Paris - Nice: STAGE 1 - Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines --> Contres: 201.5 km

[Anonymous]

just read the Cyclingnews report and they don't say the split was made by Caisse d'Epargne, instead they glorify Boom, and don't mention Caisse.
Not exactly what has happened, it was Caisse whom made the break and then Boom went. LLS, Valverde, Gutierrez and Chente, as usually they do in France.

did you miss this bit

Opportunity knocks, Caisse d'Epargne answer

Recognising the potential benefit of the situation, Caisse d'Epargne lifted the pace at the front. At 16 kilometres to go Gilbert and Veelers were recaptured. While the peloton began to gradually reform behind, the Spanish Armada that headed the front group continued to push - a selection was formed.

 

[Publicus]

I dont think they showed it, they showed one earlier but i dont think it was the ac crash.

So then how are you concluding that it was a tactical error by AC? But one of your wishes may have come true . . . he may be too injured to continue tomorrow.

 

[Delicato]

It is interesting how Caisse can be brilliant on one day and FAIL on the other. I remember when they were great for the whole of the Vuelta two years ago and yet acted like total dumbarses on a stage which costed Valverde 3 minutes and a potential Vuelta win. So one should'nt really overestimate Caisse, they are too unpredictable

 

[Mellow Velo]

How weak were the Shack today? Team classification has gone out the window

Brajkovic was top man, at 45th and he had to use half of FDJ to get back into the peloton, when it split.
Other than Levi in 93rd, they managed:
102 Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Team RadioShack
122 Tiago Machado (Por) Team RadioShack
130 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Team RadioShack
142 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Team RadioShack
170 Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack

174 finishers.

 

[Anonymous]

So then how are you concluding that it was a tactical error by AC? But one of your wishes may have come true . . . he may be too injured to continue tomorrow.

More the fact that in those winds, as a gc contender inside 20k he really should have been in a better position when the split happened.

I just dont like AC.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Contador is going to have a hard time to fix that time gap.

Mende is not exactly a climb like last year where you can easily fix half a minute on the rest.
More likely, you'll win a few seconds.. And now Contador just managed to lose more (on Kreuziger, LL Sanchez mainly, Valverde is still behind him).

And I wouldn't count out Voigt out either, he looks strong. Boom is a mystery, won't make a prediction on that. If he has a good day, he can beat the world, if he doesn't, he can suddenly collapse and lose minutes, and then be good again the next day. So it's useless to expect anything

 

[tgsgirl]

How weak were the Shack today? Team classification has gone out the window

Brajkovic was top man, at 45th and he had to use half of FDJ to get back into the peloton, when it split.
Other than Levi in 93rd, they managed:
102 Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Team RadioShack
122 Tiago Machado (Por) Team RadioShack
130 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Team RadioShack
142 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Team RadioShack
170 Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack

174 finishers.

Well, Levi crashed, a whole lot of Shacks went back for him and just at that moment CdE decided to rip the field apart. Of course they were far back.
Same would've happened to Euskaltel had the deciding split happened when they had five guys bringing back Samu after his crash.

 

[Publicus]

Contador is going to have a hard time to fix that time gap.

Mende is not exactly a climb like last year where you can easily fix half a minute on the rest.
More likely, you'll win a few seconds.. And now Contador just managed to lose more (on Kreuziger, LL Sanchez mainly, Valverde is still behind him).

And I wouldn't count out Voigt out either, he looks strong. Boom is a mystery, won't make a prediction on that. If he has a good day, he can beat the world, if he doesn't, he can suddenly collapse and lose minutes, and then be good again the next day. So it's useless to expect anything

I agree. Add to that an injured right leg and well he may not make it to Mende.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, Levi crashed, a whole lot of Shacks went back for him and just at that moment CdE decided to rip the field apart. Of course they were far back.
Same would've happened to Euskaltel had the deciding split happened when they had five guys bringing back Samu after his crash.

is it me or has some of the honour gone from the peloton this season, caisse driving when levi crashed, boonen/cervelo driving when ebh peed..

 

[Delicato]

I agree. Add to that an injured right leg and well he may not make it to Mende.

IMO will be better for him to retire from the race now and get ready for Vuelta a Catalunya (or how do you spell it).

Isn't his spring racing schedule too hard? Paris-Nice, then Catalunya, then TOTBC, Ardennes classics...

 

[Aguirre]

did you miss this bit

Ok, now in full report they completed, thanks.

 

[Polish]

The Caisse Team are "dead men walking" with their team dissolving later this year.

It is more important for them to show results all the time now.
No ramping up or training for races later in the year.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Contador is going to have a hard time to fix that time gap.

Mende is not exactly a climb like last year where you can easily fix half a minute on the rest.
More likely, you'll win a few seconds.. And now Contador just managed to lose more (on Kreuziger, LL Sanchez mainly, Valverde is still behind him).
And I wouldn't count out Voigt out either, he looks strong.

Mende Paris-Nice 2007

1 Alberto Contador (Spa) Discovery Channel 4.07.26 (41.101 km/h)
6 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 0.28
8 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel 0.33
11 Samuel Sánchez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0.40
13 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis 0.43
14 David Millar (GBr) Saunier Duval-Prodir 0.45
18 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 0.56

Not bad, considering he didn't go for the very bottom of the climb.
I can't see LLS living with Contador on the 2-12% kms.
Valverde is a different story.

 

[Moondance]

great reporting by the bbc

clearly omloop is not in europe. Duck eggs.

If one of your Members of the European Parliament is to be believed Belgium doesn't matter anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bypLwI5AQvY

EDIT: For the Brits, the guy he's talking to is the President of the European Union Herman van Rompuy

 

[Anonymous]

If one of your Members of the European Parliament is to be believed Belgium doesn't matter anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bypLwI5AQvY

He aint one of my mep's. hes a fascist, racist ****wit who should be hung.

Ukip and the BNP have no place in british politics. They preach nothing but lies, intolerance and hate and are frankly an embaressment to most british people.

 

[Delicato]

On a similar stage in the Tour of Basque country last year, Lulu lost more than half a minute to Contador,so I really do not consider him as a threat to Contador.

 

[tgsgirl]

is it me or has some of the honour gone from the peloton this season, caisse driving when levi crashed, boonen/cervelo driving when ebh peed..

Poor wording from me maybe. I'm not convinced CdE attacked because Levi was far back. There was a crash, guys were down and everyone after position 40 or so was at a standstill, the crash itself had broken the peloton into groups, then a sidewind picked up and CdE made their move.

I can't be sure on the info the team leaders had of course, but all the images I saw where helicam shots of four or five Shacks trying desperately to bring someone back. I assumed it was Levi because they deployed so many riders to help him, but the confirmation that it was in fact Mister Cali didn't come til a good while later. This, I think, was more a case of unfortunate timing.
(if anything, one could argue that Levi really had no business being down in spot 40 at the time of the crash)

 

[Moondance]

He aint one of my mep's. hes a fascist, racist ****wit who should be hung.

I know...

We're having some major problems with similar types in the Netherlands

But unfortunately over here they're probably gonna take over, whereas UKIP and the BNP are largely irrelevant (unless they're insulting European Diplomats )

 

[Anonymous]

I know...

We're having some major problems with similar types in the Netherlands

But unfortunately over here they're probably gonna take over, whereas UKIP and the BNP are largely irrelevant (unless they're insulting European Diplomats )

unfortunately our government is such a fiasco, and the opposition so toothless that people actually vote for these idiots as a protest and put them in a position of power, and more worryingly increase their funding to develop. and give them the opportunity to meet up with even more fascists from across europe. ho hum..

enough of politics

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

enough of politics

This.

Thanks.

Susan

 

[hfer07]

Contador is going to have a hard time to fix that time gap.

Mende is not exactly a climb like last year where you can easily fix half a minute on the rest.
More likely, you'll win a few seconds.. And now Contador just managed to lose more (on Kreuziger, LL Sanchez mainly, Valverde is still behind him).

And I wouldn't count out Voigt out either, he looks strong. Boom is a mystery, won't make a prediction on that. If he has a good day, he can beat the world, if he doesn't, he can suddenly collapse and lose minutes, and then be good again the next day. So it's useless to expect anything

based on the top 20:

1 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank 4:33:11
2 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:05
3 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Transitions 0:00:13
4 Luis-Leon Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:00:14
5 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas - Doimo 0:00:15
6 Gregory Henderson (NZl) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:00:20
7 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 0:00:25
8 Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana
9 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas - Doimo 0:00:29
10 Xavier Tondo (Spa) Cervélo Test Team
11 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:00:31
12 Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre - Farnese Vini 0:00:32
13 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:00:34
14 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:00:35
15 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team RadioShack

how many of those guys are going to keep their current position before stage 4? I'd say it's too soon to out rule AC's chances due to today's crash an time gap--And I see some tough & aggressive riding on stage 3 which has 2 cat climbs and an uphill kick at the end.

 

[Oldman]

based on the top 20:

1 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank 4:33:11
2 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:05
3 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Transitions 0:00:13
4 Luis-Leon Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:00:14
5 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas - Doimo 0:00:15
6 Gregory Henderson (NZl) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:00:20
7 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 0:00:25
8 Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana
9 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas - Doimo 0:00:29
10 Xavier Tondo (Spa) Cervélo Test Team
11 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:00:31
12 Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre - Farnese Vini 0:00:32
13 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:00:34
14 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:00:35
15 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team RadioShack

how many of those guys are going to keep their current position before stage 4? I'd say it's too soon to out rule AC's chances due to today's crash an time gap--And I see some tough & aggressive riding on stage 3 which has 2 cat climbs and an uphill kick at the end.

Caisse looks to have the best chance of springing someone credible from the field with two hitters. Brajkovic could be a similar opportunity for Shack if they let him go (won't happen).

 

[Cobblestoned]

How weak were the Shack today? Team classification has gone out the window

Brajkovic was top man, at 45th and he had to use half of FDJ to get back into the peloton, when it split.
Other than Levi in 93rd, they managed:
102 Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Team RadioShack
122 Tiago Machado (Por) Team RadioShack
130 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Team RadioShack
142 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Team RadioShack
170 Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack

174 finishers.

Well, a Conti-fanboy quickly trying to change the focus to the results of some RS domestiques won´t change the fact, that Alberto STILL has gotta lot to learn.

 

[theswordsman]

From an article about a Contador press release via Google Translate

The second stage of Paris-Nice was a tough test for Alberto Contador, who suffered a fall in the absence of 3 km in which there was a big hit in the left thigh. "What worries me is the hit in the leg. The very touched and that I'm still hot. I hope to continue in the race tomorrow, "he said shortly after crossing the finish line.

"It was just tenths of a second," said Contador. "I was on the left relatively normally when someone has me hooked and released to the left. I've completely broken the front wheel and I've given a good shot. "

Quickly Stangeld gave Alberto his bike and tried to link in the bunch. The drop came very close to the last 3 miles and in goal, the judges ruled that the firing had already entered into the distance, so that while Contador was able to bind on their own, provided you have given the time group, which came 17 seconds behind the winner.

Counter complained about the heavy blow. "The problem is the blow to the muscle, which is what may impair my performance but I hope to leave tomorrow. As for the fan, said he was "a shame to stay behind, especially my team, because all day we've been in the lead and we have neglected for even a second."

Alberto Contador now expected to "analyze the situation in general, but the truth is I do not care about the 17 seconds that has caught the front group, but the consequences of the fall. It would have been better not to waste time, but more important is to see how I recover. "

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=23672

 

[Publicus]

Well, a Conti-fanboy quickly trying to change the focus to the results of some RS domestiques won´t change the fact, that Alberto STILL has gotta lot to learn.

Mellow is hardly a fanboy. For a new forum participant, it seems awful cavalier of you to make such an allegation on your first post. Awful cavalier.

I spy with my little eye....