Tour de France 2017 stage 2: Düsseldorf - Liége 203,5 km

[Screecher]

Sagan really poor. I predict he won´t win a single stage and there will be a new green jersey winner.

 

[yaco]

The peleton is a strange beast. Officials cause a crash in the Giro so the peleton attacks but yet rider error today and the peleton sits up. Strange indeed.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

The peleton is a strange beast. Officials cause a crash in the Giro so the peleton attacks but yet rider error today and the peleton sits up. Strange indeed.

We clearly saw a different race

 

[Squire]

Re:

The peleton is a strange beast. Officials cause a crash in the Giro so the peleton attacks but yet rider error today and the peleton sits up. Strange indeed.

Approaching a mountain top finish is a slightly different situation than being far from the finish on a wet, flat, first Tour stage.

 

[Billie]

Re:

The peleton is a strange beast. Officials cause a crash in the Giro so the peleton attacks but yet rider error today and the peleton sits up. Strange indeed.

disgusting behaviour today indeed

 

[Fergoose]

That would have been a terrible stage but for the uncertainty caused by the crash. Hopefully stages being televised from the beginning will put pressure on sponsors and teams to revisit opposition to team radio so that the chase isn't so robotic. Maximum gap was around 3'30"?

 

[Carols]

It sure is good to see Taylor on a podium again . He came back from a truly horrid injury. You go boy!

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

The peleton is a strange beast. Officials cause a crash in the Giro so the peleton attacks but yet rider error today and the peleton sits up. Strange indeed.

Approaching a mountain top finish is a slightly different situation than being far from the finish on a wet, flat, first Tour stage.

An officials motor caused the accident in the Giro. That is an indisputable fact.

 

[yaco]

It will be interesting days for Etix and Kittel. He is undoubtedly the fastest sprinter on his good days. Whether Etix offers him a contract is anyone's guess.

 

[Vasilis]

Re: Re:

The peleton is a strange beast. Officials cause a crash in the Giro so the peleton attacks but yet rider error today and the peleton sits up. Strange indeed.

Approaching a mountain top finish is a slightly different situation than being far from the finish on a wet, flat, first Tour stage.

An officials motor caused the accident in the Giro. That is an indisputable fact.

Yes, but the peloton didn't attack, Movistar had been riding already and the finale was kicking off. Today, we were quite a way off the finish and the peloton didn't sit up anyway, they slightly dropped the pace.

 

[aarononymous]

Re: Re:

The peleton is a strange beast. Officials cause a crash in the Giro so the peleton attacks but yet rider error today and the peleton sits up. Strange indeed.

We clearly saw a different race

Fits the whole "movistar doing what they always do" routine better though

 

[deValtos]

I love how everyone said before the tour that the green jersey is a foregone conclusion.

Considering this course, I agree. Kittel will easily win.

Even if Sagan wins tomorrow he only gets 30 points.

 

[Vasilis]

Speaking afterwards, Froome confirmed he didn’t suffer any serious injuries.

He said: “I have no injuries thankfully - I’ve just lost a little bit of skin on my backside. That’s the nature of the race. We knew it was slippery conditions and every time you put the race numbers on there’s a big risk something could happen.

“Someone slid just a few wheels ahead of me and at those speeds you just can’t avoid it. A few of us went down but thankfully everyone is okay and we got to the finish alright without losing any time to our rivals. That’s the main thing.”

Glad he seems to be OK

 

[Krokro]

Boredom again. Kittel/Froome snoozefest. Can't wait to watch a real GT again in August. UCI has to act quickly, i don't like this cycling at all.

 

[staubsauger]

In Italy if the race is on, the race is on. No matter whether there's a snow blizzard on the Gravia Pass, the pink jersey Pantani drops his chain at the bottom of the final col or a official race motorcycle causes a crash within the field. As simple as that!

That's why the Giro is the hardest grand tour in the world.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Boredom again. Kittel/Froome snoozefest. Can't wait to watch a real GT again in August. UCI has to act quickly, i don't like this cycling at all.

Dutch commentators were discussing that the ASO don't even want to make routes for exciting racing, they prefer not too much happening as then they can spend more time showcasing the French departments and hosting cities, so it would be better for the sponsors.

 

[Vasilis]

Re: Re:

Boredom again. Kittel/Froome snoozefest. Can't wait to watch a real GT again in August. UCI has to act quickly, i don't like this cycling at all.

Dutch commentators were discussing that the ASO don't even want to make routes for exciting racing, they prefer not too much happening as then they can spend more time showcasing the French departments and hosting cities, so it would be better for the sponsors.

But is it really better if it stops people from watching at all because of the predictability?

 

[DFA123]

It's looking like this race is going to be heavily shaped by crashes, even more than usual. Kind of inevitable when you have 12 flat stages

 

[Ikbengodniet]

Re:

Boredom again. Kittel/Froome snoozefest. Can't wait to watch a real GT again in August. UCI has to act quickly, i don't like this cycling at all.

Well this borefest brings a lot of germans along the roads...

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

Boredom again. Kittel/Froome snoozefest. Can't wait to watch a real GT again in August. UCI has to act quickly, i don't like this cycling at all.

I don't see the correlation.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Boredom again. Kittel/Froome snoozefest. Can't wait to watch a real GT again in August. UCI has to act quickly, i don't like this cycling at all.

Dutch commentators were discussing that the ASO don't even want to make routes for exciting racing, they prefer not too much happening as then they can spend more time showcasing the French departments and hosting cities, so it would be better for the sponsors.

I guess it's inevitable these days that an event as big as the Tour, with so much money making potential, would be hijacked by sales and marketing demons.

 

[Krokro]

That's pretty sad indeed. To me, there is no match when comparing to the Giro. I just hate ones hegemony on a particular race.
No correlation Alex ? Have a look at those 5 past editions. Except the 2014 carnage, it was in general way too one-sided. But again, it's a matter of opinion.
It reminds me, not that i liked it but it has been done before, the rules against Ferrari when they won years after years. But ASO/UCI has nearly no interest to piss Sky. Would be cool to have more equity among teams. But i won't keep this discussion in this topic.

Good point for the popularity though. Im amazed by the amount of people since yesterday considering the weather has been awful.

 

[rick james]

Re:

Boredom again. Kittel/Froome snoozefest. Can't wait to watch a real GT again in August. UCI has to act quickly, i don't like this cycling at all.

you blaming Kittel and Froome for making races boring?

 

[Moviefan1203]

Heck of a ride by Phinney. Heck of a ride.

 

[Cervelo77]

It's silly to complain about sprint stages. They're sprint stages.