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THIS IS A TOUR STAGE THREAD - POSSIBLE SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!

This is breakaway day.

I'm going with Thomas Voeckler.

this is too flat for a breakaway, i'm going for a sprint teams win. especially if the wind keeps up, tho it may be behind them more tomorrow.

I agree that Voeckler will be in the break (this has to have even odds by now. He's always in the break), but I think they'll get caught with 15km or so to go. I'm looking Cavendish for the outside shot for the win.

I'm seeing a fairly ballsy move by Millar or Ricco.

I'm seeing a fairly ballsy move by Millar or Ricco.

:roflmao2:

Because Voeckler is nuts and the Caisse D boys will be willing to give up the jersey. I think the sprinters teams will blunder at least once...

Besides, it's just a guess. Isn't that what any of this is? Paying a little more attention to the profile, I could see TV not caring much since there are no KOM points. Bad guess, but there are going to be ~178 bad guesses today....and it won't be my first or last one for the Tour.

It's time Cavendish shows a clean set of wheels.

hmmm... maybe the strike that just temporarily blocked the break might help the break. we'll see in +/-7 minutes.

The break has a chance but until teams lose the radios, I'll always bet on the peloton.

The break is actually working together

The open "final 5km" seems to have a tailwind

5'19" with 25km to go.

looking possible.

Audio feed only - Sean Kelly is even more boring without pictures

3'54" with 15km to go.

The Garmin rider started this break right? 200+km break gotta love it.

3'09 with 10 km to go.

this is going to stick.

menchov and ricco in the 2nd group, losing time today.

Listening to Ricco whine tonight will be fun.

Frischkorn, an American stage winner??!

pity.

Boring Tour?;)

awesome finish

^^^^
Yea, today's ride really sucked!!!! :o)

pity.

Why do you hate...... never mind.

Nice ride Will.

Good stuff.

nice ride though. Gotta give it to frischkorn. Huge effort today.

Good ride by the four in the break.... Cant wait to see Will's power chart for that final 2k

Zabel.

Still kicking it.

It was nice to see Will admit that he made a mistake in the final Km. It's good to see someone humble doing well.

My girlfriend called me from the finish line. It was nice to hear everything while I'm still getting fixed up.

What a stage...

It was nice to see Will admit that he made a mistake in the final Km. It's good to see someone humble doing well.

My girlfriend called me from the finish line. It was nice to hear everything while I'm still getting fixed up.

What a stage...

As soon as Will hesitated near the boards I had that sinking feeling. Tough one. Lot of pressure there. Race of your life and it's the TDF too. He was struggling to keep it together in the interview at the finish.

Great ride. Enjoy it.

Can I dust off the French wine yet?

I believe that we have a Frenchman in yellow? Rumor has it that Satan's taking skating lessons.

Listening to Ricco whine tonight will be fun.

Can't you hear it already?

Ricco: "My team sucks! If I were on another team, I wouldn't have crashed!"
... Brad

I believe that we have a Frenchman in yellow? Rumor has it that Satan's taking skating lessons.

I guess the french plan finally worked, they beat out an american to get into yellow.
The amount of planning that went into this (ASO, labs, Etc..) must have been enormous. :rolleyes:

Man, I almost cried for Will today, you could see the disappointment on his face in the interview. It really looked like he got balked a couple of times in the last 300 meters, up against the barrier and stuck behind Feillu. Had he been right on Demoulin's wheel....shoulda coulda woulda. Still, a nice result and plenty of exposure for the team. :thumb:

Man, I almost cried for Will today, you could see the disappointment on his face in the interview.

He knew that he just missed his BIG chance for this year's tour, and for his career. Still, a great ride for the team. I felt for the guy also.

... Brad

He knew that he just missed his BIG chance for this year's tour, and for his career. Still, a great ride for the team. I felt for the guy also.

... Brad

Considering that Will has only three days of experience of riding in the Tour, I would not write off the rest of his career yet. :) True, this was probably his best chance this year, but I think there will be more opportunities in the future.

Great ride, even if it is disappointing to be so close to winning. For anyone who says the Tour will be boring this year, today's stage was a great example of why it won't be.

Considering that Will has only three days of experience of riding in the Tour, I would not write off the rest of his career yet. :) True, this was probably his best chance this year, but I think there will be more opportunities in the future.

Great ride, even if it is disappointing to be so close to winning. For anyone who says the Tour will be boring this year, today's stage was a great example of why it won't be.

At the same time, whether a certain powerhouse team was here wouldn't have likely changed the result of todays stage. Things would've went down the way they did regardless.

There will always be breakaways and excitement at the tour. Some of us just missing seeing what is most likely the most dominate rider at the current time in the tour.

For anyone who says the Tour will be boring this year, today's stage was a great example of why it won't be.

+1

anyone have links to the post race interviews? Versus hasn't posted any yet.

Thanks

I'm also kind of glad that Robbie got the 'sprinter' win.

Damn I hate Tivo. 3.2 km's to go and it stopped recording cause the time was over. Now I will have to record the rest of the 5 pm showing to see the end.

I liked Hinaults' shove on the podium. Good stuff.

I liked Hinaults' shove on the podium. Good stuff.

dont shove me, bro!http://d.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sp/reuters/20080707/18/1713512632.jpg

Damn I hate Tivo. 3.2 km's to go and it stopped recording cause the time was over. Now I will have to record the rest of the 5 pm showing to see the end.

Hahaha...you'll learn! :lol: I always add at least an extra 1/2 hour to the morning telecast on the DVR. Invariably it runs into overtime.

Hahaha...you'll learn! :lol: I always add at least an extra 1/2 hour to the morning telecast on the DVR. Invariably it runs into overtime.

I thought I did, but I have it set now.

I liked Hinaults' shove on the podium. Good stuff.


Great stage to watch and loved the shove! Classic. Now I know why racing against Hinault must have really been something.

I guess the french plan finally worked, they beat out an american to get into yellow.
The amount of planning that went into this (ASO, labs, Etc..) must have been enormous. :rolleyes:

You guys are amazing. I used to think it was a joke but some people here actually believe that there's a huge French run anti-American conspiracy to get French riders in yellow and it involves everyone from the route planners to the drug labs.

The amount of anti-french venom here is amazing. If you hate them so damn much then just avoid watching their race and stick to your stupid, boring Tour of Georgia and Tour of California.

Unreal.

While I agree that vitriol for the French is a little misguided, your calling the American tours boring is equally ignorant, Lagg. TdG was a heckuva lot of fun to watch, and I'd put the TTT at Road Atlanta up there with anything in terms of a good cycling show.

Point taken.

If I make fun of the French it's nothing personal. I dig the French. They've got it all figured out. Shorter work weeks, they take a vacation, they enjoy food and wine....and the countryside! Please, who wouldn't want to live in a place where riding your bike on the road is not considered a violation of a cager's existence? And the language, is there a more eloquent way to curse in the universe?

BTW, LaFayette was a stud. Screw all of the French army jokes.

Michael