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Panda Claws said:
True, but the point is that Sagan has already accomplished much of what Hushovd has also accomplished and is only 23, so has a lot of time left to surpass him. Which I have no doubt he will.
Panda Claws said:
I completely disagree. Every sprinter I have heard interviewed about the matter says there is nothing that can compare.
Sure, Paris-Tours is a true benchmark for the sprinters, as is the green jersey and - of course - the rainbows of world champion if the finish is flat enough.
For the Champs, the ride leading up to it is a bit of a parade, sothe sprinters are fresh(er) when they get there and the speeds on the circuit are outrageous.
I think it is definately a box to be checked off prior to claiming superiority as a sprinter. Maybe not an absolute requirement, but it's surely a nice thing to have on the palmares.
1/3 of the tour gone and Sagan already has enough points to finish 4th in the last 2 tours and 3rd in the 2 previous ones.
The Hitch said:
yea, a bit surprised personally, but then Kittel, Cav and Greipel each have one stage win. Perfect points distribution from Sagan's pov.
The Hitch said:
The best part is he's got that 90 something point lead and its only 1/3 of the way done. He may hit a Tour points jersey high score
bolingbroke said:
He didn't say it was easy...
metaCYCLE said:
...yes, a prestigious sprint stage.
Panda Claws said:
It being considered a classic has what to do with it being, in your opinion, "not that big an achievement."
It is absolutely a big achievement for every rider in the TDF who considers themselves a sprinter. It's the one stage of every year which you can almost say for certain will end in a sprint. This and the fact it's on the last day of the TDF makes it very hard fought for by every sprinter in the race. A very big achievement.
Sagan and his team were just awesome today. What a display of dominance. They should hire Renshaw or so to give him the proper leadout int he last Km and he would be unbeatable.
Hollow victory.
2:58 PM
What a hollow victory. Sagan can't race with the big boys so he has his TEAM to eliminate them.
I have continued to follow the sport and continue to ride. I made a hasty decision on this one and I am sorry. I have documented my regrets and have asked for forgiveness on another post. I hope you understand that I was expressing an opinion, which is one of this country's basic rights. Those who bad mouthed me for doing so need to review those rights and then keep the discussions on the subject. I was willing to research the opposition and change my position accordingly.
glassmoon said:
Well it is now! Discuss!
2:58 PM
What a hollow victory. Sagan can't race with the big boys so he has his TEAM to eliminate them.
I have continued to follow the sport and continue to ride. I made a hasty decision on this one and I am sorry. I have documented my regrets and have asked for forgiveness on another post. I hope you understand that I was expressing an opinion, which is one of this country's basic rights. Those who bad mouthed me for doing so need to review those rights and then keep the discussions on the subject. I was willing to research the opposition and change my position accordingly.
wyzowl said:
Yeah, because cycling is totally a solo sport and no real bike racer needs a team or team mates.
wyzowl said:
If this stage had been simply a 4 man race between Cav, Greipel, Kittel and Sagan (With no other competitors)- Well who do you think would win
bolingbroke said:
Very true, broke dude.
The last time I can remember a solo voctory was Vino's attack in 2005. Prior to that was Lemond's TT.
Someone called it "just a crit with a lot of spectators", and I guess they are right. But "A sprint at the end of a circuit race that includes the top road racers in the world, all primed to be at their absolute best and finishing on a road steeped in so much tradition that to win there is seen as a defining point of many cyclists' careers." might be a more acurate description.
It would be interesting to see how the sprinters would respond if asked the question, "If you could win only one stage in the TdF, which would it be?"
TheBean said:
I guess that the most important question is: "Would you rather win the green or Champs?"
"Champs" is the answer of those who cannot win the green... Which means everyone except Sagan.
I was surprised to see that the first interview after the victory was in Slovak. I think it was pretty interesting, a loose translation:
"It's amazing. My team had been criticized a lot after the first couple of stages, but like I've already said in some of my interviews, our team is not here to lead out sprints for me, like the teams of Greipel and Cavendish. Our team is compiled for stages like these and today we showed that. I just want to say that the fans should cheer, not criticize, that's what our sport directors are for. I'd like to say this publicly, because there has been a lot of criticism on the Internet, but today it was proven that without my team I could have never raced a stage like this in such a tempo. Eventually, I managed to get a pretty good lead in the points classification too. So, first of all, I have to thank my team, like I said. After the first crash I didn't feel too good, with my injuries and everything. But I see that everything is slowly getting better and the first victory finally happened. The boys in my team did an unbelievable job and I don't know what else to add..."
"It's amazing. My team had been criticized a lot after the first couple of stages, but like I've already said in some of my interviews, our team is not here to lead out sprints for me, like the teams of Greipel and Cavendish. Our team is compiled for stages like these and today we showed that. I just want to say that the fans should cheer, not criticize, that's what our sport directors are for. I'd like to say this publicly, because there has been a lot of criticism on the Internet, but today it was proven that without my team I could have never raced a stage like this in such a tempo. Eventually, I managed to get a pretty good lead in the points classification too. So, first of all, I have to thank my team, like I said. After the first crash I didn't feel too good, with my injuries and everything. But I see that everything is slowly getting better and the first victory finally happened. The boys in my team did an unbelievable job and I don't know what else to add..."
Pulpstar said:If this stage had been simply a 4 man race between Cav, Greipel, Kittel and Sagan (With no other competitors)- Well who do you think would win
Without any leadouts? Sagan
wyzowl said:
It was simply good tactics by his team, that's all. Greipel or Cav would do the same thing were they in Sagan's position. Nothing hollow about it.
Oh, and can't race with the big boys? Really?
I guess you missed this. 
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