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

[Parrulo]

In case the images have not yet been posted.

that is the prof that european barb wire is just as effective as the american version

 

[muscat]

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

My sentiments entirely. The schlecks have done nothing but sit protected by their 'heavies' all week at the front of the peleton, leaving others do the work, and waiting to expolit others misfortune.

At least Cadel attacks, and is prepared to fail

 

[Bala Verde]

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I don't see how people are saying this. I already think this Tour has been light years better than the Giro.

What on earth are you talking about?!?! Better than the Giro? How?

This Tour is in danger of being won by a two muppets from Luxembourg thanks to all these crashes. I see nothing good in this.

 

[ItsWitz]

Og My Gawd !!!

OMG; i came to post an article with a description of the terrible Vino crash (yes im a vino fan) ... <http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/10/us-cycling-tour-vinokourov-legacy-idUSTRE7691KZ20110710>


when i happened to see the photos of Hoogerland's crash .... !!!

There's waaaay too many cars WTF !!! It's obsene. We're CYCLISTS!!!

I was just counting earlier, that a five man break had seventeen motorbikesand about the same number of cars!?! Ridiculous !!! Cops, yes. Neutral support,... NO DS's !!!! HELMET CAMS instead of press cars & bikes!!!

Why the hell don't they make a fleet of Tour cars with no doors (or sliding doors)?!?

Racing Bicycles isn't worth this toll!!! I say, ... six man teams .... or three !!!

Ban Riis from racing ..... Brueneel, too!!!

witz

 

[hrotha]

What on earth are you talking about?!?! Better than the Giro? How?

This Tour is in danger of being won by a two muppets from Luxembourg thanks to all these crashes. I see nothing good in this.

I don't want to do a stage-by-stage analysis, but I too think this Tour has been better than the Giro so far. And it's not because of the crashes - today's stage was completely ruined by them, if you ask me.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I don't want to do a stage-by-stage analysis, but I too think this Tour has been better than the Giro so far. And it's not because of the crashes - today's stage was completely ruined by them, if you ask me.

It has been a prety tense and enteraining tour I think.

I was a little dissapointed with this year's giro. A lot of that has to do with AC showing early who the boss was. And of course we lost a couple days for unfortunate reasons, so the first week kinda blew by there.

Still the giro was very good overall, like I said AC domination took away from it. Let's see what the business end has to offer at this race.

2010 giro was still the best race I have seen in a very long time, if not the best. Amazing, unpredictable, topsy turvey, relentless racing.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

I don't want to do a stage-by-stage analysis, but I too think this Tour has been better than the Giro so far. And it's not because of the crashes - today's stage was completely ruined by them, if you ask me.

it's the quality of the field, the prestige of the big stage and media attention, and the absolutely blistering pace. every rider in the race is on peak form and riding to win something.

 

[mewmewmew13]

I sure agree with the 2010 Giro...best race in my memory! wonderful action...

THis tour is really interesting but with all the terrible crashes and injuries it's also dampened some of the enthusiasm..

 

[Moviefan1203]

What on earth are you talking about?!?! Better than the Giro? How?

This Tour is in danger of being won by a two muppets from Luxembourg thanks to all these crashes. I see nothing good in this.

This past Giro was one of the worst grand tours in recent memory. Nothing like the epic Giro of last year (maybe the best race I have ever seen). Seeing Contador have no competition besides two riders was a damn shame. Unfortunately it should be a much better race with the course but most of the best riders only care about one GT and that is Le Tour. I personally hope Andy Schleck or Cadel Evans win for the simple reason that their whole season was built around it. You better win the only race you care about.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

these higher value intermediate sprints don't hurt either.

 

[jobiwan]

What on earth are you talking about?!?! Better than the Giro? How?

This Tour is in danger of being won by a two muppets from Luxembourg thanks to all these crashes. I see nothing good in this.

This past Giro was one of the worst grand tours in recent memory. Nothing like the epic Giro of last year. Seeing Contador have no competition besides two riders was a damn shame. Unfortunately it should be a much better race with the course but most of the best riders only care about one GT and that is Le Tour. I personally hope Andy Schleck or Cadel Evans win for the simple reason that their whole season was built around it. You better win the only race you care about.

This year's Giro was also HIGHLY depressing due to Wouter's tragic death. Had he not passed away, the first week would have been even better.

I don't think you can simply judge a GT just on who wins. Sure Contador was dominant, but he worked hard too and Stages 14 and 15 were FANTASTIC, and Kiriyenka's win was amazing. Similarly, should Alberto win (and I want Andy to) that won't mean this year's Tour would be any less awesome.

Also, just because it wasn't last year's Giro doesn't mean it wasn't great. It's like saying that winning $500 is terrible because last year I won $10,000. Both, you'd agree are quite good!

I think, other than the crashes, this Tour has been quite good so far, and the Giro, other than Wouter (RIP) was quite entertaining. You don't have to put one down to enjoy the other.

And if Andy wins, I can understand disappointment for many here, but that doesn't mean the Tour itself would be no good!

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

This year's Giro was also HIGHLY depressing due to Wouter's tragic death. Had he not passed away, the first week would have been even better.

I don't think you can simply judge a GT just on who wins. Sure Contador was dominant, but he worked hard too and Stages 14 and 15 were FANTASTIC, and Kiriyenka's win was amazing. Similarly, should Alberto win (and I want Andy to) that won't mean this year's Tour would be any less awesome.

Also, just because it wasn't last year's Giro doesn't mean it wasn't great. It's like saying that winning $500 is terrible because last year I won $10,000. Both, you'd agree are quite good!

I think, other than the crashes, this Tour has been quite good so far, and the Giro, other than Wouter (RIP) was quite entertaining. You don't have to put one down to enjoy the other.

And if Andy wins, I can understand disappointment for many here, but that doesn't mean the Tour itself would be no good!

+1. Good post, that.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

This year's Giro was also HIGHLY depressing due to Wouter's tragic death. Had he not passed away, the first week would have been even better.

I don't think you can simply judge a GT just on who wins. Sure Contador was dominant, but he worked hard too and Stages 14 and 15 were FANTASTIC, and Kiriyenka's win was amazing. Similarly, should Alberto win (and I want Andy to) that won't mean this year's Tour would be any less awesome.

Also, just because it wasn't last year's Giro doesn't mean it wasn't great. It's like saying that winning $500 is terrible because last year I won $10,000. Both, you'd agree are quite good!

I think, other than the crashes, this Tour has been quite good so far, and the Giro, other than Wouter (RIP) was quite entertaining. You don't have to put one down to enjoy the other.

And if Andy wins, I can understand disappointment for many here, but that doesn't mean the Tour itself would be no good!

I agree, I generally dislike the Tour V Giro attitude.
They are both good races, and I am glad we have more then 1 gt a season.. we have 4 remember

 

[jobiwan]

I agree, I generally dislike the Tour V Giro attitude.
They are both good races, and I am glad we have more then 1 gt a season.. we have 4 remember

You sir might have just extended this thread 30 more pages!

 

[Scirea]

it's the quality of the field, the prestige of the big stage and media attention, and the absolutely blistering pace. every rider in the race is on peak form and riding to win something.

That's one of the 'most wrong' things i've read about this Tour. Ask guys like Sylvain Chavanel, who gets dropped from the peloton on basically flat stages etc.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

You sir might have just extended this thread 30 more pages!

this thread must be close to a record anyway, nearing 1700 posts

 

[The Hitch]

this thread must be close to a record anyway, nearing 1700 posts

For a pretty crappy stage.

Paris Roubaix- not that great either, was over 2000 though so still a while to go. I think it may have beaten RVV though.

Giro 15 was only 1500 but it had only 30 when the stage started while this had almost 300 and PR about 400 so as far as in stage discussion goes that one might hold the record.

 

[simo1733]

That's one of the 'most wrong' things i've read about this Tour. Ask guys like Sylvain Chavanel, who gets dropped from the peloton on basically flat stages etc.

Is that the same recently crowned French road race champion Sylvain Chavanel.He is suffering from crash damage not poor form

 

[spanky wanderlust]

That's one of the 'most wrong' things i've read about this Tour. Ask guys like Sylvain Chavanel, who gets dropped from the peloton on basically flat stages etc.

something has gone terribly wrong for sylvain. anyone know what's going on?

you're right scirea. the pace at the giro was much faster because one rider at the tour has had some difficulties. i stand humbled by your cycling knowledge.

 

[No_Balls]

This past Giro was one of the worst grand tours in recent memory.

Blah, blah, blah....

Nothing like the epic Giro of last year (maybe the best race I have ever seen). Seeing Contador have no competition besides two riders was a damn shame.

Of course you think so...

Unfortunately it should be a much better race with the course but most of the best riders only care about one GT and that is Le Tour. I personally hope Andy Schleck or Cadel Evans win for the simple reason that their whole season was built around it. You better win the only race you care about.

Your whole post lead up to those final words. And how much of competition will be left when everyone else crashes out (what you described as "entertainment")? You are only happy because those two have lost some rivals along the way. And you have not at all any problem if this Tour is a showdown...with two riders.

 

[Zigster]

Interesting to listen to the various commentators from different networks react to the Hoogerland & Flecha crash

Netherlands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up2RvtMMmME

Belgium
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoB6eTW5Wd0

Germany
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-2KIUYk5l0

Norway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Fkiu7D5xHM

UK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X4VhUnvChw

USA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwIY_VyYG7g

Spain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUm_slEVTwQ

 

[greenedge]

Voeckler is so impressive.

 

[spalco]

I think all this boils down to is Karpets not fully understanding the context of the question.

Right, especially since it's absurd and more than a little bit offensive to even suggest he could have done it on purpose.

 

[rata de sentina]

Because they thought they were going to hit a tree and probably misjudged how much space they had.

Fines and possible jail time for negligence and/or careless driving may well be in order, but the fact of the matter is, it was an accident. Born out of a massive error in judgement as you say. It's not a "so-called" accident, because that suggests it was deliberate but dressed up to look like an accident. No, it was an accident. It was reckless, it was stupid, and it was negligent, which is what any legal action should focus on.

There's a whole lot of culpabilty here. The driver chose to ignore a clear instruction, not sure what the legal position of the orders of the ASO are. The action was deliberate, the driver chose to hit Flecha rather than either hit the tree or brake. Personally I don't draw much distinction between gross carelessness or complete disregard for the safety of others and homicidal intent and they should be met with a similar response. Of course Hoogerland is doing the right thing being all magnanamous in public but come the next dark night ....