# Stage 8 - spoiler



## Keith Oates (15 Jul 2007)

Today is the first of the real tough finishes, three climbs of note with the last being nearly 20 K up to the finish line. I think this is when Valverde has to prove his metal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## wakemalcolm (15 Jul 2007)

Yup, I think the non-Astana's missed a trick yesterday and they all just watched the turquoise train steam back into form. Everyone seems to ride as if the race is coming to them rather than the other way around. Kind of hope that the Maillot Jaune can hack the pace today if even just to rub the favourites noses in it for a few days. With a rest day tomorrow, surely someone has to take a risk.


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## Keith Oates (15 Jul 2007)

I agree with you wakemalcolm, it was almost as if they were waiting for Astana to recover and attack. Perhaps they know something we don't!!!!!!


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## Keith Oates (15 Jul 2007)

Now they are well and truly on their way and Millar is in the leading bunch, can he do something today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Keith Oates (15 Jul 2007)

Cavendish has abandoned, never mind he has a few years ahead of him to try again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## gbyers (15 Jul 2007)

Good picture feed again from NOS. Heavy on the Rabobank coverage esp Dekker, but that's understandable.

Anyone got english audio feed? Can't get Eurosport audio to work on either browser and cyclingfans website reports problems.


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## Keith Oates (15 Jul 2007)

After the tips yesterday I'm also on NOS but I keep losing it and have to log on again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## TimO (15 Jul 2007)

gbyers said:


> Good picture feed again from NOS. Heavy on the Rabobank coverage esp Dekker, but that's understandable.
> 
> Anyone got english audio feed? Can't get Eurosport audio to work on either browser and cyclingfans website reports problems.



You're doing better than me, I've not managed to get any of the streaming feeds to work, audio or video, both at home on the ADSL, or at work on a nice big fat academic feed into the Net.

At least the Eurosport text thingy on Yahoo works pretty well, wherever you are, and ITV4 is a godsend at the weekends.

Some amazing footage looking down the mountains today, I don't think I'd like to cycle up any of that, but the views must be magnificent!


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## Keith Oates (15 Jul 2007)

Wow, nasty crash for Rogers and Arroyo, hope they are both OK!!


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## TimO (15 Jul 2007)

Ouch, nasty fall, Michael Rogers and David Arroyo both coming down, but David literally having to climb back into the race. 

It's amazing that riders don't come off worse more often on these downhills, you watch them go around some corners, and it wouldn't take much to put them in a situation where they would need to learn how to fly *very* fast!


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## Steve Austin (15 Jul 2007)

ROGERS is going to pack!!

His left hand (?) he can't use it


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## Steve Austin (15 Jul 2007)

scrap that, he looks better


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## Keith Oates (15 Jul 2007)

Astana are now at the head of the peleton but with Rasmussan 4 mins ahead will they catch him!!!


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## TimO (15 Jul 2007)

Steve Austin said:


> scrap that, he looks better


No he doesn't, he's falling backwards through the peloton. 

(I might just be to get to the Doc though...<fx:fingers crossed>)


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## Steve Austin (15 Jul 2007)

doc just had a look at his right collarbone. he looks awful


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## Steve Austin (15 Jul 2007)

he's got off


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## TimO (15 Jul 2007)

He's abandoned.


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## Keith Oates (15 Jul 2007)

That's two of the Aussies out of the race as O'Grady is going to hospital for x-rays!!!!!


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## Monty Dog (15 Jul 2007)

Rasmussen in yellow tonight then? Moreau just attacked - will this stir the bunch into life?


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## TimO (15 Jul 2007)

I think there are going to be a lot less riders at the start of the next stage. They do seem to be dropping out rather rapidly today. I guess it's hardly suprising, three cat 1 climbs in 165 km of cycling, it's got to be a bit wearing.


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## Monty Dog (15 Jul 2007)

Mayo, Kash, Valverde and Evans counter - Contador has joined them and they have caught Moreau. Savodelli driving Vino and Kloden in the bunch.


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## Steve Austin (15 Jul 2007)

I know Rasmussen can't TT (remember the horror!  ) but have they let him get a bit too much time out there?


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## Keith Oates (15 Jul 2007)

The way he's riding at the moment there is very little they can do to lessen the damage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Steve Austin (15 Jul 2007)

Rasmussen is riding well !


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## SamNichols (15 Jul 2007)

Rasmussen absolutely killed them out there today, although they did manage to claw some time back. Valverde was being an absolute idiot, and one must feel sorry for Moreau after he held that lot up for a good 1/2 hour or so, and thye didn't even have the courtesy to thank him.
Also, lots of dramatic exits today - it's all heating up.


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## Smokin Joe (15 Jul 2007)

It's shaping up for a great tour. Assuming the big move to clamp down on doping is having an effect, I think the race will be far more unpredictable than in recent years with fluctuations in form as riders pay for the efforts of a hard stage.

I feel it is no coincidence that no-one was able to achieve all there tour wins in consequtive years before the EPO era.


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## palinurus (15 Jul 2007)

This is all getting to be a bit more like the tour was like when I started watching in the mid 80's (which was the first year ch4 covered, '84 perhaps?)

The Armstrong years were a bit dull.


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## Squaggles (15 Jul 2007)

Nice to see Iban Mayo put in a good ride today . I'd love to see him do well this year .


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## Keith Oates (15 Jul 2007)

Mayo did well today which is a big turn around for him after a couple of very quiet years. Glad to see Valverde near the top of the list in 3rd place on the day and 4th in the GC. Rasmussen really showed his metal today and could continue in Yellow for a while!!!!!


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## Keith Oates (16 Jul 2007)

From the CSC web site, not so good:

quote

Stuart O'Grady in Bad Shape

[15.07 20:30] This year's winner of Paris-Roubaix, Australian Stuart O'Grady crashed and had to abandon Tour de France during Sunday's mountain stage. O'Grady was in bad shape and was taken straight to hospital for observation after the crash.

O'Grady was working his way through the peloton with bottles for his teammates during the final descent, when the crash happened.

The Australian rider landed on his right side and punctured one lung, broke his collarbone, shoulder blade, five ribs as well as some bones in his spine. It is important to point out though that it is not the spine itself, which is broken. 

Unquote

He's one of my favorite riders so I hope all will be well for next season!!


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## Monty Dog (16 Jul 2007)

It's intruiging to see that no team is able to assert it's control of the peloton - what's happened to some team's abilities to control the pace? Perhaps their 'preparation' hasn't gone as planned - but one things for sure it's 10x more interesting and a lot, lot less predictable. Nice to see that the climbers can still climb, but some of the big-guys who've freakishly been there in the past are no longer there. Roll-on another couple of weeks racing like this and I might be convinced that LeTour is a race worth watching rather than a 3-week procession.


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## Tim Bennet. (16 Jul 2007)

I had no enthusiasm for this year's Tour after the debacles of recent times. I only went down to London for Le Grand Depart as I thought the spectacle of it being in London would be worth a look.

And then the huge gaps between the leading contenders' times in the Prologue nearly had me switch off for ever with doubts and suspicions, but I must admit, I am beginning to warm to it again.


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## Tetedelacourse (16 Jul 2007)

I too thought the build-up was farcical and difficult to be genuinely excited about - given that there was no guarantee that any one rider would definitely take the start line in the current climate.

But now the racing's underway and especially since we've hit the mountains I find it just as addictive and exciting as it ever was. Course, I can't help but think that we'd have seen a completely different race if Basso, Ulrich etc had been there, but then good riddance and let the others get on with it.

Really intrigued to see if Rasmussen can hold onto the jersey. I think he'd need to extend his lead in the mountains if he wants to wear it in Paris, and we've not seen him have to knowingly do that yet. I hope he manages it, seems really humble and pleasant from what I can see, exact opposite of Lance! I still think Valverde is his biggest threat though and I'm not sure how it will all sit with Menchov.


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## Squaggles (16 Jul 2007)

Rasmussen to win overall ? Has he improved his TT form in the last 2 years ? He will certainly lose time but how much ?


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## Steve Austin (16 Jul 2007)

I think it depends on how many ditches/roundabouts he crashes/flys into.

I'm reckoning 3 accidental collisions, a minute lost for each...

So he _could_ still be in yellow after the TT


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## romans (16 Jul 2007)

What is NOS? I have been watching ITV4 on the net, 50 mins highlights. Is there anything else? I don't have cable TV etc., not even a TV licence though do have broadband.


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## Keith Oates (16 Jul 2007)

Go to www.cyclingfans.com then click on NOS and you will see the programme, but the language is Dutch!!


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