Stage 5: Chambord - Montargis [Archive]

zero

07-05-05, 11:07 AM

Could it be Boonen again???
It seems as if McEwen is the best in the world... at beating the Fassa Train. It seems that he has not been able to adapt to sprinting without the wheel of Petacchi to come around.

Dolomiti

07-05-05, 11:18 AM

Anyone know what the finish is like? Like if there is a slight uphill run or anything.

Laggard

07-05-05, 11:29 AM

Anyone know what the finish is like? Like if there is a slight uphill run or anything.

Great question. I wish they'd give a detailed profile of the last 2k

gcasillo

07-05-05, 12:11 PM

My instinct tells me McEwen's pride will lift him up to victory, but my smarts say...

Boonen
McEwen
Eisel

Devil

07-05-05, 12:51 PM

I'd really like for Boonen to pull off a third consecutive road stage win, but I think it will be McEwen. That Aussie is pissed.

gpelpel

07-05-05, 12:57 PM

Seems like the Quick-Step guys will be a tired bunch when they arrive at the foot of the mountains. Boonen has the potential of winning a lot of stages, he is too powerful and smart. For that his team will have to control the race and counter the "échapées". The other teams know they will need to break from peloton if they want to win stages, sprint finishes are almost lost causes.

skinnyone

07-05-05, 04:59 PM

Boonen
O-grady
Mcewen

cjbruin

07-05-05, 06:54 PM

Thor is going take this one.

lotek

07-05-05, 07:24 PM

Sylvain (pick a surname) will make a desperate break within the first
20k. He will not succeed.
Michael Boogard or Eric Dekker will be involved in a serious
break which will be swallowed by the peloton within sight
of the finish.
Boonen
Hushvod
OGrady.
McEwen will not contest blaming his ills on Tylers vanishing twin.

Marty

Laggard

07-05-05, 07:25 PM

I really want to pick someone different. But I can't.

Boonen
Hushovd
Forster
McEwen

TheKidd

07-05-05, 07:55 PM

really, how can I not go with Boonen?

captin pank

07-05-05, 09:11 PM

From cyclingnews.com

"I think the advantage of [winning] the team time trial is that we now have a lot of guys in good position on GC, so we can play a little bit with that... Maybe the team keeps the yellow jersey, but not Lance..."

From www.letour.fr

"HINCAPIE George 00' 55""

Now I'm not really knowledgeable about tactics in racing and what-not, but what are the chances that Lance lets his Lt. go on a break have DSC keep breaking up the chase? Or is that some kind of naive fantasy of mine and just some talk from DSC?

Devil

07-05-05, 09:19 PM

They tried to do this last year. Honestly, I'd like to see it work out this year. It'd be a fitting trophy for all of George's hard work these past six years.

Boonen vs Hincapie: The Rematch

Guest

07-05-05, 09:25 PM

McEwen will not contest blaming his ills on Tylers vanishing twin.

Marty

OUCH!

:lol:

Koffee

Monument Man

07-05-05, 10:02 PM

I wouldn't bet against Boonen although I think that the Disco boys are going to defend yellow by allowing somebody like Padrnos to join any breakaways. Bruneel mentioned today that Disco might defend the yellow, but they weren't certain which rider would be allowed to wear yellow. Cool.

jpearl

07-05-05, 10:10 PM

As much as the sprinters are gonna want this one, with Lance's Yellow Jersey dangled over the peleton by just a few seconds (and he's eager to let the children play with it for a little bit), expect this stage to be peppered with breakaways by opportunists. The sprinter teams will be so preoccupied chasing down these breaks that it will be hard for them to keep the field together to get thier men to the line by lead outs and field sprint tactics. Anybody can take this stage. If it's a sprint, either it'll be Boonen, Kirsipuu, or big Thor. Look for McGewan to go for his "revenge is sweet" pissed-off sprint finish. I'd like to see Eric Dekker go for another shot. He's a fighter and this could be a good stage for him.

Gustaf

07-05-05, 10:41 PM

it would be nice to see hincappie get away, but i really think any other team will do all they possibly can to prevent this.

skinnyone

07-05-05, 11:13 PM

Jens voight will definetely brak away.... CSC needs to do do something to answer back... I doubt if he will be able to do anyhting though...

ed073

07-05-05, 11:51 PM

Robbie this time....he'll wait longer, then unleash the beast.

Hopefully no dopey South Australians will get in the way this time.

:D

***Butch***

07-06-05, 12:22 AM

I hope Boonen doesn't take it again. He is so damn annoying. I hate how he points to himself after he crosses the line. He needs to be taken down a notch or two. I want it to be someone who held out in a breakaway.

240GL

07-06-05, 02:01 AM

I just read The Other Norwegian’s comments on today’s stage – CSC’s Kurt-Asle Arvesen. He is currently on 11th, 1:32 behind LA. "Yesterday was a huge disappointment for us all. But with DZ out of the yellow, the race has opened a bit for the rest of us, we will now be allowed to give it a go for ourselves." Before the Tour started he reckoned his chances would be best on stage 12, 17, 18 and 19. "But now I will try to break away already tomorrow (5th). Me, Jens Voigt, Luke Roberts and perhaps Bobby Julich will most likely give it a shot, one at a time, depending on how things develop."

My personal view is that I doubt that Arvesen has a stage win in him. I hope he will continue to have a good Tour though. He really deserves it after last year’s disasters, where he suffered bad bruises and broken ribs but still kept going.

Erling.

kokodeselavy

07-06-05, 05:15 AM

"Cyclingnews sources near the Discovery Channel team bus at the start of Stage 5 report that Lance Armstrong will not wear the yellow jersey today, to honour the fact that Dave Zabriskie lost the jersey because of an accident yesterday.

"Discovery Channel team rider George Hincapie told Cyclingnews' Tim Maloney, "Lance and the team felt that even though we might have won by one or two seconds, it was that close, it's not right to take the yellow jersey that way. So he's not going to wear it to honour that fact."

Although Armstrong will not wear the almost sacred maillot jaune, he will likely be fined (again) for improper attire."

Chapeau, patron.

240GL

07-06-05, 05:51 AM

First intermediate sprint: Boonen, Hushovd, O'Grady. So what else is new?
--
Constantino Zaballa is the first rider to quit this year's Tour de France. The Saunier Duval-Prodir rider bows out after 36 km. One down, 188 left.

Erling.

kokodeselavy

07-06-05, 06:10 AM

Armstrong in yellow after all:

"We have just been informed that Lance Armstrong is wearing the Yellow jersey after all. He is reported to have put it on at the "départ réel" on the outskirts of Chambord - maybe Jean-Marie Leblanc insisted on him wearing it. We'll find out.

"It's confirmed: at the official start of the stage, the race commissaire stopped the whole peloton to give Armstrong the opportunity to pull over the jersey."

La levée du Roi. >shrug< :lol:

ADA23

07-06-05, 06:11 AM

First sprint: Boonen, Hushovd, O'Grady. So what else is new?

Has Robbie given up on the Green?

lotek

07-06-05, 06:40 AM

I've heard Lance will not wear it at the start (roll up to the stage)
but will put it on during the stage?
A noble gesture imho.

Marty

darrencope

07-06-05, 06:55 AM

OK, what gives?:

Flecha is in the lead two minutes before the sprint...and still in the lead afterwards, but doesn't get a sprint point? How does that work?

13:55 - Flecha Leads By 28"

Juan Antonio Flecha has pushed his advantage on the peloton to 28". The peloton is at the 29km mark.

13:54 - Boonen Adds Six Points To His Tally

The points for the first intermediate sprint of stage five were won by Tom Boonen. The results of the sprint in Villeny are:
1. Tom Boonen (QST) 6pts/6"
2. Thor Hushovd (C.A) 4pts/4"
3. Stuart O’Grady (COF) 2pts/2"

13:52 - Flecha Leading The Stage

Carlos Da Cruz has been caught by the peloton. There was another attack, this time from Juan Antonio Flecha (FAS). He is the only rider ahead of the peloton at the moment.

darrencope

07-06-05, 06:57 AM

Nice move by Armstrong and Co. by starting off without the yellow jersey. The officials made him put it on (he pulled it over his Discovery jersey at the start,) as he had stated in the interview that he wouldn't wear it at all.

skinnyone

07-06-05, 07:00 AM

darrencope

07-06-05, 07:22 AM

From the sounds of what Paul and Phil are saying, LA would have been disqualified from the race if he didn't put on yellow.

Crack'n'fail

07-06-05, 07:25 AM

Are CSC cursed? Good grief.

skinnyone

07-06-05, 07:29 AM

Are CSC cursed? Good grief.
Yeah... I saw that.. but didnt look like anybody fell hard...

Crack'n'fail

07-06-05, 07:38 AM

Yeah... I saw that.. but didnt look like anybody fell hard...

no, nothing hard, but then when they got to the feed zone one of the riders got his musette stuck in his wheel. :eek: :eek:

gcasillo

07-06-05, 07:41 AM

sat_cycle

07-06-05, 07:54 AM

It would be better if Boonen after crossing the line would laugh and point at McEwan and O'Grady instead of himself

Aus_MTB

07-06-05, 08:08 AM

Anyone know what the finish is like? Like if there is a slight uphill run or anything.
From what i have heard it is an uphill finish with a fairly sharp corner 500m from the end. Also some nasty corners approx 3km from the end

darrencope

07-06-05, 08:09 AM

From what i have heard it is an uphill finish with a fairly sharp corner 500m from the end. Also some nasty corners approx 3km from the end

... and the possibility of a slippery wet road, which would make things interesting!

Big Lug

07-06-05, 08:49 AM

says that the finish is drying up should be a good finish!

cedo

07-06-05, 08:52 AM

OK, what gives?:Flecha is in the lead two minutes before the sprint...and still in the lead afterwards, but doesn't get a sprint point? How does that work?

Can someone answer darrencope's question? I'm curious too.

indie kid

07-06-05, 08:52 AM

I woke up late, I saw a replay of CSC all over the place, what happened? And what injuries did Zabriskie get from yesterday?

Big Lug

07-06-05, 08:58 AM

leaders were just caught!

Big Lug

07-06-05, 08:59 AM

I woke up late, I saw a replay of CSC all over the place, what happened? And what injuries did Zabriskie get from yesterday?
I think he just scraped up his leg pretty bad by the end of the race it looked nasty!

squeegy200

07-06-05, 09:01 AM

Anyone know what the finish is like? Like if there is a slight uphill run or anything.

There is a big narrow turn about 600 yards out

squeegy200

07-06-05, 09:06 AM

I think he just scraped up his leg pretty bad by the end of the race it looked nasty!

No broken bones. But he did require stitches in his elbow.

You can see the video highlights at Velonews.com
Heartbreaking crash which made the rest of the team hesitate just enough to loose the stage and the Yellow Tunic. Lance initially refused to wear the Yellow Tunic today due to the circumstances under which he acquired it. But I understand race officials soon after the start compelled him to put it on.