2012 Tour de France: Stage 16: Pau → Bagnères-de-Luchon, 197 km

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Lead group blown up by Dan Martin.

Even Voeckler dropped now

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

You can rely on Dan Martin to animate a race.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

So no polka dots for Voeckler then?

 

[maltiv]

You can rely on Dan Martin to animate a race.

He's been completely invisible so far in the TDF though, but he certainly looks good today.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Martin, Kessiakoff and Ten Dam now...

 

[vcampbell]

It's so bad, that Dan Martin crashed.

 

[Kwibus]

Only Ten Dam and Kessiakoff following.

Rather big group behind making tempo though.

 

[Bala Verde]

And the difference from the sprint competition is?

Right now everyone bar Sagan has given up it seems. From the start I guess at least Greipel, Goss, Sagan and perhaps Cavendish had it in sight, but that's just four guys. Hoogerland, CAS and Moncoutie all were pretty obvious in their KoM goals.

At least we have three riders going for KoM points in the breakaway today (Although CAS couldn't accelerate quickly if his life depended on it), and Voeckler has the best kick and might challenge Kessiakoff.

I don't know, but I wasn't discussing the green jersey.

Wasn't the green jersey almost decided around stage 6 or 7? The super sprint at least fetches more money (2000E for 1st whereas a HC first is only 800E). I am a little ambivalent about the supersprint. It has forced sprinters to sprint mid-race, and has added some excitement to the race, certainly for people watching the race around the supersprint line. On TV it hasn't been very spectacular and how much of a difference has it made for the green competition? With escapees often out in the front, very few points remain. But then again, it's a team's responsibility to haul them in. But then again again, teams might want to save energy to just win the stage, which also brings in WT points.

This year, green was perhaps decided so early because Sagan is so much better and there have been some stages where pure sprinters couldn't score points?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Ten Dam drooling all over the camera again

 

[sultanofhyd]

LTD just spit it out, that's gross.

 

[Bala Verde]

LTD is the coolest rider around....

looks like he is feeling good.

 

[sultanofhyd]

They're taking bottles from the crowd, so desperate for some cooling.

 

[webvan]

LTD needs to get a warning !

 

[roundabout]

Voeckler is a cagey little *******.

 

[sultanofhyd]

Voeckler and CAS rejoining, wah.

 

[webvan]

Dan Martin to blow up as usual? Certainly seems to be at his max...

 

[Kwibus]

CAS with another day of getting dropped and getting back, getting dropped, returning, dropped, return, dropped etc.

 

[FellOff]

Almost ten dam percent?

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Hincapie to win a mountain stage again rolling back usp days.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

CAS with another day of getting dropped and getting back, getting dropped, returning, dropped, return, dropped etc.

Rocking the casbah.

 

[Bala Verde]

They give WT points for KoM and points? First time I've heard of this. KoM and Green do give points to the team value ranking IIRC, but not to riders directly.

think you are right.

 

[vcampbell]

CAS with another day of getting dropped and getting back, getting dropped, returning, dropped, return, dropped etc.

And be the hero at the end of the day.

 

[sultanofhyd]

The break has opened up a minute on the bunch on the climb, the peloton is having a jolly ride.

And now the carrots are joining the leading group.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

That looked like a total waste of energy from Martin?

 

[CatsNK]

Allez, Vino!!! Looking OK.