2008 Tour de FRance Stage 12 - Thursday, July 17: Lavelanet - Narbonne, 168.5km



limerickman said:
David Millar in an interview two weeks ago, had targetted this stage for a possible win for him.
I think he won a stage here before. However, i think that Garmin may have vandevelde's overall as their top priority now. Given that Garmin is a fairly weak team (i think?) Millar's task may well be to look after vdv now - in the mountains there may only be him, Lowe and Hesjedal who have a chance of staying with the peloton over the early climbs. In the Giro TTT Millar seemed to be thinking more of the team (which he part owns?) than himself so maybe he will do the same again. Will still have a pop at the last TT though if he isnt pushed too hard.
 
Anticyclone said:
I think he won a stage here before. However, i think that Garmin may have vandevelde's overall as their top priority now. Given that Garmin is a fairly weak team (i think?) Millar's task may well be to look after vdv now - in the mountains there may only be him, Lowe and Hesjedal who have a chance of staying with the peloton over the early climbs. In the Giro TTT Millar seemed to be thinking more of the team (which he part owns?) than himself so maybe he will do the same again. Will still have a pop at the last TT though if he isnt pushed too hard.

Fair point.
 
Freire now has a 24 point lead over Kirchen in the quest for the green jersey.

Freire: 162
Kirchen: 138
Hushovd: 136
Zabel: 123
Cavendish: 121

The KOM tally is somewhat close.

Lang: 58
Cohl: 56
F. Schleck: 46
 
Man, these last two stages were snoozers. I'm dying for the Alps already.
 
Yes, was very hard to keep my eyes open last night...managed to snooze between the 20km to go and the 4km to go...luckily I woke up in time. Was like another rest day I guess for the riders sitting in and drafting down all those hills.
Cavendish did well...even though he looked like he was going to fall off his bike as he gave his victory salute. I was going for McEwen and it was frustrating to see him get sandwiched a few times and putting his brakes on in the last 100m a bit. Were lots of people flying up the left and right hand flanks.
How did Baden Cooke manage to crash on such an easy stage?
I think I may have even been able to hang on for this stage....
 
Can someone please explain to me how they tow people who've crashed back into the peloton. That rider (forget his name) crashed today without any team support... and after he had picked himself up and started groggily chasing.... they showed a helicopter shot of the peloton almost a kilometre ahead. Then about 10-15minutes later they reported that he had made it back. Is he just drafting in his team car's wake and being towed back... or is he allowed to hold onto the car if he isn't a race favorite? There is no way a guy could time trial himself back onto a peloton by himself after a crash.
 
Crankyfeet said:
Can someone please explain to me how they tow people who've crashed back into the peloton. That rider (forget his name) crashed today without any team support... and after he had picked himself up and started groggily chasing.... they showed a helicopter shot of the peloton almost a kilometre ahead. Then about 10-15minutes later they reported that he had made it back. Is he just drafting in his team car's wake and being towed back... or is he allowed to hold onto the car if he isn't a race favorite? There is no way a guy could time trial himself back onto a peloton by himself after a crash.


I am kinda agree with you man.This is Tour de France
 
Crankyfeet said:
Can someone please explain to me how they tow people who've crashed back into the peloton. That rider (forget his name) crashed today without any team support... and after he had picked himself up and started groggily chasing.... they showed a helicopter shot of the peloton almost a kilometre ahead. Then about 10-15minutes later they reported that he had made it back. Is he just drafting in his team car's wake and being towed back... or is he allowed to hold onto the car if he isn't a race favorite? There is no way a guy could time trial himself back onto a peloton by himself after a crash.
Normally the referees turn a blind eye to people using other team's cars for short periods as drafting support to get back on after a crash. They go from car to car, not for too long, and both rider and car are complicit.

Leipheimer's ridiculous use of his own team car last year was different: it wasn't as a result of a fall, he used his own team car and it was as obvious as you like.
 
Drongo said:
Normally the referees turn a blind eye to people using other team's cars for short periods as drafting support to get back on after a crash. They go from car to car, not for too long, and both rider and car are complicit.

Leipheimer's ridiculous use of his own team car last year was different: it wasn't as a result of a fall, he used his own team car and it was as obvious as you like.

There's a big difference between drafting the convoy after a crash and holding on to your team car after you've been dropped. Leipheimer was very lucky, imho.
 
Runitout said:
There's a big difference between drafting the convoy after a crash and holding on to your team car after you've been dropped. Leipheimer was very lucky, imho.
He got a 20-second penalty, didn't he?

You're right; he was lucky. They should have thrown him out.
 
Crankyfeet said:
I wish he'd withdraw. I got 50 with thunderfart that he won't make it to the finish and it looks like the ******* is trying to...
mad.gif
I highly doubt he will make it through Stage 17.
 
JAPANic said:
Yes, was very hard to keep my eyes open last night...managed to snooze between the 20km to go and the 4km to go...luckily I woke up in time. Was like another rest day I guess for the riders sitting in and drafting down all those hills.
Cavendish did well...even though he looked like he was going to fall off his bike as he gave his victory salute. I was going for McEwen and it was frustrating to see him get sandwiched a few times and putting his brakes on in the last 100m a bit. Were lots of people flying up the left and right hand flanks.
How did Baden Cooke manage to crash on such an easy stage?
I think I may have even been able to hang on for this stage....
You serious? The scenery yesterday was fantastic! The race itself I agree was mostly boring, but that's expected..
 
TheDarkLord said:
You serious? The scenery yesterday was fantastic! The race itself I agree was mostly boring, but that's expected..
Well, we ARE watching a bike race, not the travel channel.

Still, I dig it when they talk about the old castles along the route. Being from the US, "old" to us is something that was built 300-400 years ago. A few days back they passed a chalet and Phil goes "no one knows when it was built but it was first mentioned in (some nobleman)'s will in 980."

Cue my face - NINE-EIGHTY? :eek:
 
Crankyfeet said:
Can someone please explain to me how they tow people who've crashed back into the peloton. That rider (forget his name) crashed today without any team support... and after he had picked himself up and started groggily chasing.... they showed a helicopter shot of the peloton almost a kilometre ahead. Then about 10-15minutes later they reported that he had made it back. Is he just drafting in his team car's wake and being towed back... or is he allowed to hold onto the car if he isn't a race favorite? There is no way a guy could time trial himself back onto a peloton by himself after a crash.
It probably makes a big difference as to what the peloton is doing as well - if they're attacking or attempting to catch a breakaway, it'd be pretty tough. If it's mid-leg and they're soft-pedaling, eating, and pulling off to take leaks, it's probably a lot more likely that a rider could catch up in reasonably short order.
 

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