Tour de France Stage 4: Lorient - Mur de Bretagne - 172.5 km

[The Hitch]

Chapeau to Hushovd - ride of the day and of course to Evans.

Amazing to see sprinters outclimb Andy Schleck and gesink. Hope to see more of that in the mountains.

Sammy Sanchez can thank Hushovd for not losing time today. He would have come in with Andy if he hadn't had Hushovd's wheel on the steepest part and when Hushovd closed the gap to the front group at the false flat.

It doesnt really matter whether Sammy Sanchez loses time or not.

 

[Angliru]

Sorry. It was a typo. I never meant their comments was strange but rather that Liggetts and Sherwens were.

If "All Americans root for the underdog" (which i by no means thinks) as Polish said then Liggetts/Sherwens rather stranger commentary would make no sense at all given what he said. Your quote here was my answer to him.

I think you have right though, that many former LA-fans has gone over to Schlecks side, but how does that make a revenge for what happened 2009? Or is the possible defeat of AC revenge enough?

Sorry for many questions here (and a possible misunderstanding) but it is rather intresting.

That's it right there. Any failure by Contador is revenge for this bunch.

 

[jobiwan]

That's it right there. Any failure by Contador is revenge for this bunch.

No its not!!!! Schleck fans aren't all evil.

 

[kanari]

Rojas was very good as well. I think he'll win the green jersey for sure now, especially as his main competitors don't seem to go 100% for it.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Depends, a couple of proper sprints where he can only manage 5th or so could well hurt him with the increased gap between 1st and 2nd.

My rider of the day is Beñat Intxausti. Given the pain he was in yesterday (being fed like a baby by the team car since he couldn't lift his arm to grab a musette) to finish in the 8 second group is pretty great.

 

[Cimber]

No its not!!!! Schleck fans aren't all evil.

LIES, your are all evil, and you all float down there!

This is Andy when he is off-camera :

 

[Sebastian]

Talk about biased idiots.

The jury that decides the combativty award... decided Jeremy Roy. 8 out of the 9 jury-members are French.

Hoogerland was furious: "I attacked, I took the sprint, i took the mountain points, i attacked again in the finale and i did the most work. And then they give the prize to Roy. Unbelievable! What do I have to do more??"

That prize is a joke. Yesterday Gutierrez was clearly the strongest guy in the break away but still the French rider got the prize. The commentator of Finnish Eurosport said exactly the same thing during todays stage as he said yesterday...surprisingly surprisinlgy the award has gone to the French rider and then he laugh...

Anyway. I dont know why Hoogerland should have got it. I would have gave it to the Euskatel rider who was clearly the strongest guy in the end.

 

[Andy99]

Just watched the re-live from earlier

Many congrats Cadel!

 

[jobiwan]

LIES, your are all evil, and you all float down there!

This is Andy when he is off-camera :

You almost just made me vomit. Now I'll get nightmares for about 2 weeks thanks to you.

 

[Cimber]

You almost just made me vomit. Now I'll get nightmares for about 2 weeks thanks to you.

Thats exactly how I will feel if Andy wins the Tour, hehe

 

[jobiwan]

Thats exactly how I will feel if Andy wins the Tour, hehe

Touchè.

 

[Lexman]

Rojas was very good as well. I think he'll win the green jersey for sure now, especially as his main competitors don't seem to go 100% for it.

Not sure, since Gilbert didn't win a second stage he will continue looking for new goals and the maillot vert might suite him, i'll see him get away in a break next week or so and take full points on the intermediate sprint, just like Hushovd does...

 

[Dedelou]

So where was Canc powering the Shelcks up the hill into the sky? Maybe he was too tired from the TTT?

i had expected Fabian to pull just a little longer, too. Things is, I am not sure if the Leopard are worried about the Tour second and third week and are trying to cope with the fact that first stage send winning fever among some who did not have hope and now are bursting the Tour open. AC move was on par with what you expect from him. A reminder he is there to win. I don't think he put himself in danger today, but I do think they all heard : "I am here "

 

[Dedelou]

Liggett and Sherwen live to trash Contador. Same with that other knucklehead Bob Roll.

well. Probably it delights the sponsors in the States and some rather strange riders on the week-end rides along the LIE, but thee make themselves sound so stupid , no wonder Versus trailer was put all the way at the end of the Press Parking Lot

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Chapeau to Hushovd - ride of the day and of course to Evans.

Amazing to see sprinters outclimb Andy Schleck and gesink. Hope to see more of that in the mountains.




It doesnt really matter whether Sammy Sanchez loses time or not.

You really lost all hope don't you?
Why? Last year Gesink was almsot 3 minutes behind before the first mt stage and finished 6th. As you said, Sanchez is stronger, so he can still finish top 5 right?

 

[mewmewmew13]

Fabu sounds as if he is somewhat ill...not 100% physically and unable to breathe well..

http://twitter.com/#!/f_cancellara

 

[Dedelou]

The climb was not long enough for anyone to gain significant time, but I do believe Contador felt his attack was going to be at the very least a show of force after the time he lost in the first two stages and possibly allow him to win the stage and take back a handful of seconds. It was great to see Contador putting in what looked to be a maximum effort and failing to put most of his rivals into difficulty.

Again I doubt this stage tells us much about what will happen in the mountains later in the tour where there is every chance Contador will dominate again as he has in the past. I'm just disgusted with the handling of his doping case and the fact he is even in the race at all this year, I will be taking satisfaction from every setback Contador has along the way.

I am glad that the concept of "Innocent until proven guilty is alive and well. Sorry it doesn't live in your house." Probably misadventures are the only joy you will have in the event Contador finish this tour with a bigger margin than last year.

 

[Angliru]

No its not!!!! Schleck fans aren't all evil.

Of course, with yourself as the exception!

 

[Karl Max]

I think this finish is to hard for Hushovd , but he may surprise. If he can do what many people here thinks he is best at "wheelsuck" then he maybe abel to defend the yellow jersey . But I dont think he is that good wheelsucker so he will probably loose it today.

I am happy to see that Hushovds wheelsucking finally pays off, and that he surprised like I was hoping to. Now I think he will be able to keep the jersey till Saturday, then he will for sure lose it.

Strong preformans by Cadel, happy to see him take this win. Hope he do well in the overall, he really deserves to be up there at the end. It would be great to see him win it all but i think this will be hard for him, dont think his team is strong enough in the monutains.

 

[Dedelou]

"""""Originally Posted by No_Balls
What the hell is that suppose to mean?"""""

It means that Andy is a hard-working, humble cyclists who gives his all and never takes the short-cut. His high cadence and preparation makes him a winner, unlike some of the others in the Tour.

I thought it was the consequences of selling his mind to Paul and Phil so he can have the retirement money his legs and gears shifting won't secure

 

[Wergeland]

I am happy to see that Hushovds wheelsucking finally pays off, and that he surprised like I was hoping to. Now I think he will be able to keep the jersey till Saturday, then he will for sure lose it.

Thor didn't wheelsuck today. Sammy Sanchez sucked Thors wheel on the steep part and on the flat when Hushovd himself closed the gap to the front group.

 

[kurtinsc]

Rojas was very good as well. I think he'll win the green jersey for sure now, especially as his main competitors don't seem to go 100% for it.

Not sure I agree with that. Rojas is not ahead by a huge amount over either Thor or Farrar, but both seem to be alternating in terms of the sprints. He's got a shot because they seem to be splitting the opportunities for points... but I wouldn't be suprised if either or both finish ahead of him for the sprints.

 

[Polish]

You definitely are not and will never ever be speaking for me so let me make that clear. I doubt your point of view is representative of "All Americans" otherwise based on your posts we're just a bunch of vapid fanboys with minimal knowledge of the sport.

So you are indicating that not ALL Amercans can recognize hyberbole and sarcasm
when it bites them in the ****.

Sure, I can agree with that.

But you do like PouPou right?

That's it right there. Any failure by Contador is revenge for this bunch.

+1.
Spot on
That whole "bunch" thing.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

That's it right there. Any failure by Contador is revenge for this bunch.

The inverse is also true. There are many people who like Contador because they associate him with the failure of that other guy. Despite themselves, the fanboys of Contador remind me very strongly of the much despised fanboys of whatever his name was.

 

[Deagol]

I can't put my finger on why all what you say is so. I totally agree with you BTW.

Is this really all about Armstrong's petty little war with AC that year? Why do all the Armstrong fans go to Schleck? The english thing has to be part of it. Then they're all being trained by P&P that Contador is bad. I just can't figure the chicken and egg of it all.

It seems like if this were 100% the case, then LA fans would flock to Leipheimer, though ???

I don't claim to know the answer.

Maybe they feel AS has a better chance then Levi, though.

If you were a LA fan and are now “supposed to be” a AS fan, does that also mean that if you can’t stand LA, then you are supposed to be a Contador fan? What if you used to be a LA fan but now can’t stand him- but are not super fond of AC, either ????

.... There are many people who like Contador because they associate him with the failure of that other guy. Despite themselves, the fanboys of Contador remind me very strongly of the much despised fanboys of whatever his name was.

I think you said it best....