Tour de France Stage 2 (3/7/11) - Les Essarts 23km TTT

[Maxiton]

Off for a bike ride. Have a nice day/night.

 

[theyoungest]

expected a lot more from OPL...

They even had the benefit of the wind dying down a little. Like BMC had.

 

[auscyclefan94]

BMC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


They were BRILLIANT!

 

[Havetts]

+ 05' 59" so he's fine

Ok then HTC wouldve won the TTT if he didnt fall, that is a really nice time.

 

[c&cfan]

BMC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


They were BRILLIANT!

oh god..protect us.

 

[Richeypen]

Where there points for this stage then? If not surely Gilbert will wear green and Millar poka dot

 

[Havetts]

BMC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


They were BRILLIANT!

We've missed you.

 

[c&cfan]

Ok then HTC wouldve won the TTT if he didnt fall, that is a really nice time.

no...

canc would've won if he was alone.

 

[valentius borealis]

Gilbert will wear the Polka Dot.

Gilbert will be wearing the green jersey.

 

[Ferminal]

Thor will wear the polka-dot, rainbow, yellow and green jersey in this tour. Surely the first time this has been done.

He will probably not wear green, well I guess he might, too early to tell And yeh, good achievement.

Gilbert will be wearing the green jersey.

Evans in dots then.

 

[red_flanders]

Congrats to Garmin-Cervelo! They've been wanting a win like this for a long time.

 

[Gubby Allen]

+1



+1. Still nothing, really. Nothing yet, anyway.

Didn't see much of Sky's run. Did Wiggins not do any work then?

 

[cineteq]

no...

canc would've won if he was alone.

Followed by Martin...

 

[No_Balls]

exactly..in fact, what can anyone do (even leotard) to control him if he and saxo put the hammer than before the last climb? he showed in the giro that he attacks when he wants now (with bruynel holding him) even at more than 30 km to go if needed. if frank loses contact (navarro can do it, obviously he will blown himself) and contador attacks (if he can) from far, what will andy do? yell at him? calling him coward because he is running away from him? he will let him and wait for frank or he will burn himself. and conti even if weaker is stronger in the flat.

Fair point but let´s not blow everything out of proportion here. I don´t think we can expect Alberto in Giro-shape.

That being said. Cycling-race (and the Tour) is not about "control" (don´t buy the Armstrong/Bruyneel-agenda). If there is a strong rider breaking the routine the "control" is gone. Alberto can do that IF he is like in Italy.

Andys big chance this year is because Alberto propably is tired which perhaps will make it look like last year. But by this said, he (Alberto) did shine today while Andy did not. At least something.

 

[Gubby Allen]

Any word on Eisel? Did he finish within limits?

Must have. Leopard didn't pass him, as far as I saw.

 

[Carl0880]

Didn't see much of Sky's run. Did Wiggins not do any work then?

Wiggins did a good portion of the work. Geraint Thomas also. they lost 2 riders right after the first check point, Zandio and Swift (Ibelieve on Swift)

 

[Richeypen]

Wiggins did a good portion of the work. Geraint Thomas also. they lost 2 riders right after the first check point, Zandio and Swift (Ibelieve on Swift)

Knees, Swift dangled on and off at the end

 

[Galic Ho]

Learned a lot today. The 3km rule needs amending. Contador and Samu finished in front of both Schlecks, Wigans, Basso, Leipheimer and Brajkovic and yet lose out. Why? Not because the entire peloton crashed just after the 3km mark but because the lead group of an already diminished peloton couldn't stay up.

Wigans worked his **** off today, so no qualms there, but the rest of these wheel suckers,excusing Basso, are high up on GC. After crashing, they stopped working. I don't get it. Horner, Kloeden, Cunego and Evans went full throttle to the end and potentially lose out in the TTT. It's daft. Luckily 3 of these guys didn't but it just seems wrong. I know this b1tch called Karma, she's coming for both the Schlecks. Crash, stop riding, suck wheels of the group that crashed earlier, don't end up a minute back but six seconds and then the next day they suck wheels again. I personally can't wait till they get their come-uppance.

I also learn that Sky are the greatest exponents in chronos. Commentators cannot pronounce Leopard in English. Jurgen came 4th last year. I hope Paul Sherwen gets hit by a truck on the way to the commentary box. I've had enough of his ignorance and biased hatred. Another tool who karma is coming for. It's bad when Liggett is the tame one commentating.

I feel sorry for AC and Samu, but more so for Evans. Guy did nothing wrong in the first two days and yet only has a few seconds on both Schlecks and Bottle, who wheel suck and yet physically finish two minutes down on the first stage. Stupid, stupid rules. Needs fixing. If the whole peloton isn't present in the final 3km, then you shouldn't be safe in the event of a crash.

 

[hfer07]

Wiggins did a good portion of the work. Geraint Thomas also. they lost 2 riders right after the first check point, Zandio and Swift (Ibelieve on Swift)

the surprise was URAN holding on to the big diesels-that says a lot about the guy

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Rainbow stripes on the yellow jersey
nice

 

[Galic Ho]

Didn't see much of Sky's run. Did Wiggins not do any work then?

Wigans did most of the work. Thomas chipped in as well.

 

[The Sheep]

the surprise was URAN holding on to the big diesels-that says a lot about the guy

Uran has a good TT

 

[Jamsque]

Amazing how close it was at the top today.

 

[Ferminal]

Amazing how close it was at the top today.

Indeed, after all that, the top 25 are separated by 12s, across 6 or 7 teams.

 

[Gubby Allen]

what bookie do you quote / use..

That was on bet 365.

When BMC were on the ramp they were 300/1, same OPL at that time.