Tour de France Tour de France 2021, Stage 3: Lorient - Pontivy, 183.9 km

[Broccolidwarf]

What the *** is this tour, I hate it. When was the last time it so bad so early?

Most years have big early crashes dude.

It's the nature of the worlds biggest race, with the worlds best riders - they all want it a little to much early on.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Many thought a couple of contenders wouldn't make it through this first week, but this was far worse than expected. War of attrition at this point.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

And out of those 6 riders we should single out Rogla for a DQ.

Right...

Take them all. The rules need to be applied correctly.

 

[Rackham]

Cr*p stage & way too aggressive riding from non-GC teams. This sort of garbage ruins the Tour.

 

[houtdffan]

Whoever designed this stage is on par with the idiot 'fan' who caused the crash two days ago. And should be tried accordingly.

same one who always designs the routes

race director Thierry Gouvenou

 

[Big Doopie]

So Richie Porte losing 2 minutes the other day was nothing really as it looks like so many will lose so much more in the next FLAT stages

it was actually his lead out on the mur that dropped thomas. porte is clearly climbing better than thomas.

 

[HelloDolly]

I remember the start of 2011 Tour and was flabbergasted by the crashes

And they were very bad crashes

 

[Tigerion]

Who was the guy who fell in the second to last crash? That looked very scary.

I think that was Jack Haig

 

[Vroome.exe]

Alaphilippe still hasn't been outside top 6

 

[Skalman]

Is Thomas ok? didn't see him anywhere?

 

[JosefK]

That crash at the turn involving Bahrain riders was inside 3k, right?

I think it was around 4k

 

[titan31]

It's not even the team sizes (although one less would be handy Id think) but I've no idea how anyone can see those last 15k as safe for a 180 rider peleton going at 60/70kmph an hour. Narrow roads, a sprint finish on a corner. Just lunacy tbh.

This is on ASO imo. That finish was not safe for a group that size. Fine if you have an attritional day where riders are in smaller groups but not a full peleton with sprint trains.

 

[jarvo]

Is Thomas ok? didn't see him anywhere?

Came in with Pog

 

[Red Rick]

Good grief...some of you guys are idiots...the course was fine. These are pro riders...not you. The road was plenty wide. Riders are to blame for these crashes. Need more respect for each other.

Oh yes.

Everything can be solved with respect.

Got it.

I'll call the riders.

 

[spalco]

Ewan will be a DNF i'd say. Still back there

DNS or DNF doesn't matter I guess, as long as he gets better again soon.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Squalo only 14s down today

 

[Tim Cahill]

I think the corner crash with Bahrain was outside 3k, so it is likely the time gaps will stand.

 

[Rollthedice]

Squalo on 14s down today

Top 10 GC.

 

[wheresmybrakes]

So Richie Porte losing 2 minutes the other day was nothing really as it looks like so many will lose so much more in the next FLAT stages

Exactly folk are so quick to jump on the Ineos went from 4 leaders to 1 in 2 stages bandwagon.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

If the tour organizers had any shame and dignity, they would come out and apologize to the riders and suspend themselves. Way too narrow of a course, not just the last 10-20 km, but other bits as well. I don’t know what they are trying to accomplish with these dangerous routes. Can you imagine if it rained? It looked like it might for a while there. Maybe they would have neutralized the stage. In any case, can’t blame any spectators for any of the crashes today.

Choosing "difficult" roads is what makes for a good race.

The Tour would become incredibly boring, if everything was on highways.

That said, this was in no way difficult, minimum 5-6 riders wide the whole time, is plenty of room for Pro riders.

Most of the classics races in the north, are on smaller roads than today, at many key points.

 

[Lequack]

Really bad luck for Roglic today, losing Gesink, then crashing, then almost cathing on, then getting caught up behind another crash. So now losing almost a minute on Pogacar and Carapaz.

 

[woodburn]

Huh, I like Roglic.

Then your take is even worse. Nothing they did hasn't been done before. And others have been more egregious.

When you have races decided by time losses in crashes then you have a sport that needs to sort out how to handle what happens in the situation to achieve fairness. You can say "these guys should stay at the front" but that didn't help Jumbo. It actually hurt them. It's a lottery and people shouldn't gain time because they're number wasn't pulled. But that's where the sport is right now.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Alaphilippe still hasn't been outside top 6

Congratulations, he should enter the lottery.

 

[Ulfhednar]

Oh yes.

Everything can be solved with respect.

Got it.

I'll call the riders.

Aren't you special...always trying to blame everyone for all the crashes...there are always crashes. These are on the riders. Bless your heart!

 

[ice&fire]

I don't get the complaining about the stage parcourse. This was like a cobbled stage but without actual cobbles. And most people seem to like cobbles in the TDF around here.