MDcatV

following on CN. Nibali seems too strong for everyone, this reads like when Contador crushed everyone at the giro a few years ago and gifted a bunch of stages.

furiousferret

I'm still a few days behind, but it already seems like the yellow and green are wrapped up.

Grumpy McTrumpy

how long ago was it that the same person won both the yellow and polka dot?

save10

The Cannibal. 1970.

mattm

nibali's got it locked down.

everyone else looks like an amateur out there - missing Alberto and Chris to at least challenge for yellow..

thechemist

Pinot had quite a good stage today. To bad he isent good at TT or descending. fun guy to watch

save10

agreed. much chapeau to Nibali, but sans Cav, Contador, and Froomey - at least for me i'm just not into this thing as previous additions. and if there was ever a TDF for Talansky to be on a podium it was this one. doh! that sprint

spdoran

Lot's of valuable bike lessons to learn from the pros... examples: don't reach in your back pocket while descending, don't be in the sprint if you're not a sprinter and don't be a tool and not bring wiggins.

As for today's stage, team sky is done, AG2R surprisingly active near the top of the leader boards with FDJ, Nibali can win even if the rest of his team blows up and leaves him to his own devices and the polka dot jersey winner probably won't have had it for longer than a day or two at most by the tour's end. It hasn't been the most interesting tour with the exception of the crash stages, but heck its still going on and it gives me something to watch.

mattm

crosswinds tomorrow perhaps - hopefully the Belgian teams will do some work to split things up and make it interesting!

furiousferret

I'm just glad the French teams are doing something. Every year I wonder why FDJ, Cofidis, and AG2R show up and what excuses they give their sponsor. Whatever it is, they could sell snow to eskimos.

Sailor73 

Conventional Wisdom says tomorrow's win will be from a break of 10 riders all over an hour down on Nibali. Just once, I'd like to see one of the GC contenders make a dash for it.

Ygduf

that finish.



and not a single 24 joke...

globecanvas

Quite the rollercoaster of emotions there.



It was almost like we were watching events occur in real time.

Sailor73 

What a kick to the gut for Jack. Just painful for him.


I'm sure he wants redemption.

globecanvas

Yes, that result will certainly torture Jack Bauer beyond the limits of what a man can bear. But he won't crack, even if his team abandons him for dead.

mattm

oh garmin, sooooooooo close to redeeming something from this damn tour!

they should just give up on gc hopes next year and go for stage wins.

mattm

also quickstep's moves at the end were silly.. martin shoulda led out instead of those attacks that were a waste!

Ygduf

martin should have just won the stage. looked like he had the legs.

furiousferret

Man that was gut crushing

Ygduf

mattm

i think that was his problem - he was trying to do just that, but waited too long.

not enough snap to get away at that point. I guess he helped chase down the break, if only by accident..

furiousferret

He seemed about 3x as devastated as that gif.

YMCA

I think TM was trying to leadout the bunch, but guys kept opening gaps!

Too strong. He'll win the TT next Sat by 2' over Navardauskas, with Nibbles in 3rd, because VN is that good right now.

Ygduf

I'm not making fun of him. I would have cried and quit the team right there. I was telling my wife about the finish and I got a little verklempt. As a break attempter, I've been caught that close before and it sucks. For me, it was some podunk circuit race in the 3s. For him it was the TdF. Brutal.

furiousferret

Stupid question, and I've always wondered why this isn't done, but why didn't Garmin have guys take pulls and slow down the pack? Its only going to buy a few seconds but that's all he needed.