2013 Tour de France, Stage 2: Bastia - Ajaccio 156Km

[saneguy]

After yesterday's stage am pretty sure all the top GC will push really hard to stay in the front. Could spoil the party for the Sprinters' Team. Expect Sagan to do well especially considering the climb before the finish. Someone will surely attack big time on that last climb. Not the GC guys but some outsiders for sure...

Expect Sagan to get this one if he is not banged up badly. Doubtfull for Cav on this one though.

 

[theyoungest]

Why not, he has time to recover!

Two days of nervous, bumpy roads on Corsica. Yeah, great recovery...

 

[Miburo]

Two days of nervous, bumpy roads on Corsica. Yeah, great recovery...

I'm assuming BR is talking about the ITT maybe? He'll still be a factor in the TTT anyways but he won't be 100% certainly.

 

[classicomano]

Expect him in the breakaway.

 

[tomorrow]

well, sagan takes it easy, part of his translated statement from slovak cycling portal:

"My back is all scratched, I have few bruises, but I am ok. I will see how I will feel in next days, but Hulk will quickly recover. "

 

[Poursuivant]

Dan martin to attack last climb

 

[martinvickers]

!!! Tony Martin continues!!!!!

Excellent. Always crap when a quality rider is invalided out of a tour.

 

[martinvickers]

Dan martin to attack last climb

Don't be giving a man hope!

Would be absolutely fantastic for Garmin "chaos theory" if they could pull it off.

p.s. and yes, i know it won't happen, "but a man's reach should exceed his grasp. Or what's a heaven for?"

 

[theyoungest]

Excellent. Always crap when a quality rider is invalided out of a tour.

Is it good news when a quality rider is invalided, yet still races? Totally ludicrous, short term thinking by OPQS.

 

[Bavarianrider]

The official profile is wrong by the way. The final climb is about 20m higher compared to what the official profiles say.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Is it good news when a quality rider is invalided, yet still races? Totally ludicrous, short term thinking by OPQS.

Agreed, can't believe the team thinks this is a good idea

 

[martinvickers]

Is it good news when a quality rider is invalided, yet still races? Totally ludicrous, short term thinking by OPQS.

It's the biggest race of the year, and the whole point of his season, along with the worlds ITT. There's an ocean of time till the ITT.

If he was actually invalided, he wouldn't race. He's injured, not invalided, and he's willing and able, it appears, to go on. I simply don't see the problem. Given yesterday we were looking at a broken clavicle, concussion and god knows what else, the fact that the injuries are actually somewhat less severe is a good thing, no?

 

[The Principal Sheep]

Is it good news when a quality rider is invalided, yet still races? Totally ludicrous, short term thinking by OPQS.

Agreed, can't believe the team thinks this is a good idea

Yep, so sad to see that the rider, team, and doctors involved don't know what they're doing.

 

[auscyclefan94]

There will be a massive fight to get into the breakaway today. Ther person who holds the KOM jersey at the end of today could hold it up until the weekend potentially.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Profile of the last climb. That's a killer !

 

[theyoungest]

Yep, so sad to see that the rider, team, and doctors involved don't know what they're doing.

A rider always wants to race, no matter what. As to whether the doctors at OPQS know what they're doing... maybe that's for another section of this forum

 

[manafana]

lets give martin a chance but does sound bit crazy, but hes worked his heart out to get here must be so hard to thinking of leaving after day 1.

Taking on Sagan today, kristoff could well get involved again.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Well if Tony really got a blood bag i guess he'll fly up the mountains

 

[LaFlorecita]

Well if Tony really got a blood bag i guess he'll fly up the mountains

Hahaha

 

[petiagos]

Tony Gallopin and Gavazzi top 5

 

[webvan]

In 1983 Pascal Simon was in the YJ when he broke his shoulder blade. He was able to continue for five days but finally had to give up when they hit the Alps. I'm guessing Martin will try to make it to the ITT...

So it looks like we're getting a full TV coverage today? Like in the good old days of the crazy stages in the Alps and Pyrenees...last one I can remember is 2006 when Landis raced like a man possessed towards Morzine ;-)

 

[happytramp]

Anyone else watching 'the ride' before the live coverage starts? What were Eurosport thinking, getting richard virenique as one of the celebrity coaches!

 

[trevim]

No idea why the last climb is 3rd category and not 4rd. In the Giro this climb woudn't even be categorized

Well the Giro is a bit different though: a couple of years ago they had an uncategorized climb 5km@9% or something like that...

 

[ChewbaccaD]

Letting Martin start is completely irresponsible.

 

[ChewbaccaD]

The rider will always want/insist on starting, but sometimes a team needs to make decisions that protect their riders...though I wouldn't expect Lefevere to be one of those people who is more concerned with his rider's health versus his desire to win.