July 5, Stage 4: Lorient - Mûr-de-Bretagne 172km

Morrisseeee

Getting back on topic................go on Evans ya good thang
It matters more when there's money on it

Brian?

briankeating wrote: »

Right I outta this thread for today, don't ruin the stage for me. I want to watch it when I get home.

One refresh too many! Stage ruined . My own fault.

Might as well go look at the result now.

Columbia

I don't think the Eurosport commentators gave Thor enough credit at the end there, did great to hang in when we see Farrar and Cavendish (smaller men than Thor) flying out the back once they got within sight of the climb.

Morrisseeee

>> One refresh too many! Stage ruined . My own fault.
Ah when you play with fire you get burned

Great ride by Hushovd today aswell.

Pherekydes

kilns wrote: »

Great finish and great win for Evans!!!

Not sure where Roche finished but was a bit down, which does not bode well

He only lost 19 seconds. Not bad.

ednwireland

contador gets 8s on AS

roche 43rd at 19s

John.Icy

Roche came in around +18...he couldn't keep up with the larger group that came in behind Evans group....coming in just behind the second bunch.

Current form would see him lucky to be in the top 30 come Paris.

SomeFool

Had Cuddle at 9/1 today Great ride from him!

amjon.

Evans won? I turned the TV off in disgust once I saw Contador raise his hand.

SomeFool

amjon. wrote: »

Evans won? I turned the TV off in disgust once I saw Contador raise his hand.

Yeah, nothing in it but credit Evans for hanging on, nice to see AC caught out.

GT_TDI_150

does evans have it in him to win the TDF outright?

Bottleopener

The end of the stage was sweet! Was annoyed when I thought Contador won it, but thankfully that wasn't the case

Brian?

Fair play to Evans, I've always liked him.

Still 8 days to a proper mountain .

Inquitus

amjon. wrote: »

Evans won? I turned the TV off in disgust once I saw Contador raise his hand.

Sadly it looks like Contador is going to piss the tour like he did the Giro

ben.schlomo

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

does evans have it in him to win the TDF outright?

hope so ive him at 25s.

Brian?

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

does evans have it in him to win the TDF outright?

No. No one is beating Alberto Contador this year. Did you see the Giro?

Is everyone anti Contador this year?

Aoibheann

Delighted for Evans, especially when Harmon on Eurosport was shouting that it was Contador..

Not so great from Roche, but amusingly it does bump him up in the GC (presumably now many sprinters who had good TTTs got shelled out the back!) to 27th at 1:12 behind - still ahead of Contador! Now if only it could stay that way. :pac: I really hope that today isn't entirely indicative of Roche's form, and that he's at his peak come the mountains.

Pherekydes

Roche up to 27th at 1:12 in the GC.

GT_TDI_150

ben.schlomo wrote: »

hope so ive him at 25s.

i've him at 20s thats why I asked. tony martin e/w as an outsider @ 150/1:D

Pherekydes

Evans takes the Polka Dot with 2 whole points!

amjon.

Inquitus wrote: »

Sadly it looks like Contador is going to piss the tour like he did the Giro

He is the favourite but I don't think it will be quite that one sided. Andy Shleck's form is a worry though. Where was Wiggins in the finalae today? He can't seem follow the sharp accelerations. Evans will probally implode in the last week. Sanchez has already lost over two minutes and probally loose at least that again in the TT.

kilns

Today could have done Roche the world of good. After not alot of cycling recently he may ride himself into form come the Pyrenees and Alpes

Wishful thinking

Still a good few ahead of him in the GC, that will drop a good bit down

amjon.

Aoibheann wrote: »

I really hope that today isn't entirely indicative of Roche's form, and that he's at his peak come the mountains.

In the past couple of tours Roche hasn't made up masses of time in the mountains - today is a prime example of that: he just climbs better than the average however he is by no means good enough to duke it out with Contador/ Shelck/ Evans on the big GC days. This gets him into the top 20/30-ish he then gains another couple of minutes by clipping of the front at opportune moments- this bumps him towards the top ten. If he had last years form he would have been up towards the top 15 today I reckon.

Inquitus

amjon. wrote: »

He is the favourite but I don't think it will be quite that one sided. Andy Shleck's form is a worry though. Where was Wiggins in the finalae today? He can't seem follow the sharp accelerations. Evans will probally implode in the last week. Sanchez has already lost over two minutes and probally loose at least that again in the TT.

Andy Schleck doesn't look like he has any form.
Frank doesn't have what it takes to win a tour.
Wiggins just dropped 6 seconds there and has no chance of winning the tour in my estimation.
Cadel Evans seems the only hope, given he's looking in decent form and has over a minute and a half.

Unless A Schleck's bad looking form is going to right itself in the mountains it's hard to see anything other than Contador by a mile sadly.

ednwireland

amjon. wrote: »

He is the favourite but I don't think it will be quite that one sided. Andy Shleck's form is a worry though. Where was Wiggins in the finalae today? He can't seem follow the sharp accelerations. Evans will probally implode in the last week. Sanchez has already lost over two minutes and probally loose at least that again in the TT.

wiggins is a diesel he just chugs along - just doesnt seem to have the ability to go with guys attacking (only 6 s down 2 s in front of AS)

bcmf

Ride of the day has to go to the God of Thunder. Hanging on to the Yellow Jumper for dear life when he even said himself before the start the it would be almost impossible to keep it.

niceonetom

I'm delighted to see Cadel win like that. Along with Dan Martin, Alberto gets added to my list of riders who need to learn to sprint in the drops (even if it is uphill).

Pretty sure I saw Contador makes some faces today that he never made in the Giro - if he'd made that attack 1km out in May against the lacklustre opposition he had then, he'd have been alone in the photos as his finger-banged us. There may yet be hope for this race.

I would have liked Evans to get the yellow, but I'm also glad to see Thor keep it (awesome) and for the sake of the GC race it's probably better if BMC don't have to defend anything for the next few days anyway.

kilns

An "Oups!" on Twitter from Roche

Perhaps he got caught in a a bad spot. Did he get dropped by the group that finished 8 seconds behind or did he pull away from the group that came in behind him.

Will find out in tomorrows Indo!!

Aoibheann

amjon. wrote: »

In the past couple of tours Roche hasn't made up masses of time in the mountains - today is a prime example of that: he just climbs better than the average however he is by no means good enough to duke it out with Contador/ Shelck/ Evans on the big GC days. This gets him into the top 20/30-ish he then gains another couple of minutes by clipping of the front at opportune moments- this bumps him towards the top ten. If he had last years form he would have been up towards the top 15 today I reckon.

Oh, I know he's not exactly a grimpeur - I'm just hoping he can hit good enough form to reach his own target of top 10 by the end, though top 15/20 is more likely. I completely agree with what you've said, my post was largely wishful thinking! You may have been able to tell that I'm not a huge Contador fan.. :P

CianRyan

When I saw the Spaniard at 14/1 I was tempted to stick a score on him, I decided not to though and was kicking myself at the end. Only when they called it with the video I could relax again.

I'm glad I don't like betting...