Tour de France - Stage 10 - SPOILER

[Keith Oates]

A shorter stage today (by TdF standards) and is rolling but not considered very hilly so it looks like it could be another sprint finish. For me I will be hoping that it's another one for Cav but no doubt he will have to fight hard to achieve this as the others will all be watching HTC and trying to cover all the moves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rustychisel]

Gilbert FTW.

The bloke in yellow to stay in yellow. 50/50 Contador pulls out tomorrow. 100% Andy Schleck wheelsucks the way they used to say Cadel did. Hoogeland hangs in tough. I use more punctuation than Keith Oates, but he whips me with a sneak attack tomorrow !!!!!!!?!??!?!?#?!??#?!???!?$?$?%??^?$?%&???!??!?!?!!!!!!!!!???$???#$?@#%?$?%^?!!#$@$?#$%$
^^!$!!!%%%#!!$#%!!???!$?%!#?@!?%~?!$%?!?$?!$!!!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lilolee]

I use more punctuation than Keith Oates, but he whips me with a sneak attack tomorrow !!!!!!!?!??!?!?#?!??#?!???!?$?$?%??^?$?%&???!??!?!?!!!!!!!!!???$???#$?@#%?$?%^?!!#$@$?#$%$
^^!$!!!%%%#!!$#%!!???!$?%!#?@!?%~?!$%?!?$?!$!!!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thor FTW

I think it'll be a quiet day today, except for the Green jersey, which Cav won't quite get.

 

[Matthames]

It is quite a technical finish today, all down hill with a sharp right hander at the 1km mark and then a sharp left hander just before the finishing straight.

I would probably expect Cav to go for the intermediate as well as the finish.

 

[yello]

Popovych won't be starting today...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/popovych-out-of-tour-de-france-kloden-to-start

...so the average age has just increased 10 years!

50/50 Contador pulls out tomorrow.

Brave call rusty. I reckon it could be in his mind; see it through today, see how the knee feels.

Sprinters day again I reckon. HTC and OmegaPL at the front, high pace. That finish sounds technical, fingers crossed for no prangs, first out of that last bend in one piece wins?

 

[Matthames]

Just been looking at the finish on Google maps.

1km Mark: 1km to go
Final bend: Final bend
Finishing line

 

[yello]

Final bend: Final bend

Jeez, no, surely not... that could be mayhem, what with that traffic island there. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[ohnovino]

Cav's tweeted this pic of the last five kilometres, and the finish looks crazy. I don't see why they couldn't put the finish line 1km further back to avoid a pair of scary bends?

On a lighter note, it looks like Hoogerland is carrying on

 

[raindog]

Yep - Hoogerland and Flecha riding - respect.
(now, if they were footy players............

)

 

[User482]

Wow - Cav done over in the sprint. I wonder what he'll say about it?

 

[Buddfox]

Well even though he didn't win the stage, that looks like a pretty good day at the office for Cav. Gilbert made a bad decision trying to go it alone as he wasn't competitive at the end - it was a big roll of the dice but I think Cav's made up a fair bit of ground in the points competition. Chapeau to Millar for having a crack at the end despite being bandaged up!

 

[User482]

You're right about the points, but Cav strikes me as the kind of guy who's all about the win.

 

[yello]

Under the circumstances, I reckon Cavendish did the best he could. The HTC train wasn't, probably knackered after dragging him up the hill (who knows) but he was all alone. He took a chance and launched his sprint a little bit further out than is his preference. Griepel's a powerhouse sprinter, he was always going to out drag Cavendish from that position.

Points in the bag though, Cav is interested in green, that's why he's contesting the intermediates. Tbh, I have a sneaking feeling we'll see Hushvold take green; he continues to be in the points.

I think, in retrospect, Gilbert will maybe think his break was a mistake. Imho, it was close to being an unwise gamble.

 

[dellzeqq]

You're right about the points, but Cav strikes me as the kind of guy who's all about the win.

quite. But maybe he's been overdoing it

Peta Todd @petatodd: "Morning all, left my boy @MarkCavendish asleep in bed as I headed off for the airport. Have to go back for work & APPARENTLY he has a race."

 

[User169]

quite. But maybe he's been overdoing it

Peta Todd @petatodd: "Morning all, left my boy @MarkCavendish asleep in bed as I headed off for the airport. Have to go back for work & APPARENTLY he has a race."

Did she say whether Renshaw had been on lead-out duty?