Spoiler :Tour de France stage 16

[1happygirl]

Wow. Thomas Voeckler.
The French have managed to POISON everyone so they finally have a rider who's a winner! LoL
Europcar, of course is clean!

[thwart]

TV is the hero of le Tour, just like last year.

And sans radio...

[MattTuck]

Evans was a disaster, although it wasn't exactly a shock given the race so far. I think the lesson is that if Tejay had been allowed to race the whole race, and not nurse Cadel up the previous climbs, he'd be at or near 4th place. Maybe that's not so much a lesson, as an observation. But certainly, it seems the lieutenants this year were looking slightly stronger than the team leaders.

[echelon_john]

Classy of Wiggins to help Frooms close the gap to Nibali. Small gesture that will go a long way.

[climbgdh]

Classy of Wiggins to help Frooms close the gap to Nibali. Small gesture that will go a long way.

+1... Personally I think Wiggins is a very classy rider. Froome will get his chance......

[MattTuck]

Holy crap. Did you see Chris Horner's crash? I didn't see until now. Reminiscent of some of the other classic crashes into the bushes.

[sandyrs]

Holy crap. Did you see Chris Horner's crash? I didn't see until now. Reminiscent of some of the other classic crashes into the bushes.

No! Is there footage online?

[MattTuck]

Not sure. I saw the footage during the Eurosport post-race coverage. I'm sure it'll be up somewhere. The crash itself isn't too spectacular, he just goes over the side of the road into the woods, and someone goes to help him, and it seems to take him 10-20 seconds to come back out. It is just one of those priceless scenes where a cyclist emerges in full kit out of the forest, and gets back on a bike. He looked to be ok.

[sandyrs]

how does it compare to this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YCuQsGVV20)?

[MattTuck]

Not as dramatic, lol. I saw it on internet video, so we'll see how it looks with a proper resolution video.... but it was in the shade, so it's all a little dim.

I'll look later and see if they posted it anywhere.

[jpw]

George fell on a descent. Was that caught on television?

[jpw]

how does it compare to this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YCuQsGVV20)?

Rehearsal for later life?

[Germany_chris]

how does it compare to this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YCuQsGVV20)?

Wait he had an accident, in a pro bike race, descending, with no helmet and lived? You better pull this video of the Helmet crew will pull your internet creds. :eek:

[ultraman6970]

Great for TV... Well somebody was asking here or in another forums about BMC helping the young rider since he was climbing better than evans... well... clearly evans gave up today... too late to help the kid and change plans unless something really awesome could happen tomorrow so tjay could get all the way up to 3rd.

As for nibali, today he was trying to defend his 3rd position, evans was going to get him nice in the TT, not he has enough to race calmly. Good for sky, imo tomorrow will be a calm stage, probably even TV will win again :D

[572cv]

Kudos to TV. On a big stage, he laid it all out there, and pulled off a win. I think it is great to see his and Europcar's success by bringing pluck and focus to each stage. There's a lot of higher level teams that have not done as well.

[jlwdm]

I just think it is a shame that we are probably not going to see how good the tour winner can climb. Because Wiggins is a great in time trials we are just seeing a defensive tour in the mountains. Too bad someone can't put any pressure on him. I think he might be stronger than a lot of people give him credit for - and I am saying this as someone who is not one of his fans.

Jeff

[Waldo]

Maybe Froome could, but he won't, as much as he may want to....

[harryblack]

Not just classy-- which it was-- but also an important sign to Froome, Nibali and himself that he (Wiggo) had the legs and head to make the effort.

Kudos for what, after the monster time trial, was Wiggins' most champion like effort.

Classy of Wiggins to help Frooms close the gap to Nibali. Small gesture that will go a long way.

[MattTuck]

http://www.cyclingfans.com/node/5915

Chris explains his crash. And talks about his massive watts.

[Climb01742]

5 stage winners are french this year. a hopeful sign. i hope.;)

[thwart]

http://www.cyclingfans.com/node/5915

Chris explains his crash. And talks about his massive watts.

I love Horner. That sounds like any one of us immediately after an epic ride (well, except for the watts part... :rolleyes:).

[Wilkinson4]

That was great! 325 in my sleep :p Didn't we have a thread about how to rise out of the saddle and not throw your bike back? Obviously, these tdf guys need to follow the forum more!

mIKE

[estilley]

I just want Chris Anker Sorenson to win a stage! The most heart of anyone besides TV

[TMB]

Evans was a disaster, although it wasn't exactly a shock given the race so far. I think the lesson is that if Tejay had been allowed to race the whole race, and not nurse Cadel up the previous climbs, he'd be at or near 4th place. Maybe that's not so much a lesson, as an observation. But certainly, it seems the lieutenants this year were looking slightly stronger than the team leaders.

I love these comments. Static Analysis. Of course nothing else might have changed, he certainly would not have blown up in youthful exuberance, everything else would just be the same. Kind of like Froome winning the Tour, of course there is no evidence he actually can put it away, but if he wasn't riding for Wiggins, he'd be winning!

[MattTuck]

I love these comments. Static Analysis. Of course nothing else might have changed, he certainly would not have blown up in youthful exuberance, everything else would just be the same. Kind of like Froome winning the Tour, of course there is no evidence he actually can put it away, but if he wasn't riding for Wiggins, he'd be winning!

Stage 11 Time splits.
1 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 4:43:54
2 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:00:55
3 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling
4 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:00:57
5 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
6 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling
7 Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:01:08
8 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team 0:01:58
9 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar Team 0:02:13
10 Frank Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan 0:02:23
11 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
12 Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team


Current GC standings
1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 74:15:32
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:02:05
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:23
4 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:05:46
5 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan 0:07:13
6 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:07:55
7 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:08:06

By my estimation, if TVG hadn't lost 1:26 in stage 11 (in other words, if he finished with the group he was originally riding with, that all finished at the 0:57 time), he'd now be standing at 6:29 behind wiggins. in 5th place. Still 45 seconds behind Van Den Broeck, but TVG beat VDB by 2 minutes in the first trime trial, and beat Nibali by 1 minute. So I don't think it is so ridiculous that he could have been in 5th now, or 4th by the end of the tour had he not lost that time on stage 11.

I was incorrect in saying he'd by in 4th now.

[jlwdm]

Just remember guys who finish 5th don't really matter. Bobby Julich and Levi finished higher - not exactly guys who could win the tour.

Maybe Tejay will become a contender but only time will tell. If he mattered, Sky would ride away from him.

Jeff

[firerescuefin]

.

[Earl Gray]

This tour pretty much SUCKS!

[tannhauser]

Stage 11 Time splits.
1 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 4:43:54
2 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:00:55
3 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling
4 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:00:57
5 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
6 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling
7 Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:01:08
8 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team 0:01:58
9 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar Team 0:02:13
10 Frank Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan 0:02:23
11 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
12 Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team


Current GC standings
1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 74:15:32
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:02:05
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:23
4 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:05:46
5 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan 0:07:13
6 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:07:55
7 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:08:06

By my estimation, if TVG hadn't lost 1:26 in stage 11 (in other words, if he finished with the group he was originally riding with, that all finished at the 0:57 time), he'd now be standing at 6:29 behind wiggins. in 5th place. Still 45 seconds behind Van Den Broeck, but TVG beat VDB by 2 minutes in the first trime trial, and beat Nibali by 1 minute. So I don't think it is so ridiculous that he could have been in 5th now, or 4th by the end of the tour had he not lost that time on stage 11.

I was incorrect in saying he'd by in 4th now.

You can't analyze a race this way. It doesn't represent what actually happens on the road.

[MattTuck]

This tour pretty much SUCKS!

The Tour is like Saturday Night Live, the current version is never as good as the good ole days.

People have been complaining about 'this year's tour' since I started watching the tour in 2002.