TdF Stage 14 SPOILER

[buggi]

having just watched the aerial shot again, i don't think the barriers come in. it's an illusion created by a painted white line in the road, that disappears towards and under the barriers, therefore, it's not the barriers that close in and make the road narrower, they are just taking it in a different direction, it's Cav himself. it does seem like he does cut off Thor's line.

Just seen him on TV and he seems a bit subdued.

 

[marinyork]

Thought Cav interviewed very well for ITV, apart from the cereal bar comment, nothing silly or arrogant.

 

[HLaB]

having just watched the aerial shot again, i don't think the barriers come in. it's an illusion created by a painted white line in the road, that disappears towards and under the barriers, therefore, it's not the barriers that close in and make the road narrower, they are just taking it in a different direction, it's Cav himself. it does seem like he does cut off Thor's line.

Just seen him on TV and he seems a bit subdued.

Given his reaction I think he knows you're right.

 

[marinyork]

Given his reaction I think he knows you're right.

Or could have been told to cool off and stop saying badly sounding things. The pair of them have made themselves look really bad the last few days. Cav's young, his attitude will probably change, but no excusing Hushovd's attitude problem.

 

[yello]

But I don't understand why Hincapie (and Cav) say it was unfair that Hincapie didn't get the yellow jersey. They seemed to imply it was owed to him in some way.

Maybe he thought it was an old boys' network rather than a race? I don't know... bizarre isn't it?

I think you're right buggi, I also think the barriers just follow the line rather than move in. Sad truth is, I reckon Cavendish messed up. I reckon he saw Hushovd to his right and panicked, cut across and (probably unintentionally) blocked him. Cavendish was still on Renshaw's wheel when he ducked right. I reckon if he'd have held his nerve, waited for Renshaw to peel away then he'd have done Hushovd in a straight sprint.

 

[HLaB]

but no excusing Hushovd's attitude problem.

Yeah, over the last while I preferred TH but then he came out with yesterdays quote; unlikely but I hope Cavendish beats him now.

 

[yello]

unlikely but I hope Cavendish beats him now.

Very unlikely sadly. It was a good competition up until yesterday.

I wouldn't be surprised if Cavendish pulls out. It'll look like sore grapes and I hope he doesn't. He needs the practice if he's to become a more rounded rider and worthy of green (says he hinting at another thread!)

 

[marinyork]

I hope he doesn't pull out, needs the experience and he's got a couple more stages he might win including the Champs-Élysées. I think before yesterday either of them deserved Green, was a good competition.

 

[JamesM]

Come on someone at Columbia paying a rider from another team to take Thor out on the Champss-Élysées!

 

[Chuffy]

Hmmm. Thor complained, sure, but it's up to the ref what action they decide to take (if any). Cav's whine about Thor 'trying to get him disqualified' was childish, but about par.

Interesting comments from Robbie McEwan on the ITV highlights package today. Paraphrasing very roughly: he thought that there was an offence by Cav but the punishment was harsher than the offence merited. He also said that, in his opinion, the commissaires would have taken into account that Cav was deliberately trying to block Hushovd.

Puts the grumping about Hushovd into some expert perspective....

 

[rich p]

Ah, Chuffy, but you're one of them Cav Haterz as well as one of them Lance Haterz so you see it different from proper peeple.

 

[marinyork]

Hmmm. Thor complained, sure, but it's up to the ref what action they decide to take (if any). Cav's whine about Thor 'trying to get him disqualified' was childish, but about par.

Interesting comments from Robbie McEwan on the ITV highlights package today. Paraphrasing very roughly: he thought that there was an offence by Cav but the punishment was harsher than the offence merited. He also said that, in his opinion, the commissaires would have taken into account that Cav was deliberately trying to block Hushovd.

Puts the grumping about Hushovd into some expert perspective....

I really like Thor but he made himself sound like a class jerk, bragging about trying to get someone disqualified. Let his sprinting do the talking. He didn't, he opened his gob.

 

[Chuffy]

I really like Thor but he made himself sound like a class jerk, bragging about trying to get someone disqualified. Let his sprinting do the talking. He didn't, he opened his gob.

You must have heard a different interview to me. He made what he felt was a legitimate complaint (and he looked pretty p*ssed off when he crossed the line) and it was upheld. The punishment was out of his hands. I didn't hear any 'bragging' about it.

<blows raspberry at Rich P>
I thought that Robbie called it right. Incidentally, he also suggested that a more appropriate punishment would have been to reverse the places. Which sounds about fair. I'm not a Cav hater (yeah, I know you're pulling my pud, but still...) and it's a pity that the jersey competition is pretty much over, because I'd have made Hushovd slight favourite, on the grounds that he can pick up points where Cav can't. That would have made it exciting down to the Champs.

 

[Skip Madness]

Puts the grumping about Hushovd into some expert perspective....

Meanwhile, Seán Kelly says that it didn't merit punishment. You can find an expert to argue pretty much anything.

 

[Chuffy]

Meanwhile, Seán Kelly says that it didn't merit punishment. You can find an expert to argue pretty much anything.

True, but I'd tend to take the word of a scrapper like Robbie at face value in a case like this. TBH when they cut to the interview I was fully expecting him to side with Cav and call down hellfire and damnation upon the race ref.