USAZorro

Here's what's really going to be ugly. Watch ratings plummet worldwide for the rest of the Tour.

Philly215

Cav slammed himself into the barrier by being a dumbass. He bounced his head off Sagan and couldn't keep it upright. Sagan's elbow never touched him as seen by numerous shots and camera angles.

cthenn

Plain English for old people:

Chris Horner:
Just saw the finish of today's @Letour stage. Totally disagree with the decision to DQ Sagan. Put @petosagan back in the race!

Jens Voigt:
Take your time and watch the replay in slowmotion. Then forget about Peter and Cav. Focus on Demarre. He is the first to change trajectoire

So in my private opinion-the disqualification is too much.I am ok with -80 points in green jersey,last place today and timepenalty for sagan

Michael Rassmussen
https://streamable.com/j7gqb Cavendish is trying to knock Sagan away with his head -and tumble. Way before he sticks out his elbow. #Bsalert #UCI

Baden Cooke
Sending Sagan home was a bad decision. It was unintentional. You often use your elbows to give yourself space to avoid crashing yourself.

Greg Lemond
Sagan's expulsion from Tour is harsh, says LeMond | Cycling Today

And finally, my whole argument over this entire affair
https://twitterDOTcom/Trudgin/status/88233382993509172

Total bull that Sagan is kicked out and absolutely nothing said about Demare. Can't get the Boardman video to link so if anyone actually wants to hear what he says, replace DOT with .

Philly215

I've watched every stage so far and this leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I'm not even necessarily a fan of either one. I just bought Cav's book but I just like good riding and Cav was wrong here at worst. Sagan had nothing to do with him crashing other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I really despise the UCI and cycling leaders.

Lazyass

I watch it mainly for the mountain stages. On days like today I don't hardly even watch until the last 10 miles or so. Unfortunately, there's not really any great climbers anymore. It was almost better watching in the doping era.

RIP Marco

Gallo

Sagan is one of my favorite riders. Not a guy that does not Cav either even as cheeky as he can be but a great rider nonetheless. There is always contact on a sprint as everyone follows the fastest wheel before the line and the launches. From what I saw it looked like Peter muscled his way and changed his line which put Mark on the tarmac.

I can say while disappointed because I like Sagan so much I think the DQ justified.

There was not much room there for Cav but that is not rare. Its a sprint and mayhem always ensues. He did however own that line and had nowhere else to go. Sagan positioned himself to win as well but by doing so endangers not just Cav but anyone behind him

With as fast as they are moving and well past the redline physically I am surprised this does not happen more often. It is a testimony to how good sprinters are as bike handlers.

I do not think it was premeditated but it happened.

And now we have a race for the Green Jersey on the TDF for the first time in many years. I as well as many others I am sure will miss not seeing him for the rest of this race

Lazyass

Demare and Sagan's punishment is a fair debate. But Sagan did what he did, man.

USAZorro

Sagan and Cavendish are my two favorite sprinters. Have great respect for them both, and with both of them out, I may watch a couple of Mountain stages, but nothing else. So glad I didn't shell out for the race package.

While I also have issues with the UCI, today's decision was rendered by the officials of ASO.

gaucho777 

I see it the same as @cthenn. Terrible decision by the Tour. Elbow came out because Cav initiated contact with Sagan, first with Cav's head on Sagan's side (obviously Cav was slightly behind Sagan at this point) and then it looks like Cav catches the inside of Sagan's elbow as he goes down which gives the false appearance Sagan threw an elbow.

USAZorro

If it's a SKY train again this year, I will just chuck the remote and hope for better next year.

Lazyass

Cav is out with a broken scapula.

badger1

Pretty much agree. I've followed pro cycling, closely, since my mid-teens in the late '60s, and being an academic sort am an amateur devotee of its history, including that of the Tour.

The past few years in this particular race have been beyond dull. It's all a bit sad.

Back on the present topic, Sagan, like Contador, can at least animate a race/a stage and is willing to do so. He's out. Contador appears to be struggling; we shall see. I predict, however, another excruciatingly dull Sky procession to Paris from here on in.

As to RIP Marco, +1000.

70sSanO

The debate over the Sagan DQ won't be resolved, but it is a sad commentary that he is one of the few bright spots because modern racing is so mechanized and planned out. Gone are the days when GC leaders took real risks that led to real excitement. Except for a few stages, the only excitement is found in the sprints and breakaways usually by stage win hopeful domestiques. Everything is so choreographed by team management and every rider just steps into his role.

And if Froome does not get injured, the tour will just roll along with virtually no threat to the eventual winner.

John

badger1

Yep.

Lazyass

When Quintana came on the scene I had hopes he would be the next great climber and have some good battles with Froome. But I don't think he's ever going to take it to the next level.

195cranky

During the TV coverage with no dvr recording saw in the numerous video repeats from the front camera view that Cav's left brake hood contacted and slid up Sagan's inside forearm and as Cav was starting to fall to the right the pull on Sagan's forearm by the brake hood caused Sagan's elbow to come up and out. Watch it close and you will see the same.

Don't know how the jury could miss that. They were distracted by all the other conspiracy theories floating and looked at the elbow as the cause but not the effect. Cav tried to squeeze thru, brake hood hits Sagan's arm, Sagan under sprint load feels it and moves his elbow up and out. That all there is there. How can other's not see that??

Lazyass

There was absolutely no reason for Sagan to be that close to Cav. He followed him all the way to the right and into the wall. Cav didn't try to "squeeze" through anything, it was his line and he had nowhere else to go. Brake hood, elbow, leg or whatever it is that made him go down (Cav says he was elbowed) doesn't even really matter. It's against UCI rules to take someone's line like that.

Campag4life

Sorry to correct you but Greipel is technically a gorilla which are known to be unreliable in such matters.

Campag4life

Yeah but, did you see Cav adjusting Sagan's rear derailleur when he was trying to be mercury and ride thru Segan's legs? Maybe the officials are going easy on Cav because even though adjusting a derailleur on a competitor's bike while racing isn't permitted, likely Cav's racing is all done this tour. The other theory is...Cav came up from behind and tried to wedge his head under Sagan's arm pit so Sagan would drag him across the finish line in a tie.

zymphad

Agreed

Campag4life

And you would be wrong. When Cav came up behind and to the right of Sagan, you could drive a truck through the hole between Sagan and the fence. Sagan shut the door on Cav and put him into the fence. Further Sagan had plenty of room on his left hand side to hold his line but he didn't. He came over on Cav and was put out of the tour for his poor judgement and/or sportsmanship.

zymphad

No it was not his line. Cavendish was behind 100% of the time. At no point ever, was Cavendish ahead of Sagan. You are completely wrong on this. Every footage, every angle shows Cavendish was behind Sagan the entire time. Why should any rider or for that matter, any competitor in any type of race be responsible for a moron who is BEHIND them. If racers ahead of you move right, you don't just keep moving right and crash into them, it's on the person who is BEHIND to adjust their line. People in front should NEVER be held accountable for a moron like Cavendish does behind them.

The entire sprint group moved right. Demare moved right. Sagan was on Demare's wheel the entire time. Cavendish was behind the sprint group, never mind Sagan, he was behind everyone and he saw what they were doing and yet he chose to ride into barriers. Why? Cause he's an idiot? Probably.

You would be wrong. Then it's on Cavendish for choosing to lean into Sagan rather than passing through a space in which a "truck" could get through. I see no evidence that Sagan pushed into Cavendish. When Cavendish began to fall, you can clearly see Cavendish was trying to ride through Sagan. Seems clear to me, Cavendish believes he can ride through solid objects.

europa

Cavendish has a long track record of aggressive riding, bordering on the reckless. This is another example of how he earned that reputation by trying to force his way into a gap that wasn't there. Sagan should be pinged for that elbow but it didn't take Cavendish down. It's just a racing incident between two aggressive sprinters and it's a crying shame that both are now out of the tour.

Campag4life

True he does. But the gap was there. Another theory is, Sagan made a hard move to the right so he could be closer to the fence to high five his fans. I believe Sagan gave Cav the elbow because he was afraid Cav was going to bite his ear.

europa

Hmm, the Mike Tyson gambit. I didn't see that one coming