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

[Logic-is-your-friend]

TDF is too important for Rabobank. They will be desperate for stage wins

So they haven't learned from last years TDF. But a serious question, if your next goal is the Vuelta, is it totally insane to stay in the tour, chose your own pace, maybe test the legs here and there...?

 

[Bobby G]

TDF is too important for Rabobank. They will be desperate for stage wins

But they can't do it?! Kruijswijk and Mollema made no impression on the break today and Gesink was literally nowhere. I assume Mollema came to the tour slightly out of form, to play a supporting role and will be on top form for La Vuelta. A bit like last year.

 

[Frosty]

The TT + rest day = two easy days for the raboriders. They are all well down on time so will be able to go in the breaks and if they recover from their falls then they should do ok in the breaks. Obviously doesnt look good for Gesink though.

 

[Poursuivant]

time schedule says the last rider off at 16.39 CET

Thank you.....

 

[Mellow Velo]

It's quite the opposite, he's showing the contenders who's the boss. See above.

He didn't do much of a job, then.
VDB looked more the boss, today.

 

[Mellow Velo]

TDF is too important for Rabobank. They will be desperate for stage wins

And as a result, their whole GT campaign is likely to be one giant disaster.
They left the glossy Giro apple on the tree and their TDF plum has turned to stone.

 

[cineteq]

He didn't do much of a job, then. VDB looked more the boss, today.

I don't get it, what job? I was pointing out his tactical superiority over the other contenders, including my beloved Squalo. VDB rode excellent today, glad there is another variable out there, now that Sanchez, Valverde, Gesink are gone.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I don't get it, what job? I was pointing out his tactical superiority over the other contenders, including my beloved Squalo. VDB rode excellent today, glad there is another variable out there, now that Sanchez, Valverde, Gesink are gone.

I don't get it either. What tactical superiority?

 

[Dutchsmurf]

And as a result, their whole GT campaign is likely to be one giant disaster.
They left the glossy Giro apple on the tree and their TDF plum has turned to stone.

This discussion is getting old tho. Failing in the Tour does more for the team and the sponsor than a podium in the Giro. If a Giro podium actually counted for something in the Netherlands, I would agree. But sadly it is Tour or nothing.

 

[Mellow Velo]

This discussion is getting old tho. Failing in the Tour does more for the team and the sponsor than a podium in the Giro. If a Giro podium actually counted for something in the Netherlands, I would agree. But sadly it is Tour or nothing.

Sadly, that is the pyramid structure of our sport.

 

[goggalor]

That was a fantastic win by Pinot! Also awesome ride by Kessiakoff. Good stage, a lot of riders showed strength, tomorrow's TT should be good.

Best thing about today, however, is that Radioshack took the teams lead. Hopefully they can keep it.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Great stage, pretty exciting, I needed that after that boring first week, but Samu...

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Could Geraint please start the next thread.

 

[Panda Claws]

Could Geraint please start the next thread.

This. They are always well done.

 

[JA.Tri]

Good parcours, great racing!

Sad for Samu, yet another spectator induced crash, stupid !#$%$ spectator, get a brain!

Thought Wiggo was going to do a TT attack and go ftw or at least second place plus time.

Great work by VDB.

Chapeau to Pinot and the riders in general.

Unfortunately, GC is reminiscent of 2011 which is a bummmer. Got to say the racing as a whole is not too bad!

Hope Nibbles and Denny have great ITTs. Recon Cadel will drop 35sec to Wiggo. Froome will be solid and VDB will drop 1.45.

 

[ericthesportsman6]

VDB's riding today makes his mechanical yesterday all the more frustrating.

 

[jens_attacks]

wow one of the best races of the year this one,especially the first hour with jens and all the guys
jurgen seems very strong and i think he has a chance to bounce back in the alpes
good tactics by sky to not tire out mick and richie,the tour is long.

chapeau thibault!
kessiakoff we'll have another chance i'm sure.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Could Geraint please start the next thread.

Done.

__________________

 

[Magnus]

Good parcours, great racing!

Sad for Samu, yet another spectator induced crash, stupid !#$%$ spectator, get a brain!

Spectator had nothing to do with it. There was an old dude sitting in a chair. He wasn't on the road.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Thinking about it, it's kind of weird that Sky got isolated on a steep 4km hill, but killed everybody yesterday on a steep 6km hill. Maybe Porte and Rogers got tired from working yesterday?

Sky still the strongest team from the GC guys though, except RSNT, with Wiggo and Froome.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Done.

__________________

Obligado .

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Thinking about it, it's kind of weird that Sky got isolated on a steep 4km hill, but killed everybody yesterday on a steep 6km hill. Maybe Porte and Rogers got tired from working yesterday?

Sky still the strongest team from the GC guys though, except RSNT, with Wiggo and Froome.

What the difference is:
Yesterday, 2x 3rd category climbs before the finish
Today, 4x 2nd category climbs, a 3rd and a 4th category climb before that final climb.

Proof, if proof were needed, that multi-climb stages are what we need more than one-climb Vuelta specials.

 

[airstream]

very dull stage in terms of gc. only taarmae animated this a bit. everyone is determined to ride TT, see relation of forces and build tactics on it. still chapeau to VdB who gave a couple of great pulls.

 

[Arnout]

Samuel Sanchez about today

Samu looking cool before the start today

"My main concern now is my condition (health). I want to know the details of my injuries first, only after that I will have a look at training, time of recovery, return to races and all that. I'm optimistic, so once I know the extent of my injuries, I will look to the future with a bright vision, working on my recovery as soon as possible."

"It it the first time in my sport career that I break something. I've fallen and have been injured before, but I've never broke stuff. I don't remember the fall very well. We had to brake, I braked too, but something/someone crashed into me from behind and I think that's the reason I hit the tarmac. It was a big hit and after that somone fell over me as well. I wanted to stand up, to continue, but I felt dizzy and had to sit and lie down again. After that, I realized I wouldn't be able to continue."

"For the first time in a long time I cried, it was a very tough situation. I've made many sacrifices to come to this race, and it is tough to leave it in this manner. I'm also sorry for my teammates. They were very worried and waiting for me, and helped me very well. But they're professionals and I'm sure they will be able to stay in the Tour on a good level."

"What remains is to accept what happened. Yesterday I said it would be important not to fall, and despite losing more than a minute yesterday, the team and me were quietly confident. We knew the Tour was still long, with two long time trials, the Alps and the Pyrenees, a long way to go and I was finding my rhythm day by day. I was looking forward to today's stage, but things are like they are. Now, I want to look forward instead of backward, collect myself and learn from the experience. When everything is going well, there's not much to learn, it is from these things that you learn a lot about yourself."

Fundacioneuskadi.com

Translation is a bit loose sometimes and probably not 100% correct, but as he didn't make potentially controversial statements, I opted to leave the quotation marks. Any mistranslations will be my mistake and not Samu's.

Leaves me with only one thing to say: Animos Samu! Recover fast, hopefully in time for the Olympics, although that will probably be impossible.

 

[Magnus]

very dull stage in terms of gc. only taarmae animated this a bit. everyone is determined to ride TT, see relation of forces and build tactics on it. still chapeau to VdB who gave a couple of great pulls.

Animated by decapitating himself?

Why wouldn't everybody be determined to ride the tt?(edit: just reread your post and understood what you meant.)

Still every of the favourites barring Sky and Menchov attacked.