Oh nooo.....!! (warning: spoiler)

[catulle]

This ain't my year. Holland doesn't make it at the WC, and now Valverde goes down. Sob, sob...

[swalburn]

Now Valverde is out. Almost everyone I was rooting for before the tour is out for some reason or another. If Boonen doesn't win a stage or two and the green jersey, then I'm seriously going to cry.

[catulle]

Now Valverde is out. Almost everyone I was rooting for before the tour is out for some reason or another. If Boonen doesn't win a stage or two and the green jersey, then I'm seriously going to cry.

+1

[gasman]

I agree- I was sorry to see Valverde laying on the side of the road. It seems the fates (and the UCI) continue to take out the top contenders.
Still I did enjoy watching this mornings' stage.

[ada@prorider.or]

dekker also out
kessler good win also

boonen yellow

[catulle]

dekker also out
kessler good win also

boonen yellow

I'm afraid to root for anyone now, but I really hope Boonen has the staying power to be yellow at the last podium, atmo.

[Serpico]

that's not gonna happen

[rePhil]

In the Green Jersey

[Jason E]

Sheesh.

It's an exciting tour, but with 6* of the top ten out, it's WIDE open...

I hope it is a good fight, no matter who boils to the top.







*counting that Lance retired. Heck come to think of it, if he didn't, this would probably be his easiest year of them all, ifd he were to be able to get the form.

[Fixed]

bro i think the french riders are doing their best to do something in their nat. tour . i'd like to see one of them podium . I liked kessler's win today too that took guts i.m.h.o.
cheers

[Fat Robert]

valverde wasn't going to win the thing

lets take some bets -- which gc rider goes out next?

[gary135r]

Even though Boonen has the Yellow he doesn't seem to have it in the sprints yet. Where are his teamates to pull him through?

[Serpico]

Even though Boonen has the Yellow he doesn't seem to have it in the sprints yet. Where are his teamates to pull him through?

you'd think he'd be able to time that better

is he not on the radio with the ds when they're up front like that?

[Kevan]

Kessler!

[Fat Robert]

Even though Boonen has the Yellow he doesn't seem to have it in the sprints yet. Where are his teamates to pull him through?

its not the same lineup as Quatar, for example, and a much harder and faster race. Quick.Step isn't like the old Cipo/Ale Jet units -- eight leadout men. Now, they have a couple of good lead out men for Boonen, but controlling the race for the last 30k isn't something they can do every day. Last year, Lotto ran the show (with some frequent wishful thinking from FDJ and some help from CA once Hushovd was firmly in green). This year, Lotto has mixed goals -- Robbie has a couple of guys to look after him, but will increasingly be looking after himself (especially now with Fast Freddy out), because with Cadel looking at the overall, and no one team looking to run the peloton quite yet, it would be silly to start burning domestique matches for stage wins in the first week. The natural team to run things right now would be CA -- but they aren't that kind of unit -- Thor has almost been on his own in the last 20k for a couple of years now. FDJ doesn't have anyone for the overall, but then again they don't have an ace that would make it worthwhile to spend the last 20k caning it down every day, either.

The bottom line is that no one really has the team, or the interest, to control the sprints -- milram, maybe, but zabel, like eisel, is more wishful thinking at this stage in his career. As a result, the sprints are pretty crazy, and we may see a large number of stage winners this year, rather than one sprinter standing out with three wins.

Of course, I could be wrong.

[Grant McLean]

its not the same lineup as Quatar, for example, and a much harder and faster race. Quick.Step isn't like the old Cipo/Ale Jet units -- eight leadout men. Now, they have a cople of good lead out men for Boonen, but controlling the race for the last 30k isn't something they can do every day. Last year, Lotto ran the show (with some frequent wishful thinking from FDJ and some help from CA once Hushovd was firmly in green). This year, Lotto has mixed goals -- Robbie has a couple of guys to look after him, but will increasingly be looking after himself (especially now with Fast Freddy out), because with Cadel looking at the overall, and no one team looking to run the peloton quite yet, it would be silly to start burning domestique matches for stage wins in the first week. The natural team to run things right now would be CA -- but they aren't that kind of unit -- Thor has almost been on his own in the last 20k for a couple of years now. FDJ doesn't have anyone for the overall, but then again they don't have an ace that would make it worthwhile to spend the last 20k caning it down every day, either.

The bottom line is that no one really has the team, or the interest, to control the sprints -- milram, maybe, but zabel, like eisel, is more wishful thinking at this stage in his career. As a result, the sprints are pretty crazy, and we may see a large number of stage winners this year, rather than one sprinter standing out with three wins.

Of course, I could be wrong.

great post.

g

[catulle]

Of course, I could be wrong.

Naw, that'd never happen... :no: