I'm going to start this by saying i'm a Cav fan. However, i'm also a big fan of Thor. This I feel will show that I can bring a balanced argument to the thread.
I managed to record the stage on my V+ box and like a commissaire have now watched the replay back and forth about 15 times to see what has happened and find any problems in the sprint.
First point, the barriers. They do jut out for about 5 to 10 metres about 100 metres from the finish but to leave space Cav could have moved a little further out. The question here most would ask is why should he, and that is because its fair. The real question is could he move out?
Now this is what I saw from the numerous angles, Mark Renshaw did not have a complete bike length on Cav, therefore if Cav moves out left, he hits Renshaw likelihood is he crashes brings down numerous riders and puts those riders and himself in danger.
Second point, the looking around. Now far be it from me a non-bike racer to talk about this, but when I used to race the 800m and 1500m every time I came into the last 100m I would move out to force the person behind to run further to the line, and I would look around. I just see this as someone checking how more effort was required.
Why do I see it this way? George Hincapie is why, Columbia wanted him in yellow, if only for one day, so as little effort was required in the sprint to give him the time required to take yellow.
Third point, Thor Hushovd's positioning. This is not the first time that he has decided to take the inside/barrier route to the finish. Remember his line when he got his arm sliced by a PMU cardboard hand, yes this was a planned move to the inside and he went as close to the barrier as possible. This could be seen as a dangerous line and one he wants to take as a brave line, which I believe Thor to be. In this case was it the correct line?
The answer is no! Why? Well look at Yauheni Hutarovich of FdJ. He had the same line as Hushovd but decided to move to the outside as Thor moved inside. If Thor had taken the outside line then he could have had the double sling shot of Cav and Renshaw, potentially allowing him to be first to the line.
All in all, I see the incident as a pair of errors. Error one, Columbia-HTC trying to do too many things at once, taking yellow and gaining points on green. Error two, Thor making a tactical error in taking the line nearest the barrier with 125 metres to go.
Final decision, result stands.
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