Tour de France: Stage 20 Rambouillet - Paris Champs-Élysées 120km

[piemonster]

only blind people couldnt see that sagan was way faster than cav...the slovak is gonna become a superstar in the future

Your missing the point, it doesn't matter if he's the fastest. If he leaves himself out of contention for the win with poor positioning he's not going to win.

You can't just be fast, you have to be smart!

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I just rewatched the sprint several times (on a very crappy youtube upload) and I don't know how you can say Sagan was the fastest. I'm not sure where Sagan was around the curve, but he was two bike lengths behind Cav since at least ~150 metres from the finish and didn't manage to make up more than one bike length, despite having Goss' and then Cav's wheel and despite Cav already having been in the sprint several hundred metres. He just didn't have the legs.

And awesome pull by Wiggins, wasn't just for show, he gave it all he had.

Yup, Wiggins showed the importance of that 3rd man role in the sprints. Sky as usual went too early and were pushed out, but if you have a Wiggins, or a Martin in that role they can turn the afterburners on for 500m and pull you right back to where you want to be.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

only blind people couldnt see that sagan was way faster than cav...

Sagan finished faster than Cav but if he was faster than he would have won, right?

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

Sagan finished faster than Cav but if he was faster than he would have won, right?

I think that's the rocket science!

 

[piemonster]

Sagan finished faster than Cav but if he was faster than he would have won, right?

...........

 

[mscaviy2601]

This Sagan is faster than Cavendish trope is about as ridiculous as the anti-Sky lobby have got this tour. When you are beaten by about four bike lengths, you are most certainly not the fastest.

The tin-foil hat wearing anti-Sky lobby are just embarrassing themselves now as they've done throughout the tour. But then they won't be reading this because they'll all be in the clinic whining and collectively crying about the ruination of their sport.

Top two on the podium, six stage wins by three different riders, three stage wins in a row, winning the Champs Elysse and they still can't give credit where credit is due. One wonders how you impress this crowd. Win a stage once every three years but do it in an exciting manner presumably.

 

[aspider]

Your missing the point, it doesn't matter if he's the fastest. If he leaves himself out of contention for the win with poor positioning he's not going to win.

You can't just be fast, you have to be smart!

Smart or not smart,it`s all about experience,and Sagan is definitely not stupid,next year it`s going to be different,Cav is most likely gonna look at his back for great deal of the stages,heck I go even farther,in couple of years Sagan will be so fa ahead of peloton that the last kilometer in every stage he will walk to the finish line with bike on his back

 

[piemonster]

Is Sagan in this photo?

 

[DominicDecoco]

Oh, almost forgot this;

Congrats, Wiggins! Well done.

 

[stampedingviking]

So far for Sagan not being able to sprint. Cav will never win the green jersey again. As it should be.

Why is that? Don't you want the best sprinter to win?

 

[piemonster]

Smart or not smart,it`s all about experience,and Sagan is definitely not stupid,next year it`s going to be different,Cav is most likely gonna look at his back for great deal of the stages,heck I go even farther,in couple of years Sagan will be so fa ahead of peloton that the last kilometer in every stage he will walk to the finish line with bike on his back

There is no doubting the potential of Sagan, he's is a massive talent.

But, and this is key. But, we are talking about Stage 20 of the 2012 Tour De France. Not some imaginary possible future scenario.

 

[piemonster]

Oh, almost forgot this;

Congrats, Wiggins! Well done.

Almost forgot, well done Wiggo old boy

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

Why is that? Don't you want the best sprinter to win?

Green jersey is not for best sprinter per se but for the most consistent rider. Cav can get stage wins and intermediate points but Sagan can do those and get wins and points on stages that Cav won't contend.

However, El Pis hates Cav so would not pay too much attention to him

 

[aspider]

There is no doubting the potential of Sagan, he's is a massive talent.

But, and this is key. But, we are talking about Stage 20 of the 2012 Tour De France. Not some imaginary possible future scenario.

sure thing ,Cav deserved the win,I just got carried away as Sagan is from my country

 

[Finn84]

Btw, Hondo and Cherel (that AG2R rider in a crash) were able to finish. Good.

 

[spalco]

Btw, Hondo and Cherel (that AG2R rider in a crash) were able to finish. Good.

Any clue yet what happened? Did Hondo's fork break or something? Looked crazy.

 

[piemonster]

sure thing ,Cav deserved the win,I just got carried away as Sagan is from my country

Never would have guessed

He's been immense over this tour, very impressed.

I'd like to see him go for the Classics

 

[Dutchsmurf]

Sagan finished faster than Cav but if he was faster than he would have won, right?

There are lots of times in a sprint that the faster sprinter doesn't win. Sprinting is all about positioning too. Sagan was faster, there is no denying that. But when you have to start from that far back, that doesn't really matter.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Oh, almost forgot this;

Congrats, Wiggins! Well done.

Yesirree. Obviously for the the GC win, but also for leading out Cav like that! Wiggo led out so hard everyone was in the gutter just trying to hang on the wheel ahead. Then EBH finishes off the Sky leadout train... amazing. I don't recall seeing such a dominating leadout on the Champs. That win for Cav was literally handed to him by his team. This Sky team is stronger than the old Telekom days with Zabel and Ulle, even if Cav did not get the green jersey this year.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Oh look at all the newly registered succes-supporters who come in here acting smug. You never see them anytime around until this Tour. And then claim there's an anti-Sky lobby even against people who actually predicted the Sky domination for this Tour (like me).

Luckily experience learns these newly registered users will dissappear faster than the speed of light as soon as success starts to fade. As they are clearly not real cycling fans. They're just in for some british glory.

 

[piemonster]

There are lots of times in a sprint that the faster sprinter doesn't win. Sprinting is all about positioning too. Sagan was faster, there is no denying that. But when you have to start from that far back, that doesn't really matter.

Be good to see where Sagan was when Cav started the sprint, it seemed a long way out!?

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

There are lots of times in a sprint that the faster sprinter doesn't win. Sprinting is all about positioning too. Sagan was faster, there is no denying that. But when you have to start from that far back, that doesn't really matter.

Depends what you mean by faster. Who was faster over that distance or who was the fastest (as in top speed)?

EBH slowed down a fair bit earlier than I think Cav would have liked on the lead out. Therefore Cav had to go early. Sagan would have been able to slipstream and so as Cav tired towards the end Sagan would come on strong.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Be good to see where Sagan was when Cav started the sprint, it seemed a long way out!?

The gap at the end and the start was more or less identical.

As such anyone thinking they saw a massive speed difference is either deliberately, or stupidly, ignoring that they paced their efforts differently over the last 400m.

Given one rider was out front and 1 was receiving some amount of shade, I'm comfortable that Cav was the best there, even without his superior positioning.

Just need OPQS to ride to his rescue now.

 

[piemonster]

They're just in for some british glory.

Let's face it, British Glory on the road is a bloody novelty. We'll quiet down soon enough, the Olympics will beat out any enthusiasm I have for watching sport and I'll go back to running up and down hills in the mud and leave you alone.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Let's face it, British Glory on the road is a bloody novelty. We'll quiet down soon enough, the Olympics will beat out any enthusiasm I have for watching sport and I'll go back to running up and down hills in the mud and leave you alone.

You're a cyclocross pro?