Cycling 2011

[Mr A]

Video interview with Roche yesterday, he's aiming for the top ten.

Also- his daily column in the Indo will be back this year again.

[Dodge]

I'd prefer if he aimed for a stage win but there you go. In my first ever TDF fantasy league

Here's my team

Alberto Contador 550 /€ SAXO BANK
Mark Cavendish 400 /€ HTC
Philippe Gilbert* 250 /€ OMEGA LOTTO
Chris Horner* 200 /€ RADIOSHACK
Egoi Martínez* 150 /€ EUSKALTEL
Christian Vande Velde 150 /€ GARMIN
Jérôme Pineau* 125 /€ QUICK STEP
Paolo Tiralongo 100 /€ ASTANA
Anthony Roux 75 /€ FDJ

Limit was 2,000 per team

Points are

Overall
1st 100
2nd 80
3rd 60
Down to 1 point for 20th

Polka and green
1st gets 20 down to 10th getting 1

Stage winner gets 16, down to 5th getting 2 points

Daily points for classificatioms
1st in GC gets 20, down to 10th getting 1
1st in polka/green gets 8, down to 1 point for 5th

Banking on Gilbert winning that 1st stage. Hope he wins stage 4 too

[Mr A]

Great start for Roche- the peloton split so he put over a minute into a lot of the other main threats.

Hopefully AG2R can perform well in the team time trial and keep him right up there.

[Dodge]

Gilbert is amazing! I punched the air when he flew past Cancellera. Amazing finish. I love that the Tour (and Giro) has added these 'classic' type stages

[Stuttgart88]

Excellent idea to have a stage race to start with, and yes, a classic-style stage at that. The prologue has always bored me. Gilbert's form in the classics over the last couple of years totally warranted that win.

According to ITV4, the decision to allow the second crash group to record the same times as the leading group because of the 3km rule was only taken after the race finished. They had to debate whether the hilly finish made the 3km rule redundant. The cynic in me thinks that the organisers saw that by ruling as they did, they could penalise Contador at the expense of Schleck.

The next few days will probably be SKY-this and SKY-that unless Hushovd & co. have a good day today.

Great that Roche was in the top group. He said in The Indo that he didn't necessarily want good luck, but just avoiding bad luck would be good. He got his wish I guess, but then again, isn't it an age-old rule to ride at the front in that type of stage - exactly to avoid what happened Contador?

[Dodge]

In fairness the decision is always made after viewing the footage to check it was in last 3k

There's 4 teams in the running today; Garmin, HTC, Radioshack, Sky

So the yellow will be on Hushovd (swoon), Tony Martin, Kloden or Geraint Thomas

[Dodge]

Delighted for Garmin. First tour win. Hushovd in yellow too

Great performance by BMC. Roche happy to stay within a minute.

[BonnieShels]

Gilbert is amazing! I punched the air when he flew past Cancellera. Amazing finish.

Looked at the repeat on TG4 last night and it looked like Cancellera was letting him past initially but looked at it again and the stamina of Gilbert was something else. Cracking opening stage.

Also that crash was just like slow-mo dominoes dragged over a 20m wave. Unreal sight.

[Macy]

According to ITV4, the decision to allow the second crash group to record the same times as the leading group because of the 3km rule was only taken after the race finished. They had to debate whether the hilly finish made the 3km rule redundant. The cynic in me thinks that the organisers saw that by ruling as they did, they could penalise Contador at the expense of Schleck.

In the ITV podcast, they said that this years tour rule book specifically excluded stage 1 from the uphill rule (iirc stage 4's is counted as an uphill finish). Probably because it shouldn't have been a classified climb.

On the general point, I'm not sure I'm as anti the prologue as some, but I do agree these classic stages add a lot to the tour. Winner of the GC should be an all rounder imo - a second TT and the balance this year wouldn't be far off ideal for me. Loved last year's opening week and this years has great potential too. Some of my favourite stages of the last few years have been the flat ones that have been ripped apart by cross winds (which also could happen this week, today included depending on the wind). One thing I'd say though - there's no dominant team at the moment. Would yesterday have happened during the US Postal years?

Delighted for Garmin, even if I'm pee'd off that Martin isn't riding, and Millars sycophantic love of Sky/ Wiggins this week. Some performance by BMC - Evans a real contender this year, and a big threat to Gilbert this week too. He's a good role model for Roche in a way* - you can't concentrate 100% on GC, you have to try and get a few wins on your palmares as well.

*anyone managed by Rominger always has a bit of question mark for me.

[Dodge]

One thing I'd say though - there's no dominant team at the moment. Would yesterday have happened during the US Postal years?

Its easier when you've science on your side. Still though I think I remember one of Lance's rivals being caught behind after a split some years ago and US Postakl basically time trialling to the finish and putting 2/3 minutes into them. can't remember who though.

And I noticed that, unlike last year when Schleck fell on the cobbles and AC pushed on, there was nobody saying the peleton show wait for AC (or the garmins, or Euskadel)

Saturday's stage was very siumilar to the stage into Barcelona, a couple of years ago. Looking forward to tomorrow now.

Today should be a Cavendish procession. In terms of teams, I've no doubt HTC are the only ones that can dominate (in their control of the sprints)

[Macy]

Its easier when you've science on your side. Still though I think I remember one of Lance's rivals being caught behind after a split some years ago and US Postakl basically time trialling to the finish and putting 2/3 minutes into them. can't remember who though.

Don't remember that one. The one that comes to my mind is Moreau losing 7 or 8 minutes after astana put the gas down in the crosswinds (iirc he finished in tears), but echelons are fair game I guess.

I more meant that postal would've been at the front all day setting the tempo keeping Larry out of trouble - he wouldn't have been caught out by that, imo, and there wouldn't have been the chaos.

And I noticed that, unlike last year when Schleck fell on the cobbles and AC pushed on, there was nobody saying the peleton show wait for AC (or the garmins, or Euskadel)

Genuinely missed that criticism tbh. Thought it was for chaingate that he took the heat for (rightly imo). There was that ridiculous Ardenne stage neutralisation though too, but that was Cancellara/ Saxo (and more fool the others for going along with that anyway).

[Dodge]

Hmm, I think I mxed about 4 stories/incidents up there

Carry on...

[Macy]

Not sure you did really - hard to keep up with Contador vs Schelk if you look at some of the other forums (when I do, I'm reminded why I don't bother!). I'm surprised at the vitriol towards schelk - I mean he's not my favourite, but people seem to really hate him, whereas Contador generally gets a pass.

[Dodge]

Its mainly due to the Schleck being seeing as a wheel sucker and his love affair with his brother.

Contador, drugs qustion aside, is an attacking cyclist and that will always please some.

[Mr A]

Roche is seems to be doing a video diary as well as his Independent piece: http://www.youtube.com/user/nicolasroche1984

[Dodge]

Brilliant stage win by Evans. Went from about 400m out and just held off Contador. Magnificent ride by Thor to hold onto yellow (finishing in 6th, one behind favourite Gilbert)

Contador gained 8 seconds on Andy (Frank finished in main pack). Roche was 19 down on the lead pack

[Macy]

Can we use the spoiler tags, at least until after the ITV highlights, please???

[Dodge]

Sure, no problem. As a matter of interest, what time are they usually on at?

BTW I record the TG4 highlight programme each night. Watched the last couple of days last night (and really just the final 2k and the magazine style bit). How bad is Phil Liggett now? Literally forgot Farrar's name 10 seconds after he won the stage.

And as great as it was to see Hushovd hand on to yellow, he missed the Evans/Contador finish!

[Mr A]

Yeah, I noticed that too.. never saw a stage finish where the commentator kept gushing about the guy coming in 6th!

[Macy]

Sure, no problem. As a matter of interest, what time are they usually on at?

7pm. Although it was the email alert that busted me (and I'm not sure the spoiler tag will work on that anyway). Hard not to follow the cycling news live updates when you're in work though.

Liggett's driven me a bit nuts the last few years actually, mainly when watching live coverage. I'm not sure whether it's age, or he was always this bad and when we were restricted to half hour highlights the crap was cut out. Repeating himself, mistakes on riders, missing bloody obvious stuff (e.g. the Omega guy falling - I could see he hit the speed bump, why couldn't he and instead insisted he just fell off!). Who's on eurosport now - can't still be Duffield?