Tour de France Stage 2 Brussels - Spa, 192 km Monday, July 5 2010

[Roland Rat]

If there was oil on the descent, then it was right to wait for it to come back together. But it should then have been game on for the sprinters, no reason to soft tap all the way to the line.

 

[auscyclefan94]

#TdF Stage 2: @CadelOfficial, @ghincapie and Santambrogio crashed and have road rash, but nothing broken. #procycling

I think Cavendish caused this by forcing a vehicle to crash and hence the oil spill!

 

[Cowgirlup]

So anyone know which GC wannabes hit the ground?

AC - Maybe?

Cadel - definitely - Has bruising unsure of road rash

Basso ??

LA - Definitely - hit it hard by the sounds of hit tweets

Andy - Defintely - could be badly injured

Frank ???

Sastre ???


Menchov ???


Wiggins ???

Vino ???

 

[pedaling squares]

I know that Phil and Paul aren't the most popular announcers on this forum, but even Phil was trashing the riders for their refusal to ride at the end. He basically said that they shouldn't neutralize the sprint or the stage as this is bike racing and people fall.

I'm with Phil on this one. It didn't bother me to see the peleton brought back together but I hated the last few km's. No reason not to sprint it out.

 

[auscyclefan94]

So anyone know which GC wannabes hit the ground?

AC - Maybe?

Cadel - definitely - Has bruising unsure of road rash

Basso ??

LA - Definitely - hit it hard by the sounds of hit tweets

Andy - Defintely - could be badly injured

Frank ???

Sastre ???


Menchov ???


Wiggins ???

Vino ???

I am pretty sure everyone who was near the front did. AlC would of as why would of he been caught behind if he was near the front?

Cadel tweets

@CaRTimeY I think there was oil or something slippery on the road: It's not normal that, bikes, moto's cars AND pedestrians all slip A.U

 

[hfer07]

I'm looking ahead tomorrow- and I only see two scenarios, based on what took place today:

*Quickstep having the MJ & a very experienced crew for the cobbles, can do some serious damage. the other team eager to go for a hard ride is the Shack, since LA didn't get hurt. Saxo looks like their going to go defensive, since the schleck are falling constantly & wouldn't want to risk the tour in that single stage- perhaps they'll send Cancellara to the front alone to either get the stage win or organize a protest if someone got hurt

*the whole damn stage will be neutralized.....

PS: BMC has the crew to pull some interesting result tomorrow

 

[hrotha]

Fränk looked way more hurt than Andy.

 

[Barrus]

I'd like to know the reason too. That seems very weak reason to me. I guess Evans, Menchov and Gesink could have taken 2 or 3 minutes to Armstrong and Contador and maybe 4 or 5 to the Schlecks...

I think I'm beginning to hate Cancellara, who looked the instigator of the protest.

No don't think Evans andthe Raboboys would have taken that much time, RS, SKy and Liquigas were pulling hard to close the gap, they probably would have been within the minute. The Schleck however would have been a different story, just before their regroup with the slowed peloton were alone, had no helpers anymore, if I am correct, or else only had one or two left, they would've lost major time and power for tomorrow.

But still does anyone have any indication for the exact reason for the protest, because if it's oil, or dangerous riding from the motors, I can understand it, if it is the course, it's bullcrap as this is often rode with around 200 riders and can't be considered especially dangerous

 

[icefire]

It's ironic that 11 years ago (as of today) nobody waited in the Passage du Gois. I'm just wondering what would have happened today if certain Texan rider would have been in the front group. What can we expect tomorrow? What can we expect in the coming days? Sprinters going not too fast? Climbers not attacking too much in the mountains? TdF director should apply some exemplary punishment on Mr 'My engine is my legs'

 

[Publicus]

AC went down too.

 

[DamonAlbarn]

Exactly

Cancellara played his cards well. More fool the rest of the peloton for listening to him. Perhaps they should have grown a pair and simply said F&^K YOU Spartacus! We're going to sprint for the points because we also came here for a jersey. You've got your win and yellow, let us have ours.

Alas. That did not happen. It takes two to tango ACF94. The other riders should have made a stand. I was surprised Rabo, Euskatel and Evans did not try and set the pace. They could have gained a minute on LA, AC and Wigans. Silly boys.

Cancellara took opportunity of the confusion and strangely noone put their foot down.

 

[Big GMaC]

I'm looking ahead tomorrow- and I only see two scenarios, based on what took place today:

*Quickstep having the MJ & a very experienced crew for the cobbles, can do some serious damage.

I want to see this. Is Chavenel their possible GC man? I know none of them are good climbers, but if they kill it this week?

 

[auscyclefan94]

I'm looking ahead tomorrow- and I only see two scenarios, based on what took place today:

*Quickstep having the MJ & a very experienced crew for the cobbles, can do some serious damage. the other team eager to go for a hard ride is the Shack, since LA didn't get hurt. Saxo looks like their going to go defensive, since the schleck are falling constantly & wouldn't want to risk the tour in that single stage- perhaps they'll send Cancellara to the front alone to either get the stage win or organize a protest if someone got hurt

*the whole damn stage will be neutralized.....

PS: BMC has the crew to pull some interesting result tomorrow

I agree they could rip it up but i think it will be a quiet day as teams may not want to race.

LA has some bad abrasisn
http://www.livestrong.com/teamradioshack/video_lance-armstrong-reacts-stage-2/2e945df4-d7ee-4ed7-ace1-2b502ffc9369/

 

[Barrus]

From my tv commentators:

So anyone know which GC wannabes hit the ground?

AC - Maybe?

Cadel - definitely - Has bruising unsure of road rash

Basso- did probably fall

LA - Definitely - hit it hard by the sounds of hit tweets

Andy - Defintely - could be badly injured

Frank - almost definitely had a crash

Sastre ???


Menchov - probably not


Wiggins ???

Vino ???

 

[Dr. Maserati]

If there was oil on the descent, then it was right to wait for it to come back together. But it should then have been game on for the sprinters, no reason to soft tap all the way to the line.

Agree - one also has to consider that with so many crashing there would have been total confusion amongst the riders - even for those who did not fall.

Unless right at the front you would not know where you are in relation to your teammates and if they had or had not crashed. Even with radios it would take time to sort it out.

So I understand why there was a willingness to 'wait & see' - but once the groups were established it should have been back to racing.
If Canc was worried about AS he could have gone back and helped Jens.

 

[DamonAlbarn]

Perhaps we all could learn from this?

if it's a particular bad chat day with utter garbage being posted, we could let the elders of the chat page neutralise the whole tread.

Mods? Eh? What's a mod?
Oh!

 

[Mellow Velo]

Wiggins yes, I think.
Vino, I believe not.
Just watched what bits Eurosport caught again.
1st off the descent Canc, 2nd Hushovd.
About 5 back from that, it was an Astana rider, style of Vino, but it was a heli shot.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

AC- definately
http://tweetphoto.com/30986907

 

[auscyclefan94]

Everyone did!

 

[Rocksteady]

If Canc was worried about AS he could have gone back and helped Jens.

He didn't need to go help. It was JENS!

Killing one's self for others= Awesome.

 

[hrotha]

I want to see this. Is Chavenel their possible GC man? I know none of them are good climbers, but if they kill it this week?

Chavanel isn't supposed to be in a particularly good condition, what with his huge crash.

They'd need to completely obliterate the peloton tomorrow to pull it off.

 

[auscyclefan94]

If everybody crashed, why was A schleck so far behind?

 

[Cowgirlup]

Originally Posted by Cowgirlup
So anyone know which GC wannabes hit the ground?

AC - definitely - road rash

Cadel - definitely - Has bruising unsure of road rash

Basso- did probably fall

LA - Definitely - hit it hard by the sounds of hit tweets

Andy - Defintely - could be badly injured

Frank - almost definitely had a crash

Sastre ???


Menchov - probably not


Wiggins - yes

Vino ???


After watching that video of Lance someone posted earlier, it sounds like nearly everyone hit the deck at some stage and there was def something on the road.

 

[hrotha]

If everybody crashed, why was A schleck so far behind?

He was more hurt than others, and he had to wait ages until Breschel showed up and gave him his bike.

 

[Cowgirlup]

If everybody crashed, why was A schleck so far behind?

From what I saw, Andy's bike was damaged so he had to wait for a replacement plus he looked kind of dazed like he was worried his shoulder was broken. (from the way he was holding his arm)