2012 Tour of California May 13 Stage 1: Santa Rosa - Santa Rosa 186.5 km

[mewmewmew13]

Thanks BV
all I saw was a pretty hard bump and then riders down...

I hope no injured

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Thanks BV
all I saw was a pretty hard bump and then riders down...

I hope no injured

It was pretty strange looking, the way he just veered across into the Liquigas riders before going down.

 

[Bala Verde]

Beautiful scenery though. Too bad the finish wasn't a little closer to that last climb. LIQ and RAB showed they have strong teams here.

Any news on leipheimer Horner tejay nibali etc?

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Beautiful scenery though. Too bad the finish wasn't a little closer to that last climb. LIQ and RAB showed they have strong teams here.

Any news on leipheimer Horner tejay nibali etc?

I'm pretty sure that all of them finished in the bunch, although I'm not entirely sure about Leipheimer.

Does anyone know which of the Colombians made the split?

 

[CQmanager]

What a class Peter Sagan is! He is just awesome! Chapeau! Great leadout by Oss too.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Beautiful scenery though. Too bad the finish wasn't a little closer to that last climb. LIQ and RAB showed they have strong teams here.

Any news on leipheimer Horner tejay nibali etc?

I believe everyone that mattered was in that group.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Does anyone know yet if Roche was given the same time?

 

[mewmewmew13]

I believe everyone that mattered was in that group.

I think so.
Somebody made a mistake there....at high speed. After all that climbing and winding around then it came down to a flat high speed finish...at least the Liqui guys made it flashy!

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Roche given the same time .

Full Result HERE

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Roche given the same time .

Full Result HERE

from what i can see basically none of the gc contenders missed the split.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Boonen must have been caught up in the crash too, because he finished behind riders on 22 secs but was given the same time as the leaders.

The riders effected by the crash mustn't have been sure that they were within 3 kms, because they have to have been riding very hard to finish 22 secs after the bunch.

 

[El Pistolero]

Boonen must have been caught up in the crash too, because he finished behind riders on 22 secs but was given the same time as the leaders.

The riders effected by the crash mustn't have been sure that they were within 3 kms, because they have to have been riding very hard to finish 22 secs after the bunch.

Didn't watch, but how big was the peloton before the crash?

Boonen seems to be in better form than I thought if he survived the selection. Sagan wins, what can I say, amazing talent. Cavendish can count his lucky stars he won the green jersey last year because it will be the last time.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Didn't watch, but how big was the peloton before the crash?

About 70. It seemed to be down to about 45 at one point, but I think that some riders managed to get back on after the terrain leveled out. The sprinters came in seven minutes down.

 

[El Pistolero]

Boonen must have been caught up in the crash too, because he finished behind riders on 22 secs but was given the same time as the leaders.

The riders effected by the crash mustn't have been sure that they were within 3 kms, because they have to have been riding very hard to finish 22 secs after the bunch.

“Boonen flatted coming across the railroad tracks, I think,” said Rodriguez. “I tried to come around Sagan with about 200 meters to go with a slight uphill and I just didn’t have the legs. Sagan was really strong today.”

 

[SHAD0W93]

Boonen must have been caught up in the crash too, because he finished behind riders on 22 secs but was given the same time as the leaders.

The riders effected by the crash mustn't have been sure that they were within 3 kms, because they have to have been riding very hard to finish 22 secs after the bunch.

Sagan said that Boonen got a flat over the train tracks with his interview with Bob.

 

[El Pistolero]

Sucks, could've won again today.

Good to see all other sprinters being dropped, all "flat" stages should be like this. Sprinters needing to work for their victory not just in the final 5km, but during the whole race.

 

[karlboss]

Sucks, could've won again today.

Good to see all other sprinters being dropped, all "flat" stages should be like this. Sprinters needing to work for their victory not just in the final 5km, but during the whole race.

Noone said this was flat did they? I (and others) said it would be a reduced bunch sprint and it was. Good stage profile, if it was 10km or 20km to the finish instead of 30km, to put a little more pressure on this would be a great stage.

i agree completely, there is no point in sprint stages that there is no doubt about how it will end. If we just want to know who the fastest guy is, we'd watch track.

 

[cineteq]

Gotta love Sagan speaking English
...after it was easy for me... LOL!!!
http://video.bicycling.com/video/Stage-1-Winner-Peter-Sagan-at-t;2012-Tour-of-California

 

[mewmewmew13]

Gotta love Sagan speaking English
...after it was easy for me... LOL!!!
http://video.bicycling.com/video/Stage-1-Winner-Peter-Sagan-at-t;2012-Tour-of-California

I enjoyed that clip. He is a character isn't he?
thanks for posting

 

[BillytheKid]

from what i can see basically none of the gc contenders missed the split.

Leipheimer there too... he must have some good ortho surgeons to fix that fracture to be back so soon. NBC sports showed his x-ray. The fibula..a slightly displaced fractue right below the knee. Looked like a easy rivit job. Horner acted a little PO'd in the pre-race interview. He actually said there was now way he (leipheimer) had been just sitting around on the couch.

 

[plooton]

I really am getting to believe that Sagan will be serious TdF Green jersey contender already this year. He gets this stage way too easy.

 

[karlboss]

I really am getting to believe that Sagan will be serious TdF Green jersey contender already this year. He gets this stage way too easy.

Not unless they've changed the points, no way he competes on flat stages with Goss and Cav.

Edit: though I may have to look at all the stage profiles, consistent 5ths and then 1 or 2 wins and he might get there, especially if Goss does well.

 

[BillytheKid]

I really am getting to believe that Sagan will be serious TdF Green jersey contender already this year. He gets this stage way too easy.

Good point. Cav and Goss can't score on the mountain stages like Sagan and yes, he can compete because he can score on all stage types. He does not have a lot of competition at the Cali. He could win several more stages. Too bad Boonen flatted at the K today.

 

[ElChingon]

I really am getting to believe that Sagan will be serious TdF Green jersey contender already this year. He gets this stage way too easy.

As much as I like Sagan as a racer I wouldn't get too stary eyed just yet, this is just the ToC not the Giro, whole different ball game so to speak, then there's the Tour. Totally different make up of riders and peeks in season for the heavy hitters.

 

[Don Johnson]

As much as I like Sagan as a racer I wouldn't get too stary eyed just yet, this is just the ToC not the Giro, whole different ball game so to speak, then there's the Tour. Totally different make up of riders and peeks in season for the heavy hitters.

Your comment is not fact based, Sagan tears it up, wherever he is, he is world championship material. Liquigas owns California.
Not bad in Europe either, malingerers, not.

Last season seeing Sagan in some of the week long stage races, tearing through highly technical corners, 90o after 90o and keeping it up outstanding. His brother is no slouch either.