price for it yet, in the contrary. He got half a minute and his and Nibali's attack made Cadel crack. If he hadn't lost those two minutes after his mechanical, he would be on the heels of Nibali and well in front of Cadel already.

But as far as attacking the Sky team goes, nobody really got any further than a small gap of 15-30 seconds.

 

[la.margna]

To be fair, that's no different for Van den Broeck and Nibali. And far better than all the other so called contenders combined. But this TDF shows Cadel really is over the hill. He placed ONE attack (i'm not counting his 50 meter sprints before the finishline) in two weeks and already had to suffer the consequences later on. Nibali attacked a couple of times and hasn't paid a price for it yet. Van den Broeck has been most active and also hasn't paid a price for it yet, in the contrary. He got half a minute and his and Nibali's attack made Cadel crack. If he hadn't lost those two minutes after his mechanical, he would be on the heels of Nibali and well in front of Cadel already.

But as far as attacking the Sky team goes, nobody really got any further than a small gap of 15-30 seconds.

I wanna see the rider who can attack SKY and create a decent gap. Impossible, as they are riding most climbs around the 440/450W level. No way. Cadel and Nibali are great, but there's not much you can do. This is total control and dominance. Maybe AC could do something, but I doubt that it could be a large and consisten gap.

Let's face it, if nothing extraordinary happens (jour sans, ugly crash) nobody will be able to ride away from SKY in a climb.

The only way is in a descent, like Nibali did (a bit more than a 50s gap), but the finish has to be at the end of the descent. But even then, the last ITT is still there.

What I think is so funny is the fact that all those guys on French TV keep on talking since the first day that the Tour is not over and not decided and such crap. this is ridicolous considering that he was already such a large pre-race favourite and sent the clear message already in the prologue.

But let's hope I'm wrong and we suddenly get some unexpected action, tension and thrilling attacking & fireworks... (very difficult considering the lame profile).