Tour de France 2011 Stage 9: Issoire - Saint-Flour 208 km

[sublimit]

i was almost in tears too.

any word on Flecha?

any update on Vino?

crap crap stage all around today

Vino broken leg is what I've heard, its the end of his riding carreer and a crap way to go out.

I'm just glad Flecha and Hoogerland live to fight another day despite the imbecile in the French TV car.

 

[Ramira]

I don't understand why so many people are discounting Cadel right now. Schleck isn't an explosive climber like AC. Cadel won't have much problem sucking their wheels. He can certainly out TT Andy too.

I'm starting to think this will be a dull TDF. Andy/Frank will be "attacking", Cadel will be sucking their wheels and AC will continue to have no form and rue his riding the Giro this year.

Basso wasn't explosive in last year's Giro either and he still quite easily dropped Cadel. The simple fact is that in many people's (including mine) opinion AS and AC are simply to good for Cadel to follow them in the high mountains even if he gets back to his very best. Remember he lost the tour to AC 4 years ago and AC has gotten a lot better since then and AS is the only one that can follow him in the mountains. Drafting is fun and all but it won't make up for the difference in talent. Ullrich was also able to drop pretty much everyone but Armstrong and he was far less explosive than Andy Schleck.

 

[hatcher]

Recognition of the refs fault for letting the TV car through, recognition for how dangerous that driver was, and a huge sigh of relief that neither was killed. It is an attempt to deflect culpibility...

As I said earlier in the thread, I hope the race jury awards both Flecha and Hoogerland the same time as Sanchez.

I'm not sure either of them would want the time back at this point.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Kloden is in hospital but looks alright.

 

[YoRUsh]

Recognition of the refs fault for letting the TV car through, recognition for how dangerous that driver was, and a huge sigh of relief that neither was killed. It is an attempt to deflect culpibility...

As I said earlier in the thread, I hope the race jury awards both Flecha and Hoogerland the same time as Sanchez.

Well, I think Hoogerland would rather have the 2 mountain points that were still coming...Eventhough he probably would have won only one of them..

 

[Square-pedaller]

any update on Vino?

According to L'Equipe he is in hospital in Aurillac and will be transferred to Paris this evening.
Possible fracture of the femur and pelvis.



L'Equipe: Voeckler en jaune, journee noire:

«La dernière fois, on a dit qu'on m'allait laisser le Maillot Jaune. Cette fois-ci, je suis allé le chercher», a-t-il expliqué. «J'ai fait un choix clair : j'ai sacrifié l'étape.»

"The last time they said that I'd been left the maillot jaune. This time, I went and got it." ... "I made a clear choice: I sacrificed the stage"

 

[jens_attacks]

Klöden has been brought to the Hospital, doesn't look good.

i felt it from the first moments of the crash.i just felt vino is out and klodi will be too.my favourites and people that i most appreciate and respect from the peloton will go home.

now i've heard that alberto is injured too with problems.

 

[mewmewmew13]

Gad, what a day. I am just sickened by the amount of carnage so far in this tour.

I'm sad for Vino...tragic image of him and his team coming out of the trees.

The crash with Hoogerland and Flecha was unbelievable. A miracle that they were both able to get back on their bikes...but I will be amazed if they can ride tomorrow. I'm guessing that JH will be back at the start in the morning but how those cuts and injuries from the fence will hamper him, I can't imagine.

I haven't heard how Flecha's injuries are...

will Conti pull out of this if his knee worsens? It could happen, no?

a sad stage...
at least Voeckler is wearing yellow and for him I am happy.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

For the second Grand Tour in a row, a very exciting-looking intermediate stage which had some very good racing in it will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. I said the Tour was dead to me earlier because of Intxausti and Txurruka abandoning, but it's just getting worse and worse.

For that reason, I think we can thank whatever each of us hold sacred that this one didn't turn out the same way as the Giro.

It's been a pretty terrible year for cycling. The biggest stage of all looks like being settled solely on the basis of last man standing. That may be part of the accepted risk at Paris-Roubaix, but this is the Tour de France, and it isn't supposed to be like this.

 

[Ramira]

will Conti pull out of this if his knee worsens? It could happen, no?

I think there's a decent chance that if he feels he can no longer win this he might pull out. He's said he's here to win nothing else so he might just rehab and try for the Giro-Vuelta double in that case.

 

[benpounder]

Seriously Karpets is much taller than Contador. For that to be a possiblity he would have to be shorter than AC>

Riis is saying Contador said his break lever was ensnared by Karpets seat. Dont make this some kind of Zapruder conspiracy incident.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a protest on Tuesday's stage...

 

[Sebastian]

i agree.

i'm honestly not sure if i care any more... it's all a bit of a travesty.

I agree too. Whats the point when this race is decided by stupid accident caused by spectators, motorcycles and cars (and the 3 km rule). The worst thing is still that the table is set for Andy Schleck with all the other contenders crashing out or loosing time by these accidents. I honestly hoped that Voeckler and LLS would have got a big gap today and one of them would have finished in yellow in Paris. That would have been a worthy finish to this Tour.

I think Contador looks really tired. Maybe he is racing himself into fitness but I doubt that. Therefore I really hope Evans or Fränck (he will probably loose it in the ITT) will take this (even if I dislike them) as Andy Schleck is the worst thing I know since Lance (I am pretty sure he will win as everythings seems to be going his way).

 

[Delicato]

I think there's a decent chance that if he feels he can no longer win this he might pull out. He's said he's here to win nothing else so he might just rehab and try for the Giro-Vuelta double in that case.

He may also rehab till 2014. Not that I am looking forwarв for him doing it.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Hope Kloden isn't too bad. Zubeldia is going to be their protected GC rider at this rate

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

If Contador abandons, then only Cadel can rescue this Tour from the disgrace of a Schleck victory.

 

[ggusta]

don't worry about it.. was a bit above your humor cap

there's a fine line between humor and incoherent rambling

 

[benpounder]

I'm not sure either of them would want the time back at this point.

No, but it would be an admission on ASO's part that it was their own f_ck up that caused the situation.

 

[Sebastian]

andy will win this race so easy imo

I belive that he will win too. Not easy and with a less time than he gained by the 3km rule, but still he will win because Contador seems tired and all the other contenders have already crashed out or lost time by crashes.

 

[Cobblestones]

If Contador abandons, then only Cadel can rescue this Tour from the disgrace of a Schleck victory.

We might all be Cuddles fanboys by the end of this.

 

[Arnout]

Hope Kloden isn't too bad. Zubeldia is going to be their protected GC rider at this rate

Well with two 5th and a 9th place that's more deserved than Brajkovic or Horner.

 

[hrotha]

No, but it would be an admission on ASO's part that it was their own f_ck up that caused the situation.

I don't think ASO is to blame. Every single member of the Tour caravan can go full ***, panic and pull some stupid **** like that driver did today. Not much ASO could have done about it beforehand.

 

[hfer07]

If Contador abandons, then only Cadel can rescue this Tour from the disgrace of a Schleck victory.

LOL- CADEL finishing 2nd behind the guy who has finished 2nd twice too--how Ironic would it be? LOL

 

[jens_attacks]

unfortunately from what i've seen today in the finish,alberto suffered a lot.i don't think he will finish this tour either.
andy has no real rival in this right moment.i'm sorry but that's the truth unfortunately.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I may not be the only one thinking of this but I just hope we can have some normal, boring sprint days coming up. No crashes and no others **** happen.