Stage 2: Obernai - Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxembourg), 223 km

http://cdn.dayport.com/olnimg/tdf/img/profiles/profile02.gif

Moved to Luxmebourg for work late last year - will actually get to visit the tour finish in Esch-Sur-Alzette on July 3 and watch them (for 10 seconds) as they pass through the town I live in, Bertrange.

Can't wait. Next year I'll head down to the Alps for a mountain stage (hoping for de Huez again) and get to Paris for the finish.

Anyone have advice on watching the tour?

big congrats to thor for sprinting on all the intermediates and finishing 3rd (more time bonuses) on the stage.

:D

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/tour05/tour055/44.jpg

Boonen managed to get second from nowhere after Hushovd lost his footing. Thor look third, Freire fourth, Bennati fifth...

So Thor is back in yellow?

So Thor is back in yellow?

Yep. Got it back the way he lost it. Intermediate sprint bonuses.

Yep

These are very tight crowded finishes.

McEwen might have caused Thor's foot to unclip?

What an exciting final 20KM or so. I love seeing stuff like that. I really thought Kessler had it, but the sprinters were too much for him.

McEwen might have caused Thor's foot to unclip?


Thor is responsible for his own front wheel, No fault on McEwen... this time....

Thor is responsible for his own front wheel, No fault on McEwen... this time....didn't McEwen go a fair way off his line? Or doesn't it work like that?

any news on who crashed into the last 3 kilometers of the race?

Having seen the replay in bird's view and from the finishing line, it's obvious that McE went several meters sideways and into Thor. Anyway. I have also seen footage of McE and Thor shaking hands and smiling after seeing the same replays, so I assume there will be no protest.

What was worse, was the Rabobank rider's move a few hundreds meters earlier, causing a mass pile-up.

Erling.

Where's George? Did he crash?

Robbie McEwen: "Zabel and O'Grady went first and I didn't want to leave it too late like yesterday and so I went for it. At one point I clipped Hushovd with my feet but I just kept going. I felt great in the sprint and my team did an excellent job for me, as always. I lost a little footing in the sprint but I made it despite having Boonen and Hushovd right on my wheel. I didn't want to wait for them. I didn't do any intermediate sprints today to save myself for the finish and the big points and prizes."

Thor Hushovd: "My foot hit McEwen's and it came out of the pedal. But I stayed in there and took back the yellow jersey. I'm going to do my best to keep it. But Boonen too will do whatever he can do to take it from me."

http://www.eurosport.com/cycling/tour-de-france/2006/livefullpage_mtc129661.shtml

EDIT: Disregard- McEwen is first in points.


[The official site says Robbie will wear the green tommorrow. Thor leads in green but is also leading in GC so will wear the yellow; Boonen is second in points with McEwen third-why doesn't Boonen wear the green tommorrow?]

Where's George? Did he crash?

He crashed with 5k to go. He's out of the tour.

He crashed with 5k to go. He's out of the tour.

You are mean, mean man ;)

Where's George? Did he crash?

21st in stage in the lead pack.
falls to 4th in GC due to lesser bonus time, 16 sec. behind Thor.

Yep. Got it back the way he lost it. Intermediate sprint bonuses.

I thought Hindcappie's stunt was relatively lame. Hushovd fighting off boonen for intermediate sprint points is a bit more impressive than sneaking ahead while no one's looking.

On the flatlands, Hindcapie is a woossy boy that shouldn't be allowed on the same road as Hushovd :P
The tour is pratically over, everyone else should just stop trying :)

What an exciting final 20KM or so. I love seeing stuff like that. I really thought Kessler had it, but the sprinters were too much for him.

Am I the only one who thought this was a relatively boring day?

RRRRROOOBBBIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE! :D

It's all boring until the last 2 minutes, which is why I have trouble staying awake through 2-3 hours of dribble a night just to get to it. Mountain stages are better though, and could be real crackers this year with the tour blown wide open. That's what I'm looking forward to.

That and Robbie winning the next 3 stages :D

Flat stages are usually pretty boring until the bunch sprint at the end. Today had a bit more drama with Tom and Thor doing their thing.

Is there anything more heartbreaking in sport than seeing a guy run out of gas 200m from the end and get swallowed up like that. Kessler was soooo close and he just blew, then he was just chewed up and spat out. Brutal.

My dad came in from his workshop for an air-conditioning break, and ended up watching the last 15 minutes of the stage. He said, "I had no idea bike racing could be so exciting!" :D

It doesn't hurt that I put Hushovd on his and Mother's Fantasy Tour de France team. ;)

:D

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/tour05/tour055/44.jpg


I just wanted to see that picture again.

GO ROBBIE

Hushovd admits it wasn't McEwen's fault from Cycling news: (http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2006/tour06/?id=results/tour062)

On his reaction at the finish line, Hushovd said: "When you sprint you enjoy all the adrenaline... when the incident happened, I got scared and afterwards that turned into anger. That was my first reaction; when I saw the video, I understood it wasn't his [McEwen's] fault.
"Sprints are sometimes really dangerous, like yesterday. Nobody made mistakes. Robbie, just like other sprinters sometimes, makes some dangerous manoeuvres, but he didn't make mistakes [today]. I can't blame him today; I can blame myself a bit."

GO ROBBIE

Robbie McEwen is god.

that is all.

and again.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/tour05/tour055/44.jpg

says it all ! :)

How bout Hushovd in first and pedaling so hard he snapped out of his pedal and especially after he was stabbed yesterday by those damn green hands!

McEwan is Da Man!!!! Go Robbie :D

RRRRROOOBBBIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE! :D

It's all boring until the last 2 minutes, which is why I have trouble staying awake through 2-3 hours of dribble a night just to get to it. Mountain stages are better though, and could be real crackers this year with the tour blown wide open. That's what I'm looking forward to.

That and Robbie winning the next 3 stages :D

I'm with you - I can barely stay awake for the first three hours of coverage of the sprinters event. Granted, there was a bit of a wrinkle at the end today; but over five hours of racing for one sprint that matters?

I guess I'm saying that I can't wait for the mountain stages/time trials.

Did someone say Robie? :D
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/tour05/tour055/44.jpg

:roflmao:

I'm with you - I can barely stay awake for the first three hours of coverage of the sprinters event. Granted, there was a bit of a wrinkle at the end today; but over five hours of racing for one sprint that matters?

I guess I'm saying that I can't wait for the mountain stages/time trials.

There's so much of interest going on during these flat stages. There are intermediate sprints and it's interesting to see what teams and what riders are up front doing the work to pull back the breaks.

I'm rarely bored during any tour stage. I could sit and watch one rider out front by himself for twenty minutes and still find the motion, work and pace fascinating.

There's so much of interest going on during these flat stages.

Just for the record, I enjoy the TT's (especially the non-existent TTT) more than any other stage, flat or mountainous.

Did someone say Robie? :D
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/tour05/tour055/44.jpg

:D :D

You bloody Aussie's are scum. It's quite obvious Robbie cheated as usual. Why don't you stop supporting cheats and barrack for a clean rider like Lance?

Isn't anybody else put off by McEwen's arrogance? (not to mention head-butt tactics...) He makes a guy like Lance (huge fan, BTW) look like a humble monk. Then there's the matter of naming his son Ewan... it's a good name, but Ewan McEwen? Oy! :D

wait until Cadel starts kicking butts ! :) Rumour has it his first kid might be named Evan.

Blah, blah, arrogance... it's been talked about over and over and over and over.....

Flat stages are usually pretty boring until the bunch sprint at the end..i have a conspiracy theory that they let those no-name breaks get way up the road just to add some interest to the flat days :)

Great stuff. It really makes me appreciate what Pozzato pulled off at Milan-San Remo.

Looks like Boonen has his work cut out for him.

Smart riding by Discovery keeping George out of trouble. I did kinda want to see the guy in yellow on July 4th but I can dig it.

You bloody Aussie's are scum. It's quite obvious Robbie cheated as usual. Why don't you stop supporting cheats and barrack for a clean rider like Lance? So you can be a filthy drug sucking cheat and be a hero to a nation...as long as you're a 'nice guy'. In case you haven't worked it out, sprinters are a rare breed. They have to have arrogance, they have to take risks, they have to be self centred to win, otherwise they're just Domestiques.

Whether we Aussies are scum is a matter for debate, but I can say that we don't have the privilege of murdering thousands of civilians in Irag, Korea and Vietnam...sorry, you guys like to refer to it as SAVING THE WORLD...

GO ROBBIE!!!

So you can be a filthy drug sucking cheat and be a hero to a nation.....

Are you talking about Warney? :lol:

Are you talking about Warney? :lol: Only if you add deviant!!

So you can be a filthy drug sucking cheat and be a hero to a nation...as long as you're a 'nice guy'. In case you haven't worked it out, sprinters are a rare breed. They have to have arrogance, they have to take risks, they have to be self centred to win, otherwise they're just Domestiques.

Whether we Aussies are scum is a matter for debate, but I can say that we don't have the privilege of murdering thousands of civilians in Irag, Korea and Vietnam...sorry, you guys like to refer to it as SAVING THE WORLD...

GO ROBBIE!!!
Maybe you should take a look at the guy's location before you bash him, eh mate? And this really isn't the forum for geopolitical debate.

Whether we Aussies are scum is a matter for debate.....I think he was joking; he lives in Sydney :p

You bloody Aussie's are scum. It's quite obvious Robbie cheated as usual. Why don't you stop supporting cheats and barrack for a clean rider like Lance?


ah ya gotta love trolls.......

In that above photo, Robbie was pointing to the name of the team, not his own dwarf chest. In the post race interview, he was gushing about the team performance, how they did all the work all day long and still got him in place for the finish. They didn't have the Yellow, but rode as if they did.

Yeah, he's brash, but you have to have a certain amount of anger to win in this sport.

ah ya gotta love trolls.......he was gaggin; he's in Sydney :)