Tour de France - Stage 18 - SPOILER

[Rubber Bullets]

I was shouting at TV for almost all the last 1km, and also had a tear in the eye when he crossed the line and kept the yellow jersey. I well remember his heroics of 2004 and he has way surpassed those this year, I am delighted for him and dearly hope he can get a podium finish.

As far as Cav goes, over 1/2 the race, 86 riders, came in at that time, and yet he is the only one who really suffers, supposing that it is only Rojas and Gilbert who have a reasonable chance of winning the Green in Paris. Is this normal? Is 'just the rules' or are the race officials just ****ing with Cav again cos they can? Was that competition just not close enough going into Paris?

Christian Prudhomme went on record before the race and said that if a sprinter of Cav's talents, who won as many stages as he does, never wins Green then it would be wrong, and suggested that the changes to the points system this year was done to put this right; and yet with uphill finishes and docked points etc they seem to be doing everything they can to stop him doing it again this year!

RB

 

[sdr gb]

I was shouting at TV for almost all the last 1km, and also had a tear in the eye when he crossed the line and kept the yellow jersey. I well remember his heroics of 2004 and he has way surpassed those this year, I am delighted for him and dearly hope he can get a podium finish.

As far as Cav goes, over 1/2 the race, 86 riders, came in at that time, and yet he is the only one who really suffers, supposing that it is only Rojas and Gilbert who have a reasonable chance of winning the Green in Paris. Is this normal? Is 'just the rules' or are the race officials just ****ing with Cav again cos they can? Was that competition just not close enough going into Paris?

Christian Prudhomme went on record before the race and said that if a sprinter of Cav's talents, who won as many stages as he does, never wins Green then it would be wrong, and suggested that the changes to the points system this year was done to put this right; and yet with uphill finishes and docked points etc they seem to be doing everything they can to stop him doing it again this year!

RB

As far as I understand it, if a rider finishes outside the time limit, and is allowed to continue, then he is docked the amount of points from his total as the winner gets for winning the stage. 20 points were on offer to the winner today so everybody who finished outside the time limit gets docked 20 points.

It will make Sundays stage interesting if Cav is docked any more points tomorrow.

 

[raindog]

As far as Cav goes, over 1/2 the race, 86 riders, came in at that time, and yet he is the only one who really suffers, supposing that it is only Rojas and Gilbert who have a reasonable chance of winning the Green in Paris. Is this normal?

The rules are the rules. They're the same for everyone. On other forums there are people saying that Cav should simply lose his green jersey altogether.

 

[Simba]

I want Tommy Voeckler to win, his effort in holding on to yellow has been immense and has grown on me. If he can't do it then I want Evans to win.

 

[Baggy]

Well, legendary ride by Andy Schleck but how much has that cost him and is it him or Frank going for the GC, we'll see tomorrow. I was surprised there was no organisation to the chase but it became obvious when Sammy Sanchez and Contador droped back, why. The Schleks still need to do it again, they still don't have enough time, it's still wide open. Can Voeckler stay there again tomorrow? Great recovery by Evans as well. It didn't disappoint did it.

It was great! We were actually cheering for Cuddles at the end with the effort he made dragging the peloton uphill.

The brothers bland need to do exactly the same again if they want a sniff at yellow as they're going to lose shedloads of time in the ITT, with Frank's time trialling abilities being worse than Andy's.

I think TV was hanging on by the skin of his tongue, he looked totally shattered as he crossed the line. I still think he's going to blow up tomorrow!

 

[yello]

It is absolutely incredible how Voeckler hangs in there. I keep saying he's done for and then he finds more. The guys the hero of France at the moment. The news is just full of him!

 

[Baggy]

That's why I could understand Evans spitting tacks this evening!

Even though he has more support than usual this year Evans still seems destined to be lone wolf, nobody ever wants to help him out!

Voeckler owes him a beer, he'd not be in yellow tonight had it not been for Evans.

 

[Baggy]

It is absolutely incredible how Voeckler hangs in there. I keep saying he's done for and then he finds more.

If the end of that stage had been another km at that gradient steam would have been coming out of his every orifice!

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Well Cavendish (sp) is still in thanks to the number of people in the group outside the cut off time. Lucky guy.

 

[gavroche]

What a stage today! Where do those guys get their energy from? And they have to do it all again tomorrow.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

What a stage today! Where do those guys get their energy from? And they have to do it all again tomorrow.

Yep they are gods amongst men!

 

[400bhp]

I think TV ought say thanks to Evans though,

He did.

 

[yello]

Well Cavendish (sp) is still in thanks to the number of people in the group outside the cut off time. Lucky guy.

Not entirely. There are a number of factors that are considered, size of the group being just one of them. The fact he was wearing green is another. I heard mention on French TV that the wind was also a consideration. They were riding into a strong wind, something that the official calculation of the cut off time does not allow for.

But, hey, this is France! You get used to local interpretations of rules. Sometimes rules seem to be used as guidance rather than for strict adherence. There might be a single Napoleonic Code but there's a myriad of people and places that interpret it differently!

 

[400bhp]

I was getting frickin' frustrated at the peleton though. There seemed little interest in chasing. I just couldn't understand it. There was enough of them there with an interest but it just didn't happen.

Same here, but I guess that shows how hard Schleck was riding.

Another great stage-wonder what will happen tomorrow? I'm hoping Bertie and Sammy have a pop tomorrow (hope being a big word).

 

[yello]

He did.

Good on him. I'm pleased to hear that. Evans pulled the bloody lot of them up that hill!