Tour de France Tour de France 2021, Stage 6: Tours – Châteauroux, 160.6 km

[BlueRoads]

It's not like I'm a special Cavendish fan, but I think he didn't do much wrong there. It might not have been perfect, but come on, you cannot ask for a disqualificiation everytime a sprinter leaves his perfect straight line... it's road sprinting and of course you're trying to use the draft and of course you try to find the gaps, so you leave your line... the intermediate sprint was way dirtier in my opinion.

 

[bizzmane89]

I dont think there should be a relegation but he did cut off Merlier. He was basically done anyway, but nevertheless he was cut off by Cav. Also Cav does not have any reason to move to the left beside cutting merlier off.

 

[Mayomaniac]

with each passing sprint, it looks more and more like Lapartient was right all along

That stage also finished in his hometown, of course he's not gonna blame the locals who came up with the route.

 

[Inquitus]

So much for everyone being happy for a Cav win, second stage and you all call for disqualification lol

I wanted Cav to win but he really deviated badly and hampered both Alpecin guys.

 

[zlev11]

Lol @ the people calling for relegation.

Desperate much?

he almost took out both Alpecin riders in two different swerves

what sport did you watch before 2017?

 

[staubsauger]

"these courses are too unsafe"

cavendish cuts over three bike widths in the sprint and almost takes out 3 riders

"wow what a hero, this guy is unbelievable. a great day for cycling"

Bouhanni has a point shaking his head. 100% he would've been relegated for this. Even though I don't see it as an incident that's worth punishment.

Also, as lovely as it was on Tuesday, I'm sorry but I can't fully share the excitement here. It seems like Quick Step can just turn everyone into a supreme sprinter that wins stages. Kittel probably would have won 2 stages as well, if he decided to make a comeback with Quick Step at the start of the year.

Coquard must feel like a complete idiot for denying their contract offer back in 2017.

 

[Poursuivant]

If Cav takes Merckx record or not Pogacar will win more than both.

 

[SlickMongoose]

Cav winning a stage of the TDF, then moaning about other teams not contributing, while the internet is full of people wanting him disqualified.

We really have time travelled back a decade.

 

[canarydan23]

he almost took out both Alpecin riders in two different swerves

what sport did you watch before 2017?

Swerves?! Have a word with yourself.

 

[spalco]

I dont think there should be a relegation but he did cut off Merlier. He was basically done anyway, but nevertheless he was cut off by Cav. Also Cav does not have any reason to move to the left beside cutting merlier off.

You can't always control your line completely when you're going all out like that. There's zero chance it was on purpose and I don't think it changed the result. And of course nobody crashed.

I would let it stand, and I'm very happy for Cav, but it wouldn't be outrageous to relegate him imo.

 

[Ranagazoo]

Imagine the scenes if Cav breaks Merckx's record wearing green at the Champs Elsysees..

 

[Valv.Piti]

What is Alpecin Fenix even doing, I dont understand... isnt Merlier just faster? They have the perfect leadout.

 

[Hayabusa]

are you blind? apologies, if so. that must be tough.

Don't attack other posters buddy.. stick to the cycling. We can disagree without getting aggressive towards eachother.

 

[canarydan23]

are you blind? apologies, if so. that must be tough.

You're clearly not blind, your vision is so attuned you can see things that don't even happen. Chapeau!

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Alpecin are just idiots again. Merlier is faster, just go with him

I think Van der Poel said pre-race they would ride for Merlier today. Then the DS said they would see who feels best during the stage.
Maybe Merlier isn't feeling that great for the moment, it's been 6 days, and he isn't the guy with the biggest engine, could be he's already starting to feel some fatigue.

 

[Red Rick]

Philipsen cut himself off by being slow as molasses to try and get into the same space Cav went in

 

[titan31]

You can't always control your line completely when you're going all out like that. There's zero chance it was on purpose and I don't think it changed the result. And of course nobody crashed.

I would let it stand, and I'm very happy for Cav, but it wouldn't be outrageous to relegate him imo.

Ah here, go away with the and nobody crashed one. It's 50/50 and I probably wouldn't relegate him but outcome of crashing should never been a criteria for it.

 

[DanielSong39]

Obviously Quick-Step is going to get even less help going forward in the sprint stages
And that's how it should be
I'm thinking the breakaway might have a chance on a couple of the flat stages, Stage 10 might be a prime target for an ambush

 

[Pinot's goat]

I think both Philipsen and Cavendish both underestimated Merlier's speed and cut him off. By the rules they should probably be DQ'd however since it was both of them there will be no action and the guy they cutoff was one of their teammates so that makes a relegation less likely as well.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Cav started his sprint on the centre line and finished there too - just that he had to swerve round Merlier after Alpecin had swerved straight across the road with 400m to go.

 

[tobydawq]

"these courses are too unsafe"

cavendish cuts over three bike widths in the sprint and almost takes out 3 riders

"wow what a hero, this guy is unbelievable. a great day for cycling"

Three bike widths? Alright...

 

[canarydan23]

As Chris Boardman just said on the ITV coverage, Philipsen had more cause to complain about Merlier than he did Cavendish.

And as a fellow child of the Isle of Man, Pete Kennaugh is never going to be the most balanced, but he was even more damning, saying, "I think Philipsen will regret that hand gesture when he watches it back. Cavendish was winning sprints whilst Philipsen was still in nappies".

 

[titan31]

Looking back at it, he definitely cuts Merlier off. It's 50/50 and I feel if this was Bouhanni with his record, he'd be relegated, but for this will probably depend if Alpecin protest. If they do, I could easily see a relegation.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Bouhanni has a point shaking his head. 100% he would've been relegated for this. Even though I don't see it as an incident that's worth punishment.

Also, as lovely as it was on Tuesday, I'm sorry but I can't fully share the excitement here. It seems like Quick Step can just turn everyone into a supreme sprinter that wins stages. Kittel probably would have won 2 stages as well, if he decided to make a comeback with Quick Step at the start of the year.

Coquard must feel like a complete idiot for denying their contract offer back in 2017.

Honestly, Cipo could have made a comeback and won 2 stages with that train, I remember what he said about Viviani 2 years ago: "Viviani is not the best sprinter in the world, I'm sorry. I like the guy, but if that's the best sprinter in the world I might as well make a comeback."

 

[spalco]

Ah here, go away with the and nobody crashed one. It's 50/50 and I probably wouldn't relegate him but outcome of crashing should never been a criteria for it.

I know, but realistically that is how it happens. Even in that notorious Cav-Sagan incident, clearly Sagan wouldn't have been DQ'd (what a discussion that was in the forum back then, lol), if Cav had gotten out of it unscathed.