[Closed] TdF Stage 2 - Sticking To Tradition [Spoilers]

bit late aren't you?

This is when everyone starts regretting that they didn't put Cav on their team

given his slow starts in previous years, his lack of beef, and the wealth of on-form sprinters in the bunch, I think it's going to be tight.
not sure what the finish is like, but I'd expect lots of elbows at the end from the lead out teams

could've swore I saw a crash yesterday

I only just got out of bed, and it only started like 20 mins ago.

Given the way he always silences the doubters, I think he's gonna smash this one 🙂

could've swore I saw a crash yesterday

You're right, Tony Martin is out with a broken collarbone, dunno how I missed that.

I thought he was still riding?
anyone know if there is a live feed on the radio (internet) - particularly for the end?

He is. Broken scaphiod, plastic cast, has started the stage.

A whole three quid on Greipel here..

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/sports-around/2012/jul/1/2012-tour-de-france-results-sagan-wins-cancellara/

Is apparently wrong then. Oops.

Watching Sagan's bike handling a few weeks ago in the tour of Switzerland was amazing; he's strong everywhere, aggressive and still very young - the next rider to dominate??? I wonder if a bookie would take my bet that Sagan will win the Tour more than once within the next 5 years???

Do the velogames points update "live" so to speak?

As I've dropped a place since this morning

Do the velogames points update "live" so to speak?

As I've dropped a place since this morning

No, after every stage, but sometimes it can take a while, they've got a LOT of teams, and leagues.

I wonder if a bookie would take my bet that Sagan will win the Tour more than once within the next 5 years???

It's worth a google that, think I might have glanced at an article that was discussing exactly that.

put another penny in the meter.

[i]The run into the finish at Tournai is relatively straightforward today. There is one major roundabout roughly 800m from the finish but apart from that it looks like plain sailing.[/i]

is excited.
do I watch a live internet feed, listen on the radio, or wait for the highlights this evening?

Will be interesting to see if Cav's 4kg weight loss has impacted his ability to dominate when it matters.

More sprinters than ever in this years tour, going to be a nail biting finish as only a few teams have leadouts that cav enjoyed with [s]BMC[/s] HTC, most have 1-2 leadout team members.

Edit 😳 What was I thinking, yes HTC, I was looking at BMC team kit so had them in my head.

cav enjoyed with BMC

FYI it was HTC
HTH

Love how HTC is now "a super-team".

They well should have had capes 😀

Sky are playing a very good tactical game at the moment. Last year, and in previous years, the team(s) that had the best sprinters were forced to do all the chasing. This year, as Sky also have Wiggins they aren't doing any work at the front at all. could this be the plan? get a train going at 10k out, saving the legs of the climbing domestiques for Wiggins...

Will be interesting to see if Cav's 4kg weight loss has impacted his ability to dominate when it matters.

This is the work friendly widget I use for keeping up with TdF: http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2012/fr/direct/aso-france-tv/

Lots of sites use it with different skins.

It used to be more fun tho with little stick men cyclists spinning away for hours on end.

I predict carnage today. No one team is strong enough to dominate the lead out trains like HTC did in previous years. You end up like the flat run in before the final drag yesterday with three or 4 trains all over the road, riders jumping from train to train, riders doing a turn and trying to drift back only to be swamped by other teams trying to pass. It gets SO tight and everyone is trying to be at the front.

I hope I'm wrong, I hate seeing road race crashes, especially at the speed these guys are going.
Did you see yesterday's run in with Greipel on the front? They were doing close on 40mph!

http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2012/us/live/aso/

for the non french speakers amongst us

Backed Cav for the win and Sagan for a top three finish.

As above though, I think it'll get scrappy at the finish.

Cool stuff mattjg and junkyard, very similar to the link in the OP. Oh wait.. 😉

dont have a go at me I just got up have you seen what a mess you made of your OP 😛

I was on the phone when the crash happened, and then a prestigious newspaper lied to me.. 😳

I'm tipping Marcel Kittel for todays stage!

Mine's in French. It's more French.

Junkyard yours is handy too.

No-one ever reads posts as long as the O.

& the tellybox version is at http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/stages/stage2/, it's a bit ad heavy but it is free

& I like their Twitter [url= https://twitter.com/#!/itvcycling ]@itvcycling[/url] too

Reckon the intermediate is gonna be interesting.

with Jimster`s Jinkers bringing up the rear on a waiting-for-the-mountains 64 points.

We've got the strongest team in the league - we're holding everyone else up!! 😆

Renshaw beating Cav? Wasn't expecting that at all.

Renshaw beating Cav? Wasn't expecting that at all.

Cav looked a bit boxed in there and also less than 100% committed. Probably saw from 100m out that he couldn't get through so just rolled it in 3rd out of the bunch.

See what happens in the finish - if Sky get a leadout train going for him or if he has to try and rely on others for it.

CAVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Awesome.

Too light, no HTC train, blah blah blah. The man is a machine.

WOW! he was nowhere with 1km to go, 20 places back, and from nowhere he's 3rd wheel.

Very, very impressive indeed!!!

who who who?

Cav 🙂

45mph on the run in... 😯
Well done Cav.

he's too good !

get in!

Radio 5 live sport extra were supposed to have this live but chose to play Wimbledon instead 👿

Nice one Cav.
That looked like a scary last 5km.

45mph on the run in...

That was immense. They were flying down the last 5kms.

Yeah, I think they must have had a tailwind.. surely.. please?

head wind in the final 1KM!

Sagan in 6th. Only his first ever proper sprint stage, will wait to see what he can do.

Awesome.

I wish the telly would use the overhead view for the sprint finishes, it's much clearer than the head on view which tends to shorten the distances between the riders.

Hehehe 🙂

Well well well how about that then superb finish by Cav, still has the power canny lad.

Like you're always going to get a good interview after something like that! 🙄

I wish the telly would use the overhead view for the sprint finishes, it's much clearer than the head on view which tends to shorten the distances between the riders.

I love it when they use a track mounted camera to get a side on view..

Obviously doesn't show as much as other views, but looks so cool.

Cav's position on the bike during the sprint is absolutely superb. I don't think I've even seen another sprinter attempt to get as low as he does!

He seemed to magically go from about 12th to 3rd. That's the bit I would like a replay of.

love it when they use a track mounted camera to get a side on view

the side on view of his Champs Elysees win was AMAZING, where he just pops out seemingly from nowhere and is going twice as fast as everyone else. HERO.

@RM yeah that rocks

here's the same moment from last year memorable for another reason (warning soppy dad content)

Cav's position on the bike during the sprint is absolutely superb

he's even smaller now so the big wheel suckers will get even less tow

He seemed to magically go from about 12th to 3rd. That's the bit I would like a replay of.

That - how does he do it. Fabulous win indeed

I think we're witnessing the career of the greatest sprinter ever. Truly amazing today.

Who was the rider that seemed to pull him up to the last 4? Can't see much on the web but looked like an Oreca GreenEdge rider - Daniel Lancaster? It really looked like he'd been towed up that far. Beautiful positioning

I thought in his interview he said he rode on Oscar Freire's wheel as he knew he was a rider that always moved up towards the front in the final km.

Whichever rider it was Cav does seem to have the knack of picking the right wheel to follow more often than not.

I thought in his interview he said he rode on Oscar Freire's wheel

That's what I thought I heard so thanks - but it didn't look like the right colour of jersey.

One day I'll need to buy a tv and watch it properly 🙁

Stunning to watch how it did that, esp. without the normal lead out train.

hes shown before on occasion that he doesnt need a train and he has enough tactical nous to time and position himself to perfection, but given the Sky emphasis on GC I reckon this will be the tour where Cav will have to do this again and again. Should help silence the critics who thought it was all down to the leadout. And in a TV interview he said he suggested he was in it til the the champs elysees.

+1 Realman, that footage of him exploding past an already flying Renshaw is one of my all-time favourite bits of film of any sport.

Yeah, it's fantastic footage of a fantastic day. Even better video of it here.

got to prefer this one

silenced all the people saying cav can't win without a lead out.

Had this discussion in Morzine on Sat night... i said he'll win 5 stages without a leadout 🙂

He's truely awsome.

got to prefer this one

You've got a point there, the way he comes past Hushovd is unreal. It's like everyone else is dragging their brakes or something.