2012 Tour de France: Stage 2: Visé → Tournai (208km)

[therhodeo]

Seemed to me Lotto needed to take up a bit later and have their train take shorter pulls. Never seemed to really string things out that much given their numbers at the front.

 

[patrick767]

Sagan proved he can't position himself with the best, nor sprint with them. He was on Greipel's wheel and physically moved out of the way by Goss and then Cavendish. When the sprint started he went backwards. 6th, but never looked like competing

Judging by one sprint? He's competitive in sprints and as he showed yesterday, he can also win stages that the pure sprinters can't. Sagan will be fine. Of course he can't do a pure sprint on Cav's level, but add in the tougher finishes he can win and he's a green jersey threat.

 

[El Pistolero]

I hope Lotto realizes they have to save their men for the sprint now. Let someone else control the sprints, preferably Sky. And if they don't, well have some fun in a breakaway then.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

Sagan was taught a lesson in positioning and holding a wheel. He was sitting in perfect position behind Griepel but then got pushed off by Cav, then Goss and finally Veelers. He's a great young talent but not quite in the league of the big sprnters yet.

He will never be a sprinter, he is puncher.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Congrats to Cav I didn't think he would win with a few K,s to go but a nice close finish ,I enjoyed the stage today plenty of riders with a chance to win with a few K,s to go.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Sagan is not a pure sprinter...clearly he was just trying to finish top 10 to rack up points.

In that; a flat pure sprint, he was going backwards almost as fast as he goes forward on a slope.
So, no Sagan is clearly not a pure sprinter, but he's better off being the rider he is, with the potential to progess in other directions.

So, with Peter exposed, Kittel crumbling, Orica's train derailed and Cav doing it all on his lonesome, we are sure to get plenty of..........er.........debate (all round slagging off) from another flat Tour stage.

 

[taiwan]

Symbolizes his entire 2012 season, I'd say. Where's the Farrar that actually won things?

They said they tried to turn him into a classics rider at the expense of some speed, but without success it seems.

 

[max_powers]

Lets just wait a couple of more stages before we judge Sagan as sprinter.

Yes he's 22 in his first tour

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Seemed to me Lotto needed to take up a bit later and have their train take shorter pulls. Never seemed to really string things out that much given their numbers at the front.

True. That's also what Roelandts said. But still, they did a very good job. With a train like that, and a sprinter like Greipel, should normally always lead to victory.

And then there's Cav

 

[Rocksteady]

Symbolizes his entire 2012 season, I'd say. Where's the Farrar that actually won things?

Agreed. I think he needs to sit out a big race or 2 and use some smaller races to get his train together and get his confidence up.

 

[cycladianpirate]

Judging by one sprint? He's competitive in sprints and as he showed yesterday, he can also win stages that the pure sprinters can't. Sagan will be fine. Of course he can't do a pure sprint on Cav's level, but add in the tougher finishes he can win and he's a green jersey threat.

A green jersey threat?? He's the nailed on winner from what I've seen so far - and a clear odds-on favourite over on Betfair.

 

[Arnout]

In that; a flat pure sprint, he was going backwards almost as fast as he goes forward on a slope.
So, no Sagan is clearly not a pure sprinter, but he's better off being the rider he is, with the potential to progess in other directions.

So, with Peter exposed, Kittel crumbling, Orica's train derailed and Cav doing it all on his lonesome, we are sure to get plenty of..........er.........debate (all round slagging off) from another flat Tour stage.

I just hope he will develop towards the other side and not towards a sprinter, that would be a waste of talent, as he can do so well in the classics.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

A green jersey threat?? He's the nailed on winner from what I've seen so far - and a clear odds-on favourite over on Betfair.

Nailed on winner is a brave statement considering he just lost 26 points vs Cav today.

And it could easily have been more.

 

[Trofinios]

Yes he's 22 in his first tour

Exactly, even Cav in his first TdF 2007 at 22 only had 2 top 10 finishes, no top 5 finish.

 

[theyoungest]

Nailed on winner is a brave statement considering he just lost 26 points vs Cav today.

And it could easily have been more.

Unfortunately for Cav, Sagan can get points on the stages Cav wins, but the opposite isn't true. For example, tomorrow.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Unfortunately for Cav, Sagan can get points on the stages Cav wins, but the opposite isn't true. For example, tomorrow.

This.
He keeps fit and form, he wins green.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Unfortunately for Cav, Sagan can get points on the stages Cav wins, but the opposite isn't true. For example, tomorrow.

We'll have to see how the number of stages where either has an advantage compares.

You don't have to fall far down the leaderboard to be giving up a lot of points in these finishes, so he needs to hope Gilbert and others don't come to the party.

 

[karlboss]

Sagan is not a sprinter, accept it. He might become one, but I hope he never is. Classics all the way.

 

[argyllflyer]

Nailed on winner is a brave statement considering he just lost 26 points vs Cav today.

And it could easily have been more.

But Cav himself has said he is not going for Green, that the team is riding for Yellow and he is far more interested in the gold medal the week after the Champs Elysees (hence the weight loss to be more effective on the Olympics parcours). Will he even get to Paris? He said today he's enjoying having no pressure on him.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

But Cav himself has said he is not going for Green, that the team is riding for Yellow and he is far more interested in the gold medal the week after the Champs Elysees (hence the weight loss to be more effective on the Olympics parcours). Will he even get to Paris?

Cav has not said he is not going for green.

He has been given plenty of chances to say it, but has specifically never said he is not going for green.

He has twice sprinted for points which only have value if he is going for green.

He is clearly going for Green.

 

[Trofinios]

Sagan is not a sprinter, accept it. He might become one, but I hope he never is. Classics all the way.

What do you mean not a sprinter? No, he is not a pure sprinter, but he can sure can sprint, otherwise he wouldn't beat guys like Farrar, Renshaw, Hutarovich today. You seem to define sprinter as "being Cav or have beaten Cav in a sprint". And how can you honestly judge him so hard after one stage, lets just see what happens in the other sprint stages before reaching a conclusion about his abilities as a sprinter. And lets not forget he is more or less by himself in the sprints - his team is built around Nibali.

 

[FellOff]

Nailed on winner is a brave statement considering he just lost 26 points vs Cav today.

And it could easily have been more.

I agree. From what I've seen so far, he's shown brilliance and some inexperience, which might be telling over the three weeks. Hoping for a real scrap between two amazing talents.

Thanks Belgium, what a start: you've done us proud.

 

[BoxCoppi]

But Cav himself has said he is not going for Green, that the team is riding for Yellow and he is far more interested in the gold medal the week after the Champs Elysees (hence the weight loss to be more effective on the Olympics parcours). Will he even get to Paris?

He has stated an intention of going to Paris. But yeah he has also stated he will not go full out for green. However, lets see how it'll turn out as he still goes for intermediate sprints... If he suddenly leads he might just 'change' his mind

 

[Epicycle]

Maybe Sagan can't compete with the pure sprinters but I don't think you can judge that off today. Both in the intermediate sprint and the finale he showed how much tougher fighting for position in the Tour is compared to the TdS. In the TdS he looked so confident in his bike handling and awareness, today he just looked lost.

 

[MajorTom]

janibrajkovic Bad day. @BorutBozic was hit from behind by organization car. Org car could avoid him, but would bump into other car. He chose hitting rider