Paris-Nice: Stage 2 - Contres - Limoges 201 km

[Polish]

If AC has a charley-horse in his quadricept after that crash he should and probably will abandon.

Thank goodness Alberto did not injure himself more seriously.
Like a broken collarbone
THAT would have dashed ANY hope for a TdF victory.
Would have been lucky to podium....

But hopefully he can shake off this booboo and get back to business

 

[BikeCentric]

Haha

The climbs of tomorrow are not nearly enough for anyone to get away, or more importantly, stay away.
Tomorrow is a sprint stage or maybe a long breakaway, although I doubt Rabobank would allow it. They want to keep the jersey till the Mende stage and then it's up for grabs for Valverde/Contador/Sanchez/Kreuziger and co.

That really depends on how they race it. If the racers want to make it hard that course is difficult enough to blow the bunch apart. We shall see.

 

[Moondance]

Could it blow out some of the sprinters if Rabo are chasing a breakaway down over that final Cat 3?

Possibly. If Rabo or someone else (Caisse, working for Valv. maybe?) puts down the hammer someone like Chicchi, or maybe Henderson, could get shelled out the back. But I don't think they could drop a Greipel, Haussler or Lorenzetto

 

[Publicus]

Thank goodness Alberto did not injure himself more seriously.
Like a broken collarbone
THAT would have dashed ANY hope for a TdF victory.
Would have been lucky to podium....

But hopefully he can shake off this booboo and get back to business

Polish, polish. His knob must be sparkling at this point.

 

[karlboss]

Ummmmm..... Greipel?

Surely Columbia won't let themselves get ****ed by Caisse like they did today again? Boom should be able to hang on to the yellow.

Columbia chose not to chase, they assembled their riders and sat off the front of the peloton. Not saying it was the right choice, but watching the footage thats the one they made.

 

[Bike Boy]

That really depends on how they race it. If the racers want to make it hard that course is difficult enough to blow the bunch apart. We shall see.

Agree. A bunch sprint is the most likely, but this is Paris - Nice.... you never know quite what to expect.
Prediction is not my thing, but I have a feeling that Sammy Sanchez will try to do something.

 

[Jamsque]

CN Piece on Boom[/url]"]The day after winning the prologue in Monfort-L'Amaury, the 2008 time trial world champion ...

Whoops! Boom is good, but he ain't THAT good.


In other news, very interesting to watch the replay and see how people made the winning break. Caisse pushed the initial move and there were four or five guys who were just in the right place at the right time, and then Boom crossed the gap on his own, followed by Roche and Voigt also both solo, and then Hendy and Millar and I think Ivanov in a group.


Also hilarious to watch Astana riders dropping back to pace Contador in to the pack after his crash, and then seeing him blow right past them on the bumper of the Rabo car and completely failing to get on to his wheel.

 

[ravens]

Thank goodness Alberto did not injure himself more seriously.
Like a broken collarbone
THAT would have dashed ANY hope for a TdF victory.
Would have been lucky to podium....

But hopefully he can shake off this booboo and get back to business

I hope you can re-compose yourself after such a scare.

 

[Sasquatch]

If it comes down to a bunch, Haussler will take it.

Richie Porte is my outsider from a breakaway.

 

[Cal_Joe]

Dominique Rollin

Nasty weather? Dominique Rollin. This Canadian seems to excel when it rains/gets ugly.

Go Canucks!

 

[blaxland]

If its a bunch sprint then Haussler for me.....................otherwise a breakaway id like to see N.Roche for stage win..............................

 

[karlboss]

Whoops! Boom is good, but he ain't THAT good.


In other news, very interesting to watch the replay and see how people made the winning break. Caisse pushed the initial move and there were four or five guys who were just in the right place at the right time, and then Boom crossed the gap on his own, followed by Roche and Voigt also both solo, and then Hendy and Millar and I think Ivanov in a group.


Also hilarious to watch Astana riders dropping back to pace Contador in to the pack after his crash, and then seeing him blow right past them on the bumper of the Rabo car and completely failing to get on to his wheel.

One year earlier and U/23.

Polish you really can be a lot of fun sometimes. I can see it now...
Alberto why didn't you win Paris Nice? My leg was giving me a little trouble after the crash on stage one.
Lance why didn't you win the vuelta de murcia? My belly was giving me a little trouble after some pies I ate in the off season.

 

[Nearly]

Also hilarious to watch Astana riders dropping back to pace Contador in to the pack after his crash, and then seeing him blow right past them on the bumper of the Rabo car and completely failing to get on to his wheel.

Hilarious yes but no wonder - Conti was dead set drafting that Rabo car at speed sitting dead centre and a few millimetres back (not even pretending in case someone was watching) - a protected species perhaps?

 

[karlboss]

Hilarious yes but no wonder - Conti was dead set drafting that Rabo car at speed sitting dead centre and a few millimetres back (not even pretending in case someone was watching) - a protected species perhaps?

Was wondering about that...looked like he was hitting about 100kph. Maybe as the crash was so late he was given a bit of leeway. Maybe because his name is Alberto he was given leeway. I'm sure the commisaires considered it, would be interesting to hear why there wasn't a penalty, or maybe tomorrow we'll find out there is.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Sounds like a recipe for a very exciting day tomorrow.

Tipping Gilbert to outfox the sprinters!

 

[Sasquatch]

Tipping Gilbert to outfox the sprinters!

That's Stage 3. Or Stage 3 is Lulu and today is Gilbert.

 

[Publicus]

Was wondering about that...looked like he was hitting about 100kph. Maybe as the crash was so late he was given a bit of leeway. Maybe because his name is Alberto he was given leeway. I'm sure the commisaires considered it, would be interesting to hear why there wasn't a penalty, or maybe tomorrow we'll find out there is.

He wasn't penalized because his group
was within the 3km safe zone. It was
pretty hilarious to see his teammates drop back to
pace and him fly by them.

 

[auscyclefan94]

That's Stage 3. Or Stage 3 is Lulu and today is Gilbert.

Today has a cat 3 climb 8km before the finish. Perfect for gilbert as you would think would be starting to hit good form for MSR!

 

[Sasquatch]

I'm staying with my 'out there' prediction.

Richie Porte to win stage two from a break.

 

[karlboss]

He wasn't penalized because his group
was within the 3km safe zone. It was
pretty hilarious to see his teammates drop back to
pace and him fly by them.

I thought that was the case too, but then why even get on again?

 

[Jamsque]

I thought that was the case too, but then why even get on again?

Because he wasn't 100% sure it was inside 3 to go?

 

[Dr. Maserati]

I went back and had a look at AC's & HH's crash - it was outside the 3km to go. In the coverage you can see the break pass the 3k sign at the side of the road and then it cuts back to AC & HH on the deck and about 100 meters in the distance is the same sign.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

That really depends on how they race it. If the racers want to make it hard that course is difficult enough to blow the bunch apart. We shall see.

No, the climbs are simply too simple. Only wind can break it up really

 

[Ferminal]

I'm staying with my 'out there' prediction.

Richie Porte to win stage two from a break.

I'm going to have to check the start list before picking my podium.

I'm thinking

1. Sagan
2. Voeckler
3. Sulzberger

 

[craig1985]

Cold, cloudless, but..........tail/crosswind. Gusts 35-60kph.

So will that mean the peloton will split up?