2013 Tour de France, Stage 13: Tours - Saint-Amand-Montrond (173 km)

[classicomano]

Great quote by Cavendish on Echelons -

"Echelons are like walking on breaking ice - once it starts to break - you have about 5 seconds to make it"

- paraphrased of course.

That is indeed a great way to put it.

 

[dgodave]

It would have been better for Cavendish to have won the stage over Kittel and Greipel direct, not that I take anything away from him, great by him/team to stick with the right moves.

Exactly. The early setup was as important as the sprint.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Rogers i think is the mind behind this move by Saxo...Mick is the best.

Orla Chennaoui ‏@SkyOrla 2m
Michael Rogers says it was his call to make the move. Always knew he was going to be a big loss to Team Sky. Just shows.

 

[Richeypen]

Dont't think it was a clinic hint. Probably referredto the 2011 Tour de Suisse, when Movistar started riding when Mllema got a flat tire. Just deserts for Movistar...

Or last year's Paris-Nice when Movistar attacked after Levi crashed

 

[goggalor]

Excellent winner's interview with Cav.

 

[Pippo_San]

Riis telling they would never pace when Valverde punctured because of fairplay. Nice boys.

Here goes the usual *** PR crap from Riis.

Can we start a Riis punch-in-the-face contest?

 

[Aditya]

Ah really from who exactly? Valverde is far from the most popular rider in the peleton, to put it mildly.

Forget the others, Movistar alone will put them into a world of hurt and in the process Quintana will ride himself up the GC.

 

[The Principal Sheep]

No, that would just be another bunch sprint.
This is real racing.

And a great win but he was relatively unchallenged at the sprint, yesterday he got beat by a stronger sprinter and I think he'd like the chance to reassert himself.

 

[webvan]

this. froome should have stayed with contador. contador should not be counted out, the man is a real champion and never gives up.

When sky had 4 riders @ the front, and gap was only 15s, I thought froome could have pulled.

Yeah, where's the fighter...looks like Wiggo on that Giro descent, knocked out standing!

 

[Dutchsmurf]

Mollema's doing the same thing as Valverde = unsportsmanlike. What a fool, it will explode right on his face.

Blanco was riding for about 30km already before the flat tire. Valverde got unlucky, but if he had changed bikes with a teammate instead of trying to change his wheel, this would have never happened.

 

[Eshnar]

Nice to see someone in the peloton still remember how to race. Chapeau to Saxo , Belkin and OPQS

Lol at Mollema's words though. Totally unnecessary, he doesn't need such a lame excuse.

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

It would have been better for Cavendish to have won the stage over Kittel and Greipel direct, not that I take anything away from him, great by him/team to stick with the right moves.

That's a bit like saying Sagan's win is devalued because the sprinters didn't make it to the finish. Cav won because he was stronger and more tactically aware and his team rode better. Seriously, could you imagine Kittel ever winning a stage like that?

 

[Cimber]

Here goes the usual *** PR crap from Riis.

Can we start a Riis punch-in-the-face contest?

Well they didn't pull when Valverde puncture. Only Froome matters to Saxo

 

[GoodTimes]

all things being equal, greipel is as strong a classics rider as cav.... Does anybody know where he was when the selection was made? Back of the peloton?

 

[Arnout]

Dont't think it was a clinic hint. Probably referredto the 2011 Tour de Suisse, when Movistar started riding when Mllema got a flat tire. Just deserts for Movistar...

Ah that's a pity. Would've been so refreshing if it was about clinic.

 

[BigMac]

Afterall Valverde didn't puncure. He was hit from the back by another rider and got is backwheel destroyed.

 

[cocteau_ireland]

Saxo & Sky sharing the same hotel tonight

 

[movingtarget]

Froome was day dreaming. He should have reacted immediately. Valverde has not had much luck in his past two GTs with mechanicals. Will be a lot of tired bodies after that stage including the front group. Froome still has a good gap but his team seems to be all over the place.

 

[TheEnoculator]

Today's an example why you need a strong team on the flats, not just the mountains. You never know if you need to hit them when they least expect it.

Riis looks like a genius today no doubt.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

And a great win but he was relatively unchallenged at the sprint, yesterday he got beat by a stronger sprinter and I think he'd like the chance to reassert himself.

Racing all day setup this win. Cav was instrumental in moving Kittel and later Greipel out of contention.

Real racing.

 

[BigMac]

Today's an example why you need a strong team on the flats, not just the mountains. You never know if you need to hit them when they least expect it.

Riis looks like a genius today no doubt.

It was Mik Rogers call, not Riis

 

[The Principal Sheep]

That's a bit like saying Sagan's win is devalued because the sprinters didn't make it to the finish. Cav won because he was stronger and more tactically aware and his team rode better. Seriously, could you imagine Kittel ever winning a stage like that?

Who said anything about it being devalued?

If you're referring to what I said (as you quoted me) then my point was that Cav would like to show his strength and get a win directly over Kittel and Greipel.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Well done by Saxo today. Well done.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Never liked Mick Rogers until this afternoon. - Respect

 

[The Sheep]

hmmm Belkin and OPQS were in the same hotel yesterday.