Official thread - Stage 13 • Vittel - Colmar• 200 km

[hfer07]

This years Tour is a joke.... or was that last year ?

This year has been a disappointment so far-no fireworks, no initiative at all from the contenders, just simply waiting for things to happen.
I recall last year by stage 13 we already had Super Besse, Bagneres, Hautacam
all three mountain stages being fought to the teeth.....
it makes me more angry to the Infamous comment from LA about the last tour being "a bit of a joke" - well- he hasn't done anything so far to make this one exiting yet...

 

[Ninety5rpm]

Sorry if this was already discussed, but did it look like Armstrong was working for Contador today, or what?

 

[luckyboy]

Don't know if someone has already said this, but

Oscar Freire and Julian Dean have been hit during Tdf Stage 13 by an air gun.
Juan Manual Garate heard 3 shots, and suddenly Freire was screaming in pain. He had been hit right above the knee. Julian Dean has been hit in his hand.
The incident happened at 165km after the start of the 13th stage. Rabo team doctor Dion Van Bommel had to remove a metal ball in Freire's upper leg after the stage. Apart from that, he is fine.

Just found it on another forum, can't see any news links

Terrible

 

[Andre.J]

Yes, one of the most boring for certain. They've sacrificed most of the Tour for one stage (Ventoux). I'd rather have the Tour like this year's Giro. Now that was a nice set up.

Imagine today.....a sprinter wins a so called mountain stage. Wait until you see tomorrow's stage; another crappy one. Even Sunday's stage may not turn out as dramatic as they're saying.

Andre

 

[mambo#5]

I might as well say this now, in the hope that they make me look a fool.

I think the pretenders have already conceeded the top two podium spots and barring accidents, are vying for third.

well, if they are vying for third, they're not doing a great deal about that either.

 

[Aapjes]

Oscar Freire and Julian Dean have been hit during Tdf Stage 13 by an air gun.
Juan Manual Garate heard 3 shots, and suddenly Freire was screaming in pain. He had been hit right above the knee. Julian Dean has been hit in his hand.
The incident happened at 165km after the start of the 13th stage. Rabo team doctor Dion Van Bommel had to remove a metal ball in Freire's upper leg after the stage. Apart from that, he is fine.

Just found it on another forum, can't see any news links

This was reported on dutch teletext:

http://teletekst.nos.nl/?866-01

Absurd.

 

[BroDeal]

Did I miss anything? I really was going to watch today's stage; but when they cancelled the no radio experiment, I said screw it.

I guess the real question is if the race will be worth getting up eraly on a weeked to watch.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Sorry if this was already discussed, but did it look like Armstrong was working for Contador today, or what?

I said the same thing earlier. Certainly looked that way to me, atop the Platzerwasel.
This would turn out to be a bigger con job, than LA, on the Glandon in 2001, if correct.

You know, we've had a whole shedload of talk from the contenders, about how they will go about winning the Tour, but all we have had, are riders going about trying not to lose the bottom rung of the podium.

 

[indurain666]

Sorry if this was already discussed, but did it look like Armstrong was working for Contador today, or what?

Why..Why...Why absolutely everything about a bicycle race where almost 200 guys are racing ends up being talk about a single guy, who hasn't done anything interesting about the race??...j/k

Please post in the LA thread (seriously)

 

[indurain666]

I said the same thing earlier. Certainly looked that way to me, atop the Platzerwasel.
This would turn out to be a bigger con job, than LA, on the Glandon in 2001, if correct.

You know, we've had a whole shedload of talk from the contenders, about how they will go about winning the Tour, but all we have had, are riders going about trying not to lose the bottom rung of the podium.

so you are saying that LA is actually stronger than AC and that he is bluffing now?

 

[Ninety5rpm]

Why..Why...Why absolutely everything about a bicycle race where almost 200 guys are racing ends up being talk about a single guy, who hasn't done anything interesting about the race??...j/k

Please post in the LA thread (seriously)

Probably the most interesting aspect of any race is the contest for first place, and relegating ALL mention of the guy who is apparently 2nd most likely to achieve that into a separate thread is ridiculous.

 

[jaylew]

I know the standard line, Aussies or anyone associated with Australia never dope...

Really? That's news to me. I guess you might have to be an Aussie to believe that line...and a naive one at that.

 

[Amsterhammer]

This was reported on dutch teletext:

http://teletekst.nos.nl/?866-01

Absurd.

Truly unbelievable, some mindless dipsh!t taking potshots at riders. Whatever next? Perhaps more worth talking about in regard to today's race than the zillionth AC vs. LA tangent.

 

[gjdavis60]

Truly unbelievable, some mindless dipsh!t taking potshots at riders. Whatever next? Perhaps more worth talking about in regard to today's race than the zillionth AC vs. LA tangent.

Vigilantism, perhaps? With all the heated rhetoric about cheating, corruption, fraud, and conspiracy in cycling I honestly wouldn't be surprised if someone decided to take matters into their own hands.

 

[BroDeal]

Truly unbelievable, some mindless dipsh!t taking potshots at riders. Whatever next? Perhaps more worth talking about in regard to today's race than the zillionth AC vs. LA tangent.

Aw, now we know what jackhammer111 has been up to lately. He was seen on the grassy knoll overlooking the race route wearing an Astana jersey, carrying a pellet gun, and mumbling about Spaniards. Poor Dean must have been hit by accident.

 

[Mellow Velo]

so you are saying that LA is actually stronger than AC and that he is bluffing now?

No.
Does English come out as Japanese, your end?

 

[Amsterhammer]

It's nearly tomorrow in Europe and already way tomorrow in Oz. So, who's going to start tomorrow's stage?

Edited to add: Just seen a really nice interview with Haussler - he likes cold and rain!!!

 

[richwagmn]

How about big Thor today? Finishing with the first group and taking the green jersey. Bet that was a double take from Cav. Had no idea he could climb though I think he had to chase to get back on at the end.

 

[richwagmn]

Have to say LA looked pretty good again today. Always at the front, doesn't really look under any pressure.

Gonna be a good final week.

 

[Publicus]

Have to say LA looked pretty good again today. Always at the front, doesn't really look under any pressure.

Gonna be a good final week.

He did, but with the same caveat we had during the first week: he was never put under serious pressure. Don't know what the other GC candidates are waiting for (maybe an invitation), but they are quickly running out of days.

 

[Wolfpengap]

Great ride by Haussler! Bravo!

This is the type I riding I crave watching. Even Chavanels ride was courageous. Feillu is showing to be a potential star, and an exciting, attacking rider.

Fun stage.

 

[objective skeptic]

He did, but with the same caveat we had during the first week: he was never put under serious pressure. Don't know what the other GC candidates are waiting for (maybe an invitation), but they are quickly running out of days.

Agreed. In retrospect, maybe not all that surprising. But like everyone else I'm getting a little bored waiting to see how this shakes out. Maybe they're all waiting for the Astana team to crash out one by one.

 

[blaxland]

Great ride by Haussler! Bravo!

This is the type I riding I crave watching. Even Chavanels ride was courageous. Feillu is showing to be a potential star, and an exciting, attacking rider.

Fun stage.

Agreed Wolfengap,Haussler is definantley a rider for the future.....And... going to be AUSTRALIAN......

 

[richwagmn]

Agreed. In retrospect, maybe not all that surprising. But like everyone else I'm getting a little bored waiting to see how this shakes out. Maybe they're all waiting for the Astana team to crash out one by one.

Add DiLuca and LPR brakes. Maybe we can remember what an actual attack looks like.