2012 Tour de France: Stage 8: Belfort → Porrentruy (157.5km)

[Machu Picchu]

His strongest competitors are Froome and Evans and they are still in the race.

like he said, weak when when of the strongest 'competitors' is a teammate

 

[its like that]

Voeckler woefully out of form

 

[icefire]

Who is also in the Spanish Olympic Team? I think there is here some sort of a curse...

The original lineup was Samu, Rojas, Valverde, Freire and Lulu. Yes, there is some sort of a curse when 60% of them are out of the race.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Who is also in the Spanish Olympic Team? I think there is here some sort of a curse...

Freire - broken rib / punctured lung
Samu - collar bone
Luis Leon - bad wrist
Rojas - collar bone
Valverde - several crashes but nothing broken yet

 

[The Barb]

classy move of the women fan to reach in and steal his gloves...

Wow, you're right. I just rewound and watched it. Well spotted.

 

[Rocksteady]

Hoogie Boogie.... Awesome

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Voeckler woefully out of form

He's got a dodgy knee.

 

[T-Nielsen]

The original lineup was Samu, Rojas, Valverde, Freire and Lulu. Yes, there is some sort of a curse when 60% of them are out of the race.

I thought Valverde, Freire and Lulu was still in.

 

[The Hitch]

Everyone likes Sammy, but he was never a Tour favorite with this years course.

lol, who besides Wiggins and evans was more of a favorite than him? (id say menchov but most it seems would not)

 

[Stingray34]

Sammy...bummer

 

[Froome19]

like he said, weak when when of the strongest 'competitors' is a teammate

But they are still in the race and have not really been affected much (besides for Froome's puncture)

 

[LongSprint]

A forty year old guy and a team-mate who was a nobody a year ago.

Great.

Huh? Who's forty?

 

[Publicus]

His strongest competitors are Froome and Evans and they are still in the race.

I'm not sure you two are disagreeing. That's pretty weak competition--essentially 1 guy out of a field of 198.

 

[Stingray34]

Let's have a whip round: we need to convince a Sky guy to start racing for himself to make a race of this.

 

[Bobby G]

Everyone likes Sammy, but he was never a Tour favorite with this years course.

Well, a top 5 contender. You get what I mean. Such a shame to see so many riders featuring in top 10 predictions crashing out. I thought last year was bad.

 

[DominicDecoco]

Forgetting Samu's accident this has been a brilliant stage.

 

[goggalor]

Even if Samu wasn't as huge a favourite as Wiggins, he's a rider who'd cause Wiggo trouble. It's looking more and more like Sky will cruise through this Tour at 480 W knowing no one can up that pace.

 

[Machu Picchu]

But they are still in the race and have not really been affected much (besides for Froome's puncture)

yes but Froome is a teammate - not a competitor, he's not a rival of Wiggans and isn't going to ride against him is he? no.

 

[its like that]

Valverde struggling

 

[MrRoboto]

Well, a top 5 contender. You get what I mean. Such a shame to see so many riders featuring in top 10 predictions crashing out. I thought last year was bad.

Last year is still much worse.

 

[Publicus]

Valverde made it back to the peloton.

 

[norwegian]

Biased, but it has to be said: Edvald is a amazing rider! He will be a big one.

 

[Froome19]

lol, who besides Wiggins and evans was more of a favorite than him? (id say menchov but most it seems would not)

After Yesterday definitely Nibali.

 

[icefire]

I thought Valverde, Freire and Lulu was still in.

Freire abandoned with three broken ribs and punctured lung. Only Valverde and Lulu are still in the Tour. Rojas is already training on rollers, so he can still get to the Olympic race.

 

[Aristarchus]

Gilbert slipping off the back already.