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

[Barrus]

He could have given them to them at Criterium Internationale. Or mailed them. He waited until now.

Yup, I myself found that quite telling, also the fact that he did not speak to LA and only to Bruyneel, probably to rub it in that he choose the losing side

 

[hrotha]

I wouldn't read too much into it one way or another.

 

[Tom T.]

Versus' portrayal of Contador as a stupid, inexperienced rider really got on my nerves last year. He won in spite of his team!

8 minutes of him? I'd love to see that, but it's highly unlikely.

Not sure if I follow, do you think Lance will be closer to AC than 8 minutes?

 

[lanternrouge]

****! Why did the biggest arsehole in the peleton have to win?

Cadel won!?!?

 

[Barrus]

I wouldn't read too much into it one way or another.

Come on, we need something to talk about , this stage was quite boring, with the exception of the sprint

 

[velobabee]

Cav cav cav

way to go mate, and make all of us eat our words of bad luck.
you go big guy. happy for you, cry for ya, too.

damn those stage winner podium girls certainly didn't fill out those pantsuits very sensually, why or why TdF organizers are you doing this to the female body. those black pantsuits honestly, just SUCK†

Please make a change. maybe the riders should
P R O T E S T
woman should protest too, cause damn it is hard on the eyes, to see this new stage winner outfit.

 

[The Hitch]

Eurosport analyst Tony Gibb was going on about Henderson leading out Hagen yesterday but i reckon he was talking utter rubbish. Hendo is not there, it was Cummings and Flecha as Sky lead out men.

I saw that as well. Would excpect a commentator to know that henderson isnt there.

 

[Ten Percent Grade]

 

[Beech Mtn]

From Vaughters' twitter:

To clarify, the plan was for Julian today. Tyler was the 'sweeper'..however, we got caught on the front 300m too early, so Tyler tried.

 

[scribe]

"we got caught out 300m too early" <----this is a common theme for these guys.

 

[autologous]

wow big win by Cavendish
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamperium_espana/4759113335/

why do you keep posting links to that lame photo?

 

[crispy]

Still I think it was cool to see Farrar give it a go. How these guys keep riding with broken bones, let alone mixing it up in a sprint is beyond me. Maybe it's just a hairline fracture or whatever but still... There was Txurruka finishing yesterdays stage with a broken collarbone too. Makes me think bike racers are way more hardcore than athletes from any other sport.

 

[slowoldman]

From Vaughters' twitter:

To clarify, the plan was for Julian today. Tyler was the 'sweeper'..however, we got caught on the front 300m too early, so Tyler tried.

I think they're revising their plan post race. Tyler said he screwed up in the post stage interview, he went on the wrong side and was pinched by Dean. Unfortunately Petacchi followed him and it cost Alessandro. Cavendish would have still taken it but Petacchi would have been much closer. I think a healthy Farrar would have given Cavendish quite a run for the money. I think a lot of the credit has to go to Renshaw, fantastic lead out man, reminiscent of Giovanni Lombardi.

 

[Hawkwood]

Sorry, Didn't read the rest of the thread, but does anyone know if Lance's was a gold pocket watch? did he also get him a rocking chair? maybe some depends?

Nope it was the Mickey Mouse watch

 

[Hawkwood]

Better lead out is what cav had.

Just seen an interview with Cav in which he said yesterday's lead-out was fine, but he screwed it up.

 

[Blakeslee]

The way Garmin set up the sprint today ended up playing right into Cavendish's hands. They got to the front too early and weren't pushing the pace fast enough to put Renshaw and Cavendish into any difficulty. In a way they almost just ended up serving as replacements for the Cavendish train, delivering Renshaw and Cavendish into the perfect position for the final lead out and sprint.

With Cavendish having a somewhat weaker team this year, I think Garmin would be better off trying to wait as long possible before getting on the front. They should try to force Renshaw and Cavendish to commit, hopefully coming around them and surprising them from behind the way Hondo and Petacchi did in yesterdays stage.

 

[BYOP88]

Use either Dean or Hunter in the Hondo role.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Just seen an interview with Cav in which he said yesterday's lead-out was fine, but he screwed it up.

Clearly wasn't.

 

[Scirea]

Just seen an interview with Cav in which he said yesterday's lead-out was fine, but he screwed it up.

He always praises his leadout train no matter what. They screwed up on Wednesday, especially Eisel but they delivered today, especially Renshaw.

 

[kukiniloa]

But..Dean didn't give position...

From Vaughters' twitter:

It looked to me like Dean was just out of gas from trying to hold Hunter's leadout and didn't really even sprint. And if that's the case, why didn't he yield position to Farrar -who obviously had trouble getting around him on the barriers. Apparently there was no communication there.

And so you're 300 m out -- so what? This was a longish sprint that looked to me like was started by Cav about 200 out...

thoughts?

 

[kukiniloa]

Dean was out of gas

I think they're revising their plan post race. Tyler said he screwed up in the post stage interview, he went on the wrong side and was pinched by Dean. Unfortunately Petacchi followed him and it cost Alessandro. Cavendish would have still taken it but Petacchi would have been much closer. I think a healthy Farrar would have given Cavendish quite a run for the money. I think a lot of the credit has to go to Renshaw, fantastic lead out man, reminiscent of Giovanni Lombardi.

That ay be true - but it seems like Tyler was being nice and didn't want to criticize Dean's riding, since he didn't have a leadout, leaving Tyler with nowhere to go on the right side of Dean. He had no choice but to try to come around on the barriers. Tyler had no room because Dean was too slow...

 

[kukiniloa]

code of silence

He always praises his leadout train no matter what. They screwed up on Wednesday, especially Eisel but they delivered today, especially Renshaw.

That's the code. They can't win without their leadout guys so they treat them awfully well. I suspect they get paid fairly well too.

 

[Scirea]

That's the code. They can't win without their leadout guys so they treat them awfully well. I suspect they get paid fairly well too.

I don't have a problem with it, i just stated Cav will praise his guys no matter what.

 

[abbaskip]

Clearly wasn't.

I disagree, Renshaw was on the front, with Cav on his wheel, when Petacchi started the sprint. There was nothing wrong with leadout, Cav was crap. The HTC train broke up a bit, but Cav was still delivered, first wheel to the start of the sprint.

I also think that whilst the Hondo move was good, people seem to be missing what it did that worked. My understanding is the Hondo move is designed to leave Renshaw desserted by himself, from too far out (which it did a bit). Hondo went, so Renshaw left Eisel's wheel, and jumped on Hondo's, then Hondo pulled up, leaving Renshaw on the front from 600-700 out. Way too far. But he did well, out dragged Lancaster, and was still on the front when Petacchi kicked. Cavendish's problem was he missed the jump, as Petacchi came from a couple of wheels back he had a run at Cav, so was going quite fast when he got to him (and by then, Renshaw had slowed after a long effort). But at the end of the day, Cav shouldn't have let Petacchi get such a big jump, and even when he kicked and drew up to Petacchi, his legs were gone.

HTC are going from too far out. It isn't that Eisel can't do the job, it's that he is being left on front 2+km out. Hincapie usually hit the lead at 1km, Renshaw 500.

 

[SpartacusRox]

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

Never, too slow on a straight drag to the finish. Cav again easily with BH or Robbie Mac second or possibly Ciolek.