2014 Tour de France Stage 4: Le Touquet-Paris-Plage / Lille Métropole: 163km, flat

[MartinGT]

Man, tomorrow could massively shake up GC if there is crosswinds & rain!

 

[veji11]

I find it frustrating that other sprinting teams don't play it more nasty with Giant as well. Put a tony Martin and a Gallopin in the breakaway, make Giant work. One of the reasons you don't see many riders try to go on a breakaway is because they know that there are 5 or 6 teams who want a sprint and will bring them back in (Giant, OPQS, Lotto, FDJ, Cannondale at least). So why try when you will have 30 guys against you ?

But all you would need is for Lotto or OPQS to signal that they will not chase (by putting someone in the breakaway) and suddenly more teams will see a chance in attacking !

Look at the Europcars : They have gone on the attack a few times already, they don't place 8 riders around Coquard. in the last 10/15ks they use 2 riders to escort Coquard : Gene and Reza, and he has done arguably as well as he could with 2 fourth places. To me the FDJs, Lottos, OPQSs need to shake things up. Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result, is stupid...

 

[Lupi33]

glad england is done

all the ligget and sherwin fapping over London is more than i can stand watching the tour

 

[del1962]

I find it frustrating that other sprinting teams don't play it more nasty with Giant as well. Put a tony Martin and a Gallopin in the breakaway, make Giant work. One of the reasons you don't see many riders try to go on a breakaway is because they know that there are 5 or 6 teams who want a sprint and will bring them back in (Giant, OPQS, Lotto, FDJ, Cannondale at least). So why try when you will have 30 guys against you ?

But all you would need is for Lotto or OPQS to signal that they will not chase (by putting someone in the breakaway) and suddenly more teams will see a chance in attacking !

Look at the Europcars : They have gone on the attack a few times already, they don't place 8 riders around Coquard. in the last 10/15ks they use 2 riders to escort Coquard : Gene and Reza, and he has done arguably as well as he could with 2 fourth places. To me the FDJs, Lottos, OPQSs need to shake things up. Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result, is stupid...

Maybe not Gallopin, or Astana would have to do all the work

 

[veji11]

Man, tomorrow could massively shake up GC if there is crosswinds & rain!

Weather says tomorrow will be cold (16°c), with gusts of up to 60km/h !!!!!!!!!! and some rain.

This could be a massacre. Belkin and OPQS should just go beserk for Mollema and Kwiat this is a golden opportunity for them. Hope the big boys don't push for some form of neutralisation..

 

[veji11]

Maybe not Gallopin, or Astana would have to do all the work

True ! although Nibali might be quite happy to have Lotto do the controling tomorrow !

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Maybe not Gallopin, or Astana would have to do all the work

yea, gotta be somebody @10 minutes +, but there are plenty to choose from.
Anyway I doubt the industrial thinkers of OPQS can suddenly change tactics, but we shall see.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Weather says tomorrow will be cold (16°c), with gusts of up to 60km/h !!!!!!!!!! and some rain.

This could be a massacre. Belkin and OPQS should just go beserk for Mollema and Kwiat this is a golden opportunity for them. Hope the big boys don't push for some form of neutralisation..

Oh wow, absolute carnage!!!!

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Weather says tomorrow will be cold (16°c), with gusts of up to 60km/h !!!!!!!!!! and some rain.

This could be a massacre. Belkin and OPQS should just go beserk for Mollema and Kwiat this is a golden opportunity for them. Hope the big boys don't push for some form of neutralisation..

Can't see the HotSteppers agreeing to something like that with Cav gone.

They will probably be cursing themselves for leaving Boonen at home now.

72.BAKELANTS Jan
73.GOłAś Michał
74.KWIATKOWSKI Michal
75.MARTIN Tony
76.PETACCHI Alessandro
77.RENSHAW Mark
78.TERPSTRA Niki
79.TRENTIN Matteo

Still I think they might have enough horse power.

 

[veji11]

clearly if the weather is ****, this is a golden opportunity for Mollema and Kwiat to swat away at rivals for the top5. It might be the day that gives them the margin needed to hold onto a podium spot in the end !

Our hopes rest on OPQS and Belkin to bring on chaos !

 

[l.Harm]

Not enough wind it seems

 

[greenedge]

Greipel to win

Otherwise Coquard

 

[Akuryo]

Not enough wind it seems

Thats a shame. Really enjoyed the OPQS-show last year on the crosswinds-stage.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

To the above - all the talk about bad weather and wind relates to tomorrow's cobble stage, where the forecast predicts strong winds & rain & 15 degrees.

 

[ILovecycling]

last km

 

[ILovecycling]

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last km

 

[manafana]

I rather not see wet cobbles that could end badly.

Today looks tame they better enjoy it while it lasts.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I rather not see wet cobbles that could end badly.

Agreed, it could be a massacre

 

[sulgpallur]

Andy withdrawed after yesterdays crash?

 

[Cimber]

Andy withdrawed after yesterdays crash?

Yes he has

 

[classicomano]

Andy Schleck has abondoned, a dark, dark day for cycling.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Andy Schleck has abondoned, a dark, dark day for cycling.

He didn't crash that hard...the guy is mentally weak

 

[glassmoon]

am I a bad person if I just literally felt off my chair laughing?

he's just... priceless

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Andy Schleck OUT

 

[whittashau]

Greg Lemond is terrible behind the microphone.