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

[Avoriaz]

Cav got the combativity prize

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

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.

Don't worry, he'll beat them in Paris.

 

[manafana]

yeah saxco used their flat guys well today, last saturdays sky is gone into hiding for now.

great lead out by chavanel for caendish today

 

[Ruby United]

Genius by Rogers. If he was still with Sky, Saxo would never have attacked, and even if they did, he would have Marshalled Sky to Saxo.

 

[sultanofhyd]

Cav got the combativity prize

The team got it, Cavendish will wear the red bib for them.

 

[cineteq]

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.

Valverde had a brain fart today, I can't believe this happen to him, especially him...

 

[bylbyl]

Cav got the combativity prize

It was OPQS that got the prize, cav just went and got on stage

 

[manafana]

Cav got the combativity prize

think his team got it

 

[The Principal Sheep]

Don't worry, he'll beat them in Paris.

More than likely yes but I'd rather he didn't.

Some real touchy people around here, even when you try and give Cav credit they attack you for it

 

[xrayvision]

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

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

Your dislike shines right though. Riis never took advantage of a riders misfortune, he respect the unwritten rules, so to be honest, the only *** here would be...

 

[Carl0880]

So on your fantasy team, who Had Contador, Ten Dam and Mollema down for Top Ten stage Finish on a flat stage?

 

[Frosty]

Genius by Rogers. If he was still with Sky, Saxo would never have attacked, and even if they did, he would have Marshalled Sky to Saxo.

He was the one who split the peloton in 2009.

Froome was only just behind where it broke up. Cavendish was gapped as well, seemed to think Kwiatovski was the one who let it go?

 

[Ataraxus]

Good Stage!
I can easily see Quintana and Froome allying up the Ventoux slopes now.

 

[Tom T.]

Nice to see a real day of racing for a change. Chapeau to Saxo, Belkin and OPQS, especially Saxo. At least there's now hope for something happening this last week. Got to isolate Froome super early on Ventoux and see what happens from there. He could crack eventually, his type of overconfidence can lead to that.

 

[Arnout]

Your dislike shines right though. Riis never took advantage of a riders misfortune, he respect the unwritten rules, so to be honest, the only *** here would be...

Riis also didn't know about Fuentes

 

[martinvickers]

Cavendish finest victory.
What a response after getting beaten by Kittel yesterday.

Add the GC racing element and this was one of the best tour stages.

Chapeau to the riders today. What a show.

Stage 9 was one of the greatest pyranees/mountain stages in decades.

This was the best flat stage in absolute years. Leaving fanboi and fanhate nonsense aside for a moment, this is shaping up as on of THE great tours.

 

[Cimber]

It was Mik Rogers call, not Riis

the DS makes the overall strategy, the riders calls the exact timing (the implementation of the strategy)

Was pretty obvious Saxo was all day just luring at the right time. It was part of the plan for the day.

 

[sultanofhyd]

Froome says he was feeling comfortable.

 

[DirtyWorks]

What's the consensus on when Valverde was attacked?

Did he have a mechanical and then the attacks?
Were the crosswinds causing chaos, then Valverde had some bad luck?

IMHO, Sky managed the loss well. It doesn't seem like this kind of ride is Sky's strongest area. Very exciting stage! Three more like it and Froome might have to worry about his lead.

 

[Cimber]

Stage 9 was one of the greatest pyranees/mountain stages in decades.

This was the best flat stage in absolute years. Leaving fanboi and fanhate nonsense aside for a moment, this is shaping up as on of THE great tours.

Stage 9 began great, but ended disappointing. The De Fuente was far better

 

[Alphabet]

Damn it, I skipped this stage thinking it would end up a bunch sprint.

 

[sultanofhyd]

the DS makes the overall strategy, the riders calls the exact timing (the implementation of the strategy)

Was pretty obvious Saxo was all day just luring at the right time. It was part of the plan for the day.

I'm pretty sure they didn't expect Valverde to lose time. None of this would have happened if not for the Valverde incident and subsequent drilling by Belkin, this could not have been planned before the stage.

But they might have started thinking about it as soon as Porte was dropped.

 

[woodburn]

He's a very smart rider.

Still has a lot to learn?

 

[sultanofhyd]

What's the consensus on when Valverde was attacked?

Did he have a mechanical and then the attacks?
Were the crosswinds causing chaos, then Valverde had some bad luck?

IMHO, Sky managed the loss well. It doesn't seem like this kind of ride is Sky's strongest area. Very exciting stage! Three more like it and Froome might have to worry about his lead.

Managed what? Froome got a free ride from BMC, Katusha and AG2R. Sky didn't do sh*t.

 

[martinvickers]

It was Mik Rogers call, not Riis

Rogers is one of the best team captains out there; as much as froome, the reason for wiggins serene progress last year - interesting that Froome is clearly significantly better than wiggins was last year, and yet FAR more vulnerable.

Also, the last skybot left with froome appears to be Thomas, in which case, the man's a beast.

What a stage. frankly, what a tour.