2011 Cycling Thread

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY-03vYYAjA

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Voeckler's on his way out too! I SAID IT WAS A LONG DRAG TO SUIT BASSO AND CUNEGO!

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Finally Rolland goes to the front. They need to take back another 30 seconds or so to keep Voeckler in yellow.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Voeckler needs to be within 2'35".

[Sandars]

Cadel never gives up, can't deny that... Andy limps over...

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

My lad Cunego did well to hold on for so long today. Frank Schleck will be trying to disrupt the speed increases at the front.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Voeckler pops!

Frank attacks!

[Sandars]

Voeckler has kept it.... I think... Tommy!!!!

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Voeckler stays in yellow with a coward's ride. BOO TO HIM. He did NOTHING in that group to keep the yellow.

[naiwf]

Voeckler stays in yellow with a coward's ride.

Yellow IS the color of cowards

[Sandars]

Adios Alberto....

AS good as Voeckler has been... he surely cannot back it up tomorrow....

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Great, now my final competition entry top 3 of Evans, Andy Schleck and Basso isn't looking SOOOOO bad - 3rd might be too far for Basso though.

OVERALL:

1 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 79:34:06

2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:00:15

3 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:01:08

4 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:01:12

5 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:03:46

6 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:03:46

7 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:04:44

8 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:05:20

9 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:07:08

10 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:09:27

[Sandars]

Voeckler stays in yellow with a coward's ride. BOO TO HIM. He did NOTHING in that group to keep the yellow.

You must've watched a different 500m to what I was watching., Voeckler gave his heart out, so much so, I thought he was gonna collapse.. Yes, Voeckler was defensive, but in the Maillot Jaune, he's allowed to be... as for getting up the Col du Galibier.. thats a bloody fine effort... He won't do it again tomorrow... but give the guy some credit...

P.S. I just disagreed with a mod ... *facepalms*

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

While following the race I was also following twitter - mostly Chris Boardman, Robbie McEwen, Robbie Hunter and the cycle photographer Graham Watson.

To quote a few:

To late she cried!!!! Should have thought about that when Andy attacked.. About 50kms to late to follow Andy..#slowreactions

Voekler aint trying to keep the jersey... That's a bit sad!!!! So much for his fighting spirit.. Don't get why he won't let his guy ride

Can't believe in a group of ~40 with multiple people from each team that they are leaving all the chasing to 3 people & letting them go!

All those blokes but only a couple of sets of balls as far as i can tell (That was McEwen, he was the best to follow today)

Using helpers to chase a tdf favourite on final climb when has 4 mins #pissingagainstthewind (another McEwen)

Voekler thrown this all away.if he finishes 2nd in Paris he is gonna kick himself for riding like this!!!

It's easy to grit your teeth with 500m to go but with 16km to go it was his duty to take control and he didn't. The French won't mind because he's "plucky" Tommy Voeckler but he's so close to Paris now and he's just lost the race today. It's not 2004 and he shouldn't just be thinking about "every day in yellow is a dream" anymore. He's up the climbs with the big boys and Rolland has been the best domestique from any of the teams.

[Sandars]

While following the race I was also following twitter - mostly Chris Boardman, Robbie McEwen, Robbie Hunter and the cycle photographer Graham Watson.

To quote a few:

To late she cried!!!! Should have thought about that when Andy attacked.. About 50kms to late to follow Andy..#slowreactions

Voekler aint trying to keep the jersey... That's a bit sad!!!! So much for his fighting spirit.. Don't get why he won't let his guy ride

Can't believe in a group of ~40 with multiple people from each team that they are leaving all the chasing to 3 people & letting them go!

All those blokes but only a couple of sets of balls as far as i can tell (That was McEwen, he was the best to follow today)

Using helpers to chase a tdf favourite on final climb when has 4 mins #pissingagainstthewind (another McEwen)

Voekler thrown this all away.if he finishes 2nd in Paris he is gonna kick himself for riding like this!!!

It's easy to grit your teeth with 500m to go but with 16km to go it was his duty to take control and he didn't. The French won't mind because he's "plucky" Tommy Voeckler but he's so close to Paris now and he's just lost the race today. It's not 2004 and he shouldn't just be thinking about "every day in yellow is a dream" anymore. He's up the climbs with the big boys and Rolland has been the best domestique from any of the teams.

Very easy to grit your teeth at 500m... like the Manx Missile does on every flat stage, after a leadout from Renshaw (which is fine, in fact, i hereby nominate the green jersey be known as the Cavendish jersey) .... And I'm sorry for taking part in the Voeckler love fest, but for a guy who was expected to lose it last week, he's doing a mighty fine job... Voeckler attacks quite a bit.. after yesterday, he easied off and followed today... Defensive, boring riding has won Tours before... Sadly, not for the French this year, because Voeckler is toast tomorrow.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Well Cavendish is outside the time limit at the moment but according to Boardman half of the entire field is. If enough riders finish outside of it then they cancel it!

I'm a fan of Voeckler's attacking riding - just like Gilbert who attacked nearly every flat or rolling stage in the first couple of weeks. I don't think Voeckler's lost it to Andy though - he lost the race to Cadel Evans. Which should please numerous folk but upset Ace with his bum-chin hating ways.

Cav isn't my favouritest rider by the way. David Millar is and he spends most of the flat stages finishing 40th and most of the mountain stages finishing 70th. ^_^

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

78 riders made the cut off. Nearly 100 didn't. I very much doubt that they'll eliminate them.

[Sandars]

Well Cavendish is outside the time limit at the moment but according to Boardman half of the entire field is. If enough riders finish outside of it then they cancel it!

I'm a fan of Voeckler's attacking riding - just like Gilbert who attacked nearly every flat or rolling stage in the first couple of weeks. I don't think Voeckler's lost it to Andy though - he lost the race to Cadel Evans. Which should please numerous folk but upset Ace with his bum-chin hating ways.

Cav isn't my favouritest rider by the way. David Millar is and he spends most of the flat stages finishing 40th and most of the mountain stages finishing 70th. ^_^

Sorry, I see you totting the Manx Missile... and to be honest I don't blame you.......Sucks about Brad Wiggins this year...

Let's just agree that Voeckler rode smarter than we gave him credit for, and move on?

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I'm being a bit too harsh on Voeckler because it's been a fairytale ride for him. He's spent more time in the yellow jersey now than Jan Ullrich did in his entire career. He's given the French something to cheer but while journalists and other riders suggest that he could have clung on, he's been happy to "go down trying". But at least he's been giving it a go. Today's the ONLY stage that I've been upset with how he's gone about it as it was his responsibility to bring Schleck back. Otherwise he's ridden a very exciting race and, along with Hushovd is probably the big story of the 2011 Tour de France.

In fact you'd have to go something like:

1. Hushovd, Voeckler

2. Cavendish, Schleck, Hoogerland

3. Boasson Hagen, Gilbert, Evans

As far as who's Tour is has been (for different reasons of course)...

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Cavendish docked 20 points for finishing outside of time limit so has only 15 points over Rojas now (who made it in the time limit). If the same thing happens tomorrow then Cav'll need to beat Rojas in Paris for Britain's first green jersey...ever.