Stage 2 : Challans - Les Essarts Spoiler

It`s new safety rule that time for GC is picked 1km or something before the finnish, because of plenty of sprint falls last year. Ullrich got a bonification for 19th place that`s why he came from 12th to 8th in GC.

limerickman said:

Was there a crash ? I didn't see the stage, just the result.

Yes, a AG2R rider went down, in the final kilometre I guess.. dont remember exactly.

Virenque -- I think it's now 3 km from the finish now for individual stages, with a special 1 km rule added for the TTT (due to the Simoni problme).

Maybe, I don`t know.

One rider crashed (very lucky that he was the only one), but he didn`t stop other riders and he didn`t influence on their times.

Virenque said:

Maybe, I don`t know.

One rider crashed (very lucky that he was the only one), but he didn`t stop other riders and he didn`t influence on their times.

Exactly, the rider didn't seem to impede the progress of the peloton, even if there wasn't a crash, the peloton would have split. Shame, because that time could have been valuable, if for nothing more than a moral boost, the Lord knows he needed one.

But don`t forget that GC time is picked 3km before the finnish, irrespective of crash or not.

Neither the official tour website nor cyclingnews show Ullrich moving up. What are you talking about?

Virenque said:

It`s new safety rule that time for GC is picked 1km or something before the finnish, because of plenty of sprint falls last year. Ullrich got a bonification for 19th place that`s why he came from 12th to 8th in GC.

JRMDC said:

Neither the official tour website nor cyclingnews show Ullrich moving up. What are you talking about?

On Eurosport live, the provisionary gerneral classement showed Jan to have 1:02 back on Zabriskie. At the time I thought it could have held up.

So it was mistake in after stage provisional results by Tour organisers. I saw that on TV. That`s OK, because I was wondering where did he get these few secs.

Virenque said:

But don`t forget that GC time is picked 3km before the finnish, irrespective of crash or not.

I'm not 100% certain but I think the rule is that if there is a crash in the group/peloton 3km before the finish, you're given the same time as the group you were in when they cross the line. It's not that the official finish line is 3km before the finish.

I think that`s preventive rule that sprinters can be alone in sprints instead of everyone fighting to place in first group.

Voeckler's attack to take the KOM points was superb.

Virenque said:

I think that`s preventive rule that sprinters can be alone in sprints instead of everyone fighting to place in first group.

That's not the only reason. The other reason is that people shouldn't be penalized (whether in a sprint stage or not) for crashes or falls, including ones they didn't cause. One could hypothetically imagine, if a GC contender had bonked and wanted to get same time as the group he was with 3 km before the race ended, he could instigate a "fake" fall shotly afterwards. But that's a very risky strategy that nobody would engage in (not even a fake fall) in reality, of course.

Oke the rule is if there occures a crash in the last 3 km's and youre also within the last 3 km's you get the same time as the winner. Easy......and there was a crash. That's why LA got the same time as Ulle.......Amazing only that guy fell and nobody else!

Nice win for Tom Boonen..........green will be on his shoulders at the end of the tour!

musette said:

That's not the only reason. The other reason is that people shouldn't be penalized (whether in a sprint stage or not) for crashes or falls, including ones they didn't cause. One could hypothetically imagine, if a GC contender had bonked and wanted to get same time as the group he was with 3 km before the race ended, he could instigate a "fake" fall shotly afterwards. But that's a very risky strategy that nobody would engage in (not even a fake fall) in reality, of course.

MJtje said:

Oke the rule is if there occures a crash in the last 3 km's and youre also within the last 3 km's you get the same time as the winner. Easy......and there was a crash. That's why LA got the same time as Ulle.......Amazing only that guy fell and nobody else!

Nice win for Tom Boonen..........green will be on his shoulders at the end of the tour!

Are you sure about that? Isn't it the same time as the group you were originally in and not the winner? Does the same apply to mountain finishes?

As for Boonen being in green, who cares? I'm with Robbie on this one, the green jersey is the most overrated jersey in cycling.

Is anyone else offended by OLN's lack of respect for Thomas Voeckler and Tom Boonen, by televising inane chatter between Al and Bob instead of the winners' podium ceremony? I know that OLN is playing to Joe 6-pack (which I personally think is fine); however, it shouldn't come at the cost of showing the winners of each jersey (which I think is important). Also I hate hearing my wife yell that she can't see her little Thomas smiling on the podium.

Michael

Haha..so nobody there likes Voeckler?😄I`m wondering what your wife have against him!🙄🙂

I'm sure: you get the same time as the winner if you crash in the 3 km mark and youre also within the last 3 km's.........watch yesterdays stage. Ulle got 9 seconds back of armstrong, yet the jury gave everyone the same time BECAUSE of a crash!

Ullefan said:

Are you sure about that? Isn't it the same time as the group you were originally in and not the winner? Does the same apply to mountain finishes?

As for Boonen being in green, who cares? I'm with Robbie on this one, the green jersey is the most overrated jersey in cycling.

MJtje said:

Oke the rule is if there occures a crash in the last 3 km's and youre also within the last 3 km's you get the same time as the winner. Easy......and there was a crash. That's why LA got the same time as Ulle.......Amazing only that guy fell and nobody else!

Nice win for Tom Boonen..........green will be on his shoulders at the end of the tour!

I taped stage 2 and just watched it : yep nice win for Boonen, he really moved well in the final 100 metres.
I thought Robbie would have been closer but Boonen was unopposed.

Nice win for him.