Professional Cycling For the Fans - Stage 14: Montélimar - Gap

Stage 14: Montélimar - Gap, 181 km


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Cunego.

Popo

Don't laugh.... Levi.

Boring.

Boring.
very insightful, what place is he ?

Im thinking Floyd will stay steady when theres another break,
maybe Levi can get some legs tomorrow, I hope so :)

Popo might go for another stage win would be my guess

5 man break with no name riders gets 9 minutes...

I think Popo will make a break to gain 30 seconds or so on the GC's at the end. I think he may ride a little like Vino did last year. We will see.

Richard

Don't laugh.... Levi.

Good idea, actually. And if he does, who will chase him? I don't think Pereiro's team will. But would Phonak, T-Mobile and Rabo chase him? It would be interesting to watch first kilometres of stage.

Don't laugh.... Levi.

Not unless it's a bunch kick & he's morphed himself into a sprinter!....Floyd would have to be dumber than he looks, (OK....a lot dumber than he looks :D), to let Levi be in any break today...he's only 5.30 odd down on Floyd & was promoted (Pre ITT disaster) as a potential GC man. So.....either you're joking, or have no idea about the tactics of pro cycling...I'll give you the benefit of the doubt :D

...whoops....forgot to add my crystal ball gazing!......Not a day for the sprinters with a cat2 only 10km from the end.....the stage isn't too hard but could well favour some rouleurs that aren't too high on GC. O'grady never does the tour simply to finish & although has injury issues, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he made the break today. I think george will be allowed to go if he's able & wouldn't be surprised to see Simon gerrans & Commesso having a look as well. It would be absolute stupidity for the GC leaders to let anyone within about 15mins, get down the road, given that Phonak probably isn't that strong as a team & there has been a general reluctance for anyone else but the sprinters teams to join a chase (when it suits them to do so)

*SMASH!!!! O.......m..........g!!!!!!

how lucky were they that they didn't drop down a 100m cliff??!! But I guess they would've taken less risks around steeper cliffs........or was it just the road surface?

damn.....I was hoping for robbie's sake that they'd stay away......It'll be tight now. Robbie won't get over the cat 2 in good nick....so Oscar could steal the day & close in further on the green

Crikey!! Late night for you!!

Crikey!! Late night for you!!

It's July!...where else am I gunna be at 1am 'cept tuned to SBS???.....

Haven't seen the coverage yet but I'm curious: was Floyd riding his yellow bike today?

No, no yellow bike. Given the reaction that he got for giving away the Maillot Jaune, I think he would've been lynched if he rode the yellow bike...

DrPete

Uuugh! That crash! Did you all see Verbrugghe's bloody arm being limply handled by the team doctor? I just can't believe those photographers sticking their camera in the bushes taking pictures of those guys! Just a bunch of vultures....

Koffee

the photographers are there to document what happens in the race, and that's what happened today. It's funny that you criticize something you were watching through a t.v. camera person's lens. You still saw the bloody arm and doctor. In the photographer's photos, you'll see the video camera operators and think "wow, those video cameras should have been turned off!"

Personally, I think the red number was awarded to the wrong person. Matthias Kessler got back on his bike after endo-ing over a guard rail and landing on his head, then proceeded to finish the stage with jagged rocks lodged in the vents of his helmet.

Pretty bad-a$$ if you ask me...

DrPete

That may be the wildest TdF crash I've seen - two guys going over the same rail at the same time, about 10 yards apart, while another rider slides into the rail right in between them.

Kessler is one tough dude, that's for sure.

And the finish was pretty exciting, too.

the photographers are there to document what happens in the race, and that's what happened today. It's funny that you criticize something you were watching through a t.v. camera person's lens. You still saw the bloody arm and doctor. In the photographer's photos, you'll see the video camera operators and think "wow, those video cameras should have been turned off!"

I think you're missing the point. The television cameras held back. The photographers jumped into the bushes and pulled back the brush and started taking pictures. At what point do you want to be respectful, and at what point are you crossing over from journalism into pure sleaze and being an opportunistic vulture?

Koffee

Yeah, it looked like the photographers were there before the doctor. But I'm not sure about that - the video camera got there after the photographers.

That crash was crazy - it just looked awful. I'm amazed Kessler got up and seemed unhurt, considering he flipped over a guard rail and landed on stones.

That crash gave me the gut-willies! Broke my arm avoiding a truck, boy am I symathetic. Hope they mend well. Whew...Le Tour!

I think you're missing the point. The television cameras held back. The photographers jumped into the bushes and pulled back the brush and started taking pictures. At what point do you want to be respectful, and at what point are you crossing over from journalism into pure sleaze and being an opportunistic vulture?

Koffee


never, they where doing their job. it's a great picture. props to the photographer

I think you're missing the point. The television cameras held back. The photographers jumped into the bushes and pulled back the brush and started taking pictures. At what point do you want to be respectful, and at what point are you crossing over from journalism into pure sleaze and being an opportunistic vulture?

Koffee

Geez .....I'm agreeing with you, the late nights watching the tour are obviously taking there toll on me! :D

About Levi Leipheimer


Not unless it's a bunch kick & he's morphed himself into a sprinter!....Floyd would have to be dumber than he looks, (OK....a lot dumber than he looks :D), to let Levi be in any break today...he's only 5.30 odd down on Floyd & was promoted (Pre ITT disaster) as a potential GC man. So.....either you're joking, or have no idea about the tactics of pro cycling...I'll give you the benefit of the doubt :D

"...So.....either you're joking, or have no idea about the tactics of pro cycling..."
From www.letour.fr:
"...At 33km Kessler, Commesso and Fedrigo attacked. They were chased down by a group including Moreau, Leipheimer, Karpets and Sastre. At the 39km mark, only Martinez, Kessler, Aerts, Commesso and Fedrigo remained up front..."

Yepp, we're stupid and don't understand anything about pro cycling tactics. And neither does Leipheimer. Hitchy, you should tell him ! And give him the benefit of the doubt...:D

I think you're missing the point. The television cameras held back. The photographers jumped into the bushes and pulled back the brush and started taking pictures. At what point do you want to be respectful, and at what point are you crossing over from journalism into pure sleaze and being an opportunistic vulture?

Koffee

I'm sure that if the TV cameras weren't on motorcycles so they could head up the road quickly to the next site of carnage, they would've been off in the bushes too.

I mean, did anyone see the almost-fight between Iban Mayo and the motorcycle cameraman? The guy just wanted to suffer alone in peace, and the cameraman wouldn't let up. Stage 12, I think it was.

DrPete

Personally, I think the red number was awarded to the wrong person. Matthias Kessler got back on his bike after endo-ing over a guard rail and landing on his head, then proceeded to finish the stage with jagged rocks lodged in the vents of his helmet.

Pretty bad-a$$ if you ask me...

DrPete

Any news on whether Kessler has any Tour damaging injuries?

Uuugh! That crash! Did you all see Verbrugghe's bloody arm being limply handled by the team doctor? I just can't believe those photographers sticking their camera in the bushes taking pictures of those guys! Just a bunch of vultures....

Koffee

Was the blood from the arm or was the broken femur a compound fracture?

Was the blood from the arm or was the broken femur a compound fracture?

he lacerated his arm in addition to breaking his femur.

marty

Man that was brutal. These guys take more risks than any other professional athlete.

The best part of yesterday's stage were the rocks in Kessler's helmet - that was hardcore.

Of course, I can't find any photos of that on the web, but plenty of the bloodied Verbrugghe.

And remember, when your heart rate is near max, any cut deep enough is gonna produce a lot of blood, eg: Hushovd's slice.

Oh man, I was just on google trying to find those pictures myself. He seemed to have no idea that there were these things just jammed in the airvents. And nobody seemed to tell him. I don't want to sidetrack this into a helmet/no helmet debate, but can you imagine having those stones stuck in your skull?

With all that blood, I thought that maybe those were blackberry vines in the ditch....

The best part of yesterday's stage were the rocks in Kessler's helmet - that was hardcore.
If it were me, I would save that helmet with the rocks in it as a souvenir. It ought to be retired anyways on account of the accident.

One thought just came to mind. What would have happened if there had been no breakaway on that stage? What would have happened if the peloton came through that same stretch of road at full speed without any heads-up that there was loose gravel on the road?:eek:

One thought just came to mind. What would have happened if there had been no breakaway on that stage? What would have happened if the peloton came through that same stretch of road at full speed without any heads-up that there was loose gravel on the road?:eek:

Ouch! Good point.

If it were me, I would save that helmet with the rocks in it as a souvenir. It ought to be retired anyways on account of the accident.

One thought just came to mind. What would have happened if there had been no breakaway on that stage? What would have happened if the peloton came through that same stretch of road at full speed without any heads-up that there was loose gravel on the road?:eek:

My understanding was that there was melted tar, so the loose gravel would have been less obvious than normal.

About Levi Leipheimer



"...So.....either you're joking, or have no idea about the tactics of pro cycling..."
From www.letour.fr:
"...At 33km Kessler, Commesso and Fedrigo attacked. They were chased down by a group including Moreau, Leipheimer, Karpets and Sastre. At the 39km mark, only Martinez, Kessler, Aerts, Commesso and Fedrigo remained up front..."

Yepp, we're stupid and don't understand anything about pro cycling tactics. And neither does Leipheimer. Hitchy, you should tell him ! And give him the benefit of the doubt...:D

You've lost me...I have no idea whether you're having a dig at me or levi?...whichever, your excerpt pretty much proves my point....there was no way Levi was going to be allowed in a break...I'm sure Levi knew that as well...I'd suggest he only went here because Sastre & kessler were going as well (neither of which were going to be allowed to stay away, either). Once the GC mean were happy with the 'content' of the break, it was allowed to go. & at the risk of 'tooting my own horn', if you look back at my original post, I said I thought Commesso would go today:D

You've lost me...I have no idea whether you're having a dig at me or levi?...whichever, your excerpt pretty much proves my point....there was no way Levi was going to be allowed in a break...I'm sure Levi knew that as well...I'd suggest he only went here because Sastre & kessler were going as well (neither of which were going to be allowed to stay away, either). Once the GC mean were happy with the 'content' of the break, it was allowed to go. & at the risk of 'tooting my own horn', if you look back at my original post, I said I thought Commesso would go today:D

No, no, Hitchy, not having a go at you. it 's just fun for me to look back at things I predicted 2 hours or 2 days ago, and compare them with reality, and just see how bloody wrong I was. But talking about tactics, you have to admit that this year the Tour has not been run on normal tactics, due to what you know. Landis is playing a very dangerous cat and mouse game, and in my humble opinion, if he had shown a bit more courage today, 3rd and 4th in GC after Alpe d'Huez would be 5 minutes back.

Have a nice day
Adamastor

http://www.olntv.com/tdf/article/category/87/?tf=articlecat_video.tpl&sm=5&CatLimit=1&cc=1&ArtLimit=100&ac=1&cat=&mt=&CatUserDef=true&ss=video Click on THREE CRASHES To watch it again and again....

dp

What do you guys expect the cameraman to do? He is just doing his job reporting what had just happened. Imagine how you guys would react if you were never updated with conditions of cyclists, didn't know how they injured themselves just because reporters weren't allowed to look. The medics were there to look after him, and the reporters weren't standing in their way.