Tour de France : Stage 1 Rotterdam Bruxelles 223.5 km

[Dr. Maserati]

Who is responsible for the design of the route, ASO or the Dutch/Belgian organizers? That was just about the worst last few kms I’ve ever seen of the TDF. To put a sharp right (almost doubling back) in at a point where the sprinters teams are building up to full steam is just plain stupid. It caused the Cav incident (although even as a fan I can’t defend him for that one – just bad bike handling) and also caused the peloton to bunch up which is why so many were involved in the next smash. If the Dutch /Belgians designed the route then do not ASO have a last say? Someone should fall on his/her sword over that.

You don't design a route - you pick one.

ASO are ultimately responsible for the finish (within UCI regulations) with input from the host town.

Yes the corner was severe. It should be noted that some road furniture had been removed and the finishing kms are in detail in the race manual - after that corner there was a straight run to the finish- in which 2 further incidents took place.

It is (as always) the riders responsibility - Day 1 of the Tour, as no team has the responsibility or 'right' to determine the sprint it is quite literally an accident waiting to happen.

...And the same will happen in the last 10k of the next sprint finish.

 

[Cobblestones]

You'd be surprised at the effect riding the tour has on a lot of the riders. A lot of them ride themselves into shape along the way. As for the green jersey, I believe neither Thor nor Cav will end up on Champs Elysees in it this year.
Tyler Farrar and even Petacchi are more likely candidates, though Hushovd will have a great day tomorrow. Tomorrow's stage has his and Cancellara's name written all over it.

Well, I agree that riding helps, but in your previous post you made this huge deal about specialized sprint training. Surely that's not what he gets by riding in the peloton.

Ale Jet will bow out of the tour at the first sighting of a real gradient. I wouldn't put money on him having green in Paris. He's a bit like Cipollini in that regard.

 

[Cobblestones]

each rider , each team is informed of the route months in advance. I would expect a pro to ride according to the route they have to face. If the printers teams only rely on a single strategy that can only work when the finish is a straight line for miles and if they wait to the last kilometers to grind down the opposition they will take a chance to have larger and larger number of people challenging for the finish. I read oscar saying that he thought GC contenders and other should lay back and not crowd the sprinters in the end. I find that almost ridiculous. Next we are going to see the climber asking those who have not chance to win a mountain stage to stay out of their way on the climbs or descents. Where are we going with this kind of mentality? It should be up to the sprinter's team to harden the race earlier and thin out the peleton so there remains fewer people for the finish.

+1

So only the sprinters should be allowed to compete? I remember a finish in Paris five years ago where one man rode away from the sprinter's trains. Very funny that.

Actually it looked like the trains weren't well organized, the peloton wasn't really strung out enough which I think contributed in making the second crash so awful.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Cav has already screwed up his chances for Green. Seriously, like in Barcelona where Hushovd and freire scored points and he did not. He can win 6 stages if he likes but his chances are very slim as he is not good enough to go into breaks to get sprint points.

btw, conti hurt his knee and it is swollen a fair bit.

 

[RedheadDane]

It's "only" a broken sternum.

In the "Tour Studie" (Danish Tour programme) yesterday they called it a broken collarbone... anyway... looked like it hurt!!!

 

[craig1985]

There was nothing wrong with the corner IMO, I have had to go through sharper corners at high speed in the sprint of the races that I do. Who caused the AG2r rider to come off?

 

[Ferminal]

I went to sleep for the night it was so boring. Did I miss anything? Nice to see Petacchi win, McEwen next eh...

 

[craig1985]

For those in Australia, I think we can all agree that Gabriel Gate's Taste Le Tour is completely pointless and a waste of time? I love good food and drink as much as the next person, but I'm here to watch cycling, not Masterchef FFS.

 

[auscyclefan94]

For those in Australia, I think we can all agree that Gabriel Gate's Taste Le Tour is completely pointless and a waste of time? I love good food and drink as much as the next person, but I'm here to watch cycling, not Masterchef FFS.

A cookbook and CD with french music from taste le tour is also coming out! I expect it to be a top seller!

 

[avantage]

Found it very strange that both cyclingnews.com and PEZcyclingnews.com still writes that the first crash was caused by Jeremy Hunt, while in fact he was on the outside and was the last one to join the pile up.
It was Cavendish elbowing with the Lampre rider that initiated it, it was very clear to see in HD.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Just saw an interview with Hunt on Norwegian TV before todays stage, and he confirms your view of the incident. He also partly blamed Cavendish for his aggressive riding.

 

[Nearly]

Oh please. Best friend was called the Wreckin' Ball, 23 years ago when he had his surgery and another is called the Crazy Canut. (Canuck take off). Robin Williams has been making the one-ball jokes for ages, you really think cancer survivors are that thin skinned? If they are they didn't learn anything from their illness.

You had better have a word to LA himself who amongst other things is very fond of his self named Juan Pelota ranch!

 

[Nearly]

Oh please. Best friend was called the Wreckin' Ball, 23 years ago when he had his surgery and another is called the Crazy Canut. (Canuck take off). Robin Williams has been making the one-ball jokes for ages, you really think cancer survivors are that thin skinned? If they are they didn't learn anything from their illness.

Not to mention LA himself referring to his home as the Juan Pelota ranch!

 

[Anonymous]

Found it very strange that both cyclingnews.com and PEZcyclingnews.com still writes that the first crash was caused by Jeremy Hunt, while in fact he was on the outside and was the last one to join the pile up.
It was Cavendish elbowing with the Lampre rider that initiated it, it was very clear to see in HD.

That idiot Bob Roll on Vs this morning rolls the slo-mo and quite confidently talks about the crash - placing all of the blame on the Lampre rider, talking about how he is breaking his line and elbowing Cavendish. All while we are watching the exact opposite on the TV screen.