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

[Thee_chisa]

I thought I saw the race director pulling alongside Chavanel after the crash and talking to him? Anyone hear what was said?

hurry up! put some effort in and we may get a french maillot jaune for a couple of days!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Versus never really gave me a good idea of who was in what group after the crashes.

I know you had a few riders up the road, then a chase group with Cancelera in it.

The next group contained Lance, the one after that had Contador, then some distance back was the Saxo group.

I think Contador may have dropped back for a bike change though, as the TV did show him reconnect with lance's group.

My big question... who was in that first chase group with Spartacus? Were there any GC guys there at all?

Guys I spotted in the Spartacus group: Hushovd, Wegmann, Gerdemann, Gutiérrez, Sánchez (Luis Leon), Menchov.

 

[old_bram]

Might be a bit longer, depends on how much time is lost when Cancellara leads the rest of the Peloton pushing their bikes over the damp cobbles.

 

[Christian]

Yes. I read lips, and he told him to put down the pedal, because this is the last opportunity a Frenchman is gonna get on GC.

Well plus this is more than Quick Step could have ever dreamed of. Their TdF is already a complete success, doesn't matter what happens after today.

 

[staubsauger]

what should i say about this tdf stage, and the reaction of the riders?

well

this race is just the tdf not the giro everybody who rode the way to montalcino would have laughed today about this decision.

 

[scribe]

Well plus this is more than Quick Step could have ever dreamed of. Their TdF is already a complete success, doesn't matter what happens after today.

tomorrow will be interesting. I wonder if Canc. can put the hammer down hard enough to get that time back.

 

[search]

When did I ever say he did?

I thought you referred to the liquigas riders

possibly I shoud have quoted someone else, doesn't matter anyway

 

[bobs nob]

tomorrow will be interesting. I wonder if Canc. can put the hammer down hard enough to get that time back.

I would think his 1st obligation is to the Schlecks. So, no, I doubt it. Unless he can satisfy the 1st obligation AND put the hammer down.

On a totally off topic note (since this thread is probably winding down), picking on a competing forum. I dropped into rbr. They have yet to get 100 posts on this stage. (83 at the moment) CN is closing in on 800, plus about 5 other threads spawned in the aftermath of the stage.

 

[scribe]

I would think his 1st obligation is to the Schlecks. So, no, I doubt it. Unless he can satisfy the 1st obligation AND put the hammer down.

On a totally off topic note (since this thread is probably winding down), picking on a competing forum. I dropped into rbr. They have yet to get 100 posts on this stage. (83 at the moment) CN is closing in on 800, plus about 5 other threads spawned in the aftermath of the stage.

There is nothing Cancellara can do to drag the Shreks over the cobbles. They're gonna have to do that themselves.

 

[Thee_chisa]

tomorrow will be interesting. I wonder if Canc. can put the hammer down hard enough to get that time back.

after his loyal support today if he leaves the schlecks then we can see who was really behind the decision to pedal piano

 

[Thee_chisa]

There is nothing Cancellara can do to drag the Shreks over the cobbles. They're gonna have to do that themselves.

i bet he could put andy over his back and still get top 10 on the day

 

[hrotha]

Where is it reported that a motorcycle did this? Sounds like an awful lot of oil to do that much damage.

Everybody assumes it was the crashed motorbike but honestly I don't see how it could have spilled all that oil to cover a good 300 meters of road. I thought the motorbike went off the road almost immediately after Gavazzi's crash?

 

[reubenr]

I thought I saw the race director pulling alongside Chavanel after the crash and talking to him? Anyone hear what was said?

No, but he was probably telling him that the race was going to be neutralized and that he would be declared the winner of the stage, assuming he remained on his bike to the end. But one never knows.

As for everything else, I would say this: I feel bad for Mr. Hushovd but not real bad, since if he had gotten his way, the race for the "green jersey" would be over after Stage 2 and the GC would be half the competitive event that we had all hoped. I think, Cancellara should get kudos for his leadership, even if it benefited his teammates as much as anyone.

Frankly, thus far the TDF is a bust. In Stage 1, I mean, they all fell down. How disappointing. If I was Cavendish, I would be complaining how a Lampre guy leaned in to him and caused him to go down, giving Petacci (this is not the first time he waits in the wings) an open road of sorts to take an very unexciting win, which wound up looking more like potato sack race for toddlers. Right now the TDF is a disaster. If it rains tomorrow and everyone falls down on the pave what are we going to think? 1. Cycling is a contact sport? 2. It is good to see you favorite cyclist seriously injured? 3. It is good to see your least favorite cyclist seriously injured (Unless it's u know who)? Do we need all this spectacle? Isn't 2500 km, a lot of climbs, some flats, and some bad weather enough for everyone? I'm with the people who feel that this trend to want to go back in time to when there were no electronic tools for coaches to use during the actual stage event is sheer stupidity in an age when the tools of the cyclist have increased 100 fold.

 

[bobs nob]

There is nothing Cancellara can do to drag the Shreks over the cobbles. They're gonna have to do that themselves.

The Shreks. I see what you did there.

We'll see if he tries to help them tomorrow.

 

[scribe]

The Shreks. I see what you did there.

We'll see if he tries to help them tomorrow.

Guys on this forum are gonna get their knickers in a huge bunch if Canc does what he was doing in the spring. Frankly, if I was Riis, I would absolutely send him on a break tomorrow with the thought of stage win and yellow jersey back. Saxo has enough guns to see the Shreks along after they depart the cobbles. Plus, they can always suck on Contador's wheel because you know he will be desperately dragging on Armstrong's, if possible.

 

[kurtinsc]

Guys on this forum are gonna get their knickers in a huge bunch if Canc does what he was doing in the spring. Frankly, if I was Riis, I would absolutely send him on a break tomorrow with the thought of stage win and yellow jersey back. Saxo has enough guns to see the Shreks along after they depart the cobbles. Plus, they can always suck on Contador's wheel because you know he will be desperately dragging on Armstrong's, if possible.

I don't think QS would let Spartacus go (if you mean go on the early break). Breschel maybe. He's 20 minutes down already.

 

[bobs nob]

Just watched the ending again. It still looks idiotic to not have the sprinters go at the end. The GC guys could have hung back. Just looks bad. FC appears to have misplaced some anger or disgust or whatever. Something was on the road. They waited for GC guys, but beyond that....why?

 

[scribe]

Just watched the ending again. It still looks idiotic to not have the sprinters go at the end. The GC guys could have hung back. Just looks bad. FC appears to have misplaced some anger or disgust or whatever. Something was on the road. They waited for GC guys, but beyond that....why?

What's fair, once everyone has decided to stop racing? How do you decide to/when start racing again?

 

[bobs nob]

What's fair, once everyone has decided to stop racing? How do you decide to/when start racing again?

Isn't that for the guys in the race to decide? I think it is quite clear to not contest it to the end was a mistake. All I am saying is to let the sprinters sprint. The gc guys could all continue to soft pedal if that is their choice.

 

[Ripper]

Wow, crazy stage today. Oil on the decent ... many are lucky they were not injured worse, as oil slicks can send you just sailing at high speed into all sorts of bad things (cars, trees, barriers, over barriers ). Tomorrow's cobbles are going to feel even worse for most!

Too bad this ended VdV's race. So far 2010 has not been his year (so far)

On a slightly more positive note, nice to SC win on the the course (more or less) that took him out earlier this year. I reckon this makes his, Quick Step's, and pretty much France's TdF this year.

 

[flicker]

Obviously the crash was orchestrated by the Buyneel/Armstrong/Clique.
Oh those shack guys, knocking out the competetors.... oh the horror

 

[180mmCrank]

Isn't that for the guys in the race to decide? I think it is quite clear to not contest it to the end was a mistake. All I am saying is to let the sprinters sprint. The gc guys could all continue to soft pedal if that is their choice.

I assume Cancellara et al wanted to give as many folk as possible the chance to get back into the main group or at least minimise their losses. Nobody wants the most important race of the year decided bacause of a crash that was caused by oil on the road.

I am a little puzzled (just as many posting here are) as to why there is so much concern about the course itself If it hadn't rained would there have been a problem? (with the oil yes but with the route?). I know it's narrow and twisty but...

It seems to me that the riders are not all agreed about that some feel it was inappropraite others seem fine about it.

We'll see what happens tomorrow!

 

[Thee_chisa]

I assume Cancellara et al wanted to give as many folk as possible the chance to get back into the main group or at least minimise their losses. Nobody wants the most important race of the year decided bacause of a crash that was caused by oil on the road.

I am a little puzzled (just as many posting here are) as to why there is so much concern about the course itself If it hadn't rained would there have been a problem? (with the oil yes but with the route?). I know it's narrow and twisty but...

It seems to me that the riders are not all agreed about that some feel it was inappropraite others seem fine about it.

We'll see what happens tomorrow!

i think he tried to neutralise it as the schlecks seemed to be in real difficulty and may have lost time if they would have gone back to normal racing. that is what really aggrieves me, claiming it was a rider protest when in fact it was a saxo tactic to prevent their leaders from losing time. if they are in a bad way they are going to lose a lot of time tomorrow

 

[mowie133]

by the sounds of it only one rider is out not bad when you see how many went down...

 

[pedaling squares]

...If I was Cavendish, I would be complaining how a Lampre guy leaned in to him and caused him to go down, giving Petacci (this is not the first time he waits in the wings) an open road of sorts to take an very unexciting win...

According to Cav's DS Rolf Aldag, Cav caused the crash by rubbing a teammate's wheel.