tour de france rest day 2 round up

[Wergeland]

Snoozefest? You guys are crazy, or you haven't seen many tours. Excellent first week with a lot alternative/"classics" finishes. Most exciting first week in many many years. Second week was also good. Yesterdays stage would have been better if the Schlecks had the legs to attack for more than 10 seconds. And the GC is still completely open. There's still 5-6 riders that can win the tour with only 6 stages to go. Usually it's between one or two rider's two weeks into the tour.

Great tour so far, but we can only imagine what this tour could have been of VDB2, Horner and Wiggins was still in the tour (or if Sanchez hadn't lost that minute due to the crash on the first stage).

 

[nesocip]

Two names: Samuel Sanchez and Wim Vansevenant

Otherwise, the dullest tour since retirement 1.0. (in terms of GC)

Has potential for a blasting 3rd week though.

We shall see.

 

[Jeanne]

I absolutely hate pulling up socks to the max like that. It's disgusting.

as long as he's not wearing sandals with them

 

[Jeanne]

humans are (in general) stupid. however even the stupidest human is right when he says\thinks that this tour should've been much better.

Yes, yes, and yes, sir.

 

[Mambo95]

Two names: Samuel Sanchez and Wim Vansevenant

Is he going for the lanterne rouge again?

 

[nesocip]

Is he going for the lanterne rouge again?

Would have been MJ this time if VDB2 managed to stay upright.

I think im too old to believe in fairy tales, and OPL season is nothing short of a fairy tale.

Ill stop now in respect to forum rules.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Great tour so far, but we can only imagine what this tour could have been of VDB2, Horner and Wiggins was still in the tour (or if Sanchez hadn't lost that minute due to the crash on the first stage).

And that's precisely why it's a snoozefest. Because we've lost half the GC field due to crashes. Now there will always be some crashes, but there would likely not have been so many if they'd actually sorted out the GC with something more than a 25km TTT in the first two weeks. Philippe Gilbert was in the top 10 after two weeks with only one minute gained in breakaways, for Christ's sake.

That's a sign that your route is imbalanced.

Frankly, after the joke that this weekend's stages have been (it's the best time for the TV audience, and they serve up a potentially exciting mountain stage ruined by awful racing, and then a stage that you could watch all the important parts of on a 10 minute rerun), this race is on its way to being even worse than 2009 unless the GC contenders start behaving like they actually want to win soon.

 

[Cimber]

I wish Contador hadnt done the Giro. That way the Giro would have been way more interesting and so would the the Tour.

 

[Duartista]

I thought the first week was pretty good in terms of the racing, although it was obviously marred by the crashes. The second week, apart from the stage when Gilbert and Voeckler went on a late attack, has been very disappointing.

For me, stage 18 is the stage that will make or break this Tour in terms of how it is remembered. If we see a repeat of the Pyrenean scenario, it will have been a very poor edition indeed. However, I am optimistic that the sheer difficulty and altitude of the Agnello and Izoard will lead to some big gaps on the Galibier, in spite of the latter's relatively shallow gradients.

 

[The Hitch]

I wish Contador hadnt done the Giro. That way the Giro would have been way more interesting and so would the the Tour.

If Contador had taken his Giro form into the Tour, this thing would have been over by SuperBesse.

Though i agree i wish Contador had skipped the Giro. Would have been so epic without him.

 

[Anonymous]

If Contador had taken his Giro form into the Tour, this thing would have been over by SuperBesse.

Though i agree i wish Contador had skipped the Giro. Would have been so epic without him.

plus 10 char

 

[armchairclimber]

Snoozefest? You guys are crazy, or you haven't seen many tours. Excellent first week with a lot alternative/"classics" finishes. Most exciting first week in many many years. Second week was also good. Yesterdays stage would have been better if the Schlecks had the legs to attack for more than 10 seconds. And the GC is still completely open. There's still 5-6 riders that can win the tour with only 6 stages to go. Usually it's between one or two rider's two weeks into the tour.

Great tour so far, but we can only imagine what this tour could have been of VDB2, Horner and Wiggins was still in the tour (or if Sanchez hadn't lost that minute due to the crash on the first stage).

This is how I read it too. Shame about the lost contenders, but that is part of the drama of the tour. If it was all a foregone conclusion it would be dull. The fact is, it isn't yet. Not for me anyway...aren't I lucky?

 

[FrankDay]

I know it's not fashionable to like the Tour (or modern cycling, for that matter) but I think it's been a blast so far.

Nobody has a clue who is going to win this thing. If some of the "favorites" who crashed out were still in I suspect there would only be more riders still in contention, making the outcome even more in doubt. The fact that the contenders are not racing the way many of you would hope is not evidence that the race is uninteresting to others. If all the contenders are evenly matched the one making the fewest mistakes is the one most likely to win. A 1-0 soccer match can still be well-played even though many would think it boring.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Don't know if this belongs in a rest day thread, but it is a time to reflect. Here's the list of riders who have abandoned or who were eliminated by not make the time cut (HD = hors delais).

Ag2r
1. John Gadret – DNS Stage 11

Astana
2. Alexandre Vinokourov – DNF stage 9

Europcar
3. Christophe Kern – DNS stage 5

Euskaltel-Euskadi
4. Amets Txurruka – DNF stage 9
5. Ivan Velasco – DNS stage 6

FDJ
6. William Bonnet – HD Stage 14
7. Remi Pauriol – DNF stage 7

Garmin-Cervelo
8. David Zabriskie – DNF stage 9

Katusha
9. Denis Galimzyanov – HD Stage 12
10. Alexandr Kolobnev – DNS Stage 10
11. Vladimir Isiachev – DNF Stage 13
12. Pavel Brutt – DNF stage 9

Movistar
13. Vasili Kiryienka – HD stage 6
14. Benat Intxausti – DNF stage 8

OPL
15. Jurgen Van Den Broeck – DNF stage 9
16. Jurgen Van De Walle – DNF stage 4
17. Frederik Willems – DNF stage 9

Quick Step
18. Tom Boonen – DNF stage 7
19. Gert Steegmans – DNS Stage 13

Rabobank
20. Juan Manuel Garate – DNS stage 9
21. Lars Boom – DNF Stage 13

Radio Shack
22. Jani Brajkovic – DNF stage 5
23. Chris Horner – DNS stage 8
24. Andreas Kloden – DNF stage 13
25. Yaroslav Popovych – DNS Stage 10

Sky
26. Bradley Wiggins – DNF stage 7

Vacansoleil
27. Wout Poels – DNF stage 9
28. Romain Feillu – DNS Stage 12

Riders remaining = 198 – 28 = 170.

Teams with all 9 riders left:
- BMC
- Cofidis
- HTC
- Lampre
- Leopard-Trek
- Liquigas
- Saur-Sojasun
- Saxo Bank

I was wondering how the number of riders who are out of the race compares to past years. Is the 2011 Tour setting, or on pace to set, a record in that category?

 

[rzombie1988]

I guess I'm the only one but I thought this tour has been more exciting so far than previous years. All the crashes were quite newsworthy and the uphill finishes were very good. Props to Gilbert too.

 

[Cobblestones]

So with six stages left, there's not much decided yet. The safest bet right now would be Cav for green.

The next two stages could be interesting. A good descent could give riders like Voeckler a few more seconds in the GC. The ITT should favor Bertie and Cuddles. And of course the Schlecks so far are their own biggest obstacle, which is pretty funny to watch.

For those who're complaining about too many GC men crashing out or the lack of a decisive attack: yes that is true, but on the other hand, how often did we have a field of maybe 5-6 contenders which could still realistically win this thing by the second rest day? Not that many times in the last 20 years.

 

[ggusta]

I also hate to sound like one of those guys who complain that nothing is like it used to be way back in the day...that really is tiring....

BUT... out of the few years I have watched, this is by far the least interesting eclipsed perhaps only by '05.

No one seems to trust themselves or believe in themselves. The only guy who does is tired because he completely animated the Giro. And these same blowhards criticized that race because it was a runaway because of his dominance there. They really need to amuse themselves with some other pasttime that fills them with something approaching joy, if such a thing exists.

 

[auscyclefan94]

What more can Samu do?

What if instead of attacking on every mountain stage he stays in the pack.

Will that enthuse you?

You are becoming like me. Heaven forbid somebody say something against Samu! Oh the horror!

 

[Apollonius]

The Tour is never boring - we all know it's been geared to this last week for the GC and the chess match going on with the main contenders has been fascinating. Plus who can argue with the excitement of Sammy Sanchez and his heroic efforts which are not being given the credit they deserve by the media etc.
Also - the battle for Green? Hasn't that been exciting? It has for me.

With five or six genuine contenders for the podium places the last week is going to be extremely entertaining. Sometimes I think for the year round boys it's fashionable to bash the tour but for the July fans like me (though I do watch the Giro and Vuelta when time permits, I just don't book three weeks off work to do so as I do with the tour) The Tour is always exciting and this year is no exception.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

The pyrenees were dire at best.
I dislike this trend the tour has gotten into where the first mountain range is more about not losing the tour, rather then trying to win the tour.

hopefully a better 3rd week.

crash's although providing some talking points have hurt this race a lot.
Such a small field of GC guys left..

 

[auscyclefan94]

The pyrenees were dire at best.
I dislike this trend the tour has gotten into where the first mountain range is more about not losing the tour, rather then trying to win the tour.

hopefully a better 3rd week.

crash's although providing some talking points have hurt this race a lot.
Such a small field of GC guys left..

That's the problem with stacking the back half of the tour with mountain stages. If the Tour de France organises hypothetically put a decent (doesn't have to be too hard) mountain stage early in the race it would make things a little more interesting.

Anyway, I didn't think things were too bad.

 

[The Hitch]

You are becoming like me. Heaven forbid somebody say something against Samu! Oh the horror!

The guy said none of the contenders did anything, when Samu was there clear as day attacking out of the pack.

Regardless of whether i am a Samu fan or not, I have a right to make that point.

Your acting as if being a fan of someone means you are disqualified from defending them when they are attacked.

Personally I dont really see what your post offers. Yes i responded to a stupid comment. Whats wrong with that? To paraphrase you, Oh the horror



I bet you that if you say " no one attacked in the Giro", you get a lot of responses from Contador fans. Just like if you say " Nibali is overated" you get responses from Squalo fans, or if you say "Gesink cant tt" you get responses from Dutch fans.

Why cant i defend Samu from similar attacks?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

That's the problem with stacking the back half of the tour with mountain stages. If the Tour de France organises hypothetically put a decent (doesn't have to be too hard) mountain stage early in the race it would make things a little more interesting.

Anyway, I didn't think things were too bad.

A early MTF would also help solve some nerves.
Stage 12 for the first mountain test is far too long.

The organisers need to be more creative then what they have provided this year. I did like some of the difficult finishes, but the Mountains have been fail up until the Alps I hope.

 

[jobiwan]

Don't know if this belongs in a rest day thread, but it is a time to reflect. Here's the list of riders who have abandoned or who were eliminated by not make the time cut (HD = hors delais).

Where's the guy who said a Final Week Team Time Trial would be good?

 

[jobiwan]

A early MTF would also help solve some nerves.
Stage 12 for the first mountain test is far too long.

The organisers need to be more creative then what they have provided this year. I did like some of the difficult finishes, but the Mountains have been fail up until the Alps I hope.

With next year starting in Liege, hopefully they'll go through the Jura or Vosges ranges on their way to the Alps. Perhaps a quick descent finish in the first week before the Alps in the early/middle second week.