Stage 9: Bordeaux - Dax, 170 km

[SaintAndrew]

that's just hprrible for boonen. there is no way he's going to be able to get a stage win now.

 

[cycho]

I still can't get over how McEwen managed to get to the line 2nd from where he was... he was boxed in against the barrier, there was a wall of (fast) riders in front of him... most people would've just given up at that stage and been a bit angry that they couldn't get through...but not RM..

The wild veer to the left looked dangerous but with the speed that he did it there would have been nobody going fast enough to have impeded....

He looked like he was on his BMX bike doing a houdini trick in an elephant stampede....his light body must be what makes his explosive acceleration so possible.... (I have to lose more weight...)

He certainly has determination....

I just saw the replay on telly and signed up just to comment on that.

It's no wonder that boonen can't seem to win. The acceleration shown by robbie is disturbing. In about two pedal strokes he brought himself from about 5 m back to level with the best sprinters in the world going at maximum speed. Mind boggling.

If it wasn't for the major box in and the fact that he started from about a 100 m back he probably would have won by more than a second.

 

[Orla_24]

I just saw the replay on telly and signed up just to comment on that.

It's no wonder that boonen can't seem to win. The acceleration shown by robbie is disturbing. In about two pedal strokes he brought himself from about 5 m back to level with the best sprinters in the world going at maximum speed. Mind boggling.

If it wasn't for the major box in and the fact that he started from about a 100 m back he probably would have won by more than a second.

That was unbelievable, wasn't it?

I was looking for him when they sprinted, saw him all the way back there and thought 'Well, maybe he isn't stressed for another stage win, how unlike Robbie' and suddenly, he was right there, and it was unclear if it was him or OF who took the stage, though at that point I was looking at Boonen, worried he's gonna do something drastic after another loss.

Reading Boonen's interviews after the stage are really disturbing, a week ago the guy was in the top of the world and now he's miserable and talking about 'being unable to sprint anymore'. Total loss of confidence, it's really upsetting.