2014 Tour De France stage Stage 2: York – Sheffield: 201km

[Libertine Seguros]

Have you seen the backstage passes???

Last time I checked, they weren't during the races. During the races, OGE seldom bring much of any note to liven up proceedings. Albasini and Yates can be interesting, but Gerrans is exceedingly dull and the sprinters are sprinters.

That's a bit unfair- it's nice to see riders like Cancellara sometimes beaten and Gerrans in the last year has beaten both Sagan and Greipel in flat sprints- why wouldn't you just ride for the finale if you have that good a sprint and every other team leader rides sheltered until the end of the race.

It's nice to see riders like Cancellara sometimes beaten. But not by somebody who has just sat on their wheel for 15km and then passed them in the last 100m. Why wouldn't fans be upset to see that. It's the same as the anger at Valverde for not going with Costa in Firenze, wasting J-Rod's great work. Fans want to see riders rewarded for attacking, exciting racing, and the more riders get rewarded for dull, defensive riding, the more people will go for that, and the more crappy races like LBL2013 will result, where nobody has any spine and everybody comes to the line together. Gerrans, since he stopped being the interesting stagehunter he was in the Cervélo days, is the poster boy for boring one-day racing in much the same way as Leipheimer was the poster boy for boring stage racing.

That's what he is: Levi Leipheimer with a sprint.

Australians would love to see him in yellow- but a stage victory is good consolation

"Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel" - Samuel Johnson

 

[Pricey_sky]

Cav DNS today, gutted for him.

 

[rune1107]

I actually don't think that Sky will destroy everything today. The team looked very weak yesterday and Froome didn't have anyone but G. Thomas at the end. Valverde ftw. today!

 

[karlboss]

Last time I checked, they weren't during the races. During the races, OGE seldom bring much of any note to liven up proceedings. Albasini and Yates can be interesting, but Gerrans is exceedingly dull and the sprinters are sprinters.

It's nice to see riders like Cancellara sometimes beaten. But not by somebody who has just sat on their wheel for 15km and then passed them in the last 100m. Why wouldn't fans be upset to see that. It's the same as the anger at Valverde for not going with Costa in Firenze, wasting J-Rod's great work. Fans want to see riders rewarded for attacking, exciting racing, and the more riders get rewarded for dull, defensive riding, the more people will go for that, and the more crappy races like LBL2013 will result, where nobody has any spine and everybody comes to the line together. Gerrans, since he stopped being the interesting stagehunter he was in the Cervélo days, is the poster boy for boring one-day racing in much the same way as Leipheimer was the poster boy for boring stage racing.

That's what he is: Levi Leipheimer with a sprint.

"Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel" - Samuel Johnson

Chaves, Weening, and Clarke have certainly had their moments, however as a team they are lords of the "s%#t small sprint" to use a Cavendish quote. It's more or less a function of how they began, signed everyone on a 2 year contract and modelled themselves off HTC. Sprinters leadouts, and TTers. Only now that Goss has well and truly failed are they switching with signings such as Santaromita, Yates, and Chaves. I'm hoping that the evolution continues into 2015, though i feel much will hinge on the success or otherwise of Ewan.

Back on topic I'm really hopeful for this stage, I'd love it to be far too tough for Gerrans to make the finale especially after a fall. I'm wondering why there hasn't been any mention of Kwiatkowski, surely he can get over these small obstacles and hitting the flat should be faster than all others with the exception of Sagan. This stage could really deliver or we could see a lame repeat of LBL.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

I actually don't think that Sky will destroy everything today. The team looked very weak yesterday and Froome didn't have anyone but G. Thomas at the end. Valverde ftw. today!

Yeh Valverde FTW

Walking to Jenkin Road, Sheffield is dry but rain forecast later.

 

[karlboss]

Cav DNS today, gutted for him.

So Renshaw or Petacchi to sprint now?

 

[murali]

Purito singing a slightly different tune:

Never underestimate Purito.

He could fall out of top-20 in the first week and still manage to do a top-5 at the end of the tour.


If purito attacks today, all the talk abt his "condition" is BS.

 

[murali]

So Renshaw or Petacchi to sprint now?

Today wud be for Trentin if it becomes a bunch sprint.

 

[Arredondo]

Never underestimate Purito.

He could fall out of top-20 in the first week and still manage to do a top-5 at the end of the tour.


If purito attacks today, all the talk abt his "condition" is BS.

I just can't see him really tacking up the grabs in this stage. I would be quite normal if his condition is indeed less good then he wishes. I expect him to do a good ride in the Vogues-stages at first.

 

[Eclipse]

froome devastating attack. contador closes the gap very hard. they both stop and valverde catches them. this dream stops and immediately i see a headline on a site, oscar sevilla banned for life wtf? lol.

Hahaha JA, that last line almost saw my morning coffee get all over my keyboard

------

Can't wait for today, really really have been looking forward to this. I just hope the riders have too!

 

[stefank]

Cav DNS today, gutted for him.

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

 

[Tragic]

Last time I checked, they weren't during the races. During the races, OGE seldom bring much of any note to liven up proceedings. Albasini and Yates can be interesting, but Gerrans is exceedingly dull and the sprinters are sprinters.

It's nice to see riders like Cancellara sometimes beaten. But not by somebody who has just sat on their wheel for 15km and then passed them in the last 100m. Why wouldn't fans be upset to see that. It's the same as the anger at Valverde for not going with Costa in Firenze, wasting J-Rod's great work. Fans want to see riders rewarded for attacking, exciting racing, and the more riders get rewarded for dull, defensive riding, the more people will go for that, and the more crappy races like LBL2013 will result, where nobody has any spine and everybody comes to the line together. Gerrans, since he stopped being the interesting stagehunter he was in the Cervélo days, is the poster boy for boring one-day racing in much the same way as Leipheimer was the poster boy for boring stage racing.

That's what he is: Levi Leipheimer with a sprint.

"Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel" - Samuel Johnson

Have to say I don't quite understand this hate. Gerrans is a smart rider, solid team player, and a worthy champion who never badmouths anyone (even when they knock him over!). In Australia this is called sportsmanship, and if it's boring perhaps the pro peloton could use a little more of it.

 

[karlboss]

Today wud be for Trentin if it becomes a bunch sprint.

Today surely kwiatkowski, but I meant for the true bunch gallops.

 

[Super Voeckler]

quality day of sport ahead

silly cav

 

[Pricey_sky]

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

Doesn't deserve to be injured and hurt though! A fine/sanction would have been more than enough.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Have to say I don't quite understand this hate. Gerrans is a smart rider, solid team player, and a worthy champion who never badmouths anyone (even when they knock him over!). In Australia this is called sportsmanship, and if it's boring perhaps the pro peloton could use a little more of it.

Just because a method of winning is effective does not mean it is pleasing or entertaining.

Gerrans is a worthy winner of LBL 2013. That race was appallingly poor and got the winner it deserved: a rider who might as well not have been there until the last 200m for all the effect he had on it. And spare us the "in Australia this is called sportsmanship..." stuff. Australians are just as bad as anybody else when it comes to being unsporting, and for every Gerrans, being boring and unassuming but not badmouthing anyone, there's Mark Renshaw trying to put people in the barriers, Graeme Brown shoving people over and Robbie McEwen throwing out the most invective-filled rants this side of Bradley Wiggins.

Again: I can see no reason that anybody would WANT to root for Simon Gerrans. Unless you count patriotism as a valid reason to cheer for somebody. I don't.

 

[Eclipse]

Sweet paint job for Kittel. Black and Yellow never goes wrong.

And support is out in real force again at the start

 

[The Hegelian]

On the Gerrans hate: seems pretty strange.

I think one of the issues is that he's actually quite underrated. i.e. you look at his palmares and think he's overachieved given his relatively modest abilities.

But are they really that modest? He has the punch to duke it out with Gilbert and Valverde on steep finishes (look at Amstel last few years).

+ a pretty awesome sprint to duke it out if the bunch gets thinned out by hard parcours.

+ a brain good enough to regularly seal the deal when the pressure is on (i.e. nat champs, classics, stages).

That's real quality.

And the retort: but he wins by wheelsucking is pretty glib. What do you want him to do - attack 60kms out into a headwind, thus "animating the race" for the spectators....but in the process losing?

LBL was dull this year, for sure. But pinning that on Gerrans is a bit rough - his role was always gonna be 'the climbers will have to drop me, if they can't I'll nail them in the sprint.' It follows, does it not, that the dullness ought to be pinned on the climbers who had to make some fully committed moves, but didn't.

 

[mrhender]

I think the breakaway attempts will be massive today..
Every team with self-respect and ablity of course will have a guy there..

Will be interesting to see who will take control in the peleton, can't really se it beeing the heavy sprinters teams..

The breakaway will probably be 12-20 guys involving some strong puncheurs thus the peleton will be left for GC teams to control and decide pace..

I don't think they (GC teams) will worry much about yellow, so good chance for the breakaway if enough teams are represented within..

This one for Avermaet.. Time for him to step up..

 

[pastronef]

On the Gerrans hate: seems pretty strange.

I think one of the issues is that he's actually quite underrated. i.e. you look at his palmares and think he's overachieved given his relatively modest abilities.

But are they really that modest? He has the punch to duke it out with Gilbert and Valverde on steep finishes (look at Amstel last few years).

That's real quality.

when anyone beats Valverde it's always good

 

[Cookster15]

Just because a method of winning is effective does not mean it is pleasing or entertaining.

Gerrans is a worthy winner of LBL 2013. That race was appallingly poor and got the winner it deserved: a rider who might as well not have been there until the last 200m for all the effect he had on it. And spare us the "in Australia this is called sportsmanship..." stuff. Australians are just as bad as anybody else when it comes to being unsporting, and for every Gerrans, being boring and unassuming but not badmouthing anyone, there's Mark Renshaw trying to put people in the barriers, Graeme Brown shoving people over and Robbie McEwen throwing out the most invective-filled rants this side of Bradley Wiggins.

Huh? You are free to enjoy whichever riders you choose but this has nothing to do with sportsmanship - or nationality for that matter. It is about doing your best to win races with the talents you have. If you have the opportunity to win a monument (MSR) by holding the wheel of Cancellara would you throw the chance of winning just to please the fans? The data said Gerrans pulled something like 1200 watts for over 60 secs after 7 hours in the saddle that day - he deserved it. If Cancellara can't figure out how to win with his ability that's his problem - not Gerrans. This type of thing happens in club racing all over the world.

I get confused with this place sometimes. Sometimes its like nobody has ever raced a bike. Are you all just armchair critics or do you think popular riders like Alberto Contador race like they do just to "entertain". AC races the way it suits him with his abilities. Just as Gerrans does with his far lessor abilities.

 

[rhubroma]

Huh? You are free to enjoy whichever riders you choose but this has nothing to do with sportsmanship - or nationality for that matter. It is about doing your best to win races with the talents you have. If you have the opportunity to win a monument (MSR) by holding the wheel of Cancellara would you throw the chance of winning just to please the fans? The data said Gerrans pulled something like 1200 watts for over 60 secs after 7 hours in the saddle that day - he deserved it. If Cancellara can't figure out how to win with his ability that's his problem - not Gerrans. This type of thing happens in club racing all over the world.

I get confused with this place sometimes. Sometimes its like nobody has ever raced a bike. Are you all just armchair critics or do you think popular riders like Alberto Contador race like they do just to "entertain". AC races the way it suits him with his abilities. Just as Gerrans does with his far lessor abilities.

Alberto, though, has frequently said even in defeat that his aggressive riding at least gives good entertainment value.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

And the retort: but he wins by wheelsucking is pretty glib. What do you want him to do - attack 60kms out into a headwind, thus "animating the race" for the spectators....but in the process losing?

LBL was dull this year, for sure. But pinning that on Gerrans is a bit rough - his role was always gonna be 'the climbers will have to drop me, if they can't I'll nail them in the sprint.' It follows, does it not, that the dullness ought to be pinned on the climbers who had to make some fully committed moves, but didn't.

Thereby Leipheimer was a good racer and the dullness ought to be pinned on the climbers that couldn't gap him.

Did you like Levi Leipheimer? Did you find him enjoyable to watch?

I get confused with this place sometimes. Sometimes its like nobody has ever raced a bike. Are you all just armchair critics or do you think popular riders like Alberto Contador race like they do just to "entertain". AC races the way it suits him with his abilities. Just as Gerrans does with his far lessor abilities.

"In Australia this is called sportsmanship" was brought up, so I responded to that.

And sure Gerrans races the way that's best for him to win races with his abilities. He isn't paid to entertain, he's paid to win.

And that means he's very boring and never adds anything to races, and therefore I can't understand why somebody would cheer for him or feel bad for him when he doesn't win.

 

[timmers]

Just because a method of winning is effective does not mean it is pleasing or entertaining.

Gerrans is a worthy winner of LBL 2013. That race was appallingly poor and got the winner it deserved: a rider who might as well not have been there until the last 200m for all the effect he had on it. And spare us the "in Australia this is called sportsmanship..." stuff. Australians are just as bad as anybody else when it comes to being unsporting, and for every Gerrans, being boring and unassuming but not badmouthing anyone, there's Mark Renshaw trying to put people in the barriers, Graeme Brown shoving people over and Robbie McEwen throwing out the most invective-filled rants this side of Bradley Wiggins.

Again: I can see no reason that anybody would WANT to root for Simon Gerrans. Unless you count patriotism as a valid reason to cheer for somebody. I don't.

Well if you had met him you would have found that he is quite personable. Maybe a reason to appreciate him is that as a rider of limited abilities he has acheived some great results. Who would of thought that he would win Milano-San Remo and LBL!

The good news is there are people of every nationality who we can dislike!

At least he looks good on the bike!

 

[Netserk]

Actually, it's not that steep. See this thread.

By the photo in that thread, the max gradient is 24%