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

[c&cfan]

valverde coming back and phil.. well, it's phil lol

 

[Mellow Velo]

Gilbert departs through the rear door.....

 

[Machu Picchu]

has Gilbert crashed recently - last couple of days? been so many I may have missed it....

 

[Captain Sensible]

Gilbert going out of the back .

 

[airstream]

Calm down. Anyways, by this Samu hasn't already been a part of competition in terms of battle for top-5, at least. Why should we skip this year? Just cos one doesn't like Sky lol? The yesterday's stage was breathtaking.

 

[Froome19]

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.

We will see...

 

[LaFleur]

How is Roy riding away from that 20-man breakaway?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

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.

Samu showed he can't up that pace this year long before the official withdrawal.

 

[goggalor]

Wiggo off the back. Go go Movistar!!

 

[c&cfan]

what is happening?

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Wiggo off the back. Go go Movistar!!

Lol.

______

 

[goggalor]

Samu showed he can't up that pace this year long before the official withdrawal.

I was thinking more of going in breaks, attacks on descents etc., making Sky work harder than they'd like. If Wiggo then has to set that tempo himself he's at least slightly vulnerable, when his team mates are doing it it's hopeless.

 

[glassmoon]

attack you a**holes. nows the chance!

 

[Mellow Velo]

Wiggo off the back. Go go Movistar!!

Pah! Beat me to the exact same punchline.

 

[will10]

Sorry to see Samu won't defend his Olympic title. Think that will hurt the most.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I feel like we need an official list of people who think there is no competition, people who think there is extreme nefarious activity in Team Sky, and people who want to have their cake and eat it.

 

[hoerpi]

I'm really looking forward to the Vuelta right now. A climbers course with the two best climbers (Andy straight from injury though).

 

[Froome19]

Samu showed he can't up that pace this year long before the official withdrawal.

He has been recovering from his Dauphine crash and was still building his form

 

[the asian]

First time I'm seen Kessiakoff in this years' race.

 

[will10]

I'm really looking forward to the Vuelta right now. A climbers course with the two best climbers (Andy straight from injury though).

Ah yes, the Vuelta, where even the mountain stages are flat.

 

[Froome19]

Verdugo has abandoned

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

From @inrng
Broken collarbone for Samuel Sanchez, via French TV
https://twitter.com/inrng/status/221950971905970176

 

[c&cfan]

are we forgetting about the fact that sagan is going to win today's stage?

 

[T-Nielsen]

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.

Thanks

How I missed Freire leaving is mystery to me.

 

[Bobby G]

I'm really looking forward to the Vuelta right now. A climbers course with the two best climbers (Andy straight from injury though).

Add to that Gesink (hopefully with one of Mollema & Kruijswjik), Uran, Henao, De Gendt, Purito, Samu (depending on the speed of his recovery) plus the usual armada of spanish climbers. Should be a decent GT, could be a beast of a GT. Hasn't got to do much to be more exciting that the Giro that's for sure.