Stage 3 sprint finish?

[peterlip]

Question for the experts out there.
With a cat 3 just 2km from the finish, will the sprinters be there at the end?

 

[Endym]

Doubt it (they will be in the group, but doubt they will win it). It's 800m 7.3% climb and only 2km from finish.

Maybe Friere, Zabel and Boonen, but not others. And it would be very hard for their teams to keep their train going. Look what happened today - Kessler nearly got it.

 

[Aussie Steve]

Robbie McEwan is a tool !!
last year at the TDF he moved off his line in a big big way during a sprint and Phil Liggett's comments, while viewing the head-on vision, said "Robbie could be in trouble here" but NO protest from the baulked rider, and no action from the impotent stewards.
Same thing for Stage 3, McEwan runs his opponent off the road, nothing done...
I am an Aussie and I don't like the way he gets away with such blatant rule-breaking.
Yet he is the first to throw a big girlie hissy-fit (tantrum) when he believes HE is hard-done-by.
"I was put into the barriers...I was boxed in...blah blah blah"
Robbie, you may be one of the world's best sprinters, but bloody play by the rules you dirty rider...

 

[JAPANic]

Robbie McEwan is a tool !!
last year at the TDF he moved off his line in a big big way during a sprint and Phil Liggett's comments, while viewing the head-on vision, said "Robbie could be in trouble here" but NO protest from the baulked rider, and no action from the impotent stewards.
Same thing for Stage 3, McEwan runs his opponent off the road, nothing done...
I am an Aussie and I don't like the way he gets away with such blatant rule-breaking.
Yet he is the first to throw a big girlie hissy-fit (tantrum) when he believes HE is hard-done-by.
"I was put into the barriers...I was boxed in...blah blah blah"
Robbie, you may be one of the world's best sprinters, but bloody play by the rules you dirty rider...

From the arial view he definitely drifted left a bit too much. From his view he may have been heading in a straight line to the goal.

He was forced to go left a bit as well...

For tonight... O'Grady will have no problems getting over that last hill and I wouldn't be surprised to see him in a break away before he gets to it.

He has been in the thick of it with the sprinting too so far...

 

[heinkel12]

Robbie McEwan is a tool !!
last year at the TDF he moved off his line in a big big way during a sprint and Phil Liggett's comments, while viewing the head-on vision, said "Robbie could be in trouble here" but NO protest from the baulked rider, and no action from the impotent stewards.
Same thing for Stage 3, McEwan runs his opponent off the road, nothing done...
I am an Aussie and I don't like the way he gets away with such blatant rule-breaking.
Yet he is the first to throw a big girlie hissy-fit (tantrum) when he believes HE is hard-done-by.
"I was put into the barriers...I was boxed in...blah blah blah"
Robbie, you may be one of the world's best sprinters, but bloody play by the rules you dirty rider...

I seem to remember him being rubbed out for irregular sprinting last year.

 

[Bro Deal]

Question for the experts out there.
With a cat 3 just 2km from the finish, will the sprinters be there at the end?

What will be most interesting is if some of the GC contenders try to grab a little time, or maybe it will be more of a situation where one of the contenders gets caught out and loses 30 seconds.

I think Valverde, or even Hincapie, could shred the pack on the climb and go for the win and/or the yellow jersey.

 

[Mansmind]

What will be most interesting is if some of the GC contenders try to grab a little time, or maybe it will be more of a situation where one of the contenders gets caught out and loses 30 seconds.

I think Valverde, or even Hincapie, could shred the pack on the climb and go for the win and/or the yellow jersey.

I agree, most of the GC contenders will try to make a difference on the climbs. I'm not sure a cat 3 will be enough to split the "contender" group apart, but it certainly should give us an idea as to what the strategy is going to be.

From what I could tell today, they're basically trying to minimize any time loss they experience in the flat stages. I doubt 10-30 seconds will make any difference in their chances when significant climbing starts.

I think it's going to be really interesting to see how things shake out this year. There are a lot of riders with a good chance to get the lead. I know it's early, but Hincapie so far looks stronger than I expected him to. The guys I HAVEN'T seen much of are Levi and Floyd... they seem to be hiding right now.

 

[Raketmensch]

The guys I HAVEN'T seen much of are Levi and Floyd... they seem to be hiding right now.

Certainly true for Levi... he seems to be keeping his powder dry for the moment. Floyd maybe a little less so, though. Floyd was top ten in the prologue, nine seconds back from Thor, and much (most?) of that nine seconds he lost by showing up to the start house late. I thought Floyd made a little bit of a statement with his prologue ride.

Stage 7 is going to be extremely interesting.

 

[Mansmind]

Certainly true for Levi... he seems to be keeping his powder dry for the moment. Floyd maybe a little less so, though. Floyd was top ten in the prologue, nine seconds back from Thor, and much (most?) of that nine seconds he lost by showing up to the start house late. I thought Floyd made a little bit of a statement with his prologue ride.

Stage 7 is going to be extremely interesting.

Very true.. he was definitely there for the prologue. When I said that I was referring to not seeing him at all on the road today...although I did hear he was involved in that accident.

We'll see them both at the front before this tour is over...you're right.. 7 will not be one to miss.

 

[Capt.Injury]

I agree, most of the GC contenders will try to make a difference on the climbs. I'm not sure a cat 3 will be enough to split the "contender" group apart, but it certainly should give us an idea as to what the strategy is going to be.

From what I could tell today, they're basically trying to minimize any time loss they experience in the flat stages. I doubt 10-30 seconds will make any difference in their chances when significant climbing starts.

I think it's going to be really interesting to see how things shake out this year. There are a lot of riders with a good chance to get the lead. I know it's early, but Hincapie so far looks stronger than I expected him to. The guys I HAVEN'T seen much of are Levi and Floyd... they seem to be hiding right now.

I dont think tomorrow stage will show us who make the podium, but i think it will show us who won't make it. I think Valverde will try to fly up the last few climbs to put pressure on the other GC contenders and see if he can catch a couple of the riders out for a 25 or 30 second lost. The Tour De France in the first week or week and a half is not as much about the time gains, as it is the mental gains. With Valverde more then likely going to lose a couple of minutes on the flat time trials, he needs to try to take a little time tomorrow to help cover for the TT loses he will suffer.

Since Schleck won the Amstel Gold race, I like him, and a gut feeling is telling me that Garzelli and E. Dekker could be dark horses for this stage.