Professional Cycling For the Fans - Stage 3: Monday, July 4 198 km Olonne-sur-Mer → Redon

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I'd love to see Tyler Farrar win this stage, on the 4th of July no less!

I can't think of a good Independence Day-related finish line salute... Maybe light Wiggins' British national champ jersey on fire as the Garmin train pulls past them?

Hard to bet against Cav on this one.

Hard to bet against Cav on this one.

Except he hasn't shown much lately. I guess we'll finally see if he is in good form or not this year.

Hard to bet against Cav on this one.

While it is generally hard to bet against Cavendish on a sprint stage at the Tour, I'd still love to see Tyler win.

Hushovd was asked by a Norwegian reporter if he found it weird to ask a yellow and rainbow jersey wearer to do a leadout for Farrar.He answered as he had to that he did not mind doing his part for the team, that's how cycling is. It could be fun tomorrow if Garmin get's a good leadout train for Farrar ending with Hushovd in Yellow pulling the last leg.

The Cat 4 climb (not a joke):

http://www.ouest-france.fr/of-photos/2009/08/31/naPL_2554610_1_apx_470_.jpg

Personally, I'll be rooting for Tyler to get his first TDF sprint victory. I don't think it's going to be a very exciting stage to watch until the very end, however I do think it could be a dangerous stage because of crashes. I would not be surprised if a few people were to lose time, or even if someone had to retire from the race because of injuries associated with a crash.

Hushovd was asked by a Norwegian reporter if he found it weird to ask a yellow and rainbow jersey wearer to do a leadout for Farrar.He answered as he had to that he did not mind doing his part for the team, that's how cycling is. It could be fun tomorrow if Garmin get's a good leadout train for Farrar ending with Hushovd in Yellow pulling the last leg.I love the God of Thunder, but he's not best suited to go head-to-head with Cav on a flat sprinter's stage. So I'll be rooting for Tyler, and if Thor helps launch a successful Farrar win, I'll be thrilled and I'll respect Thor even more.

The Cat 4 climb (not a joke):

http://www.ouest-france.fr/of-photos/2009/08/31/naPL_2554610_1_apx_470_.jpg

LOL! That's what Clearwater's "hill" for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship looked like. Of course, for the Ironman 70.3 they had to go over it SIX times (out and back on the bike course, and out and back twice on the run course).

They've since moved the Ironman 70.3 World Championship to Colorado. I wonder why?

The Cat 4 climb (not a joke):

http://www.ouest-france.fr/of-photos/2009/08/31/naPL_2554610_1_apx_470_.jpg
Fantastic!

I wonder if anyone can tell if stress is showing up in the Saxo ranks. Anyone know anything about any finger pointing because of Contador's position in the peloton as the crash happened in stage one?

The GC effort has become such a team thing "ala lance" - that i wonder if it is as strong at Saxo as it was with the "L" teams......

I hope Thor/Farrar duo can pull off the win tomorrow over Cav. There are a LOT of other sprinters that want that win though, especially since there aren't too many super flat stages this year in the tour. Expect to see a horrifying last 5km with the big boys all fighting their way to the front and causing a handful of crashes. Whoever is in the right place at the right time will get the win.

i like cavendish, hope he wins....

looking at the stage, there could be some crosswinds in the middle and end of the stage that dictate the day's results.
personally hoping for vicious crosswinds to further muddle and obfuscate the first weeks gc...

I wonder if anyone can tell if stress is showing up in the Saxo ranks. Anyone know anything about any finger pointing because of Contador's position in the peloton as the crash happened in stage one?

The GC effort has become such a team thing "ala lance" - that i wonder if it is as strong at Saxo as it was with the "L" teams......
If you look at how the group was split only about 1/4 to 1/3 were in front of the crash Contador being right at the point of the split. Considering that the sprinters and lead out men were at the front along with other GC contenders, he wasn't so far back when the crash happened. Its easy in retrospect say he should have been right on Andy's wheel but staying there while sprint teams are jockeying looks a bit difficult and those (bike handling) skills are not what Contador is known for. At best I'd say he was behind six guys he shouldn't have been behind. Unfortunately it was four too many on that day.

I believe most of the Saxo squad was put together for assisting in the mountain stages. Now if Cancellara had honored his contract (till the end of 2011) that might have been a different story.

i like cavendish, hope he wins....

He's such a humble man.

He's such a humble man.

The kid's got a lot to be humble about

The kid's got a lot to be humble about

Especially today. ;)

yoy
I'd love to see Tyler Farrar win this stage, on the 4th of July no less!

you got your wish...

Fantastic.

kinda feel for Thor...
sure he would have had a good chance
at winning, were he not ridding for Farrar.

kinda feel for Thor...
sure he would have had a good chance
at winning, were he not ridding for Farrar.
Well, he'll be wearing green tomorrow...win some, lose some?

kinda feel for Thor...
sure he would have had a good chance
at winning, were he not ridding for Farrar.

He'll be riding for himself tomorrow with the uphill finish. Great win for Tyler on American Independence Day.

Well, he'll be wearing green tomorrow...win some, lose some?
in cycling, for that vast majority, it's: win few (none) and lose lots.
that's why i feel bad for him. had the team he joined managed
to continue on, he would have had riders leading him out today.
but it is pro-cycling; hence the "kinda."

He'll be riding for himself tomorrow with the uphill finish. Great win for Tyler on American Independence Day.
well, hopefully he wont be doing it alone

Well, it looks like Cavendish and Hushovd have been relegated for bumping heads at the mid-point sprint.

Link: http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/07/news/cavendish-and-hushovd-punished-after-mid-race-tussle_181663

oh those crazy kids...

He'll be riding for himself tomorrow with the uphill finish. Great win for Tyler on American Independence Day.
If he keeps practicing his Dutch, he can soon win on the 11 of July (Day of the Flemish community) and the 21st (Belgian National Day):)
http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/Tour/110704_Farrar_reactie#

If he keeps practicing his Dutch, he can soon win on the 11 of July (Day of the Flemish community) and the 21st (Belgian National Day):)
http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/Tour/110704_Farrar_reactie#

He will need to do more than practice his Dutch.

11th July is a rest day.
21st July has 3 HC climbs.

Well, it looks like Cavendish and Hushovd have been relegated for bumping heads at the mid-point sprint.

Link: http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/07/news/cavendish-and-hushovd-punished-after-mid-race-tussle_181663

That was definitely all Cav, I find it weird they penalized Hushovd. He moved out of his line slightly, but he's also going 40mph and was running out of room on the right. Cav could have just eased a bit to the left and been fine, but he wanted to the draft so head butted his way in.

Bernhard Eisel is having an awful TdF it appears. After yesterdays it looked like today that he pulled off the lead HTC train to early. I rewatched it and you could see Tony Martin bark at him and it appeared to me look angry that he pulled off before the 4km mark.

So i think the HTC lead out was more open to those random attacks late and caused the confusion that put Cav in a poor position. So that makes 2 times that Eisel may have cost his team victories. I wonder if hes allowed to sit at the main table for team dinner tonight?

If Hushovd was bothered by being a lead out man, you sure couldn't tell it by the smile on his face as Tyler crossed the finish line in front. He was beaming.

If Hushovd was bothered by being a lead out man, you sure couldn't tell it by the smile on his face as Tyler crossed the finish line in front. He was beaming.

The entire GC team was happy for Tyler. You could tell by the way they were smilin and huggin and kissin each other. They seem to be a very friendly bunch. (Not that there's anything wrong with that).

One thing I do not understand - what's up with the guy smearing his spit all over the camera lens?

Thanks

SF

One thing I do not understand - what's up with the guy smearing his spit all over the camera lens?

Thanks

SF

Camera wet willy duh

Camera wet willy duh

Congratulations, sir - you have discovered the true meaning of ewwww

Bernhard Eisel is having an awful TdF it appears. After yesterdays it looked like today that he pulled off the lead HTC train to early. I rewatched it and you could see Tony Martin bark at him and it appeared to me look angry that he pulled off before the 4km mark.

So i think the HTC lead out was more open to those random attacks late and caused the confusion that put Cav in a poor position. So that makes 2 times that Eisel may have cost his team victories. I wonder if hes allowed to sit at the main table for team dinner tonight?

Watching the TTT, it looked to me like he was taken down by the guy behind him touching wheels. One of those rare times when the guy in front is the one going down. It's hard to see, but it looked like the front wheel of the rider behind pushed his rear wheel out, and he slid down. Because they were both leaned over, the rear rider didn't do the usual high side that happens when your front wheel touches. Eisel's rear wheel in effect kept him up.

Watching the TTT, it looked to me like he was taken down by the guy behind him touching wheels. One of those rare times when the guy in front is the one going down. It's hard to see, but it looked like the front wheel of the rider behind pushed his rear wheel out, and he slid down. Because they were both leaned over, the rear rider didn't do the usual high side that happens when your front wheel touches. Eisel's rear wheel in effect kept him up.

I havent re-watched the crash, but Eisel said it was the most embarasing moment of his professional career...apparently taking blame for it. Now perhaps he was covering for his team mate who took him out but it sounds like he accepted that crash was his fault.

What did you think about todays finish? Did you see what i was talking about? Tony martin looked pissed.

That was definitely all Cav, I find it weird they penalized Hushovd. He moved out of his line slightly, but he's also going 40mph and was running out of room on the right. Cav could have just eased a bit to the left and been fine, but he wanted to the draft so head butted his way in.
well, I didnt see the sprint in question, but it could be that the
"oh, they hate that I win so much, so they look for any excuse to penalize me"
stick that the cavendish camp loves to bellow, has an effect after all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHp3ht9K97g
Edit:He removed this video the next day. Link is no good.

A slowmotion breakdown of the crash in the leadout with a Cavendish interview at the end.
(skip to about 7:32)

[QUOTE=DXchulo;12875975]The Cat 4 climb (not a joke):

I wondered while watching it if they needed an EZ Pass velcroed to their head tubes.

Then I went out for a 57 mile ride and found myself on something very like that (at least the cross winds made it feel that way)

[QUOTE=DXchulo;12875975]The Cat 4 climb (not a joke):

I wondered while watching it if they needed an EZ Pass velcroed to their head tubes.

Then I went out for a 57 mile ride and found myself on something very like that (at least the cross winds made it feel that way)
St. Nazaire ended up being just a bump in the proceeedings - not much of a climb in the end. It looked imposing, at least.

Bernhard Eisel is having an awful TdF it appears. After yesterdays it looked like today that he pulled off the lead HTC train to early. I rewatched it and you could see Tony Martin bark at him and it appeared to me look angry that he pulled off before the 4km mark.

So i think the HTC lead out was more open to those random attacks late and caused the confusion that put Cav in a poor position. So that makes 2 times that Eisel may have cost his team victories. I wonder if hes allowed to sit at the main table for team dinner tonight?even if he had not pulled off they didn't have the power to get to the end after the guy went down in that corner.

yoy

you got your wish...

I hope he can repeat it on Wednesday! If not, then someone else from Garmin Cervelo. It was certainly great to see Thor Hushovd being a solid teammate and contributing toward the leadout.