TDF 2011: Stage 2 Les Essarts - Les Essarts (Team Time Trial) - 23km

[Papa Juggs]

Field is now broken up enough for a real classic tour.

No wheel hugging going for the group split time.

I really hope more riders will take a chance on an early breakaway to the those seconds back.

 

[monty1104]

Cadel will probably end up in yellow after stage 4 anyway. Can't see Thor or David Millar being there at the finish of the stage, and I'd hope cadel wouldn't be giving any time away on that stage either.

 

[Bond.ShaneBond]

No votes for BMC to come Top 3 in our prediction thread, nice turn-up for the books there.

Sounds like Euska were absolutely pathetic, I am shattered for Sammy. He will be looking for some wicked descents on stages 13 and 17.

 

[Freakie]

No votes for BMC to come Top 3 in our prediction thread, nice turn-up for the books there.

Sounds like Euska were absolutely pathetic, I am shattered for Sammy. He will be looking for some wicked descents on stages 13 and 17.

Euska where always going to come last! I crashed at midnight...

 

[Vader]

Perfect result for BMC & Evans overnight:

• Finished 2nd or 3rd - doesn't matter really, it's within hundredths of a second, so effectively "same time".
• Did far, far better than anyone would have predicted.
• Gained time on some of the GC contenders, most notably Contador.
• Didn't lose time on any of the GC contenders (Garmin don't have a GC contender worth naming).
• Avoids the pressure of wearing the yellow & being responsible for leading the peloton.

What more could he/they possibly have asked for?

 

[mcgarnacle]

Evans & BMC have done a great job so far. Giving him the best chance for overall honours when he crosses that line on the slight rise up the Champs-Elysees.

But he's also busting a gut to get into this position too. Really burnt the legs going up Mont des Allouttes for 3 secs, and did most of and the longer of the turns in the TTT. No doubt he is the main TT guy in the team and he had to do a greater share of the load to get a good time, but every bit of excess energy expended here will add up when going over Agnel, Izoard, Galibier, alpe d'huez and the hilly TT in Grenoble.

but I'd rather be he than AC at this stage. the alps will deceide the tour but considering the time classification being as it is, the pyrenees will be great. No choice for AC but to attack, and no choice for the other contenders but to check him. Winner of this tour will have earned it.

 

[Freakie]

I'm calling it early but Bertie won't win this tour. He looked very uncomftable during that TTT, he couldn't settle in position and was constantly in and out of the saddle. Not his usual rock solid self.

The Giro seems to already be biting him in the arse.

 

[Papa Juggs]

Good call Freakie.

He wouldn't have done the Giro if he knew he'd be able to start in the TDF.

Also the best Saxo riders all went to LeopardTrek.

He's got no chance. Even bookies are putting Andy fav. as he should be.

 

[mcgarnacle]

I'm calling it early but Bertie won't win this tour. He looked very uncomftable during that TTT, he couldn't settle in position and was constantly in and out of the saddle. Not his usual rock solid self.

The Giro seems to already be biting him in the arse.

im not saying he'll win it at all. but the others dont want to give him a sniff either. He cant wait till the alps to claw back all the time so he'll have to try earlier. He has no choice but to attack up Luz Ardiden and Plateau de Beille. the tour would have otherwise been a containment affair in the pyrenees this year but the circumstances now will make it very interesting. if he suceeds in getting back some time, it'll give the other GC boys something to think about, although AC will probably need to get into the redzone earlier than he wants to achieve it. guys like the Schlecks, Gesink, Evans, & the Shack 4 may not want to waste the energy so soon to keep with him and may allow him to get a few seconds here and there knowing that AC will prolly explode in the final week. but I can see him latching onto the basques wheels and may also work in with Sammy Sanchez here who is down the GC too.

 

[telsor]

I doubt Evans could have reasonably hoped for a better situation.

There is another team needing to doing the hard yards of carrying the Yellow and yet they have no realistic overall contenders.

He's got time on the competition, including some notable (but not conclusive) breaks.

He probably has the best team support of his career.

The second last stage is an individual TT, and he's as good at that, if not better, than the other likely contenders for top spot.



That said, at this stage, my money would still be on Andy Schleck (but he'll want a BIG lead going into the TT).




Wierd part of the race....How often would you expect to see Evans in Green and Hushovd in the polka dots?
Wierder...For stage 3, the same 3 people will be wearing the Yellow, Green & Polka dots, but they will each be wearing a different one.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Very surprised by the BMC performance. Maybe Evans finally has a decent team. Agree that AC is a goner. Will be Evans, Basso and Schleck fighting it out.

 

[Vader]

Wierd part of the race....How often would you expect to see Evans in Green and Hushovd in the polka dots?
Wierder...For stage 3, the same 3 people will be wearing the Yellow, Green & Polka dots, but they will each be wearing a different one.

That was just plain weird. All 3 jackets belonged to Gilbert, but he was only able to wear the yellow - so the other 2 got loaned out.

It makes sense that Evans would be wearing the green, given that he was actually 2nd in that competition, after being 2nd across the line at the end of stage 1.

Phil & Paul had lots of fun with Hushovd in polka dots though. They stated (and they're probably right) that it's the only time someone's ever worn the polka dot jersey without actually having a single point in that competition!

** Note that the climb at the end of stage 1 was cat 4, so the winner (Gilbert) claimed the solitary point on offer and everyone else got zilch.

 

[telsor]

That was just plain weird. All 3 jackets belonged to Gilbert, but he was only able to wear the yellow - so the other 2 got loaned out.

I know, but it's still wierd.

Phil & Paul had lots of fun with Hushovd in polka dots though. They stated (and they're probably right) that it's the only time someone's ever worn the polka dot jersey without actually having a single point in that competition!

And tonight, Evans will wear it, on loan, also without a point in the competition, so it'll happen twice in 2 days.

If Evans got the Yellow tonight, he'll have worn all 3 in 3 days (with the yellow being the only one truely his). The other 2 could do so too, but I can't see Gilbert getting enough climbing points to hold on there, nor is Hushovd likely to get enough points to earn the green without holding onto the Yellow.


Editied to add...just had a look at the route and there is only 1 cat-4 climb, so Gilbert is likely to have the Polka Dots tonight, so if he loses Green, he'll wear 3 in 3 days, all earned!

 

[Hornberger]

Editied to add...just had a look at the route and there is only 1 cat-4 climb, so Gilbert is likely to have the Polka Dots tonight, so if he loses Green, he'll wear 3 in 3 days, all earned!

Won't it come to down to a count back? Two riders will have 1 point so the rider that finished higher up on the climb they didn’t win will earn the jersey

 

[telsor]

Won't it come to down to a count back? Two riders will have 1 point so the rider that finished higher up on the climb they didn’t win will earn the jersey

When points are equal, the jacket is retained by the previous owner. (Not 100% sure, but I'm reasonably confident thats how it works)

 

[Hornberger]

When points are equal, the jacket is retained by the previous owner. (Not 100% sure, but I'm reasonably confident thats how it works)

According to wikipedia the first tie breaker is a count back. Their isn't a second tier breaker listed. For the Green jeresy the first tie breaker is stage wins and the 2nd tier breaker is standing in the overall classification.

 

[Dr Opkick]

Yeah can't see huge gaps happening tonight unless there is a crash. Not sure if it would be wise for Cadel to take Yellow so early, that's alot of defending to do for such a relatively weak team.

Will watch tonight for sure, just to hear Phil utter "these time trial bikes just don't handle like normal bikes".

I'm pretty new to the Tour, but over the last year or two, its become one of my favourite sporting events. Saying that, I'm still learning about all the nuances and traditions. Which leads me to my question:

Why are teams seemingly obliged to defend the Yellow Jersey? Even if this might by detrimental to their overall chances? I've never understood why this is the case.

Cheers guys.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

I'm pretty new to the Tour, but over the last year or two, its become one of my favourite sporting events. Saying that, I'm still learning about all the nuances and traditions. Which leads me to my question:

Why are teams seemingly obliged to defend the Yellow Jersey? Even if this might by detrimental to their overall chances? I've never understood why this is the case.

Cheers guys.

Having the yellow brings massive exposure to sponsors, which is a critical component of the sport. Also, the yellow jersey is so hard to get that you want to hold onto it for as long as possible. No one wants to be seen to be not valuing it.

 

[Bond.ShaneBond]

I'm calling it early but Bertie won't win this tour. He looked very uncomftable during that TTT, he couldn't settle in position and was constantly in and out of the saddle. Not his usual rock solid self.

The Giro seems to already be biting him in the arse.

Huge call writing off a champion after two days!

 

[Dr Opkick]

Having the yellow brings massive exposure to sponsors, which is a critical component of the sport. Also, the yellow jersey is so hard to get that you want to hold onto it for as long as possible. No one wants to be seen to be not valuing it.

Thanks for clearing that up - much appreciated.