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

[Punter]

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.

Cav started yesterdays stage odds on in places and the best I saw was a shade over 1/1

 

[Kwibus]

Another bunchsprint. It's part of the TdF and that's fine. This way I don't have to watch every stage. Now I can just check every now and then and with 5-10km to go I watch. A bunchsprint is like the 100m sprint. Short but exciting

Petacchi looking really good so far, but now everyones focus was on Cavendish and this will change this stage. It's interesting to see who will win.
I'll put my money on EBH.

 

[Kwibus]

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.

I agree. Winning a GT isn't only about TT and climbing. From now on I'll cheer for every Strade Bianchi or cobblestone stage or whatever new challenge in a GT.
This will force the winner of the GT to be more versatile.

 

[ExRower]

I agree. Winning a GT isn't only about TT and climbing. From now on I'll cheer for every Strade Bianchi or cobblestone stage or whatever new challenge in a GT.
This will force the winner of the GT to be more versatile.

I agree with this. Makes Tour winners be a better cyclist overall, rather than "specialists".

 

[Tugboat]

I'd be surprised if Dean can compete for it over 3 weeks

I wouldn't... if anything he'll be stronger in the third week than the first. He's got a pretty solid history of being there or thereabouts in the sprints in every week of the GTs going back a number of years now. And he's hard as nails... don't forget he was the only rider to complete every GT last year.

 

[old_bram]

I think Cav for the win today - not based on form, but based on the need of Columbia to get their tour on track. Can they afford to fail again?

6 stage wins targeted before the race, and today is the third chance already. With another two of these being in the last three days of the tour, it's going to be a long and lonely ride over the hills for the next two weeks if they don't turn in a win.

 

[Roland Rat]

On form you'd have to say Peta again.

However, I'd like to see Farrar recovered enough to sprint and take the win.

 

[Roland Rat]

On form you'd have to say Peta again.

However, I'd like to see Farrar recovered enough to sprint and take the win.

Pah, Vaughters has tweeted Farrar's hand isn't quite ready to pull on the bars. So assuming this isn't a bluff, then....

eenie, meenie, miny, mo.... pfft... Thor.

 

[old_bram]

Hopefully not Thor - as someone mentioned the other day, would like to see a little competition for the jersey.

 

[Hawkwood]

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

Funny that, the overhead footage showed that Hushovd went backwards when Cav accelerated, are you suggesting that he needed to come off the wheel of someone who was slower?

 

[Carl0880]

Funny that, the overhead footage showed that Hushovd went backwards when Cav accelerated, are you suggesting that he needed to come off the wheel of someone who was slower?

I think Hushovd was spent after his efforts on the previous 2 stages being in the front group of 2 very tough stages. Just proves he is human. I will take more judgement on his speed today, if he looks like he is faster then it was the effort. If it doesn't look better, then maybe someone is wrong iwth his top end speed.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Ale Jet again. Lets hope I am right again.

 

[Climbing]

Ale Jet again. Lets hope I am right again.

Yes, and this one is again slighty uphill, so it should favour him again.

 

[Roland Rat]

Yes, and this one is again slighty uphill, so it should favour him again.

He's only 10 points behind Thor in the green, so if he does win he has a good chance of taking the jersey over. It would be good to see him in green.

 

[hughmoore]

I think Hushovd was spent after his efforts on the previous 2 stages being in the front group of 2 very tough stages. Just proves he is human. I will take more judgement on his speed today, if he looks like he is faster then it was the effort. If it doesn't look better, then maybe someone is wrong iwth his top end speed.

His efforts being in the front Group? Your kidding He didnt take any turns, he wheel sucked and then sprinted at the end.



Hugh

 

[Barrus]

His efforts being in the front Group? Your kidding He didnt take any turns, he wheel sucked and then sprinted at the end.



Hugh

Not to say he did a lot, but he did take some turns

 

[euanli]

Wiggins crashed before the race began

 

[Roland Rat]

Wiggins crashed before the race began

 

[TRDean]

I'd be thrilled to see Dean take it today...but he probably won't. I think Peta and EBH will duel it out with Peta taking it...he is obviously the fastest at the moment.

 

[The Barb]

I'd be thrilled to see Dean take it today...but he probably won't. I think Peta and EBH will duel it out with Peta taking it...he is obviously the fastest at the moment.

Totally agree about Julian Dean, and not just because I'm a countryman of his. He's 35yo and has never won a stage at a grand tour, mainly because he's spent his life being a lead-out guy for many of the best around (most notably Hushovd at Credit-Agricole). If anyone in the peloton deserves a stage with not many more chances left, it's him. With Farrar clearly still struggling he'll have his chance, though team-mate Robbie Hunter looked just as fast yesterday.

 

[The Hitch]

the caisse d'epargne rider in the break is wearing a red and yellow kit as opposed to the black they always had. When did they change their kit? Could it be something to do with black being worse in heat (it absorbs it)

 

[Carl0880]

the caisse d'epargne rider in the break is wearing a red and yellow kit as opposed to the black they always had. When did they change their kit? Could it be something to do with black being worse in heat (it absorbs it)

That is the kit of the Spanish road champion, Jose ivan Gutierrez

 

[Roland Rat]

the caisse d'epargne rider in the break is wearing a red and yellow kit as opposed to the black they always had. When did they change their kit? Could it be something to do with black being worse in heat (it absorbs it)

haven't got video but you sure it's not the Spanish champ's jersey?

 

[The Hitch]

That is the kit of the Spanish road champion, Jose ivan Gutierrez

How silly of me. Of course. In my defense that is the first i have seen of them this tour. I thought of every special jersey there could be and ruled them all out but forgot about spanish national.
Thanks.

 

[Carl0880]

How silly of me. Of course. In my defense that is the first i have seen of them this tour. I thought of every special jersey there could be and ruled them all out but forgot about spanish national.
Thanks.

Not a problem.

Just for a note to add, The start of the stage, Epernay is the home of John Gadret so he got to take off before the actually start and see the family. That is one tradition that I love in the Tour.