Paris-Nice 2012: Stage 2 Mantes-la-Jolie - Orléans (185 km)

[Zinoviev Letter]

Not a fast sprint, but Boonen looked very strong. Quite comfortable in the end.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

OPQ big winners today (obviously). Wiggans/Sky in a prime position for the rest of the event, and valverde to a lesser degree.

 

[Beech Mtn]

Wigans looks awfully strong for so early in the year. The olympics are a long way off. Wonder if he can hold this form for TdF/Oly

 

[skidmark]

Peloton loses 2'30

Saur, Rabobank losers of the day (coppel + mollema/lls)

I would say Vac/Larsson are also losers of the day, as they should have expected to keep yellow at least.

 

[Beech Mtn]

Vanmarcke was 4th. Nice

 

[Beech Mtn]

Wigans 6 secs over Leipheimer on GC

 

[cineteq]

General:
1 Bradley WIGGINS SKY PROCYCLING 4:33:32
2 Levi LEIPHEIMER OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP 0:00:06
3 Tejay VAN GARDEREN BMC RACING TEAM 0:00:11
4 Sylvain CHAVANEL OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP 0:00:14
5 Tom BOONEN OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP 0:00:17
6 Maxime MONFORT RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 0:00:18
7 Taylor PHINNEY BMC RACING TEAM 0:00:21
8 Lieuwe WESTRA VACANSOLEIL-DCM 0:00:22
9 Geraint THOMAS SKY PROCYCLING 0:00:28
10 Alejandro VALVERDE MOVISTAR TEAM 0:00:30

 

[BillytheKid]

OPQ big winners today (obviously). Wiggans/Sky in a prime position for the rest of the event, and valverde to a lesser degree.

Wiggins/Leipheimer. An anglo duel!

 

[insideout leadout]

Degenkolb, Greipel and Ciolek.....they all look the same when they sprint, almost killing the bike.

 

[hfer07]

damn- Wiggo in yellow-leechaimer on his tale

 

[Race Radio]

that was fun to watch

 

[Kazistuta]

GC candidate countdown: 6

Leipheimer
Wiggins
Valverde
Chavanel
Monfort
TJ
-------------
Outsider countdown: 4

Spilak
Kiserlovski
Jeanneson
GT

 

[DominicDecoco]

Degenkolb, Greipel and Ciolek.....they all look stupid when they sprint, almost killing the bike.

Fixed it for you.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

This a race I can already skip now if its Leipheimer vs Wiggins vs van Garderen vs Valverde

3 types of rider I don't like and 1 rider I genuinely don't like at all.

 

[Benotti69]

that was fun to watch

Yep, amazing how much the weather can make a race fun.

 

[DominicDecoco]

So apperently Andy was dropped after few kilometres alone.

 

[theyoungest]

Peloton loses 2'30

Saur, Rabobank losers of the day (coppel + mollema/lls)

And to think that Rabo tore the peloton apart on a stage like this a few years ago... but back then they didn't have a GC rider. And they didn't win the stage either.

 

[hfer07]

So apperently Andy was dropped after few kilometres alone.

maybe it was too flat, cold and rainy for his liking

 

[hatcher]

This a race I can already skip now if its Leipheimer vs Wiggins vs van Garderen vs Valverde

3 types of rider I don't like and 1 rider I genuinely don't like at all.

English speakers?

 

[Beech Mtn]

So apperently Andy was dropped after few kilometres alone.

It was rainy and windy. Clearly treacherous conditions. Andy was probably protesting and thought the race should be neutralized.

 

[BillytheKid]

damn- Wiggo in yellow-leechaimer on his tale

Yah. That's way you do it!

 

[Fetisoff]

maybe it was too flat, cold and rainy for his liking

Well, everyone knows races should not be decided by weather, just like they shouldn't be decided by descending.

 

[Frosty]

Frank Schleck was in the 2.29, as were Menchov, Kloden... Official site being quick with the results, as it often is

http://www.letour.fr/2012/PNC/LIVE/us/200/classement/index.html

No Cofidis riders in the top 103

 

[LaFlorecita]

So apperently Andy was dropped after few kilometres alone.

Lol what a failer. But that does explain his awful result yesterday. He's just not good. Actually, he's crap.

maybe it was too flat, cold and rainy for his liking

It was not long and steep enough.

 

[BillytheKid]

English speakers?

All except for Mr. Greenvalley.