Stage 1 - Sunday July 8: London - Canterbury, 203km



JAPANic

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What a comeback that was.
Stage 1 - Sunday, July 8: London - Canterbury, 203km

Out of nowhere - Rockin' Robbie McEwen

By Gregor Brown

Rockin' Robbie McEwen came out of nowhere to take stage one of the 94th Tour de France. The 35 year-old Australian of Predictor-Lotto was held up in a crash with 23 kilometres to go but then amazingly found his way back into the sprinters' group to win his twelve Tour stage (on par with Erik Zabel).

"About 20 K to go I crashed... My teammates waited for me... After that it was not easy," said McEwen at the finish. "Anger and frustration got me to the line. On the first day of the Tour it was bad [to crash], and I had nothing to lose to try, and it worked out." His right hand was injured. "I will have to drink champagne with my left hand."

With his early escape, Scot David Millar (Saunier Duval-Prodir) takes the 2007 Tour's first Maillot Blanc à Pois Rouges of best climber while Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC) stayed safe to keep his race leader's Maillot Jaune.
 
JAPANic said:
What a comeback that was.
It was amazing he even got back on after the crash. Boonen's entire team went to the front to drive the pack along, I guess hoping they could eliminate Robbie that way. Tough luck Tom Beans! Was a shame not to see Cavendish in with a fighting chance but Robbie was so fast he took everyone, including himself, by surprise!
 
Rolfrae said:
It was amazing he even got back on after the crash. Boonen's entire team went to the front to drive the pack along, I guess hoping they could eliminate Robbie that way. Tough luck Tom Beans! Was a shame not to see Cavendish in with a fighting chance but Robbie was so fast he took everyone, including himself, by surprise!

Cavendish hit a spectator..... which isn't surprising as they reckon there was 2 million people on the side of the road..... I was out near Tunbridge Wells and I've never seen so many people on a stage route before... it was incredible.... I reckon he could have been a chance.... Robbie was a legend today and right you are QuickStep did get on the front and drive it when Robbie crashed.....
 
Congratulations to McEwen---a spectacular effort!! Does anyone know what happened to American David Zabriskie? I see he is already behind a couple of minutes.
 
Couple of 'show business points'.

1) No Robbie in the finale--leads to poor TV

2) Robbie crashed and WAS MOTOR PACED back into the main field.

3) Once safely into the main field, Robbie was escorted up to the front without having to fight, claw or waste energy.

4) Robbie had plenty of juice left with 200 meters to go.

Most stages in the TDF are fixed or 'helped' by the promoters/teams in order to MAXIMIZE excitement, ratings and commerial value. (renewal rates)

Look for many more motored paced wins in this years Pharmacy race.
 
Doctor.House said:
Couple of 'show business points'.

1) No Robbie in the finale--leads to poor TV

2) Robbie crashed and WAS MOTOR PACED back into the main field.

3) Once safely into the main field, Robbie was escorted up to the front without having to fight, claw or waste energy.

4) Robbie had plenty of juice left with 200 meters to go.

Most stages in the TDF are fixed or 'helped' by the promoters/teams in order to MAXIMIZE excitement, ratings and commerial value. (renewal rates)

Look for many more motored paced wins in this years Pharmacy race.
Oh man...that hurts. I was really lookin foward to watching the replay
after work. You really spoiled it for me House.......NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
 
jeez, some people can't enjoy anything about cycling and just have to be negative all the time. Why are you even watching, Doctor. If you can't get excited about what happened today, if you have to be SO cynical about everything to do with the race, why watch?

What Robbie did today was spectacular. He crashed, he clawed his way back into the peloton and then proceeded to beat the boys who'd been pacing and riding at the front.

Good on ya Robbie!
 
chainstay said:
Congratulations to McEwen---a spectacular effort!! Does anyone know what happened to American David Zabriskie? I see he is already behind a couple of minutes.

He dropped of the back after doing his workload earlier.
saw this on cyclingnews.
Dave Zabriskie (CSC) crossed the finish line in 184th, 2'27" back as the American dropped off the pace in the final kilometres after his hard tempo work on the front today for his teammate Cancellara.
 
1) No Robbie in the finale--leads to poor TV
did you even watch?
do you think that Boonan, Hushovd etc. & their respective teams all waited for Robbie?
If you noticed, Quickstep & Lampre where onto the front early when McEwen was off the back. They drove the pace hopping Robbie would not get up to contest the sprint.

2) Robbie crashed and WAS MOTOR PACED back into the main field.
Thats what a team mates job is. Plus if you noticed that group McEwen was in grew to about 20 strong, as they picked up many of the other riders held up by the crash. Thats a good sized group and can travel at speed.

3) Once safely into the main field, Robbie was escorted up to the front without having to fight, claw or waste energy.
Again thats a team mates job. I didn't see any of the other gun sprints sit front wheel until their sprint is on. It's what sprinters do.

4) Robbie had plenty of juice left with 200 meters to go.
Exactly! he timed his sprint well. Robbie Hunter (Barloworld) opened up the sprint very early and drew out all the others who where forced to chase. It was a slight up hill finish. Most faded because of Hunters early sprint. McEwen went when they all slowed a little, thus Boonen, Hushovd etc. couldn't even jump to his wheel. A perfectly timed sprint makes it look easy.

Most stages in the TDF are fixed or 'helped' by the promoters/teams in order to MAXIMIZE excitement, ratings and commerial value. (renewal rates)
Simply bull ****.
The organisers don't need to "help" excite the result. With the amount of fast sprinters spread throughout the teams, that will do it all by itself.

Look for many more motored paced wins in this years Pharmacy race.
ummm........ lead out train, sprint leadouts, drafting etc. etc. etc.
A team mates job to get their main sprinter to the best position for the finish.


Why do you follow cycling (or any sport) if your such a cynic.
How about train spotting or go fly a kite, I'm sure there's nothing sinister about those past times.
Get out enjoy the sun/day instead perhaps you will even enjoy life.
 
Well done Robbie. Awesome effort just to get involved in the sprint, let alone blitz everyone else.
 
Doctor.House said:
Couple of 'show business points'.

1) No Robbie in the finale--leads to poor TV

2) Robbie crashed and WAS MOTOR PACED back into the main field.

3) Once safely into the main field, Robbie was escorted up to the front without having to fight, claw or waste energy.

4) Robbie had plenty of juice left with 200 meters to go.

Most stages in the TDF are fixed or 'helped' by the promoters/teams in order to MAXIMIZE excitement, ratings and commerial value. (renewal rates)

Look for many more motored paced wins in this years Pharmacy race.
You, sir, are an absolute moron. That was the finest ride by a sprinter and his team that I have ever seen.
 
McEwen looked like he was riding a motorcycle when he came up at the end. Unbelievable.
 
artemidorus said:
You, sir, are an absolute moron. That was the finest ride by a sprinter and his team that I have ever seen.
I totally agree...

I was sitting on the chair all relaxed just thinking to my self what an excellent effort for robbie and the crash group to get back onto the main bunch considering the quickstep guys were pushing the pace to make it hard for robbie and the boys to get back on.

Then all of a sudden here comes robbie from out of no where like a steam train, i jumped out of my recliner arms in the air screaming "robbie". what a win.

Yes i am Australian. :D

Ive only just entered the cycling scene and all i can say is that is some of the best team work ive seen, in any sport(been playing AFL for 15 years).
 
Doctor.House said:
Couple of 'show business points'.

1) No Robbie in the finale--leads to poor TV

2) Robbie crashed and WAS MOTOR PACED back into the main field.

3) Once safely into the main field, Robbie was escorted up to the front without having to fight, claw or waste energy.

4) Robbie had plenty of juice left with 200 meters to go.

Most stages in the TDF are fixed or 'helped' by the promoters/teams in order to MAXIMIZE excitement, ratings and commerial value. (renewal rates)

Look for many more motored paced wins in this years Pharmacy race.

The obvious question is: why do you even watch or follow the sport?
 
What happened to Zabel at the end? He was nicely set up before Hunter went. Is he getting too old?
 
Do we have any information on what he did to his hand? It looked pretty tender: he was lifting it off the bars during that last chase to the peloton, and shaking hands and hi-fiving with his left after the race.
 
FriendlyFred said:
jeez, some people can't enjoy anything about cycling and just have to be negative all the time. Why are you even watching, Doctor. If you can't get excited about what happened today, if you have to be SO cynical about everything to do with the race, why watch?

What Robbie did today was spectacular. He crashed, he clawed his way back into the peloton and then proceeded to beat the boys who'd been pacing and riding at the front.

Good on ya Robbie!
Motorpacing is NOT clawing. Clawing is sports comentary fraud-speak.

It is unneacesary to belive the lairs with microphones in order to enloy the threater.

Have you ever toured an Opera House--gone behind the stage???? A slaughterhouse You can appreciation how the sausages are made AND can still lose yourself in a linguisa or a performance on well lit stage.

But remember---it is just entertainment--and it is NOT 100% real.

McQuen was towed back the the front---with plenty of help.
 
Doctor.House said:
Motorpacing is NOT clawing. Clawing is sports comentary fraud-speak.

..............

McQuen was towed back the the front---with plenty of help.
BY TEAM MATES, not motorpacing. There was no motorbike/car doing any motorpacing. His team mates did the main work load, therfore clawing is an apt description, at least it's a hell of a lot closer description than your "motorpacing" one.
 
artemidorus said:
You, sir, are an absolute moron. That was the finest ride by a sprinter and his team that I have ever seen.
Dr House just proved in 1 post that no one should pay any attention to what he has to say.

More importantly: WHAT A RIDE!!! That guy is a freak and made the rest look second rate. Robbie McEwen must find his motivation in proving people wrong...I dont think anyone thought he had a realistic chance of getting the win after he crashed.

Selfless work by his Lotto teamates to get him back to the bunch.

Most exciting sprint stage I have watched, probably because I am an aussie aswell :p . If you didn't enjoy that then you should probably find a different sport for all our sake.
 
My thoughts as it happened.
1) Oh no, McEwen's in a crash...
2) He may be able to get back to the main group but he looks pretty sore.
3) The roads are very narrow and there's no way he'll be easily able to get to the front.
4) He looks in pain, I think he'll sit this sprint out and wait till tomorrow.
5) He'll be too tired even if he gets to the front to put on a full sprint.
6) Boonen should win this one.
7) There's Zabel! He should win this one.
8) There's Robbie!!!! How did he get there????
(Me and my wife were jumping off the sofa at this stage).
9) ****!!!! Look at him Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10) Runs to computer...not even a thread about it....hmmm, will wait a few minutes till somebody starts one.....
 

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