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

[taiwan]

At least no one is still talking about Farrar as a real threat!! Finally.

Noone's been talking about Farrar since the Classics or before.

 

[dlwssonic]

Also if he wins he gets a Porsche, might be a factor.

I think he can afford 100 porsches 1 year from now

 

[LaFlorecita]

Morkov in the BOTD again! I love that guy.

 

[Trunnions]

Sure, if Wiggo is in trouble it might happen. But a rider of EBH's quality you can't keep too much in a leash - he must be given opportunities to win otherwise Sky will lose him. I expect all the norwegian fans who are there following the race to put pressure on Sky to let EBH do his thing.

How about this for a tactic. Let EBH go for the Yellow jersey today, so Sky have to do more work, but they stay at the front keeping Wiggo rested and out of danger. EBH takes the strain of wearing Y, Wiggo bides his time for the Alps.

Good idea?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

How about this for a tactic. Let EBH go for the Yellow jersey today, so Sky have to do more work, but they stay at the front keeping Wiggo rested and out of danger. EBH takes the strain of wearing Y, Wiggo bides his time for the Alps.

Good idea?

No.

But there's very little chance of Cancellara giving up the required time anyway.

 

[Gloin22]

How about this for a tactic. Let EBH go for the Yellow jersey today, so Sky have to do more work, but they stay at the front keeping Wiggo rested and out of danger. EBH takes the strain of wearing Y, Wiggo bides his time for the Alps.

Good idea?

You expect EBH to beat Cancellara here by 7 secs ? That will be hard

And 2nd, Sky DO not want yellow at all in 1st week. It would be nice to have it of course, but they wouldnt defend it for much more than few days.

However, for EBH - White Jersey will be target today

 

[wirral]

Does everybody in Sky have a speech impediment? How do they understand each other? Lord knows what viewers in other countries make of their interviews. And I'm English!!

 

[Trofinios]

What was Sean Yates in jail for?

 

[DominicDecoco]

What was Sean Yates in jail for?

Trafficking the new helmets.

 

[Catwhoorg]

However, for EBH - White Jersey will be target today

Just needs a second. He would have had in on Stage 1 if the three of them hadn't *****footed around before the sprint.

 

[Trunnions]

You expect EBH to beat Cancellara here by 7 secs ? That will be hard

And 2nd, Sky DO not want yellow at all in 1st week. It would be nice to have it of course, but they wouldnt defend it for much more than few days.

However, for EBH - White Jersey will be target today

EBH needs 11 seconds to take Y off Cancellara, but he doesn't have to do it all today, by the weekend will be fine, and that fits with Brails' plan.

Making Sky defend it would have the advantage of keeping them out of trouble, and getting them fitter, they all need race-fitness.

The idea is mainly to take pressure off Wiggo, let EBH shoulder the extra hassle.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Finally live and it's supposed to stay dry.

Evans says he might try something to satisfy his CN forum fanboys.

 

[will10]

Just needs a second. He would have had in on Stage 1 if the three of them hadn't *****footed around before the sprint.

So Hagen does exactly the right thing and waits for the sprint on the wheel of Sagan, but you think he should've gone to the front to drive it to get the white jersey?

 

[Bala Verde]

Gilbert, according to the sporza match center, wasn't feeling too good today. Headache... Der Panzerfaust is hurting a lot too. If it wasn't le tour, he would have left already. He only stays because of the upcoming ITT, hoping he will have recovered by then.

Gilbert: "Ik voel me niet zo goed vandaag"
De aankomst in Boulogne-sur-Mer moet Philippe Gilbert liggen, maar Gilbert heeft hoofdpijn. En met Tony Martin gaat het niet goed.

I am thinking Nicolas Roche might try something, Chavanel, perhaps Cancellara. I think Sagan will be there. Perhaps Mollema. The ones that were pretty good on stage 1. Evans perhaps. Devenyns wants to give it a go according to the interviews

I am hoping for some fireworks on the penultimate climb though.

I think Poels and Vandenendert aren't in top form yet to be competitive.

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/matchcenter/mc_wielrennen/comp_Tour_2012/1.1341287

 

[Andy99]

Does everybody in Sky have a speech impediment? How do they understand each other? Lord knows what viewers in other countries make of their interviews. And I'm English!!

Not sure who you are referring to, but if Sean Yates - bit harsh don't you think?

He did suffer a stroke.

 

[Trunnions]

Österriech Rundfahrt: "Rund" I can guess, but I'm curious what does the german word "fahrt" mean?

 

[Delicato]

Österriech Rundfahrt: "Rund" I can guess, but I'm curious what does the german word "fahrt" mean?

Ride.

10 chars.

 

[Trunnions]

Ride.

Thank you, that's a relief!

 

[Catwhoorg]

So Hagen does exactly the right thing and waits for the sprint on the wheel of Sagan, but you think he should've gone to the front to drive it to get the white jersey?

Depends what he wanted more, the stage win (in which case he did the right thing) or the white jersey for a week or so (in which case he should have driven hard).

being as he chose the former, I guess he didn't want the white as much as the stage.

 

[wirral]

Not sure who you are referring to, but if Sean Yates - bit harsh don't you think?

He did suffer a stroke.

I know. All of them mumble and never finish a sentence. Yates was unintelligible before he had a stroke. Probably the easiest to understand are non-Brits like EBH "really great" and Bernie Eisel.

 

[Trunnions]

I'm picking a last 20km breakaway by EBH and Chav, with the Frenchman to take the stage today.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Lampre manage to bring Brajkovic down.
First "chute" of the day.
More to follow.

 

[will10]

Depends what he wanted more, the stage win (in which case he did the right thing) or the white jersey for a week or so (in which case he should have driven hard).

being as he chose the former, I guess he didn't want the white as much as the stage.

A stage win is massively more prestigious than a few days in white, so yes he did the right thing.

 

[Trunnions]

I know. All of them mumble and never finish a sentence. Yates was unintelligible before he had a stroke. Probably the easiest to understand are non-Brits like EBH "really great" and Bernie Eisel.

Blimey I didn't know Sean had a stroke, he's not 50 yet is he?

What brought that on? Drink, drugs, or worry?

 

[Aditya]

Brajkovic down. I saw someone predicting that to happen earlier and it did :/