Qatar, stage 2, Camel Race Track - Qatar Foundation, 147 km

[theyoungest]

I never watched the Tour of Qatar before, did so today, and I gotta say: what an absolute joke of a race. Makes the Tour Down Under look exciting.

 

[bianchigirl]

Fumbling Fuchsia

Gutted green? Sick as a parrot pink?

Stef, agreed, great ride for a smaller team against some big gun opposition. There are 17 teams up for wild card slots so we should be guaranteed more of the same in terms of attacking riding from those with a point to prove.

 

[Cerberus]

I'm confused, how do 2 breakaway riders get a 2 minute gap to the peloton? How big/small was the chase group?

 

[Publicus]

As I've already said could be a number of reasons. Ebh certainly had one and with arvesen crashing out anything could have happened. It's really childish all this sky bashing when instead no
praise for great win by topsport. No criticsm of others for failing to chase down breakaway ey?

Great win by Topsport and I believe Vaconseil is in the yellow jersey. But let's be real, the story here is Team Sky. They somehow managed to lose not one, but three jerseys. They failed to chase down the break. I'll leave you to marinate on these comments from the face of Team Sky:

That's what this team is about. We specialise in putting game plans together for an event that is so controllable in so many ways.

 

[Publicus]

I'm confused, how do 2 breakaway riders get a 2 minute gap to the peloton? How big/small was the chase group?

There were at least three chase groups at one point, but I know the first chase group splintered into a smaller group (not sure on the exact numbers in the groups). I'm looking forward to the write up for this one.

 

[bianchigirl]

Sack Brailsford now!

 

[zalacain]

Good ride by Roger & Jez

 

[Winterfold]

In the Sky bus tonight...

many chats with...

and on the overhead projector...

That's quite a big screw-up. Arvesen breaking his collarbone is bad enough, then it gets worse. Good job they won yesterday.

Fortunately Hammond kept the British end up

 

[Anonymous]

Great win by Topsport and I believe Vaconseil is in the yellow jersey. But let's be real, the story here is Team Sky. They somehow managed to lose not one, but three jerseys. They failed to chase down the break. I'll leave you to marinate on these comments from the face of Team Sky:

+1.

After the first stage TTT, when your riders have the top-5 or howevermany places, it's not hard to make sure at least one rider makes each split thereby ensuring the team retains the race lead.

For any other team it wouldn't be so much of a big deal, learn from the mistake and move on, but when Sky continually spout off about their attention to detail, things like this will be highlighted. They're just putting pressure on themselves, instead of following a line like "we're a new team, we're taking it one step at a time" sort of thing.

 

[Anonymous]

+1.

After the first stage TTT, when your riders have the top-5 or howevermany places, it's not hard to make sure at least one rider makes each split thereby ensuring the team retains the race lead.

For any other team it wouldn't be so much of a big deal, learn from the mistake and move on, but when Sky continually spout off about their attention to detail, things like this will be highlighted. They're just putting pressure on themselves, instead of following a line like "we're a new team, we're taking it one step at a time" sort of thing.

I think anyone knows in qatar you have to be near the front.. hanging around at the back and waiting for the last ten k simply does not work...

Unless there was a major reason that was embarassing..

 

[maltiv]

I don't think I've ever seen a team do so bad as Sky did today. What a joke.

 

[riobonito92]

Did Sky chase or did they give it up as a bad job early in the day?

 

[stefrees]

Are you going to be giving same criticism to Columbia and liquigas? Also farrar if punctured would have had no support

 

[Anonymous]

Are you going to be giving same criticism to Columbia and liquigas? Also farrar if punctured would have had no support

They where as bad, but they did not start the day with the leaders jersey.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Great thing for topsport, after the tragic death of Frederiek Nolf, in qatar 2009...

 

[Bluebeard]

Great thing for topsport, after the tragic death of Frederiek Nolf, in qatar 2009...

I was about to make the point.

For Topsport to win is a huge achievement, and will be welcomed by the Nolf family. The two of them worked hard and I have no doubt they discussed what would happen if they stayed away. Mol had the jersey so he let a very fitting tribute be made by an emotional Topsport teammate of Nolf, The gesture as they coasted in to the finish line recalls Armstrong's on his first TDF stage win, or Sastre's for Jiminez. I look forward to hearing reading the translations of the interviews afterwards (Sporza has a phone call to Steurs where he says it was for Nolf). It was Steurs' first win in 4 years according to wiki.

Sky screwed up, big deal, first year team with a bit of an attitude, they made an elementary error in only their second stage race after spending years on track. It is a nothing - making the story completely about them is akin to watching the TDU and only to see an aging American.

 

[taiwan]

It sucks a bit that the race seems all but over already. Was it the wind that caused all the splits today? I think all that could happen to get the favourites back into contention is one of their teams cusing another split, working to their advantage. Maybe Quickstep could still do that, or Cervélo? Haussler's much better of than he was yesterday in relation to the other big names, by the way.

 

[maltiv]

cervelo would have 5 guys or so in the top 10 overall if it wasn't for the penalty yesterday. once again they prove that they are true masters of conditions like this.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Clearly Team Shy were soft pedalling today and it was embarrassing.

 

[Anonymous]

Clearly Team Shy were soft pedalling today and it was embarrassing.

Dimspace won't forget that comment in a hurry. #whatatool.

 

[Echoes]

Why should dopers always have to pay tribute to Nolfke? He doesn't deserve it. Nobody should think it's a nice gesture. Let him rest in peace.

 

[Dead Star]

Sky lol. Ah, they'll learn from their mistakes.

 

[maltiv]

Sky lol. Ah, they'll learn from their mistakes.

Hopefully. Although it is possible that this wouldn't have happened with Arvesen there, as he's the road captain and would probably have seen that split coming.

 

[theyoungest]

Hopefully. Although it is possible that this wouldn't have happened with Arvesen there, as he's the road captain and would probably have seen that split coming.

It's quite surprising that this should happen to a team led by Steven de Jongh. But then again, it's only the Tour of Qatar.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Arvesen wasn't the only one. Steven Cozza of Garmin also left the race with a broken collarbone.

Susan