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

[cineteq]

Tomorrow I hope its below 30 seconds but its gonna be tough for evans.
However at least today he showed that he is strong and was quite aggressive, a good sign.
Evans won't go down without a fight I'm sure.

Evans will be fine. You're too afraid of Wiggo. Be afraid of lo Squalo if anything

 

[dlwssonic]

Evans actually needs to beat Wiggins tomorrow... if he can't do it on a path which suits him then he's got no chance on the latter one.

The latter one is in the 3rd week. Evans should be stronger there.

 

[will10]

Froome to be best of GC guys tomorrow.

 

[El Pistolero]

Evans can be glad if he loses less than 2 minutes tomorrow. To Froome that is. Wiggins will be 3 minutes.

 

[Marcus135]

I really do dislike Mike Tomalaris.

Why? The amount he has done for cycling coverage in Australia is incredible, he may not have the best knowledge of the sport or provide insightful comments but without his work you would see no coverage of any race except for the tour de france. The increasing coverage of the classics and other GTs is all his work. He in that respect is fantastic.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

I wonder what the weather conditions will be tomorrow ?

 

[dlwssonic]

Evans will be fine. You're too afraid of Wiggo. Be afraid of lo Squalo if anything

TBH I don't think nibali is much of a threat to evans. Sorry

 

[One Eyed Aussie]

I really do dislike Mike Tomalaris.

The guy is a complete and utter idiot.....always asking stupid fu..ing questions......completely brainless.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Two things remember that tomorow's TT isnt towards the end of the Tour like last year's was. Also looking at the Dauphine TT you seem to be over rating Cadel a bit of course he may have been behind on form (though I dont think he was by much) but I find it hard to believe that that time gap will be eroded so considerably.

I was trying to take a balance between the huge gap in the Dauphine, versus what gap Cadel needs to keep the race seriously alive.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Another disastrous day for Raboteam

Ten Dam finished 27th.. only guy who didn't seriously fall/get injured. Normally he's the 5th best climber of that team. Now the best...

Black Friday is going to hurt them all Tour long

 

[Ferminal]

The latter one is in the 3rd week. Evans should be stronger there.

Sure, that may be the case, but people have been waiting for Wiggins to show weakness for six months. I'd rather work with what we know than just "believe" that Wiggins drops a minute on some stage in the third week.

 

[dlwssonic]

Evans can be glad if he loses less than 2 minutes tomorrow. To Froome that is. Wiggins will be 3 minutes.

He will prove you wrong, mark my words.
We are already 9 stages into the race and the course suits evans.

 

[hfer07]

At last!!! a really good & entertaining stage to watch!!!

vow down to Pinot-what a magnificent Journey he produced today!!!


Also thanks to VDB2 for those digs in the last climb & on the last K.
Nibbs has just warned the opposition about the descending attacks in coming stages-we'll see who can keep up with him. What's up with Cuddles? I thought he was going to try something today, but held back?-saving energy?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

He will prove you wrong, mark my words.
We are already 9 stages into the race and the course suits evans.

We're 9 stages in, past several moments where people predicted Evans would take time on Wiggins, and he hasn't taken time once.

 

[roundabout]

Evans actually looked pretty good today. No way he will lose 2 minutes to Froome and 3 minutes to Wiggins.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Bus is home comfortably

 

[Panda Claws]

I only saw the last 3km, but was Froome not being able to close the gap in the end a sign that the Skytrain could be derailed in tougher mountain stages?

 

[El Pistolero]

We're 9 stages in, past several moments where people predicted Evans would take time on Wiggins, and he hasn't taken time once.

Mind you, that's because Wiggans rides into crashes on purpose. The vulture would be a fitting nickname for him.

 

[Mellow Velo]

He will prove you wrong, mark my words.
We are already 9 stages into the race and the course suits evans.

El P is just trying to wind you up.
No way Cadel loses a couple of minutes, tomorrow.
Maybe a second a km, but maybe not even that.

 

[whittashau]

How is that good? He can't drop Wiggins anywhere. He'll lose the Tour if he doesn't beat Wiggins in the time trials. Only real gaps in this Tour will be made in time trials, crashes and unfortunate mechanicals.

I think if it rains on a descent you will definitely see Wiggins in trouble.

 

[Frosty]

181 started, 178 are in so far. Sanchez retired, cant see Verdugo and someone said he retired (Euskaltel down to 5). One other guy not made it or is tailed off?

Gesink was in the 16.41 group

 

[movingtarget]

+1

If Wiggins will gain that much in TT's - Evans is doomed with Wiggins in this form.

I wouldn't be reading too much into 1km of a three week race but Evans can't afford to lose much time tomorrow. They both look good but as most people said before the race started, the TTs will probably decide it unless someone does something unexpected. VDB and Nibali are trying hard. Menchov's ride tomorrow will be the interesting one in relation to Wiggins and Evans.

 

[SetonHallPirate]

Bus is home comfortably

That's one thing to look for as the tour enters the higher mountains. Sagan could very easily pull 20 points ahead in the points competition simply by the grupetto finishing outside the time cut, because even if they waive the elimination rule, they'd all be docked 20 points for finishing outside that time cut. If Sagan manages to stay inside that time limit when others fail to, he can pick up points that way as well.

 

[SetonHallPirate]

181 started, 178 are in so far. Sanchez retired, cant see Verdugo and someone said he retired (Euskaltel down to 5). One other guy not made it or is tailed off?

Gesink was in the 16.41 group

Johannes Frohlinger of Argos-Shimano didn't start this morning.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

That's one thing to look for as the tour enters the higher mountains. Sagan could very easily pull 20 points ahead in the points competition simply by the grupetto finishing outside the time cut, because even if they waive the elimination rule, they'd all be docked 20 points for finishing outside that time cut. If Sagan manages to stay inside that time limit when others fail to, he can pick up points that way as well.

Sagan has green in the bag already.