Stage 3 - Tuesday July 10: Waregem - Compiègne, 236.5km



32km/h for the first 4 hours!!! That's what we average (maybe not for 4 hours)
Don't they realise that gives them an eta after 3:00 a.m. for us Aussies.
Hurry up, I need sleep
 
If CSC doesn't start moving, Cancellara will lose the yellow.
Closest of the breakaway group is only 54 seconds behind, minus a time bonus makes it odds on the yellow will change if they don't close the gap.
 
peterlip said:
If CSC doesn't start moving, Cancellara will lose the yellow.
Closest of the breakaway group is only 54 seconds behind, minus a time bonus makes it odds on the yellow will change if they don't close the gap.
Didn't help with Stegmens falling........ chased slowed.....
 
peterlip said:
If CSC doesn't start moving, Cancellara will lose the yellow.
Closest of the breakaway group is only 54 seconds behind, minus a time bonus makes it odds on the yellow will change if they don't close the gap.
LOL in hindsight this thought is laughable huh? What a move by Cancellara... very impressive.
 
Lonnie Utah said:
Cancellara = panache!

Serves the sprinters right.

Jesus farking christ Cancellara is a legend ! What a ride... I'm not sure he actually thought he was going to win ! he was trying to defend the jersey... again Boonen got it wrong......
 
whiteboytrash said:
Jesus farking christ Cancellara is a legend ! What a ride... I'm not sure he actually thought he was going to win ! he was trying to defend the jersey... again Boonen got it wrong......

Cancellara is my hero! That was one of the most exciting stage finishes I have ever seen. Wicked Wicked ride by Cancellara! How amazing it would be if he manages to hold on to the Yellow jersey till the end. Is that even remotely possible?
 
David_Zen said:
Cancellara is my hero! That was one of the most exciting stage finishes I have ever seen. Wicked Wicked ride by Cancellara! How amazing it would be if he manages to hold on to the Yellow jersey till the end. Is that even remotely possible?

Well if he blows people away in the time trails he may have a chance but to be honest the mountains will find him out and Kloden will ride away from him on Sunday....... but yes the guy is something special.... farkin legend... and yes I've just seen 3 of the best opening Tour stages ever.....
 
Cancellara's always been a class act : world champion at underage level, his pedigree is without dispute in my opinion.

He has to move on with regard to his climbing though.
 
IMO, Cancellara should just continue to focus on what he's good at. He is just too big to ever be a good climber, so better to forget the mountains and be great at TT and the flat classics. Better to be very good at something than quite good at everything.

He won't hold the yellow jersey until the end, but four stage-wins looks quite likely. Which is fantastic in itself.
 
I must say it was quite amusing to see Cancellara powering along at +60kph and snatching the stage from under the sprinters noses (6 months ago I would have felt sorry for Zabel, but not anymore). Only Fabian could have done something like this, that lad has some serious wattage happening.
 
Eagle of Toledo said:
I must say it was quite amusing to see Cancellara powering along at +60kph and snatching the stage from under the sprinters noses (6 months ago I would have felt sorry for Zabel, but not anymore). Only Fabian could have done something like this, that lad has some serious wattage happening.
Yes very serious wattage.
Beat Hincapie by 23 seconds over what 8 km...
in the saddle takes off so that Boonen cant sprint to stay with him...
yes, very very serious wattage.
Either everyone else is off the juice and this is real or he is the last guy risking it...I really hope not the latter...

When was the last time a guy in yellow won a flat stage...leave out Cipollini?

Was it Hinault, Lemond, Steve Bauer?
I cant recall but it is exciting as all heck.
 
Eagle of Toledo said:
I must say it was quite amusing to see Cancellara powering along at +60kph and snatching the stage from under the sprinters noses (6 months ago I would have felt sorry for Zabel, but not anymore). Only Fabian could have done something like this, that lad has some serious wattage happening.

On the EuroSport interviewed he said it was a planed move that if the peleton was together he would attack on the cobbles...... it was smart move because none of the sprinters team could follow as as the cobbles started on a corner and it was too risky to follow in such a big pick.... once he had the jump there where never going to catch him........ exciting stuff........
 
Funny old stage - the peleton basically took the day off - a bit like how they used to ride on unimportant stages back in the 70s and 80s.

They must have screwed up quite a few tv schedules due to running over time so badly
 
wicklow200 said:
They must have screwed up quite a few tv schedules due to running over time so badly
...and my recording equipment ! I missed the last 10km of the stage and had to wait for the replay !
 
jonjungel said:
IMO, Cancellara should just continue to focus on what he's good at. He is just too big to ever be a good climber, so better to forget the mountains and be great at TT and the flat classics. Better to be very good at something than quite good at everything.

He won't hold the yellow jersey until the end, but four stage-wins looks quite likely. Which is fantastic in itself.
Hmmmm wasn't there a Spanish cyclist a few years ago that was "too big to climb well" but could TT well and kick ass in the Classics as well as smaller stage races who managed to drop a few pounds, then diesel up the climbs and TT his way to overall victory at the GT's???
 

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