Official thread - TdF Stage 5 Cap d'Agde-Perpignan (197.0km)

[jaylew]

Good for Voeckler. He's grown on me over the years. Ignatiev holds onto 2nd. Cav 3rd.

 

[jaylew]

Incredible!!!
They cut to commercial during the finish today... I got to watch a garlique commercial instead of the finish. How incredibly unprofessional- no- just plain tacky! Versus should stick to redneck sports like bull wrestling and leave the TDF to a pro outfit. Despite the excellent Paul and Phil, Versus has shown they can royally screw up sports coverage. I'm lucky.. I can watch the French coverage on cable TV5, and they actually show the race.. not the ENDLESS hype typical of Versus.

That sucks...and is strange. I'm watching Versus and they didn't cut to commercial for me.

 

[linenoiz]

Incredible!!!
They cut to commercial during the finish today... I got to watch a garlique commercial instead of the finish. How incredibly unprofessional- no- just plain tacky! Versus should stick to redneck sports like bull wrestling and leave the TDF to a pro outfit. Despite the excellent Paul and Phil, Versus has shown they can royally screw up sports coverage. I'm lucky.. I can watch the French coverage on cable TV5, and they actually show the race.. not the ENDLESS hype typical of Versus.

Watch the online versus coverage. No commercials its worth it.

 

[Moondance]

Great! After Rooijakkers, another dutchy out...

It's disappointing to be sure. It would've been good for his career if he could've gained the experience from riding his first tour.

But better it happens now and he learns from it, than in three years when it could cost him a chance at the yellow jersey.

 

[jaylew]

What happened with Gesink?

I was watching when he went down and then saw some teammates come back for him, but I wasn't able to watch the rest of the stage until the very end. I assumed they would get him back easily, but then I see him rolling in with one teammate almost 10 minutes back.

 

[rabofan]

Is it not about time Erik Breukink was shown the door?

I thought he should have gone over the Rasmussen affair however he kept his job.

This tour has been nothing short of a nightmare for Rabobank so far.

GC Plan A (Menchov) doesn't look at all competitive.
GC Plan B (Gesink) is toast after today's mishap.

Plan C - must be to try and get the odd stage win (Feire).

Looking very bleak already.

 

[Tusher]

Mmmmm, so did Columbia just tell the other sprinter teams to share the work, or else they'd let the breakaway win?

Cav did not look happy on the podium.

 

[Bala Verde]

They fear Gesink has a fractured wrist (or something fractured in/around that area)

 

[luckyboy]

Is it not about time Erik Breukink was shown the door?

I thought he should have gone over the Rasmussen affair however he kept his job.

This tour has been nothing short of a nightmare for Rabobank so far.

GC Plan A (Menchov) doesn't look at all competitive.
GC Plan B (Gesink) is toast after today's mishap.

Plan C - must be to try and get the odd stage win (Feire).

Looking very bleak already.

Could Ten Dam not try for the polka dot? They could always shove Niermann, Garate or Flecha in a few breakaways

 

[frizzlefry]

Mmmmm, so did Columbia just tell the other sprinter teams to share the work, or else they'd let the breakaway win?

Cav did not look happy on the podium.

You want your guy to win, you do the work. Telling other teams to share the work, so Cav can win the sprint is stupid.

 

[Bala Verde]

Could Ten Dam not try for the polka dot? They could always shove Niermann, Garate or Flecha in a few breakaways

yes, they'll probably have to go for some consolation prizes, such as a stage win (tomorrow Freire in Spain, on the Mont Juic, although Kirchen could be in it too), and perhaps, if Ten Dam feels well enough (which he says he does), he'd do well to mark moncoutie's wheel.

 

[Moondance]

What happened with Gesink?

I was watching when he went down and then saw some teammates come back for him, but I wasn't able to watch the rest of the stage until the very end. I assumed they would get him back easily, but then I see him rolling in with one teammate almost 10 minutes back.

His fall happened just as Astana & Saxo were turning up the heat to make the course difficult. The peleton was broken into 3 by the move for a while. When the pace finally slowed Gesink got back, but he was in pain, and so tired out that when the pace got upped again he was shelled out the back.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Thomas Voelckler is an amazing bike racer. He rides with such panache and style...

 

[Moondance]

Is it not about time Erik Breukink was shown the door?

Hear! Hear!

 

[richwagmn]

You want your guy to win, you do the work. Telling other teams to share the work, so Cav can win the sprint is stupid.

Doesn't the Columbia bus say something like "best cycling team in the world" or something like that?

Pretty sure you're gonna have back up that statement.

Columbia should stop complaining. After all, you're the best cycling team in the world. ;-)

 

[Bala Verde]

Hear! Hear!

He has such a bad karma, that he even made Menchov lose te Giro in the last Km

 

[richwagmn]

Thomas Voelckler is an amazing bike racer. He rides with such panache and style...

For sure. So nice to see a break succeed too. Voelkler has a lot of heart.

 

[Publicus]

For sure. So nice to see a break succeed too. Voelkler has a lot of heart.

He has moxie. Frankly he is the epitome of the word.

 

[Amsterhammer]

I don't think there's any real fan of the sport anywhere who isn't delighted for Voeckler tonight! I'll certainly raise a glass to him later. (Any excuse will do.)

 

[TRDean]

Kudos to Voekler!! And to Timmer as well...too bad he couldn't hold on. Skil still riding with heart at the front of the race! Great stage!

 

[Amsterhammer]

Gesink officially out of the Tour.

Really gutted for the boy.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Certainly, a better day than yesterday, for Bouygues Telecom!
Losing Gesink though, is another blow to the potential mountain excitement.
He's not one to simply sit in the front carriage of a train.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Poor Gesink.

Not the happiest day for Dutch cycling. Another dramatic Tour this year.

 

[Publicus]

Certainly, a better day than yesterday, for Bouygues Telecom!
Losing Gesink though, is another blow to the potential mountain excitement.
He's not one to simply sit in the front carriage of a train.

That's unfortunate. He really gutted out the last 60K today.

 

[rabofan]

Real shame for Gesink.

Would have been interesting to see how he would have gone in the mountains.

Hope LTD's climbing legs are in good shape for Friday.