TDF Stage 15: Limoux - Montpellier 187km

[King Of The Wolds]

Why do you think Cipollini called Cav out for being fat and out of shape?

Because he realises that another sprinter is going to eclipse all of his records, is jealous and is desperate to stay in the public eye?

 

[El Pistolero]

Because he realises that another sprinter is going to eclipse all of his records, is jealous and is desperate to stay in the public eye?

Mario Cippolini has nothing to be afraid of, he's 3 times the cyclist Cav is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SedHmKRnwpk

Riding from one echelon to another. That alone is more impressive than Cav's 19 stage wins at the Tour

 

[sublimit]

Farrar, like Rojas, Fischer et al, should focus less on moaning about Cav and focus more on winning GT stages.

I havn't seen what Tyler said but I'm proud of the way Petacchi and Greiple have handled themselves after narrow defeats.... No toys out of the pram and no hysterical reactions.

 

[thirteen]

mario cippolini has nothing to be afraid of, he's 3 times the cyclist cav is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sedhmkrnwpk

riding from one echelon to another. That alone is more impressive than cav's 19 stage wins at the tour

+1000000000000000000000000000

 

[Mambo95]

If cav wins the green jersy what does it show? What are his results ouside of the flat sprints compared with Gilbert and Rojas? Just out of interest has anybody worked out what the points would be if last years points system applied?

And if Rojas wins it, what does that show? That he can come fifth on both a small hill and the flat?

On last years points system:

Cavendish 192
Gilbert 167
Rojas 140

No one seemed to complain about it being favoured towards the sprinters when the likes of Boonen and McEwen where winning it (no puncheurs in sight). But now a sprinter better than them wins it and suddenly it's unfair.

 

[El Pistolero]

But they do get over it in decent time. Very decent.

For example, take the 2010 L'Etape du Tour (the stage to the Tourmalet). The fastest time was 5 hours 59. Cavendish did it in 5.35

That doesn't even make sense. Like at all.

 

[SirLes]

Mario Cippolini has nothing to be afraid of, he's 3 times the cyclist Cav is.

So the fact he never actually managed to finish the TdF means nothing???

 

[armchair]

HTC & Cav deserve the win, they are the only ones who sort out the lead out properly and place their rider exactly where he needs to be.

Sky were appalling. Swift went left looking for a wheel as his last lead out guy went right. Swift ended up going in 4th rider behind Cav, ie 6th wheel. But Julian Dean took the prize. I think it was Daniel Oss that was 3rd wheel, right behind Cav, as Cav prepared to go for it. The overhead shot showed a massive gap back to 4th rider Dean who was Sprinting (?) on top of his hoods. Dean did not close up but then pulled over so Tyler now had about 2 clear bike lengths to make up before he even got onto the back of 3rd wheel Oss, just as Cav fired away from the front of Oss. There was no way anyone could win from that far back - credit to Tyler for getting a close as he did. Dean had no need to let the gap open in the first place, previously he had been on Oss's wheel.

Dean needs to be told - no big gaps - ever, grip the bottom of his bars and shown where he needs to place Tyler, if Tyler is to win. And if Dean did too much, then the guy before needs to learn what to do.

Given that HTC had been driving the front for 15km that was an appalling show by the rest. Rather than HTC having the last, strongest, man standing, as Cav was launched, it should have been either Sky or Cervelo who were more easily able to place their riders into the race winning position and Cav having to fight for a wheel on their trains. From 18km to 5km they could have been sat in.Plenty of time from 5km for a fresh fast train to move up.

I cannot see it changing before Paris as I just don't see any other team sorting themselves out like HTC, even though I think the other teams have the talent to do exactly what HTC do. No use whingeing Tyler, Ceervelo just need to take responsibility for getting you into a race winning position.

Thanks for providing some genuine analysis of the race.
I agree with everything you say here, although it did seem that Sky at one point in the last few km attempted to open a line, but just didn't have the physical strength.

 

[El Pistolero]

And if Rojas wins it, what does that show? That he can come fifth on both a small hill and the flat?

On last years points system:

Cavendish 192
Gilbert 167
Rojas 140

No one seemed to complain about it being favoured towards the sprinters when the likes of Boonen and McEwen where winning it (no puncheurs in sight). But now a sprinter better than them wins it and suddenly it's unfair.

Let's be honest here, Gilbert doesn't give a **** about the green jersey. All he wants is stage wins. Otherwise he wouldn't have attacked today and in the third stage Cav won Phil didn't even try to sprint because he didn't want to take risk. Cav won, and only because Phil races for stages and not for green. And because the point system is bogus of course.

 

[El Pistolero]

So the fact he never actually managed to finish the TdF means nothing???

He never wanted to finish it. And he wasn't invited countless of times or he would have had more stage wins than Cav has now. Statistics only say so much.

 

[Mambo95]

That doesn't even make sense. Like at all.

What doesn't make sense? The fastest time in the 2010 L'Etape du Tour was 25 minutes slower than Cavendish did the same course.

 

[hrotha]

Let's be honest here, Gilbert doesn't give a **** about the green jersey. All he wants is stage wins. Otherwise he wouldn't have attacked today and in the third stage Cav won Phil didn't even try to sprint because he didn't want to take risk. Cav won, and only because Phil races for stages and not for green. And because the point system is bogus of course.

Hahahaha, you can't be serious. Gilbert has given his all to win the green jersey, the points system is stacked against him of course but don't make it sound like Cav didn't even have to beat him.

 

[this_is_edie]

Let's be honest here, Gilbert doesn't give a **** about the green jersey. All he wants is stage wins. Otherwise he wouldn't have attacked today and in the third stage Cav won Phil didn't even try to sprint because he didn't want to take risk. Cav won, and only because Phil races for stages and not for green. And because the point system is bogus of course.

Then why is Gilbert sprinting for the intermediate points?

 

[Mambo95]

Let's be honest here, Gilbert doesn't give a **** about the green jersey. All he wants is stage wins. Otherwise he wouldn't have attacked today and in the third stage Cav won Phil didn't even try to sprint because he didn't want to take risk. Cav won, and only because Phil races for stages and not for green. And because the point system is bogus of course.

Why has he been doing all the intermediate sprints then?

 

[El Pistolero]

Because:

1. Forcing riders to ride harder for no good reason isn't exactly going to discourage doping

2. If the autobus have a little bit more energy and aren't so worried about getting through the mountains, you may have more riders attacking on the flat stages

3. Getting rid of competitors (including big names) due to some arbitrary rule that exists only for logistical reasons isn't really good for the event. Would you throw a football team out of the league if they lost one game 5-0?


Here's an idea. On the rest day get all the teams to lead out their GC rider for a sprint. Any GC rider who can't get above 68kph gets sent home.

There's also a time limit on flat stages. GT contenders are called allrounders for a reason.

 

[El Pistolero]

Why has he been doing all the intermediate sprints then?

Because he'd look stupid if he didn't ever contest them and then be 7 points behind Cav in Paris. Going for the intermediate sprints doesn't hurt his chances of getting stage wins.

 

[Sciatic]

Its a shame. Always had a soft spot for Farrar but he has gone right down in my estimation.

Don't mean to single you out, but I'm quoting because this is what many seem to be saying about Farrar...but c'mon, they put a mike in his face 2 minutes after he has barely lost, he's exhausted and angry because of his own sense he could have won today, so he throws out accusations without filtering what he's saying. You're going to hold that 15 seconds of what everyone is calling "sour grapes" against him? And what other taste would you folks have in your mouths after losing like that? Sweet grapes?

Full disclosure: he's from my state (Washington), so I am biased.

 

[SirLes]

Let's be honest here, Gilbert doesn't give a **** about the green jersey. All he wants is stage wins. Otherwise he wouldn't have attacked today and in the third stage Cav won Phil didn't even try to sprint because he didn't want to take risk. Cav won, and only because Phil races for stages and not for green. And because the point system is bogus of course.

Let's be honest here Cavenish doesn't give a **** about the Green jersey. All he wants is stage wins. That's why he has 19! (but no Green Jersey)

 

[thirteen]

Then why is Gilbert sprinting for the intermediate points?

because he can

 

[El Pistolero]

Let's be honest here Cavenish doesn't give a **** about the Green jersey. All he wants is stage wins. That's why he has 19! (but no Green Jersey)

For Cav stage wins and green jersey go hand in hand together. Going for stage wins doesn't hurt Cav's chances for the green jersey. But with Phil it doesn't because he gets so little points in his stages(that are much harder to control, so breakaway has a bigger chance of making it).

 

[Epicycle]

Let's be honest here, Gilbert doesn't give a **** about the green jersey. All he wants is stage wins. Otherwise he wouldn't have attacked today and in the third stage Cav won Phil didn't even try to sprint because he didn't want to take risk. Cav won, and only because Phil races for stages and not for green. And because the point system is bogus of course.

Gilbert went after the intermediate sprint so he does care about green. He attacked today late in the stage to try to loosen things up for Greipel.

 

[El Pistolero]

Gilbert went after the intermediate sprint so he does care about green. He attacked today late in the stage to try to loosen things up for Greipel.

He attacked today for the victory

 

[spalco]

He never wanted to finish it. And he wasn't invited countless of times or he would have had more stage wins than Cav has now. Statistics only say so much.

He wasn't invited because he didn't give a **** about the race. Cav does, and he does want to finish because winning on the Champs is worth 10 times winning stage 3 in some northern french hick town.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Amongst the obligatory whines and ramblings, it's worth pointing out that Daniel Oss and, in particular, Mark Renshaw, were pretty sensational today. Renshaw's lead out was maybe the best I've ever seen. How long did we hold everybody off for? Oss is proving that he might just be the only man who can match him.

It goes without saying that Cav, once more, was incredible. Farrar, Griepel and Petacchi have a rest when Cav's winning the intermediates and still they can't get near him and even when they do, they can't do it time and again (where was Griepel today?), like Cav does. He may not have last year's astonishing speed because of it, but what he's doing right now is seriously impressive.

 

[El Pistolero]

He wasn't invited because he didn't give a **** about the race. Cav does, and he does want to finish because winning on the Champs is worth 10 times winning stage 3 in some northern french hick town.

Cav only gives a **** when he wins. He had the nerve to say that Prudhomme was making it hard for him on purpose because he didn't want HTC to dominate anymore. The guy whines and cries about every race if he doesn't win. He doesn't respect anything as he's a fat *** in every race except July. I hope the Giro doesn't invite Cav anymore then He was a joke there lol.