TDF Stage 15: Limoux - Montpellier 187km

[kjetilraknerud]

In a sprint like this, we should have 3-4 trains. Martin - Renshaw - Cav, Hushovd - Dean - Farrar, Thomas - EBH - Swift, Hondo - Bole - Petacchi. Instead, everyone wants to use the HTC train - and Cav unsurprisingly has the best position in that train.

 

[Jamsque]

Points:

Cavendish 319
Rojas 282
Gilbert 248
Hushovd 192
Greipel 170

Cav has 71 points in hand over Gilbert now, looking more and more likely that he will win his first Maillot Vert.

 

[Ferminal]

In other news, the Australian broadcaster managed to interview someone new for once (Shane Sutton).

And like clockwork, Tomalaris says that Hoogerland is wearing Polkas.

 

[lilyprotector]

omg did anyone else see farrar's interview? did anyone else wonder if he meant more than he meant? he seemed really upset, and said "cav made a remarkable comeback for someone who was dropped by the gruppetto yesterday" or something like that. did that strike anyone else?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

In a sprint like this, we should have 3-4 trains. Martin - Renshaw - Cav, Hushovd - Dean - Farrar, Thomas - EBH - Swift, Hondo - Bole - Petacchi. Instead, everyone wants to use the HTC train - and Cav unsurprisingly has the best position in that train.

I don't know that everyone wants to use the HTC train. The HTC train is just too powerful for anybody to get alongside it with any consistency, and if they do Renshaw will just put the squeeze on them anyway. He's a master of making the bike incredibly wide and difficult to get past.

 

[dlwssonic]

Points:

Cavendish 319
Rojas 282
Gilbert 248
Hushovd 192
Greipel 170

Cav has 71 points in hand over Gilbert now, looking more and more likely that he will win his first Maillot Vert.

damn, i was loving it when cav got all those stage wins but never could get that green jersey.

 

[cycladianpirate]

Don't like them full stop, teams that base their entire philosophy around them are evil, and I like them even less when Cavendish wins.

Actually, I'll be fair. I don't mind a disorganised sprint, if Cavendish is the fastest and has fought his way to the front then all credit where it's due, but when the train functions like it did today, it takes away the ONLY thing worth watching a sprint stage for - the unpredictability of the sprint itself.

Let's face it, the 186km that lead up to it gave us nothing.

Then my advice to you is to cease watching professional cycling - at least on the flat stages (no doubt you think all GTs should be raced exclusively in the mountains). It's called the Tour de France for a reason.

 

[Epicycle]

omg did anyone else see farrar's interview? did anyone else wonder if he meant more than he meant? he seemed really upset, and said "cav made a remarkable comeback for someone who was dropped by the gruppetto yesterday" or something like that. did that strike anyone else?

Yeah he was implying that Cav did some car surfing yesterday.

 

[Maxiton]

They should show the podium girls more often. Especially on flat stages.

 

[dlwssonic]

cav doesnt even deserve to be in this race after hanging onto those cars!

 

[Jamsque]

After the accusations of a few days ago I guarantee you that there was a photographer glued to Cav's group for the entirety of yesterday's stage. If he rode the car up the mountains we would know about it.

 

[thirteen]

Points:

Cavendish 319
Rojas 282
Gilbert 248
Hushovd 192
Greipel 170

Cav has 71 points in hand over Gilbert now, looking more and more likely that he will win his first Maillot Vert.

can they please change the rules back now that it's mission accomplished?

 

[Maxiton]

cav doesnt even deserve to be in this race after hanging onto those cars!

Sprinters hang on to cars in the mountains. It's what they do. Nothing new.

 

[hatcher]

cav doesnt even deserve to be in this race after hanging onto those cars!

Love to see those pictures if you have them.

 

[lilyprotector]

After the accusations of a few days ago I guarantee you that there was a photographer glued to Cav's group for the entirety of yesterday's stage. If he rode the car up the mountains we would know about it.

EXACTLY. also, was there evidence of the accusations other than rojas' complaint?

i did not get the feeling farrar was talking about cars though. could be my misinterpretation.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

I don't know that everyone wants to use the HTC train. The HTC train is just too powerful for anybody to get alongside it with any consistency, and if they do Renshaw will just put the squeeze on them anyway. He's a master of making the bike incredibly wide and difficult to get past.

That's a fair point, but I'm sure Thor or Hondo would give him a fight.

 

[sublimit]

HTC must of pulled hard because Geraint Thomas couldnt get to the front, he was a bit further back otherwise Swift would of had a chance. Maybe Champs Elysees.

Not the most interesting stage but tomorrow is even worse - no cycling.

 

[Jamsque]

That's a fair point, but I'm sure Thor or Hondo would give him a fight.

I haven't seen Thor leading out Farrar recently, so either he is too tired from his breakaway or he's just not doing a very good job.

 

[Maxiton]

Strange to hear French coming from the mouth of the maillot jaune.

 

[Jagers]

i did not get the feeling farrar was talking about cars though. could be my misinterpretation.

My thoughts as well...

 

[Bala Verde]

In other news, the Australian broadcaster managed to interview someone new for once (Shane Sutton).

And like clockwork, Tomalaris says that Hoogerland is wearing Polkas.

That guy has no clue, does he... Does he even prepare before a stage, to have some basic facts ready. Man if anyone showed up at work, not knowing how to turn on his computer and switch on the lights in his office, he'd be out on the street in a second.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Then my advice to you is to cease watching professional cycling - at least on the flat stages (no doubt you think all GTs should be raced exclusively in the mountains). It's called the Tour de France for a reason.

Thank you for the bracketed bit. It shows you haven't read any of my criticisms of the race route as anything but "there aren't enough MTFs".

There ARE enough MTFs. But they're all shunted to the back end of the race when everybody's already crashed out owing to being nervous and everybody trying to protect their GC position, and out of all the mountain stages, they've placed ONE at a weekend.

There are 8 weekend stages. We've had a flat stage, a TTT, two intermediate stages with no GC action whatsoever, a disappointing MTF, and we have an ITT and a flat stage next weekend. Placing the only remaining pan-flat stage on the weekend is just terrible, terrible pacing. This is the kind of stage that works on a work day, where you can come in to watch the last 15 minutes and not miss anything.

 

[thirteen]

EXACTLY. also, was there evidence of the accusations other than rojas' complaint?

i did not get the feeling farrar was talking about cars though. could be my misinterpretation.

what did you think he meant?

(curious because i didn't see the interview... feel free to PM me if you don't think it appropriate to post it.)

 

[kjetilraknerud]

I haven't seen Thor leading out Farrar recently, so either he is too tired from his breakaway or he's just not doing a very good job.

He was in front of Dean in the last k, but then disappeared. Probably tired though.

 

[superconfex]

This was even worse, because at least yesterday we had the satisfaction of thinking something would happen.

The racing yesterday was still better than today, it was just more of a letdown because we knew today would be dull, whereas we thought yesterday would be entertaining.

Hold on what racing? i saw no racing. Letdown? it was the worse MTF i have ever seen in 30 years watching.
I saw more racing in the last 3km today in the whole of yesterday stage.
Guess we all interpret things differently.