I noticed no prologue and only 1 individual time trial (stage 1 no less). Is it explained somewhere why there are no time trials towards the end? Are they trying to de-emphasize the time trial?
Every tour is somewhat different. They’re still going to have a team time trial in stage 9.
And, oh yeah… Spartacus!
There are no time trials because the French big hopes (Pinot, Bardet and maybe Rolland and Peraud) suck at time trialling.
Nice theory but no.
Explain?
Every Tour since 90 I’ve heard someone explain the absence or addition of something as a plot to help French riders win. EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
It’s a bunch of crap. There is no big conspiracy by the organizers.
Massive wreck today, about midway in the race, took out five riders and injured probably a dozen more. Fabian Cancellara, wearing the yellow jersey, finished the leg but then withdrew when xrays revealed broken vertebra. William Bonnet, Tom Dumoulin, Simon Gerrans and Dmitry Kozontchuk all went straight to the hospital and they’re out now, too. No fatalities, but that was purely a matter of luck. Watching it was just brutal.
Then, 500 meters away, a second crash took place, but all of the ambulances and support vehicles were engaged at the first crash. At that point, the offical actually stopped the riders, because they were afraid of what would happen if they got too far ahead of the medical teams and had a third crash. After about ten minutes, they started up, neutralizing the race again, and only picked up after the first big hill was past. It was a crazy scene.
Link, with spoilers, obviously - link
Yeah, shame about Fabian Cancellara getting injured. I’d like to have seen him today on the cobbles. He’s great at that. Unfortunately this is his last tour; So long Spartacus.
Exciting day. It was anybody’s race today.
I’m not a fan of Mark Cavendish, but he seems to have been particularly jerkish at the end of stage 2.
Agree. As the announcers stated - “If he’s not winning, he’s not racing”. He sat-up with only a few meters to go once he knew he was getting passed. If I understand correctly, his coming in 4th for the stage cost his team mate Tony Martin a day in Yellow, due to the time bonus points for 3rd place (claimed by Cancellara).
Yesterday Cancellara managed to finish the day after the big crash, and he was clearly in pain. He was not going to win, and was going to lose the Yellow jersey, but he finished the stage like a man, and a professional (moreso than Canvendish giving up with only a few meters to go the prior day).
Blamed his lead-out man. Then tweeted that his critics were “imbeciles”.
Cavendish is a childish jackass.
Greipel did him again yesterday. Looks like Cav’s faded a bit now - reckon he can still win if everything is set-up right, but can’t pull it out if things are more chaotic at the front.
Sagan was monstrous yesterday - rode hard for Contador all day, then laid down a phenomenal sprint in the last 100m (with no set up at all) and nearly won it.
Sagan is well suited for today. He’s not at all bad on small climbs and has the legs to carry him through to the kind of finish that awaits in Le Havre.
I was a bit ambivalent about Sagan in the past. He seemed a bit of a yotz. But I think he’s maturing into a pretty strong all around rider. My remaining objection to him now is his team; Can’t stand Tinkov and not a fan of Contador.
Great video, with the sound off and the way it’s slowen down a bit the crash looks almost peaceful. AS though everyone just decided to lie down for a little rest…
Another stage, another yellow jersey wearer bites the dust. Is this a normal attrition rate for the leaders?
Well, my theory that Tony Martin is actually a robot has been dealt a serious blow. Very sad to see him out of the race, but very relieved that while he took out Nibbles, Quintana, and Van Garderen in the pileup none of the others were injured significantly. We don’t need a second tour in a row with half the real contenders out before the race really begins.
Shame that crash happened. Would have been thrilling to see Martin and Froome contenders in the mountain stages. A little surprised to see Sagan third in standings. I don’t expect him to maintain third come the mountains, but perhaps he’ll take the win from Greipel and Cav today.
Odd that Nibali blamed Froome for his fall. But I guess it’s hard to parse the chaos in the last 1000m.
Yep… Sagan looks like he’s got the legs today. Cav sits back in fashion when he’s not in contention. No green jersey for him this tour.
Were Cav and Sagan having words after the mid race sprint?..
Also… I love Jenzi being the commentator on this tour but he is the worst at predicting winners for the day. 