STAGE 2: Dunkirk -> Gent, 168.5 km

[ElJamoquio]

Here you go. I'm hoping for a breakaway that succeeds.







I can hope in one hand...

[Kris Flatlander]

I'll take Boonen powering home for the win, with a cool break with Jens in it :P.

[meb]

..... with a cool break with Jens in it :P.

Like to go way on a limb don't ya?:D

[markhr]

http://www.letour.fr/2007/TDF/img/parcours/_TDF_2007_PROFIL_200.gif

http://www.letour.fr/2007/TDF/img/parcours/_TDF_2007_dernierkm_200.gif

[a_fire_inside]

Tornado Tom FTW

[Kris Flatlander]

Like to go way on a limb don't ya?:D

Jens works like clockwork, what can I say!

[Lithuania]

Tomas Vaitkus wins this stage riding into his hometown

[-VELOCITY-]

Tornado Tom FTW

What's FTW?

[markhr]

For The Win - geek speak from computer gaming, usually things like world of warcraft

[Ernesto Schwein]

I think there will have to be some unsubtle subterfuge to stop McEwen, if its going to happen anywhere it would be in Belgium. Boonen.

[2wheeled]

It will be Hushovd's day into Ghent.

[Kris Flatlander]

For The Win - geek speak from computer gaming, usually things like world of warcraft

ie "Horde ftw!" or "Pwr Lvl ftw!" :D I like my l33t sp3ak

[^*^BATMAN^*^]

Tornado Tom has this one. He has last years frustration at not getting a stage to get out of his system. Not to mention the finish is in Gent.

[DXchulo]

It's crazy to bet against McEwen after yesterday. I predict he wins again unless his injury got worse overnight.

[gapowermike]

It's crazy to bet against McEwen after yesterday. I predict he wins again unless his injury got worse overnight.

Second that. McEwen looks unstoppable.

I think Tom B will be shut out this year.

[FixdGearHead]

but he's from Balen.

Which I believe is close to Robbie's home (if not home itself)

[dutret]

It's crazy to bet against McEwen after yesterday. I predict he wins again unless his injury got worse overnight.


Why? The ability to recover quickly he showed yesterday has no bearing on his ability to actually out sprint people.

[rollin]

Come on the breakaway! The rains on your side

[DXchulo]

Why? The ability to recover quickly he showed yesterday has no bearing on his ability to actually out sprint people.

Were you watching yesterday? He crashed, injured his wrist, worked hard to get back into the peloton, and still had the ability to outsprint people. Nobody else was even close.

If he doesn't have to waste all that energy today then he should have even more left for the sprint.

[FixdGearHead]

nope.

i believe he lives in Everbeek, which is (depending on the roads you take) 1+ hours away from Balen.


I grew up out in the Midwest...1+hrs away from anything, so that's 'close' to me ;)

Come on the breakaway! The rains on your side

Aint gonna happen, I think

[rollin]

Aint gonna happen, I think

Roads have dried up too quickly I guess.

[dutret]

Were you watching yesterday? He crashed, injured his wrist, worked hard to get back into the peloton, and still had the ability to outsprint people. Nobody else was even close.

If he doesn't have to waste all that energy today then he should have even more left for the sprint.

Nobody was close because he attacked from the back and was at top speed when they started to jump. He lucked out with everyone waiting to come around Hunter.

The fact that he was able to still sprint after working his way up was really impressive but the type of long effort and recovery he showed yesterday does not mean that he will have more top end today when he is head to head with everyone else.

I'm not saying that he won't win but rather that noone seems to be looking rationally at what he did yesterday.

[DXchulo]

now that was a finish.

Very exciting!

[rollin]

Jees did Boonen's lead out man beat him? the streaming video just died?? HELP!

[CyLowe97]

not sure, but i'm pretty sure the crash happened on this street.

Well, duh!

Look at all that extra traffic they had to deal with!

;)

[DXchulo]

Jees did Boonen's lead out man beat him? the streaming video just died?? HELP!

Yep. Boonen came in 2nd.

[IUScott]

What a crash

[FixdGearHead]

Ouch; fast Freddie isn't looking too good.

Who was the rider in Green (Credit Agricole) who started the chain reaction?

[rollin]

Yep. Boonen came in 2nd.

Thanks DXc

All I saw was the mad sprint then it cut to Robbie congratulating Boonen.

[DXchulo]

:roflmao:

Anybody see Vino counting his blessings that he didn't get hurt?

[FixdGearHead]

Thanks DXc

All I saw was the mad sprint then it cut to Robbie congratulating Boonen.

It was actually Steegmans he was giving props to...and then shoving a photographer. :p

[bdcheung]

Oops? Was Boonen supposed to win that or was it an honest heads-up sprint between teammates?

[Lithuania]

damn my boy vaitkus almost made it through the wreck but ended up getting taken down badly into the right side barrier. he didnt look good comming across the line.

[USAZorro]

Ouch!

[jyossarian]

Or did Boonen lay off and let his teammate take the win?

[MIN]

Who won? My streaming video died.

[YATES]

i'm sure boonen intended to win the race, but his teammate was belgium as well, so the people are still happy.

It slightly hurts boonen as far as green jersey points, but he'll be getting the jersey after this stage anyways.

Boonen will prob drop out of the race during the mountanous stages, so there is no chance he will complete the race with the green anways.

[ShuaMarc]

Who was the rider in Green (Credit Agricole) who started the chain reaction?

Versus had a good replay that showed a Milram rider swing across the road and slam into a Liquigas rider. The Milram guy survived, but everybody behind went down.

It wasn't too clear, to me, why he lost his line.

[eskimo85]

haha ya there is no way hes finishing the tour

[dutret]

Boonen will prob drop out of the race during the mountanous stages, so there is no chance he will complete the race with the green anways.

probably drop out so there is no chance?

If he's in green going into the alps he will probably suffer through. The chance of him pulling that off are relatively small though.

[harlond]

Or did Boonen lay off and let his teammate take the win?Steegmans was on fire this spring, and now this. He looks like a big talent.

[dmotoguy]

anyone think millar can defend his gc in the mountains?

[FixdGearHead]

:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

Heh; Agreed.

Doping Millar...No. Clean Millar...hells no.

[classic1]

Which side of Gent was the finish on Botto? Been there but don't know it well enough to be sure.

[El Diablo Rojo]

anyone think millar can defend his gc in the mountains?

He has only a slightly better chance than I do ;) He'll lose huge chunks of time in the mountains.

It looks like both Freddie and Fabian have broken collarbones, Fab may get off 'lucky' with only a broken wrist.

[Bacciagalupe]

Boonen will definitely try to finish Le Tour if he's a strong contender for the green. I assume last year he bailed because he didn't think he'd get it, and wanted to prep for the Worlds.

Still, it'd be nice if he didn't spend all of this tour banging on the handlebars like he did last year....

http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TDF/2006/600/finish.jpg


Y'know, I think I stayed in a B&B that was down the street from where that photo was taken. (edit: botto's crash site photo, that is... ;) )

[bbattle]

Versus had a good replay that showed a Milram rider swing across the road and slam into a Liquigas rider. The Milram guy survived, but everybody behind went down.

It wasn't too clear, to me, why he lost his line.


Yeah, the Milram guy had his right leg out, foot came unclipped. That's what started the crash as he veered across the road.

What I want to know is what will happen to this Milram rider? Will the peloton punish him, does he go around and apologize or is this just an accepted part of racing and no hard feelings?

Steegmans couldn't very well slow down with Robbie Hunter et al right on his back; it was up to Boonen to get around him and Tom couldn't do it. Boonen gets the Green jersey anyways.

Vaitkus, Rodriquez, Cancellara all looked hurt; some riders went away in the ambulance.

[Bacciagalupe]

Which side of Gent was the finish on Botto? Been there but don't know it well enough to be sure.
Right around here, perhaps? (http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=laurent+delvauxstraat+and+charles+de+kerchovelaan,+gent,+belgium&ie=UTF8&ll=51.041151,3.721039&spn=0.006544,0.016952&z=16&om=1)

[classic1]

thanks Bacciagalupe and Botto. I drove past there on my way to waste cash at Walter Godefroots shop. :)

[raptor3x]

"There was no one coming and when there is a chance like that he should be able take it," said Boonen of Steegmans after the finish. "He has done a lot for me in the past."

Looks like he let Steegmans win, unless he's just saving face.