2012 Tour de France - stage 3: Orchies - Boulogne-sur-Mer (197km)

[Zinoviev Letter]

I wasn't debating the rule itself but rather criticising those who choose to blame riders that "play by the rules" - unless, of course, it happens to be a rider they like.

Like football fans shouting for a penalty, you see what you want to see. And the only difference between football fans and pro cycling fans is that the former tend to focus their efforts on supporting the team they like and the latter tend to focus their efforts on vilifying the riders they don't.

I suspect that you don't watch too many football matches.

A player who reacts to genuine but relatively minor contact by doing a swan dive to make sure of a penalty will very often be on the receiving end of dogs abuse for it. That's pretty much the closest equivalent to Wiggins hamming up the real but very minor effect the crash had on him.

And more broadly, the vilification a footballer can find himself on the end of for good, bad or indifferent reasons is a thousand times more intense than a few people on a cycling form getting narky.

 

[Arnout]

I wasn't debating the rule itself but rather criticising those who choose to blame riders that "play by the rules" - unless, of course, it happens to be a rider they like.

Like football fans shouting for a penalty, you see what you want to see. And the only difference between football fans and pro cycling fans is that the former tend to focus their efforts on supporting the team they like and the latter tend to focus their efforts on vilifying the riders they don't.

Is that last sentence aimed at me? If yes, I'm not going to react. I've been following cycling since 2003, have seen riders come and go, and I trust myself enough to say that I'm more objective than most on this board.

On an unrelated note, Samuel Sanchez about today's winner: "In future, we will be able to say, we rode with him."

Sagan's scary, that's for sure.

 

[c&cfan]

Is that last sentence aimed at me? If yes, I'm not going to react. I've been following cycling since 2003, have seen riders come and go, and I trust myself enough to say that I'm more objective than most on this board.

On an unrelated note, Samuel Sanchez about today's winner: "In future, we will be able to say, we rode with him."

Sagan's scary, that's for sure.

that's just... fantastic.

 

[guncha]

As expected boring TDF so far. Next three days should be boring as well. Then we'll have no action until the last two km of Planche followed by remote possibility of action in Porrentruy stage. Second week should be snooze-fest except Toussuire. Maybe I'll switch TV for the final two stages in Pyrenees or Vuelta.

 

[El Pistolero]

Is that last sentence aimed at me? If yes, I'm not going to react. I've been following cycling since 2003, have seen riders come and go, and I trust myself enough to say that I'm more objective than most on this board.

On an unrelated note, Samuel Sachez about today's winner: "In future, we will be able to say, we rode with him and we were too much of a coward to try anything to beat him."

Sagan's scary, that's for sure.

Fixed it....

 

[Arnout]

Fixed it....

Did I tell you I hate people messing with quotes? Just make your point yourself and don't twist my words, thanks.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I love how this has turned to defending the rule rather than defending Wiggins.

At the end of the day its pretty obvious that the only reason we are even discussing this is because Wiggins is not good enough to stay at the front on a 700m hill.

Certain riders can't win GTs because they are just not cut out for it. Wiggins is one of them. Gesink is another fwiw.

So why fret so about Wiggins? If he can't manage 700 metres uphill, he's had it in the Vosges, never mind the Alps, right?
Stop worrying about Wiggins and spare a thought for Bikeless Menchov.

Stuck at the crash with a mechanical.
No 3km (or even the old 1km) rule and he would have been out of the GC, just 300 metres from stage end.

 

[El Pistolero]

Didn't twist your words.

 

[Coramoor]

Tom D has a separated shoulder

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012...elde-loses-time-farrar-hits-deck-twice_227300

 

[cycladianpirate]

Is that last sentence aimed at me? If yes, I'm not going to react. I've been following cycling since 2003, have seen riders come and go, and I trust myself enough to say that I'm more objective than most on this board.

On an unrelated note, Samuel Sanchez about today's winner: "In future, we will be able to say, we rode with him."

Sagan's scary, that's for sure.

I'm tempted to ask if you would react if it wasn't aimed at you...

As for Sagan - he's this year's Gilbert. And there's nothing wrong with that. Fantastic all-rounder and will suit the Green Jersey to a tee - good luck to the lad.

 

[Red Rick]

I'm tempted to ask if you would react if it wasn't aimed at you...

As for Sagan - he's this year's Gilbert. And there's nothing wrong with that. Fantastic all-rounder and will suit the Green Jersey to a tee - good luck to the lad.

Tell me how many classics Sagan has one this year

 

[Arnout]

Didn't twist your words.

Yes you did, you changed my quote By quoting Samu, I guaranteed he said what he said. By changing it, you change my guarantee and thus you twist my words. Just don't do it next time ok?

I'm tempted to ask if you would react if it wasn't aimed at you...

As for Sagan - he's this year's Gilbert. And there's nothing wrong with that. Fantastic all-rounder and will suit the Green Jersey to a tee - good luck to the lad.

I would just ignore it as it is a personal attack, which is not my business if it isn't aimed at me.


_________________________________


Apparently Maarten Tjallingi finished the stage with a broken hip. Suffice to say he won't start tomorrow.

 

[cycladianpirate]

Tell me how many classics Sagan has one this year

Brilliant. Well done. But he's still apparently "scary" and other pros should feel privileged for having "ridden with him". Sic Transit Gloria Mundi. That's all I meant.

 

[argyllflyer]

As expected boring TDF so far. Next three days should be boring as well. Then we'll have no action until the last two km of Planche followed by remote possibility of action in Porrentruy stage. Second week should be snooze-fest except Toussuire. Maybe I'll switch TV for the final two stages in Pyrenees or Vuelta.

Out of interest, what was the last race or stage you enjoyed?

 

[classicomano]

Tjallingii = out with broken hip. Time for surgery.

The pick a name out of the hat crashathon has started.

 

[Winnen]

Bad news for Rabo. Tjallingi broke is hip today.

 

[guncha]

Out of interest, what was the last race or stage you enjoyed?

TDF 11, Giro 12.

 

[Arnout]

Nicholas Roche, Jonathan Vaughters and Jani Brajokic agree with me concerning the stupidity of lack of time gaps.

Or rather, I agree with them.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Nicholas Roche, Jonathan Vaughters and Jani Brajokic agree with me concerning the stupidity of lack of time gaps.

Or rather, I agree with them.

Tweets?
Anybody caught behind the crash agreeing? (JV had Ryder ahead)
Just out of interest, do you know who caused the crash and what exactly happened?

 

[argyllflyer]

TDF 11, Giro 12.

A lot of people were dissing this year's Giro as being dull too though. I don't think either were / have been as bad as made out. Ultimately any early flattish stage will have a similar conclusion.

 

[Frosty]

Seems to be the Vacansoleil rider dropping back at around 30 seconds was the catalyst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qJpVF0DxXA

Wasnt his fault as such, but everyone tried to get round him and some collided with each other.

 

[cocteau_ireland]

Nico Roche chatted with sagan yesterday. Talking of the big man's bike, he said "While the frame is gun metal in colour, with the Cannondale logo in luminous green to match his Liquigas jersey, Sagan's bike has the skull of the robot from the Terminator movie airbrushed on to the head tube, complete with luminous green eyes and the word 'Tourminator' painted in big luminous green letters across the top of his crossbar. I have to say I was almost as impressed as he was". The running man celebration suggesting an Arnie fixation?!

 

[Catwhoorg]

Bad news for Rabo. Tjallingi broke is hip today.

That sucks bigtime, and can be rough to come back from.

 

[BillytheKid]

Seems to be the Vacansoleil rider dropping back at around 30 seconds was the catalyst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qJpVF0DxXA

Wasnt his fault as such, but everyone tried to get round him and some collided with each other.

Yeh, he blew big time and caught those behind by surprise. The suffering, with heads down, could not see.

Bicycle racing.

 

[la.margna]

Nice performance by Tourminator Sagan today.

Congrats for todays win. At least he and Ivan worked hard, very hard for it today and did not exploit wheels and works of others

What's really incredible is, how easy it all seems for the fenomeno.
Five to seven pedalstrokes and he is a bike length ahead and starts his celebration gesture ceremony.

If he continues like that, numerous all-time records in cycling will be broken and he will have a go at next year's monuments MSR and RVV (ok, one does not need to be a prophet to forsee this).

Let's see how the Saga(n) continues.