Tour de France 2009

[Jungle Jumbo]

My immediate thought was that exactly.

 

[Craig]

Was that Danish TV interviewing Nicki Sorensen after his stage win?

 

[Josh]

Was that Danish TV interviewing Nicki Sorensen after his stage win?

Think so; they did a Danish interview immediately following the English one.

 

[Josh]

I will always cheer on Thor Hushovd before I cheer on Mark Cavendish.

Correct.

 

[Craig]

Levi Leipheimer is out of the Tour with a fractured wrist after his crash last night.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Was that Danish TV interviewing Nicki Sorensen after his stage win?

Yup.

Nicki doing his part to refute the myth about Scandinavians' perfect English, coming up with the following:

"It hasn't really gone up for me yet"

Hushovd back in green

 

[Craig]

German/Aussie Heinrich Haussler wins stage 13 after Chavanel had a hunger knock (ie he didn't eat enough, and I can tell you from personal experience, that is not fun) and the peloton stayed asleep. Shocking news was that Spain's Oscar Fereire and New Zealand's Julian Dean were shot with pellets from an air rifle.

I know Manan is in France, but I didn't think he was anywhere near Colmar

 

[biased indian]

why no one in the top 10 is attacking in these stages ?? these are all mountain stages rite ?

 

[Neil Pickup]

Medium mountains. Not worth it as the Peloton can still stay together and chase anything down - you won't take out any time if they don't want you to. Tomorrow we will see the first major plays when they finish on the mountain top in Verbier.

 

[Craig]

That and we have a lot of downhill finishes.

 

[Jamee999]

Cavendish loses the points for this stage, so he's 18 behind Thor now, looks unlikely he'll win the green jersey. Silly bastard should just have sprinted, he's quite good at that.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Silly bastard should just have sprinted, he's quite good at that.

They wanted Hincapie in yellow, apparently, so didn't want to sprint too hard. (Failed at that, too, top work.)

Bit harsh, but iirc Hushovd suffered a similar suspension for an incident 2-3 years back.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I thought it was far enough - Columbia trying to get a bit too cute with the race. May well make the Intermediate sprints a bit more competitive - though I can't see either Cav or Thor being able to make tomorrow's, mind.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

I thought it was far enough - Columbia trying to get a bit too cute with the race. May well make the Intermediate sprints a bit more competitive - though I can't see either Cav or Thor being able to make tomorrow's, mind.

Depends when the break gets going. In the past few days the pace has been huge because everyone wants to get in it, so if they keep chasing the break, they could be together for the first 60 k.

No chance for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, though.

 

[Jamee999]

I think Contador's going to ride away from the pack tomorrow. Maybe not quite on his own, but I can't see all the big players keeping with him.

 

[Craig]

Depends when the break gets going. In the past few days the pace has been huge because everyone wants to get in it, so if they keep chasing the break, they could be together for the first 60 k.

No chance for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, though.

It is the second rest day

Aside from Nocentini, LeMevel, Hincapie to fall away as well as Martin and Wiggins. Aside from Ventoux, this is the last uphil finish in the race.

 

[Jamee999]

Wiggins > Armstrong

 

[Jack88]

Damn straight!

That drive by Contador was godly though, he is a beast, this Armstrong/Contador battle would be great if Lance was 4/5 years younger.

 

[Craig]

I know Wiggins has lost 7kg, but he is still climbing very well. I will give him the benefit of the doubt atthis stage.

 

[Bobisback]

Didnt think Lance had a chance at getting a podium this year, until what he just did then. Was awesome.