Lets Call The Whole Thing Off......

[scribe]

you dont decide what stage you gonna race or wait in advance..everyone knew this stage would be dangerous. not falling of the bike is part of the game. yes the roads were dangerous today, but it was the same for everyone, and it would not have been more dangerous to sprint today than normaly

Tactically, these teams know precisely which stages they are going to force selection. I see today's stage as a very confusing (at the time) and unique situation. Better to neutralize it in lieu of total lack of information on what was going on.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

To you lads/ladies ripping on the "big girls" having issues with a stage like todays, each and every rider in the TDF is harder, tougher and faster on a bike than anyone one this forum has been or ever will be. Period.
Secondly, they are paid to RIDE their bikes and WIN, or help their leader WIN, they are not paid to get taken down by out of the ordinary circumstances or poor route selection. Yeah, oil on descents classifies. There are enough inherent dangers in cycling as it is. Name another sport where the participants move along at the speeds pro cyclists do, in the conditions they do, wearing lycra kit.
Thirdly, TDF stages not "tough" enough? What?? Stages like this years 16th would crush the so called "cyclists" who are doing the complainin' here. And I'm talking about stage racing it, NOT going out and touring over it.
And last but not least, if your second guessing guys like Riis' decisions, why aren't YOU a DS?? Why, because you DON'T HAVE A CLUE!
Geeez, armchair quarterbacks, er DS'...

Your assessment (IMO) is correct - but you should note that this forum has at least one current DS and many current and former pro's!!

But you wrote what I was going to - these are 'Professional' riders, they are there to do a job, if your a team leader its win if your another member it is to ensure the team wins.

However - the decision to neutralize that last few kms was extreme, once everybody was back to the Canc group they should have raced on to the finish - but again the decision to neutralize suited the majority of teams.

 

[flicker]

To you lads/ladies ripping on the "big girls" having issues with a stage like todays, each and every rider in the TDF is harder, tougher and faster on a bike than anyone one this forum has been or ever will be. Period.
Secondly, they are paid to RIDE their bikes and WIN, or help their leader WIN, they are not paid to get taken down by out of the ordinary circumstances or poor route selection. Yeah, oil on descents classifies. There are enough inherent dangers in cycling as it is. Name another sport where the participants move along at the speeds pro cyclists do, in the conditions they do, wearing lycra kit.
Thirdly, TDF stages not "tough" enough? What?? Stages like this years 16th would crush the so called "cyclists" who are doing the complainin' here. And I'm talking about stage racing it, NOT going out and touring over it.
And last but not least, if your second guessing guys like Riis' decisions, why aren't YOU a DS?? Why, because you DON'T HAVE A CLUE!
Geeez, armchair quarterbacks, er DS'...

Hey I am all for the hardmen. When you lose to top GC men Gesink, Vandevelde + many other riders from the race it is bad for the race. Cancellera made the right call. I do not like the injuries!

 

[Barnaby]

To Mr Cancellara et al:

Dear Precious Ones,

This is how REAL men ride the Stockeu:

MTFU.

Regards,

Bernard.

 

[boardhanger]

Here here

Given that Cancellera seemed to be the instigator of the neutalisation of todays stage due to the conditions perhaps he should have asked for the prologue results to be neutralised given that many riders rode in vastly different and for some people potentially dangerous in the bends conditions on that day.

Here here I agree....

 

[dolophonic]

To Mr Cancellara et al:

Dear Precious Ones,

This is how REAL men ride the Stockeu:

MTFU.

Regards,

Bernard.

Nice...
Levi, saying they need the T.V's in the cars.. bwahbwaaaah ! The can have them just not in the front seat.... Ban the radios yes... let them race.

 

[boardhanger]

Man in Yellow

Who was that certain man wearing yellow leading the charge down the Stockeau today???

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

The Cack riders need to STFU. The Dwarf and Horner in particular.

Today we had crashes in the wet on a descent. Yesterday we had crashes in the dry and on straight flat roads. Crashes happen in any conditions and on any type of road.

 

[joe_papp]

It's disappointing that Thor didn't get to sprint for points for the Green Jersey, but it's also distasteful that Canc' wasn't organizing a go-slow when my fav' rider Petacchi went down - but he sure as **** did when his skinny, dopey-looking teammates were busy sliding on their asses down the mtn.

And yet it's impressive to see one team bully the entire peloton like that, just as it's kinda neat (if you delude yourself) to think that there is some element of chivalry left in the sport.

Then you read comments about no TV in the cars and wonder if the directors might have been able to provide more accurate info to their teams that might have encouraged non-Saxo's to actually race and refuse to ease-up? In a vacuum, where there's insufficient info to make informed-tactical decisions, that's when riders fall victim to a charismatic personality like Canc'

It's all a big conflict, because as bummed as I am that Thor couldn't build an advantage against Cav' today, by negating the points allocation Ale-Jet benefits and gets to take to the start tomorrow in Green.

Sigh.

I actually think rider-protests are very important and serious if they're done legitimately and not to enhance tactics. I think we've all found ourselves racing on a course that was exceptionally dangerous (Regardless of weather), or been caught-out on a course that in the dry would be acceptable, but if wet resulted in unmanageable risk. And when there's real chivalry, even if just w/in a small group (like when the leaders waited for Ullrich after he tumbled over the side, just as they didn't attack Lance another time), well, that's part of the rich tapestry of cycling and why it's as much theater as athletics. But cynical manipulation of the sentiments that make possible genuine concern for one's colleagues is ugly. The only thing worse is that the other riders who didn't have an interest in the regrouping allowed it to take place.

Seriously though, if a course is rendered deadly and the risk to riders becomes unreasonable, then it's their duty to push back against the organizers. But that should happen before the race even starts, when the courses are announced and roads chosen - the PCA needs to raise its voice and help the organizers understand when spectacle crosses the line and the risks to riders' safety is such that they can't manage it effectively.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

The flip side to this is the stage in the Giro where Basso/Nibs went down, and although some like Vino tried (half-heartedly) to get the other riders to sit up, in the end they went on and attacked while Basso and Nibs were trying to recover. There was a huge outcry about lack of class and attacking when a rival is down.

With the Dwarf *****ing about TV monitors - what he is really saying is - if we had known that the Schleck's were 3 minutes down we would have told Canc to go **** himself and attacked.

 

[mastersracer]

To Mr Cancellara et al:

Dear Precious Ones,

This is how REAL men ride the Stockeu:

MTFU.

Regards,

Bernard.

too bad they weren't racing LBL today. What's good for a single day race isn't necessarily good for a stage of a grand tour...

 

[danjo007]

pretty disgusted with team saxobank.
who the hell does cancellara think he is. he constantly bullies the peleton. ever since he kicked cadel out of his own breakaway last year ive hated that whiney man. hes so up himself and thinks he is the only ones who exsist in the world.
there are 190 other riders who have an opinion and want to race.
thor should have smashed fabian in the gob! and that would have been more exciting than what we saw.

 

[pedaling squares]

I'm still not very impressed with the way the stage ended. If they knew the carnage was due to a freak incident (oil on road) why protest the course design? Horner called out Cedric Vasseur - why? Did he knock over the moto? I have no issue with the lead pack waiting for GC contenders, although let's not kid ourselves only certain contenders were given this respect. But why suddenly decide not to contest the sprint? Canc said enough riders had been injured but as the oil was many km's behind them and the pack was small there did not seem to be much present danger. It sure wasn't out of respect for the maillot vert, nobody waited for him to catch up so he could contest the sprint. I think that the sprinters who managed to get their humps over the hills were penalized, as were the fans who gave their time and money to be at the finish line and those of us who watched it on tv.

 

[Wallace]

Then you read comments about no TV in the cars and wonder if the directors might have been able to provide more accurate info to their teams that might have encouraged non-Saxo's to actually race and refuse to ease-up? In a vacuum, where there's insufficient info to make informed-tactical decisions, that's when riders fall victim to a charismatic personality like Hitler. Oops, I mean Canc' (I actually did type Hitler there accidentally...).

Sigh.

I've got a lot of respect for you Joe, but really. Come on.

 

[scribe]

pretty disgusted with team saxobank.
who the hell does cancellara think he is. he constantly bullies the peleton. ever since he kicked cadel out of his own breakaway last year ive hated that whiney man. hes so up himself and thinks he is the only ones who exsist in the world.
there are 190 other riders who have an opinion and want to race.
thor should have smashed fabian in the gob! and that would have been more exciting than what we saw.

LOL!

So Canc kicks Cuddles out of his ill-fated break attempt, and now this......makes a 'constantly bullies'.

Here is a newsflash, well over half the peloton didn't want to risk finishing the stage. Some busted their asses trying to catch up just to make a decent finish....some finished waaaaay back just the same. All because of a singular incident.

 

[US Patent Exploding Cyclist]

You're kidding right?

what a bunch of stupid replies - tour organizers should make tough stages, not stupid spectacles that end up taking out GC riders in mass pileups. Over 60 riders went down in that one crash today. Tell me another stage in recent memory when over 1/2 the peloton went down, some riders 3 times.

2010 Giro, both stages in the Netherlands. There was one crash where only 60 riders made it through.

 

[cyclegeek]

To Mr Cancellara et al:
Dear Precious Ones,

This is how REAL men ride the Stockeu:

MTFU.

Regards,

Bernard.

This picture says it all! Thanks Barnaby!

 

[US Patent Exploding Cyclist]

2010 Giro, both stages in the Netherlands. There was one crash where only 60 riders made it through.

Forgot to mention, that GC riders were caught in these crashes, no one waited, and every stage was RACED through the finish.

 

[turtlesoup]

Forgot to mention, that GC riders were caught in these crashes, no one waited, and every stage was RACED through the finish.

everyone knows the giro is really the the best GT. the tour is for prissy riders

 

[Cobblestones]

To Mr Cancellara et al:

Dear Precious Ones,

This is how REAL men ride the Stockeu:

MTFU.

Regards,

Bernard.

+1 nothing more to say

 

[frizzlefry]

Where are the usual posters who love bashing LA for being a Peloton Bully? We got 12 pages of potential and I havent seen one post from: The Hog, BroDeal, ThoughtforFood bashing The Canc for being a Bully.
You guys are slacking.

 

[boardhanger]

Where are the usual posters who love bashing LA for being a Peloton Bully? We got 12 pages of potential and I havent seen one post from: The Hog, BroDeal, ThoughtforFood bashing The Canc for being a Bully.
You guys are slacking.

Must be an armchair sale at IKEA..... Well said!

 

[vrusimov]

This is why homosexuality in professional sports is still such a tabu. I assume you're a real man and never complain about anything, take pain without uttering a sound. Because if men, even worse male pro athletes, complain about a dangerous stage, that makes them "***", gays, f*ggots.

Just a terrible, terrible comment.

Anywho, I think today's stage was tragic and a great example of sportsmanship. When you look at the pictures of Nicki Sorensen and Jens Voigt giving all they have to bring the bruised and battered Schlecks back to the peloton, that's the stuff the TdF is made of.

And sure Cancellara and the Saxo Bank Directeurs decided to wait for the Schlecks but there is no way Cancellara can convince 150 riders and all their directeurs not to ride either. Ultimately they all decided together, if one team had wanted to pull, they could have done it and everyone would have had to follow. But no one did.

And this has been done for ages, back when Armstrong got his pedal into this little kid's musette and fell, Ullrich didn't pull at the front either. That's called sportsmanship and even if you don't like that I guess you'll have to live with it.

[And sure Cancellara and the Saxo Bank Directeurs decided to wait for the Schlecks but there is no way Cancellara can convince 150 riders and all their directeurs not to ride either]

...this is the same conclusion i surmised watching today...replays showed a rider hitting the deck after a rather innocent looking bike angle...seems something was definitely on the road...at first glance you'd think that this was a day to take advantage of misfortune but as more news trickles out perhaps it was'nt good karma to try and distance a rival today...the entire peloton was frazzled and i don't think that anyone had anything more than survival on their minds, especially given the potential for continued carnage on the way to Arenberg tomorrow...too bad for Vandevelde...that guy has got some bad mojo following him around...

 

[buckwheat]

Where are the usual posters who love bashing LA for being a Peloton Bully? We got 12 pages of potential and I havent seen one post from: The Hog, BroDeal, ThoughtforFood bashing The Canc for being a Bully.
You guys are slacking.

Because they understand the sport, are human, and don't want to see anyone getting hurt, even LA.

 

[buckwheat]

too bad they weren't racing LBL today. What's good for a single day race isn't necessarily good for a stage of a grand tour...

Exactly. Hinault has also said that cobbles have no place in the Tour.