Tour de France Stage 3 Wanze - Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, 207km

[Big GMaC]

Vino vino vino vino

 

[Scirea]

Glad Thor won it but Cancellara is ****ing serious? Stopped the racing yesterday then dragged Andy all the way to the finish line today?

 

[kurtinsc]

1. CANCELLARA Fabian 13 TEAM SAXO BANK 14h 54' 00"
2. THOMAS Geraint 39 SKY PRO CYCLING 14h 54' 23" + 00' 23"
3. EVANS Cadel 121 BMC RACING TEAM 14h 54' 39" + 00' 39"
4. HESJEDAL Ryder 54 GARMIN - TRANSITIONS 14h 54' 46" + 00' 46"
5. CHAVANEL Sylvain 131 QUICK STEP 14h 55' 01" + 01' 01"
6. SCHLECK Andy 11 TEAM SAXO BANK 14h 55' 09" + 01' 09"
7. HUSHOVD Thor 95 CERVELO TEST TEAM 14h 55' 19" + 01' 19"
8. VINOKOUROV Alexandre 9 ASTANA 14h 55' 31" + 01' 31"
9. CONTADOR Alberto 1 ASTANA 14h 55' 40" + 01' 40"
10. VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen 101 OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO 14h 55' 42" + 01' 42"
11. ROCHE Nicolas 81 AG2R LA MONDIALE 14h 55' 42" + 01' 42"
12. VAN SUMMEREN Johan 58 GARMIN - TRANSITIONS 14h 55' 47" + 01' 47"
13. MENCHOV Denis 191 RABOBANK 14h 55' 49" + 01' 49"
14. WIGGINS Bradley 31 SKY PRO CYCLING 14h 55' 49" + 01' 49"
15. MILLAR David 57 GARMIN - TRANSITIONS 14h 56' 06" + 02' 06"
16. KREUZIGER Roman 44 LIQUIGAS-DOIMO 14h 56' 24" + 02' 24"
17. SANCHEZ Luis-Leon 161 CAISSE D’EPARGNE 14h 56' 25" + 02' 25"
18. ARMSTRONG Lance 21 TEAM RADIOSHACK 14h 56' 30" + 02' 30"
19. LÖVKVIST Thomas 37 SKY PRO CYCLING 14h 56' 34" + 02' 34"
20. ROJAS Jose Joaquin 169 CAISSE D’EPARGNE 14h 56' 35" + 02' 35"
21. MARTIN Tony 115 TEAM HTC - COLUMBIA 14h 56' 35" + 02' 35"
22. DURAN AROCA Arkaitz 214 FOOTON-SERVETTO 14h 56' 49" + 02' 49"
23. MC EWEN Robbie 75 KATUSHA TEAM 14h 56' 52" + 02' 52"
24. LEIPHEIMER Levi 25 TEAM RADIOSHACK 14h 56' 53" + 02' 53"
25. MAASKANT Martijn 56 GARMIN - TRANSITIONS 14h 56' 57" + 02' 57"
26. FUGLSANG Jakob 14 TEAM SAXO BANK 14h 56' 58" + 02' 58"
27. BRAJKOVIC Janez 22 TEAM RADIOSHACK 14h 57' 00" + 03' 00"
28. ROGERS Michael 118 TEAM HTC - COLUMBIA 14h 57' 00" + 03' 00"
29. KLÖDEN Andréas 24 TEAM RADIOSHACK 14h 57' 01" + 03' 01"
30. RIBLON Christophe 89 AG2R LA MONDIALE 14h 57' 02" + 03' 02"

 

[Publicus]

Agreed. Unfortunately he popped at the end?

Cadel has said he has come in a bit under done so he may come into form like before.

I forsee evans being in yellow at morzine avoriaz

He didn't pop. He had a mechanical problem at the wrong time. No worries though, this weekend he'll make up some part of the differences gained today.

 

[scribe]

Shrek with a half a minute on Contador. This is gonna be very very interest.

 

[Francois the Postman]

BTW, I didn't think Gesink would even finish this stage. Chapeau to him.

I think he is a lot harder and tougher than some give him credit for. He has been riding through serious pain on several tough stages before. But indeed, hats off anyway if there is a hair fracture in his bone.

 

[sublimit]

Thomas hung on a bit at the end but that was down to Fabian pushing hard, 2 GC Behind cancellara.

Lance riding like a weekend warrior bouncing about everywhere.

 

[python]

i think it applies only crashes.

 

[labratty]

Yeah good ride by baby Schleck, although now I guess in the mountains Contador/Evans et all wont have to worry about the Schleck tag team.

That might actually help Andy if he keeps calm about it, more time watching the other GC guys, less time looking back down the hill for Frank

 

[frizzlefry]

Contador did not get a puncture. He just couldn't stay with the group when Vino stepped it up in the last 1k.

His rear tire punctured.

 

[sportzchick]

I don't see him losing the giro form, recovering, becoming under form and back to top form in such short amount of time.
The giro was so hard, I find it hard to believe.

he will have a good first 2 weeks imo, and then crack big.
excellent ride today.

your probally right BUT this stage may be a sign that Cadel's luck might finally change

That rainbow jersey has made him a changed man

 

[red_flanders]

Shrek with a half a minute on Contador. This is gonna be very very interest.

Definitely adds excitement. Glad to see it.

 

[pedaling squares]

Yea, Schlecklet, for all of his whining, had a great ride to finish where he did. Round 2, Andy...except for the fact that he just lost his climbing partner which very well could make a difference.

I wonder if Andy won't be better off not having to worry about his brother's fortunes as well as his own. Then again, no tag team attacks. Great ride by Andy the whiner, typical ride by Frank the faller.

What a ride by Ryder. Impressive!

 

[ak-zaaf]

Any word on Rodriguez?

 

[Mellow Velo]

puncture for Contador at the end confirmed..

And that would be smart - doesnt AC get the same time as the group he was with?? (last 3k?)

Nope, crashes only....but who cares?

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Agreed. Vino was driving to minimize the gaps.

And that would be smart - doesnt AC get the same time as the group he was with?? (last 3k?)

 

[Cerberus]

Then you have to say the stage isn't fair.

And I guarantee you our resident troll wouldn't have been arguing the unfairness of it all had someone else punctured. Well many others did, but you didn't hear about that.

The course is the course. It's either a fair course for everyone or it isn't. I'll be Hushovd didn't find it unfair. Was it unfair that Contador punctured at the end?

No Contadors puncture wasn't fair either and yes, I'm not sold on cobbles in a GT. It's an exciting stage, but I don't think GT GC's should be settled by punctures (though of casue we don't know who will win by how much so it might not matter). Obviously it can happen even on non-cobbled stages, but the odds are much lower.

 

[Bernardus]

Yeah good ride by baby Schleck, although now I guess in the mountains Contador/Evans et all wont have to worry about the Schleck tag team.

Other GC riders should be more afraid of andy alone than the "schleck tag team". Last year Andy was holding back during some of the latter stages in order to get Fränk of the podium, now he won't have to.

 

[patrick767]

So, you don't like having the opposite to last year's stage 3 kicked in your face?
Tough, you were crowing then, you ain't crowing now.

Armstrong's big opening ends with him a minute down.
Enjoy the mountains.

What is wrong with you? The Armstrong hater obsession is so tiresome. Just watch the damn race. There's absolutely no similarity anyway. In stage 3 last year some riders were near the front when a break jumped out from the peleton as they hit different wind conditions. Contador wasn't there. For those that were, it was good strategic riding to take advantage of it. It bears absolutely no resemblance to a puncture on cobbles, which is essentially a random misfortune.

Some good riders lost time today because of events beyond their control. It happens, but it sucks to see significant time gaps among GC contenders determined that way.

 

[Publicus]

Shrek with a half a minute on Contador. This is gonna be very very interest.

It will be. But he is also missing Frank. Great ride by him today though. There is no lie in that.

 

[sometriguy]

And that would be smart - doesnt AC get the same time as the group he was with?? (last 3k?)

that's what i keep saying

 

[BroDeal]

That might actually help Andy if he keeps calm about it, more time watching the other GC guys, less time looking back down the hill for Frank

I think Andy will be better off being freed from concern about Frank's GC chances.

 

[Big GMaC]

Vino?

VIno?

VINo?

VINO VINO VINO!

 

[Scirea]

Contador did not get a puncture. He just couldn't stay with the group when Vino stepped it up in the last 1k.

He had trouble with his bike for sure.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I don't see him losing the giro form, recovering, becoming under form and back to top form in such short amount of time.
The giro was so hard, I find it hard to believe.

he will have a good first 2 weeks imo, and then crack big.
excellent ride today.

We'll see. Go the Dutch in the Soccer. Where was gesink?

Hey, Cuddles rode a good race too. Good on him!

Yes, but I don't want to be an arrogant *** and boast about it. Trust me, do not ever underestimate the man from barwon Heads. He is a class act and will conted for victory. AC still the fav.