Tour de France Stage 3: Olonne-sur-Mer - Redon (198 km)

[pedaling squares]

NOT A HAPPY CAVENDISH.

He very likely has a point today, but it strikes me that we have NOT A HAPPY CAVENDISH every time he doesn't win a sprint. Either he is the most frequently wronged rider on earth, he thrives on controversy, or he's a bit of a baby. At least he looked fast at the finish and managed to salvage as many points as he could.

 

[hfer07]

Congrats to Farrar - a lovely remembering of 108 WW.

apart from that I'm curious about why the peloton is riding so nervous-I know this takes place in the first stages, but currently it seems to me like a nerve wrecking & anxiety taking over the entire time.....

 

[auscyclefan94]

Cav and Thor declassified from the intermediate sprint.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Cav's comments on Feillu are just ridiculous. When not winning he's such a jerk.

Oh, tbh, when winning he's a jerk, too.

 

[roundabout]

Cav and Thor declassified from the intermediate sprint.

What did Thor do?

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Cav and Thor declassified from the intermediate sprint.

Great! And the right decision.

 

[canyonball]

They must have seen something I didn't. Cav leaned on Hushovd. Minutes later they were talking like nothing happened. Why would the comissaires do that? If anything they would DQ Cav.

 

[kanari]

That declassification is ridiculous IMO. Happens worse stuff almost every sprint...

 

[jobiwan]

Cav and Thor declassified from the intermediate sprint.

That's ridiculous IMO.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I guess I'd have to wait for someone to upload the video, but that's definitely not the way I saw it.

Maybe "handed to" is a colloquial expression you shouldn't take literally. Now there's a thought.

Also, the "deal with it" bit - you're arguing this point as if those who disagree with you were mad at Garmin for winning or as if they were emotionally involved in any way. I'm not. If anything, I like Farrar better than most of the guys who got caught behind.

²

10 charachters

 

[FabulousCandelabra]

it's awesome that garmin won their first sprint, very happy for them, but I do want to see the garmin train go head to head with the htc train, and i want to see them win it in a manner where there is no debate as to who was stronger and smarter.

 

[goggalor]

Cavendish clearly has great form, he won the intermediate sprint with ease and closed up to fifth place despite being 50 meters behind after the corner. If he gets in a good position to sprint I'm sure he'll have no trouble passing Farrar.

He got on EBH's wheel after the corner, and held it for quite a while before he launched his "sprint" at maybe 200-300 to go. Still impressive, though.

 

[Peccio89]

Are you aware that Farrar has beaten them both in the Giro and the Vuelta, along with wins in other races?

Oh yes it happened twice since Farrar became a top sprinter in the last 3 years, the first time at Tirreno Adriatico in 2009; but in a GT stage only in last year Vuelta, stage 5 where Cav had to sprint form -350 and basicly lead out Farrar. So well yes i would like to see him outsprint Cav in a close sprint, but i don't think that he is there yet.

 

[Descender]

Watch out for Rojas for the overall green jersey.

He made the longest sprint today and wasn't slower than Farrar, and is the best climber of them all bar perhaps Hushovd.

 

[William H]

What did Thor do?

Attempt to barge Cavendish off the wheel. Both relegations are ridiculous, but it's a great result for Thor's team.

 

[San Carlo]

Hushovd- I did nothing wrong, and Cavendish did nothing wrong. So I don't agree. Merry Christmas.

 

[Trond Vidar]

That declassification is ridiculous IMO. Happens worse stuff almost every sprint...

Hushovd just said On Norwegian TV2 that he did not agree with the decision. "Neither Cav or myself did anything wrong"

 

[Maxiton]

Cav is faster, but Petacchi is washed up. Time for the glue factory there, so in a true sprint, Tyler will do fine against him.

I guess you don't watch the Giro?

 

[Archibald]

okay, somewhat confused here, but haven't seen the footage yet.

CN ticker had Renshaw on the front with Cav at the lantern rouge, then results showing Renshaw at 1:11 in position 170-something. Petacchi was on Cav's wheel just prior and finished 161st!
are the results on CN just botched or did both riders finish like steven bradbury and on their ar$es?

 

[spanky wanderlust]

awesome result!

great win today by tyler! big stage, prestigious and emotional victory. man, oh man! is garmin cervelo having a big first week, or what?

and thanks to the haters for waiting 2 whole pages before trying to discredit the win by the american. that must have been hard for you.

all i'm going to say about it is that there is more that goes into winning a tour stage than pure finishing speed. and tyler had all the pieces in place. he's a great rider with a strong team/ds and much deserves the win.

 

[kanari]

Love this pic!

 

[More Strides than Rides]

it's awesome that garmin won their first sprint, very happy for them, but I do want to see the garmin train go head to head with the htc train, and i want to see them win it in a manner where there is no debate as to who was stronger and smarter.

Races are only rankings of that days circumstances. It is way too difficult to work in absolutes of who is stronger and smarter.

Today's result only proves that garmin is a better team on stages that are 198k, 3 days in to a tour, the day after a morale victory,with a sharp left hand, on a winner's national holiday.........



Its early, but I'm very eager to watch the Green Jersey competition develop. I think I like the new set up as far as watching races, but will need a few more contests to see how it effects scoring. Finally, Garmin is showing the combativity we all expected would come in the spring, which excites me.

 

[spalco]

Cav and Thor declassified from the intermediate sprint.

Riduculous. Cavendish is never going to lose his persecution complex if he's actually being persecuted.

 

[Archibald]

all i'm going to say about it is that there is more that goes into winning a tour stage than pure finishing speed. and tyler had all the pieces in place. he's a great rider with a strong team/ds and much deserves the win.

"I love it when a plan comes together!"

 

[Eyeballs Out]

okay, somewhat confused here, but haven't seen the footage yet.

CN ticker had Renshaw on the front with Cav at the lantern rouge, then results showing Renshaw at 1:11 in position 170-something. Petacchi was on Cav's wheel just prior and finished 161st!
are the results on CN just botched or did both riders finish like steven bradbury and on their ar$es?

Petacchi got hopelessly out of position coming into the final bend, then had to break or go into the barriers on the final corner so just sat up after that. Boonen unclipped on the final corner and finished with Petacchi

Renshaw freewheeled the last 600m so it's probably correct