Tour de France Stage 5: Epernay - Montargis, 185 km

[Cobblestones]

Stage 5 - Thursday, July 8 2010, Epernay - Montargis, Distance 185 km

I thought to start the new thread.

 

[stefrees]

EBH for the win, was boxed in today and looked to be the fastest in terms of speed.

Although I'd love to see a footon rider win from a breakaway

 

[Cobblestones]

EBH for the win, was boxed in today and looked to be the fastest in terms of speed.

Although I'd love to see a footon rider win from a breakaway

Ah, Footon. They're fending off last place in the all important team classification by 2".

EBH is a good pick. It's also a longer stage than today.

 

[this_is_edie]

Hushovd for the win, He won't make the same mistake of taking Cav's wheel.

 

[nesocip]

Today Thor seemed to be lacking power completely, it was more that then the wrong wheel. He gave up 100m from the finish, which is a bit strange considering he is chasing that green jersey hard. I actually thought he unclipped at first glance, but that wasnt the case.

Id love to see Robbie take a stage win in what is probably his last TdF.

 

[The Hitch]

think cav isnt ready yet, possibly stage 6 but not 5
Freire likewise- though for different reasons.
Hushovd isnt the best in bunch sprints
between ebh and Pettachi. Id say pettachi since his team is behind him and he has been very impressive

 

[Carl0880]

Petacchi looks really in form so he is odds on favorite for today, i believe its a similiar slightly uphill drag to the finish line like yesterday.

Just a note, at the end of today will mark Cancellara's 20th stage finishing in yellow. This puts him second all time in terms of number of yellow jersey worn by a rider who has never won a GC. He only trails Rene Vietto, who had 31 days in yellow. 1939 he had it for 14 stages, and in 1947 he had it for 17 stages. Cancellara is tied with 3 riders at 19, Rudi Altig, Dietrich Thurau, and A. Darrigade.

 

[Cobblestones]

Petacchi looks really in form so he is odds on favorite for today, i believe its a similiar slightly uphill drag to the finish line like yesterday.

Just a note, at the end of today will mark Cancellara's 20th stage finishing in yellow. This puts him second all time in terms of number of yellow jersey worn by a rider who has never won a GC. He only trails Rene Vietto, who had 31 days in yellow. 1939 he had it for 14 stages, and in 1947 he had it for 17 stages. Cancellara is tied with 3 riders at 19, Rudi Altig, Dietrich Thurau, and A. Darrigade.

Last 5 km are dead flat according to the TdF website.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Sounds like another yawner.

 

[Rocksteady]

Dean/Hunter to try again and get a win. Hunter could have won today. Was coming fast but ran out of real estate.

 

[the vagabond]

Petacchi looks really in form so he is odds on favorite for today,

No one is ever odds-on favorite in a stage of a bike race. Odds-on favorite means that given a betting choice between one rider and the entire field, you choose the one rider.

 

[hrotha]

I wouldn't be surprised if Cavendish pulled it off tomorrow. Yes, he was awful today, but he's a *** and I'm sure he'll get his revenge on everybody one of these days.

So either he'll win, or, you know, massive crash.

 

[roundabout]

Too bad there's likely to be no wind. Plenty of open terrain to liven the stage up.

 

[ttrider]

Cav got a terrible lead out today....the lampre who went early distracted renshaw who took it up with a km to go as a result he ran out of gas early due to this meaning Cavendish had to slow down, on last years form you would expect him to take it but no, very good tactics from Lampre absolute full marks!

Pettachi very impressive but also the Garmin "lead out men" to simply awesome
Can see it between Dean EBH and pettachi with ale jet as favorite,
Surprised by how bad Hushovd is hes really slow these days

 

[Eyeballs Out]

No one is ever odds-on favorite in a stage of a bike race. Odds-on favorite means that given a betting choice between one rider and the entire field, you choose the one rider.

Ever ? Last year in every flattish stage of a bike race ... well ... given the choice between one rider and the entire field - I choose Cavendish

Tomorrow I'd say Petacchi vs the field is a good match

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Cav got a terrible lead out today....the lampre who went early distracted renshaw who took it up with a km to go as a result he ran out of gas early due to this meaning Cavendish had to slow down

That Lampre rider was Hondo, and he just did on his own what the entire péloton failed to do all of 2009, which is make a complete mess of HTC's plans. If Cav had to slow down, so did everybody else seeing as with 200m to go Renshaw was on the front with Cav in his wheel.

on last years form you would expect him to take it but no, very good tactics from Lampre absolute full marks!

Pettachi very impressive but also the Garmin "lead out men" to simply awesome
Can see it between Dean EBH and pettachi with ale jet as favorite,
Surprised by how bad Hushovd is hes really slow these days

I'd be surprised if Dean can compete for it over 3 weeks but EBH could get into the breaks in week 2 which could make a difference. Hushovd is just coming off a broken collarbone, he's hardly had any sprint training, so just you wait. He'll get better. He was hindered today by being in Cav's wheel, which any other time would have been the best place to be, but today it just ruined things.

 

[Highlander]

I just want EBH, Petacchi, Thor, and Freire to finish in the top 4 - it doesn't matter what the order is as I picked them for my fantasy team.

 

[jaylew]

Petacchi looks really in form so he is odds on favorite for today,

No one is ever odds-on favorite in a stage of a bike race. Odds-on favorite means that given a betting choice between one rider and the entire field, you choose the one rider.

I would disagree with that. I can think of several times over the years where I would've taken one rider over the field. Mostly hard mountain top finishes and TTs, but even a few sprint stages.

 

[Thee_chisa]

yawn, wake me up on saturday

 

[joy118118]

yesterday HTC was not bad. It was cavendish's speed that was not enough. why blame HTC？

Hondo is strong and clever this year. today will give ale-jet another win.

EBH?will he try to change his route again and block ale-jet? Maybe a good idea for him

 

[Scirea]

No one is ever odds-on favorite in a stage of a bike race. Odds-on favorite means that given a betting choice between one rider and the entire field, you choose the one rider.

There are odds on favs in cycling races. Cancellara was an odds-on fav in Rotterdam for example.

 

[Scirea]

Cav got a terrible lead out today....the lampre who went early distracted renshaw who took it up with a km to go as a result he ran out of gas early due to this meaning Cavendish had to slow down, on last years form you would expect him to take it but no, very good tactics from Lampre absolute full marks!

Spot on mate. That happened with like 1200m to go, it was Hondo from Lampre. He got rid of Eisel and made Renshaw go way too early, killing any chance Columbia had basically.

 

[unsheath]

I just want EBH, Petacchi, Thor, and Freire to finish in the top 4 - it doesn't matter what the order is as I picked them for my fantasy team.

Damn Straight!!

Add to that Mondory the useless Donkey..

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like another yawner.

And it is exactly what all the yobbos who don't think cobbles should be in the race would have replaced stage 3 with.

That way the entire first week could have been phoned in.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

And it is exactly what all the yobbos who don't think cobbles should be in the race would have replaced stage 3 with.

That way the entire first week could have been phoned in.

Personally, I think every GT should include a stage like Monte Paschi or cobbles. If climbers want to weigh 125 soaking wet so they can fly up the mountain, well, they'll have to deal with the disadvantages on the cobbles. I don't get this idea that racing should only be done on perfect roads.