Stage 1: Strasbourg - Strasbourg, 183 km

Jimmy Casper takes the sprint! Really suprising result. Boonen went to early then went backwards, fast. McEwen was in the top 3, good sprint by him but was outwitted by Casper who read the sprint very well, most of the favourites where bunched up on the inside against the barriers. Zabel in third. Thor missed out on a top 3 place and seemed to get caught on his arm by something, one of those PMU giant hands according to CN live coverage but I didn't see anything on the actual video coverage. Anyone got more on this? He was bleeding a lot but hopefully start tomorrow.

Clever move by Hincapie at the last sprint point, gained a 2" bonus thereby putting him in yellow as Thor missed out on the sprint.

Eldrack said:

Thor missed out on a top 3 place and seemed to get caught on his arm by something, one of those PMU giant hands according to CN live coverage but I didn't see anything on the actual video coverage. Anyone got more on this? He was bleeding a lot but hopefully start tomorrow.

Probably have to wait until the officials sort out what witnesses/ media coverage saw. From what we saw, after Thor had contact with the PMU thingie and had washed off speed, he looked down towards his right arm. Hrrm, a immediate review of crowd control procedures in process?

cfsmtb said:

Probably have to wait until the officials sort out what witnesses/ media coverage saw. From what we saw, after Thor had contact with the PMU thingie and had washed off speed, he looked down towards his right arm. Hrrm, a immediate review of crowd control procedures in process?

I dont know why they continue to hand out those big PMU hands. McEwen nearly got taken out by one three years ago. And last year it was these balloon type things about 18 inches long that everyone bangs and stuff, a bunch of riders defintiely got hit by those.

Anyone ever recall a spectator waving a musette bag and bringing someone down.

I love schwag, but...its like arming a hostile mob.

cfsmtb said:

Probably have to wait until the officials sort out what witnesses/ media coverage saw. From what we saw, after Thor had contact with the PMU thingie and had washed off speed, he looked down towards his right arm. Hrrm, a immediate review of crowd control procedures in process?

It looked like he hit a camera held out by a fan 10-15 secs before that impact. I can't see a big foam hand doing that kind of damage.

L

bobke said:

I love schwag, but...its like arming a hostile mob.

We virtually cringe in horror at some of the "tifosi" antics, like how feral is L'Alpe d'Huez going to be this year? The organisers should take suitable measures to keep the *entire road* clear of idiots running with flags or any other stray nutjobs.

Eldrack said:

Thor missed out on a top 3 place and seemed to get caught on his arm by something, one of those PMU giant hands according to CN live coverage but I didn't see anything on the actual video coverage. Anyone got more on this?

A person on the scene before the medics arrived was applying pressure to the wound. There was quite a lot of blood. I take it was a very deep cut.

For once Hincapie showed some brains while racing. Cheeky move and a well deserved yellow jersey.

It looked like the end of a flag stick. I only watched the end, and even that was boring.

Eldrack said:

Jimmy Casper takes the sprint! Really suprising result.

Not really, in 99 - a year the pro's where shocked because of the 98 TdF Casper had some good results as well (he has beaten Zabel more tham once in that years Tour of germany..).. now they are schocked again and Casper wins again...

Lonnie Utah said:

It looked like he hit a camera held out by a fan 10-15 secs before that impact. I can't see a big foam hand doing that kind of damage.

L

Those green things are lethal at 42 mph, but no matter, we'll se o the coverage tonight.

bobke said:

Those green things are lethal at 42 mph, but no matter, we'll se o the coverage tonight.

Don't the spectators ever LEARN? Sheesh.

I couldn't see what he was hit by, but it looked like he hit his head as well, there was a really 'statled' movement, like he got punched by something, he kept on going hard though.

Eurosport did not show GH getting the yellow as far as I could tell, I was annoyed by that, it's his first time ever, right?

They wouldn't be able to keep it for long, though, not this early.

Orla_24 said:

Eurosport did not show GH getting the yellow as far as I could tell, I was annoyed by that, it's his first time ever, right?

Only 4th American ever to wear the TDF yellow. Lemond, Armstrong, Zabriske, Hencapie.

L

It also appeared to me to be a guy holding a camera, but it looked like Thor took it in the helmet. What terrible luck, he looked like he was hurt really badly. That will really damage his chances for the Green, as there's such an initial run of flat stages in this Tour.

What happened to Boonen? Looked like he had no lead-out at all, went too early, and had no gas. I do find it intriguing that the first real stage of this Tour is taken by a Frenchman, 'cycling at two speeds' and what not being the theme of this Tour.

Hincapie was booed during the presentation, which was nice. 😎

According to a post I read from a Norwegian, Legeay told TV2 Norway that Hushovd's starting tomorrow. A blood transfusion I wonder....... :eek:

Dead Star said:

Hincapie was booed during the presentation, which was nice. 😎

According to a post I read from a Norwegian, Legeay told TV2 Norway that Hushovd's starting tomorrow. A blood transfusion I wonder....... :eek:

I just got off the phone with my daughter. She was in the crowd at the podium presentation. She said nothing of a booing. And why would it be nice? Just because Hincapie won? It's JU and Basso that has been suspended for strong evidence for being frauds. Not Hincapie. This gets old.

wolfix said:

I just got off the phone with my daughter. She was in the crowd at the podium presentation. She said nothing of a booing. And why would it be nice? Just because Hincapie won? It's JU and Basso that has been suspended for strong evidence for being frauds. Not Hincapie. This gets old.

You're right, discovery would never and have never doped.

Ullefan said:

You're right, discovery would never and have never doped.

There is no evidence of it. Just becaaue we are about to discover that Basso/JU are fake , it doesn't mean that the rest are.

wolfix said:

There is no evidence of it. Just becaaue we are about to discover that Basso/JU are fake , it doesn't mean that the rest are.

Right!!!!

Ullefan said:

Right!!!!

Is Canseco on that list? :p

Ullefan said:

You're right, discovery would never and have never doped.

I wonder whether he was booed (if he was) because he is American, because he is Discovery and the crowd is tired of seeing days with Discovery wearing yellow, because he is Discovery and the crowd believes Discovery is more likely to be doping than the other teams not caught, or because they would have booed anyone wearing the yellow because they are booing the sport. As I heard about no boos after the prologue, I eliminate the last possibility. I hope that it was the second or third, as for the first, I don't care to see an individual booed for the flaws of the country he resides in.