dstrong 

diphthong

jeez...3 big turns in town close to the finish...the wannabe winner better be in the first 20 riders. predicting chaos. a perfect place for a wild man like vino to take a suicide flyer in the last 2 km and have the field implode behind...

thenomad

Good call.
Sylvan? Valverde? Basso? Someone under the radar?

Probably not but you never know.

Commodus

O.o

Commodus

Jeez Dave, maybe if you were back in the bunch you could have kept Hesjedal out of trouble. Maybe that would have been a better use of your energy than this idiotic break.

Commodus

Wow, and on flat ground too, against Greipel. Sagan's a freak.

chasm54

Impossible to be unimpressed with Sagan, the kid is ferocious. Cavendish having the crappiest luck possible, that's any thought of green gone for this year.

reef58

Unfortunately the GC race is pretty much done.

eduardo76

commodus...good point on zabriskie and that break, but from what it seemed by his gap, ryder would've been done anyways...holy...i was really looking out for ryder...

on another point, Sagan is really really impressive...i am sure cav could've taken this, but i am surprised to see sagan beat both greipel and goss (side note: goss gets an award for worst lines to stage finishes! and orica should start setting up trains a little closer to the end...)

on gc, i think the theme of this tour had always been cadel vs. wiggo...so, i think that's still on...f. schleck had nothing for this year, and now he has his built-in excuse, so he is done for good!

reef58

I think the problem is with so many contenders out from a flat stage, it will make the GC quite a bit more boring. If Ryder attacks does anyone care anymore?

Hopefully I am wrong but a battle between Wiggins and Evans will be like watching grass grow.

eduardo76

anyone know if sagan can climb? : )

reef58...unfortunately, i think you might be right!

Commodus

Wiggins vs Evans...jesus christ.

Why not just have a staring contest now and send everyone home to rest up for the olympics.

chasm54

I disagree. Evans has little chance against Wiggo in the TTs - he's good, but not that good - so it seems to me that BMC have no choice but to attack Sky in the mountains. I think there's some scope for entertainment there.

reef58

Com in the post race interview Dave admitted the team told him last night they wanted him in the break. Wasn't Dave's decision.

reef58

Maybe the battle for 3rd will keep it interesting.

I am still hoping for good form with JVB.

Commodus

I officially redirect my annoyance from Dave Z to Vaughters.

Commodus

I hope you're right, but even if this is so, neither rider has a particularly explosive climbing style. It'll just be one diesel slowly grinding away from another...bleh.

Caretaker

Danielson abandons + Hesjedal loses any hope of podium.

chasm54

Personally I really enjoyed Wiggins and Froome grinding everyone off their wheels in the Vuelta. And there's nothing easy about time-trialling your way up a HC climb.

Shadco 

Seems like Sagan is learning where he needs to be to contend sprints at this level.

He has been too far back before this stage.

rkelley23

So is Garmin putting DZ in the break because they know they stand no chance this year?

reef58

You are right it is not easy, but watching it on TV isn't either.

Caretaker

Hasn't stopped him winning twice before today.

thenomad

Well, Sagan made it stick again and made a well timed jump. Field was decimated though. Luck really plays a part. All my hopes for someone to sneak in and make GC interesting are shattered. Will have to cheer for stage wins now I guess. Wonder if we'll have a major "sit up in the saddle" and make it easy due to the Olympics affecting some.

Giacomo 1 

Pretty much right IMHO.

Garmin was just trying to get some TV time up front I think, someplace they havn't been all Tour. It almost worked, even though Zabriskie said the team told him "they had a suicide mission for him", so it doesn't sound like the team thought it could really work. He might have been better off pacing Hesjedal and keeping him out of trouble in the peloton. And keeping Farrar out of todays sprint was also mystifying to me, because he didn't appear hurt, except maybe his pride. An awful tour for this highly touted team.

It could indeed be a bore the rest of the way between Wiggins and Cadel, although there are still some good climbers in the top 20 or so, like Leipheimer, Basso, Nibali and Sanches, and if Cadel falters, maybe TJ could step in. Can Sagan climb?