Paris - Nice: STAGE 3 - Saint-Junien --> Aurillac: 208 km

[hfer07]

damn- that was a very exiting finish!!! Big Jens as always causing some pain around the peloton-AC also deserves credit, but no one wanted to work at the end.

 

[zapata]

Sagan and Kreuziger 2 and 5 on GC. Anybody know how this Sagan is on longer climbs? Compared to Kreuziger, or to Voigt?

 

[Mellow Velo]

GC
Voigt
Sagan @ 6"
LL Sanchez @ 12"
Millar @ 12"
Kreuziger @ 14"
Contador @ 20"
Leipheimer @ 24"
Rodriguez @ 28"

I may have missed somebody...
Just watch a slo mo of Contador having to take his foot out. Martin almost on the deck again. Silly boy, there.

 

[Jamsque]

New GC:

1st Voigt
2nd Sagan 6
3rd Sanchez 9
4th Millar 12
5th Kreuziger 14
6th Contador 20
7th Leipheimer 24


[edit] Beaten like a red-headed stepchild.

Tomorrow's finish should be very interesting.

 

[Anonymous]

I've backed Sagan at 20-1.

Heck of a talented young guy. That first win won't be far away.

Good work fella. Drinks are on you

 

[UpTheRoad]

my gosh liquigas has some talent in their squad.

Absolutely. Good mix of up-and-comers and riders in their prime (or nearly enough to it). If they are on form and can ride together, they could be dangerous in the GTs.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Sagan and Kreuziger 2 and 5 on GC. Anybody know how this Sagan is on longer climbs? Compared to Kreuziger, or to Voigt?

yeah tomorrow's gonna be an interesting stage.

 

[tgsgirl]

First in GC: oldest guy in the race
Second in GC: youngest guy in the race

Sagan for MSR anyone?

 

[Anonymous]

bravo jens we believed in you !

Now that's how a 38yr old should race!

 

[Race Radio]

Tony Martin in 5th. This kid is going to have a big year

 

[The Sheep]

Contador was driving, but Voigt wouldn't pull through. He was positioned for yellow, but I wonder why he was hesitant to drive to the finish until Contador basically pushed him to the front. Seemed strange.

Think his legs were gone.

 

[Delicato]

One thing is for certain-Contador gonna destroy everyone tomorrow.

Sagan said in interview he came here to help Kreuziger to win the race yet on every stage so far he is better than his team captain.

 

[Mellow Velo]

my gosh liquigas has some talent in their squad.

Pete Sagan eh? Only 20.
Seen anything of Tiago Machado, yet?

 

[ak-zaaf]

One thing is for certain-Contador gonna destroy everyone tomorrow.

Sagan said in interview he came here to help Kreuziger to win the race yet on every stage so far he is better than his team captain.

Kreuziger was even leading the chase group for a moment.

 

[BYOP88]

Sagan nice ride once again, having a good start to the year. Maybe Liquigas should get their main 4 working for this guy at the Grand Tours just joking.....

 

[The Barb]

Sagan was 20/1 today. That would have been nice!

Tell me about it! (see earlier post on page 4 where I said I was backing him at that price!)

I don't like to self-congratulate but man that was sweet. For her upcoming birthday my girlfriend will now be getting the diamond pendant she's been wanting ....

Anyway, that will be the first of many many wins for this kid, he is seriously good. The amazing thing is he doesn't have a Wikipedia page. If he still doesn't in 24 hours I think I'll have to create him one. Needless to say, it will stretch the wikipedia requirements of neutrality by being so complimentary ...

 

[Anonymous]

I only caught a tiny bit at the end but it looked like Tony Martin and AC were having a little shoving match. Did anyone else see that?

 

[FKLance]

i only had a bad stream that freezed just on the final k. I wondered, did you see where Valverde and Sanchez were in the final climb? Totally lost? You would think Caisse would be at the front on a climb like this.

 

[van nelle]

I don't want to sound like a s**** but what i said after Tour Down Under third etape?

"Hi, sorry for interrupting discussion about epic battle between Alejandro and Cadel but what do you say on Peter Sagan? For 19 year old neo pro in his first big race (+ with 18 stitches from stage 2 fall) to be 4th is not bad? Good active riding style, he really looks great to me. Bet we´ll hear a lot about him in the future"

here we go...

But he is so good that it is really easy - he's a junior MTB cross country world champion, junior cyclocross world championship silver medalist, junior european cyclocross champion etc.

 

[TRDean]

Who is in the mountain jersey?

 

[bianchigirl]

Impressed with Sagan and Boom - nice to see MTB/Cyclocross riders making a really credible challenge on the road - just hope they don't go the Evans route: great promise when young and then many years of flattering to deceive Like Liquigas more and more as a team, though Kreuziger must be spitting.

I see AC has recovered from his knock then

Mountain Jersey: Laurent Mangel (Saur-Sojasun)

 

[Herman]

i only had a bad stream that freezed just on the final k. I wondered, did you see where Valverde and Sanchez were in the final climb? Totally lost? You would think Caisse would be at the front on a climb like this.

Valverde was at the back of the pelton at the start of the climb. Sanchez was at the front suffering.

 

[Anonymous]

Closing Stages Video

 

[Mellow Velo]

Today, should be a good pointer for tomorrow, given that final climb.
How they finished, behind.
1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas - Doimo 3:44:28
2 Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha
3 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
4 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:02
5 Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia
6 Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana

16 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
17 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française des Jeux
18 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step
19 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas - Doimo
20 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) Euskatltel - Euskadi

26 Luis-Leon Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne

28 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Transitions
2
31 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia
32 Xavier Tondo (Spa) Cervélo Test Team
33 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto

35 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team RadioShack

38 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack

42 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank

55 Tiago Marchado (Por) Team RadioShack

 

[thehog]

55 Tiago Marchado (Por) Team RadioShack

Wasn't this guy going to win the Tour?