Tour de France 2017 ***SPOILERS***

[mjr]

I'm surprised that nobody has commented about the (head-on view) move to the left was partly as a result of Greipel's rear wheel sliding as he put down the hammer.

Was it? I thought his slide came after he tried to shunt Bouhanni.

 

[lyn1]

Having watched countless slow-motion replays and different camera angles, my opinion of the incident... remains exactly the same as when I watched it live.

This is how I saw it unfolding as it happened and nothing I've seen subsequently has changed my mind:
• Cav was on Demare's wheel, but Demare was starting to pull away from him. Cav was already out of the race.
• Sagan saw Demare coming past and thought there was enough of a gap to jump onto his wheel but hadn't seen Cav coming up behind.
• The two came together, usual sprinters' argy-bargy, unfortunately Cav was hard up against the barrier with nowhere else to go...

Sagan may have been at fault - that's for the jury to decide and I'm glad it's not my call - but the DQ seems harsh.

Anyway, the race moves on, and today's finale should hopefully see some fireworks of a less controversial kind.

Don't buy that. From the overhead at the point where Sagan cuts across (immediately before the crash) Cav is only half a bike length behind Demare which is where he has been for a while.

 

[smutchin]

Don't buy that. From the overhead at the point where Sagan cuts across (immediately before the crash) Cav is only half a bike length behind Demare which is where he has been for a while.

Does the overhead shot show how close Cav was to Demare just after they've come round that final right-hand bend, before Demare starts moving across to the barriers on the right? It looked to me like a matter of a few inches, and when Demare goes, Cav instantly loses a bit of ground as he tries to follow him.

Half a bike's length is admittedly not much of a gap at those kind of speeds though.

 

[Bollo]

David Millar on the live coverage is in a high dudgeon. He's just called out the commis as amateurs (fair) and suggested Bora Hangrohe sue the UCI (fantasy). Hope he has a good lunch.

 

[Crackle]

Well DD gambled on Cav for the tour, they're in a predicament now for World Tour points.

 

[jarlrmai]

Tommy V in the break.

 

[jarlrmai]

This break looks serious business.

 

[Adam4868]

Just start a new thread,with a poll such as Sagan hang him or not ?
Quite a few in that sprint 'moved about' as happens all the time.Do I think he was quilty or should have been kicked out ? No.
Race goes on,should be a good stage.

 

[roadrash]

some good riders in the breakaway

 

[smutchin]

Well DD gambled on Cav for the tour, they're in a predicament now for World Tour points.

Time for Stevo to step up and save their season!

 

[jarlrmai]

Thomas literally taking the piss.

 

[smutchin]

Tommy V in the break.

Quelle surprise, as they say.

 

[Adam4868]

It's all down to BMC today,too much class in that breakaway.

 

[jarlrmai]

Quelle surprise, as they say.

I've been waiting to say Tommy V in the break, it's how you know the TDF is up and running.

 

[rich p]

Richie Porte is obviously up for the fight today. It'll be interesting how far his team manage up the steep bits before he's isolated.