2012 Tour de France: Stage 9: Arc-et-Senans → Besançon (ITT) (41.5 km)

[Mellow Velo]

Gesink 72 seconds down at the 1st CP.

 

[Swifty's Cakes]

Very bad luck for Tony. Looks like a 2 horse race now.

 

[Panda Claws]

Gesink 72 seconds down at the 1st CP.

You can always hope he is saving energy, I guess.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Gesink 72 seconds down at the 1st CP.

Uhm. Didn't you read Rabo's press release yesterday?

They told all their riders to take it easy today and take it as an extra rest day. Only exception is LL S

 

[Panda Claws]

Porte seems to be taking it easy as well.

 

[Gloin22]

Porte seems to be taking it easy as well.

It was reported by Sky DS only Rogers, Froome and Wiggins will go full gas and all other sky riders will take it easy.

 

[Warhawk]

Only 50 riders left to start, so no wonder they opt for 3 minutes gaps.
You have to be German to find this more exciting than yesterday.

Tony Martin interviewed by Eurosport sounded a bit...........glum.
Having that puncture within 2kms can't have helped his mood.

Does Tony Martin know he's not on Garmin-Sharp? Because he seems to have acquired their luck.

 

[Panda Claws]

It was reported by Sky DS only Rogers, Froome and Wiggins will go full gas and all other sky riders will take it easy.

Why Rogers too, isn't he already way behind on the GC?

 

[Falken]

No hope for EBH doing a good time today. Said in an interview yesterday that he would take it easy today.

 

[Fergoose]

- Cancellera & Martin to contest victory (Martin wins if remotely fit).
- Of GC, Wiggins to come first then relative to him:

+30-60 secs - Froome, Menchov, Evans
+60-90 - Nibali
+90-120 - VdB
+120-150 - Taaramae

I actually think Menchov will outperform Evans who I don't think is in tip-top form or particularly confident. I also think Evans' ITT ability is overestimated in some quarters.

I also sadly think Taaramae will have a nightmare. He lost 19 seconds in the last 350 yards on Saturday and clearly hasn't recovered.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Dan Martin faster than Zabriskie.

 

[iZnoGouD]

i still don't understand why do you guys think Evans will lose time

 

[roundabout]

Why Rogers too, isn't he already way behind on the GC?

Team GC? Split times for Froome/Wiggins?

 

[Frosty]

Why Rogers too, isn't he already way behind on the GC?

Don't know, i wondered that. If they wanted him to keep high on GC then you would think that he would have gone a bit harder yesterday and made the Taaramae group.

 

[Panda Claws]

Team GC? Split times for Froome/Wiggins?

Thought it would be more useful to have him waste as little energy as possible (even with the rest day tomorrow).

 

[Frosty]

Team GC? Split times for Froome/Wiggins?

See above for team GC too - if they were concerned about that then you would think that Rogers would have ridden a bit harder. Maybe he did but then had a mechanical or something.

Could be acting as a marker for the top 2, he starts an hour before Froome.

 

[Fergoose]

i still don't understand why do you guys think Evans will lose time

When the focus is on Evans historically in ITTs it's been when he's been up against climbers (e.g. Sastre, Andy Schleck). He's had mixed results there when he should have been knocking the stuffing out of them given that he was in good enough condition to contest overall victory. I also don't think he is in the same form as last year. He's had a couple of steep uphill finishes already that should suit him. Last year he would have made up time; this year, nothing. I hope I'm wrong as I'd like to see a really close fight.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...lt-of-Tour-de-France-crash.aspx#ixzz207yuL0Bp

poels in danger of losing a kidney

 

[Woody22]

- Cancellera & Martin to contest victory (Martin wins if remotely fit).
- Of GC, Wiggins to come first then relative to him:

+30-60 secs - Froome, Menchov, Evans
+60-90 - Nibali
+90-120 - VdB
+120-150 - Taaramae

I actually think Menchov will outperform Evans who I don't think is in tip-top form or particularly confident. I also think Evans' ITT ability is overestimated in some quarters.
I also sadly think Taaramae will have a nightmare. He lost 19 seconds in the last 350 yards on Saturday and clearly hasn't recovered.

Maybe you should try watching his performance in the TT at last years Tour. That would save you making such a silly statement.

 

[Panda Claws]

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...lt-of-Tour-de-France-crash.aspx#ixzz207yuL0Bp

poels in danger of losing a kidney

a real shame

 

[Warhawk]

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...lt-of-Tour-de-France-crash.aspx#ixzz207yuL0Bp

poels in danger of losing a kidney

Well, it's not good, but I suppose if you're going to lose something, one kidney is pretty high on the list. Below spleen and gallbladder, but above just about everything else.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Uhm. Didn't you read Rabo's press release yesterday?

They told all their riders to take it easy today and take it as an extra rest day. Only exception is LL S

There's only so much time in the day and I've been feeling a bit like Gesink, myself.
I guessed as much, but nevertheless.

Voeckler not bad, considering he looked like a snail.

Very bad prognosis for Poels, Zam.

Mostly ad breaks and Vino, so far.
Could be siesta time.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...lt-of-Tour-de-France-crash.aspx#ixzz207yuL0Bp

poels in danger of losing a kidney

Oh no that is awful news, terrible

 

[wirral]

Eurosport open mike balls-up there.

 

[hoerpi]

Gesink +2'10 at second split... Hope he quits after today as he promised.

EDIT: Didn't see D_T's post, explains a bit of it at least