Cavendish/Hushovd

[Russity]

Was Cavendish hard done by with the ruling....YES!

Did Thor really think he was going to get by on the ropes...NO!

Do the barriers close in on the RHS...YES!

Has Thor beaten Cav heads up in a sprint yet this tour...NO!

Have the powers that be, robbed us of a race to Paris....YES!

Will the history books care one way or another....NO!

I like Thor, but he lost a few brownie points with the whinging....and gained a few dollars at the same time.

[labratmatt]

I agree. Thor was pushed over a little, but it was minor and didn't look intentional. Too bad for Cav and Columbia.

[David Kirk]

I agree. Thor was pushed over a little, but it was minor and didn't look intentional. Too bad for Cav and Columbia.

It looked to me like Cav was trying to win the sprint while not taking too much time from George and that right as he neared the line he looked over his left shoulder at a teammate to try to get some feedback if they pulled it off. When he looked left he pulled a bit right an closed the door on Thor. If you watch the tape you can see he didn't even look right to know Thor was there.

It's too bad for too many.

dave

[MattTuck]

I don't think this was a particularly egregious violation, but I think many of the other sprinters teams were getting frustrated with Columbia's tactics. They had so many people peeling off the front, that they were constantly impeding someone's line.

So, this may have been more of a slap on the wrist without relegating a first place finish.

[Lifelover]

Stuff like this and all the belly aching about Garmin racing to keep George out of yellow is one reason that the American public will never get behind cycling.

I can't think of a popular sport in the U.S. where good hard competition is so frowned upon. OK, maybe Ice figure skating!


I love to see a good old fashion B-slap among pro athletes.

[Acotts]

Stuff like this and all the belly aching about Garmin racing to keep George out of yellow is one reason that the American public will never get behind cycling.

I can't think of a popular sport in the U.S. where good hard competition is so frowned upon. OK, maybe Ice figure skating!


I love to see a gold old fashion B-slap among pro athletes.

Its hard to wrap your head around it. We like good hard compettion, but only if its head to head. The cage match that is cycling is just hard to explain.

[profkrispy]

Here's a link to an overhead shot. Seems to lend at least a little credibility to Hushovd's claims.

http://www.steephill.tv/players/tinypic/?title=tdf-09-st14-cavendish-finish&id=33c11z5

[mike p]

Cav got robbed. His line never changed the barrier moved in. Who hasn't seen much much worse go uncontested. Wasn't like Thor was going to come around Cav anyway.

Mike

[Michael Maddox]

Cav got robbed. His line never changed the barrier moved in. Who hasn't seen much much worse go uncontested. Wasn't like Thor was going to come around Cav anyway.

Mike

+1 Cav was robbed. Video makes it clear.

[erector]

i think the video makes it more clear that cav cut him off, but i don't think that this relegation will take cav out of green jersey contention.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . in this video! The barriers on the right of the picture clearly have a sort of bulge in them that makes the lane narrower as the riders come toward the line. Cav WAS holding a straight line. It was the barrier on the right that was weaving!

BBD

[MattTuck]

I still think that the relegation was the result of several minor infractions in previous stages, and the officials just wanted to teach him (and Columbia) a lesson.

They just had to wait until he didn't finish first.

[coopdog]

. . . in this video! The barriers on the right of the picture clearly have a sort of bulge in them that makes the lane narrower as the riders come toward the line. Can WAS holding a straight line. It was the barrier on the right that was weaving!

BBD


+1