TDF Stage 14: Saint-Gaudens - Plateau de Beille 168km

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Always takes one stage to get attuned to the race though - he seems to be making a tradition of making a hash of the first sprint, then being unstoppable after that.

But the thing is, it doesn't matter how many races you win, if you have to hold on to cars to make it to the end of the race, as Cav is being accused of, you should be excluded, rather than having the commissaires bending over backwards to keep you in.

That's not to say that the accusations are true, but if they are he's being allowed to get away with it, and that's not fair.

I think Andy Schleck should be banned if he holds on to cars. I have absolutely no evidence he does, bar the complaints of 1 specific team in the peloton, which have been rubbished and contradicted by commissars and other teams, but I'm just saying, y'kno.

 

[sublimit]

He wins races, but only with a 5 person leadout train + an entourage of yes men constantly assuring him that he is still the best sprinter in the whole wide world. His lack of independence and mental strength makes it hard for me to respect him.

I'm not sure he's bothered what people think of him, he does say some dumb things at times but he's from the Isle of Man for heavens sake.

I reckon he's mellowed from a couple of years ago anyway with the stuff he comes out with.

 

[The Hitch]

Ok maybe some good news at last. Come on Leopard, turn on the heat.

I said it yesterday how boring this is,breakaway wins everyday and only bad lucks decided the race so far for GC,race will start 5km to go

But there could have been a KOM battle, a better battle for the breakaway, a green jersey battle, an attempt to knock Cav out, more riders falling off the back.

Still a breakaway, but a far more interesting stage.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

He wins races, but only with a 5 person leadout train + an entourage of yes men constantly assuring him that he is still the best sprinter in the whole wide world. His lack of independence and mental strength makes it hard for me to respect him.

No. That just isn't true. Cavendish wins races with or without his lead out train because he is the best sprinter in the whole wide world. He wins even more races than are the fastest man's due because of his lead out and team, but that's a separate issue. He gets the support because he delivers and therefore backing him is a good investment.

 

[Publicus]

why would they let Cavendish stay in the race if he finishes outside the time limit (and not in the gruppetto) ?

I thought they only did this in exceptional circumstances (crash or weather for example).

Is there any precedent of them waiving the time limit for an individual not involved in a crash etc ?

I think where more than 20% of the peloton finishes outside of the time limit or otherwise at the race directors discretion.

EDIT: You know the stage is boring when folks are arguing about Cav on a mountain stage.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Seems to me like the Cav haters are far bigger crybabies than Cav himself.

Rojas is continuing a fine tradition of making unsubstatiated accusations when you can't win on the roads.

He's at it all the time apparently. That's why no one has a photo of it, 4 years after his domination started.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

why would they let Cavendish stay in the race if he finishes outside the time limit (and not in the gruppetto) ?

I thought they only did this in exceptional circumstances (crash or weather for example).

Is there any precedent of them waiving the time limit for an individual not involved in a crash etc ?

They'll change the time limit, or get a big enough grupetto with him, or so on. They don't want to throw a jersey-wearer out of the race unless they have to, and even then they'll try not to.

 

[Bala Verde]

With the rest day on Monday again and tomorrow's flatty, I hope they pull out the big guns early.

 

[virenque216]

leopard

Ok maybe some good news at last. Come on Leopard, turn on the heat.



But there could have been a KOM battle, a better battle for the breakaway, a green jersey battle, an attempt to knock Cav out, more riders falling off the back.

Still a breakaway, but a far more interesting stage.

they only put the pressure on when velits was delayed on tourmalet to eliminate another contender,thats why I hate this tour, he would have put 4 minutes in ITT in schlecks and they with only 5km racing would never teke it back of him,now its all over for velits chances

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Looks like a big enough gruppetto is forming that we don't need to worry about the arguments about Cavendish anyway.

 

[luckyboy]

Cofidis' Look 695's are the nicest bikes I've seen.

 

[roundabout]

They'll change the time limit, or get a big enough grupetto with him, or so on. They don't want to throw a jersey-wearer out of the race unless they have to, and even then they'll try not to.

IIRC the last points jersey wearer that had to go home after missing the time limit was Petacchi in the Giro in about 2003 but he missed the limit by 10+ minutes that day and the jury was very strict. I remember there was a bit of debate after.

 

[Bala Verde]

Rob Ruijgh at the front? or was it Hoogy? I saw a glimpse of a VAC

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Nice Sean Kelly treatise on bus politics.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

they only put the pressure on when velits was delayed on tourmalet to eliminate another contender,thats why I hate this tour, he would have put 4 minutes in ITT in schlecks and they with only 5km racing would never teke it back of him,now its all over for velits chances

4 minutes? Don't make me laugh. He took 3'55" over Fränk in the Vuelta ITT, which was much flatter, longer, and Fränk was coming off a collarbone. Velits has always been a good ITT rider, but that one is by far an enormous anomaly in his career.

 

[superconfex]

Thor about to put his bus conductor’s hat on

 

[Dutchsmurf]

But there could have been a KOM battle, a better battle for the breakaway, a green jersey battle, an attempt to knock Cav out, more riders falling off the back.

Still a breakaway, but a far more interesting stage.

Hardly anyone cares about the KOM. Even Roy, who has it at the moment, has no interest in defending it. Hoogerland had, but we all know what happened to him. I guess one of the contenders is going to win it by accident.

There is no battle for green either, unless Cav gets kicked out. Gilbert says he is going for it, but to me that is more a disguise for secretly wanting to finish top 10. Rojas is trying, but I don't think he has a chance.

All teams that wanted to make the breakaway made it into the first breakaway, so no need to battle for it.

So not sure what anyone was expecting, but this is the Tour. You can make a great intro for it, but we all know the chance of something happening before the first climb is close to zero.

 

[Publicus]

Listening to Paul Sherwin go on about Leopard Trek lifting the pace to isolate Tommy V just makes me question his sanity. Phil saves him with a suggestion that they also may be trying to isolate Contador.

Freaking muppets the both of them.

 

[virenque216]

velits

4 minutes? Don't make me laugh. He took 3'55" over Fränk in the Vuelta ITT, which was much flatter, longer, and Fränk was coming off a collarbone. Velits has always been a good ITT rider, but that one is by far an enormous anomaly in his career.

ok,maybe a little less,but it doesnt change the way this tour is so far going until stage 14

 

[roundabout]

Hehe, Riblon has made it. Almost.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Nice work from Riblon!

 

[Publicus]

Nice ride by Riblon to re-connect with the leaders.

 

[Jeanne]

Hehe, Riblon has made it. Almost.

ok - now I've seen it, I take back what I said before. not so pointless at all

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

woot judgement day. or one of them

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Riblon does what Mollema should have done. TGBM is too nice for this world