Tour de France

Great action today. I only caught the highlights due to being at work but looked an excellent race. Cavendish was superb to nick it by such a small margin. Some excellent sprinters, I think this will prove to be a close tour.

(02-07-2012 20:09 )Money_Shot Wrote:  Great action today. I only caught the highlights due to being at work but looked an excellent race. Cavendish was superb to nick it by such a small margin. Some excellent sprinters, I think this will prove to be a close tour.

its what they call a sprinters finish.

in the last 3kms of the stage there was a big crash which saw wiggins finish in 52nd place and 47seconds behind the stage winner however since the crash was in the last 3kms he gets the same time has the winner.

Stage 3 proved to be a great day of cycling with lot's of drama with a few crashes. Sadly for Kanstantsin Siutsou and Team Sky he is now out the tour with a broken leg.

It was Peter Sagan who took 1st place today, following on from his win in stage 1 on Sunday. It was a class performance from the 22 year old who looks like a champ in the making!

There was some brave efforts by the breakaway groups throughout the day but it was Sylvain Chavanel who in the last stages of the race (about 9KM I think) who sped off looking to grab the win. He is a previous winner on that exact route and nearly took the win but it was during the final climb the pack joined him and he filtered down.

Stage three result:

1. Peter Sagan (Svk) 4hrs 42mins 58secs
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor)
3. Peter Velits (Svk)
4. Fabian Cancellara (Sui)
5. Michael Albasini (Sui)


Overall standings:

1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack - 14hrs 45mins 30secs
2 Bradley Wiggins (GB) Team Sky - @ 07"
3 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma - same time
4 Tejay Van Garderen (US) BMC Racing - @ 10"
5 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Sky - @ 11

Today's 214.5km stage from Abbeville to Rouen was won by German Andre Greipel in a sprint finish. It was not without drama though as there was a big stack 2.6km from the end where Mark Cavendish fell and injured himself pretty bad along with his partner Bernhard Eisel. Cavendish did however get back on his bike and complete the race which means he finished with the same time as the others around him. Bernhard Eisel also finished the race about 4 minutes after Cavendish.

Dave Brailsford of Team Sky said he expects them both to start the 196.5km fifth stage from Rouen to Saint-Quentin.

Stage four result:

1. André Greipel (GER) Lotto - 5hrs 18mins 32secs
2. Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) Lampre - same time
3. Tom Veelers (NED) Argos - same time
4. Matt Goss (AUS) Orica - same time
5. Peter Sagan (SVK) Liquigas - same time


Overall standings:

1 Fabian Cancellara (SWI) RadioShack - 20hrs 04mins 02secs
2 Bradley Wiggins (GB) Team Sky - @ 07"
3 Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) Omega Pharma - same time
4 Tejay Van Garderen (US) BMC Racing - @ 10"
5 Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) Team Sky - @ 11"

(04-07-2012 10:04 )Money_Shot Wrote:  Sadly for Kanstantsin Siutsou and Team Sky he is now out the tour with a broken leg.

team sky/sky procycling will miss siutsou now has they start the 1st of the mountain stages. bailsford said that the team can aborsb his loss. cavendish is not competing for the green jeresy this has his main focus in the olympic road race and getting wiggins in the yellow as thanks for the excellent performance in the world champ road race.

boa have selected the same team from the world champ road race for the olympics Cavendish, Wiggins, Froome, Stannard and Millar.

I missed Thursday and Friday's racing, but I've seen pictures of the big crash...



OUCH! Suffering those sort of injuries but picking yourself up to finish the race... Real sportsman.






...Anyway, I watched the whole thing today, excellent finish by Froome, and Wiggins now has the Yellow Jersey.

Stage seven result:

1. Chris Froome (GB) Team Sky - 4h58:35
2. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC - @2"
3. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Sky - @ 2"
4. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas - @7"
5. Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis - @19"

Overall standings:

1. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Sky - 34 hours, 21 mins, 20 seconds
2. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC - @10"
3. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas - @16"
4. Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis - @32"
5. Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha - @54"
9. Chris Froome (GB) Sky - @1:32

6 people abandoned the tour after that crash.

wiggins is still in the yellow and cadel evans can not get rid of wiggo on a break or sprint

time trail tomorrow, wiggo to extend his lead tomorrow has he is a time trail specialist.

wiggins gives it back to the haters.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersp...eight.html

he is Certainly blowing them away at the moment Chris Froome also crusing to looks good for the Olympics as well

1st and 2nd for Sky's GB riders.. Wiggins wins, Froome 2nd
There's 1" 53 between Wiggins and Cadel Evans.

We must thank the French press for unsetting him so that he rode 'mad'.