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TDF 2014 May contain spoilers

Posted: 07 Jul 2014 10:34
by Ed Moss
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kristof ... rint-style

I know it's the law that you can't criticise Cav, but I have to agree and I don't think he's done himself any favours.
The pressure must have been unbearable...

Re: TDF 2014 May contain spoilers

Posted: 07 Jul 2014 13:41
by Les Ladbury
Ed Moss wrote:http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kristof ... rint-style

I know it's the law that you can't criticise Cav, but I have to agree and I don't think he's done himself any favours.
The pressure must have been unbearable...
This is a typical case of a journo creating a "story" when no such thing exists.
Cav is a winner and has admitted that he was wrong but to compare him with that footballer, forget his name, is utter nonsense.
It's funny how everybody becomes an expert these days.

Posted: 07 Jul 2014 14:09
by petemarshall
What a load of old tosh. Cav was in the wrong, but wasn't doing anything against the rules or the traditions of the sport. I rather feel that biting a fellow player during a match contravenes a few rules of football although these days it is sadly within the spirit.


And I say this having lost a tenner as a result (I had a tenner on Gerans to win stage 2) and now having my major purchase in the fantasy league in hospital rather than gathering points.

Posted: 07 Jul 2014 19:06
by CakeStop
Cav is a bit too fond of using his head instead of his legs when he's not leaving everybody else behind. At least he fessed up to it this time which I don't recall him doing when he caused a big crash last year.

Posted: 08 Jul 2014 13:23
by Ed Moss
That's going to be sore in the morning :shock:

Posted: 08 Jul 2014 13:58
by Philip Whiteman
Cavendish is a complete arse. End of story.

Posted: 08 Jul 2014 15:23
by Ed Moss
Guess that's the last we will see of Andy Schleck, he's been really really unlucky.

Posted: 08 Jul 2014 17:07
by Les Ladbury
Philip Whiteman wrote:Cavendish is a complete arse. End of story.
What exactly do you mean Philip?

Posted: 08 Jul 2014 17:14
by Les Ladbury
What a load of old tosh.

Please qualify. Are you referring to my observations?

Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:58
by Ed Moss
Cobbles and rain today...

Carnage :shock:

Posted: 09 Jul 2014 15:10
by Neil Compton
Just heard on the radio that Froome has pulled out. Very disappointing.

Posted: 09 Jul 2014 16:34
by Ed Moss
Before it reached the cobbles he's been a bit unlucky the past few days.
Wonder what happened to Contador today, looks like he was on a bad day as well.

Real shame we didn't get to see an epic Froome vs Contador battle.

Posted: 09 Jul 2014 16:35
by petemarshall
The"tosh" was the story, not the observation.

And what a great stage today demonstrating that ancient tradition of bike racing that all the"marginal gains" and TUE's in the world don't beat staying on your bike.

Posted: 09 Jul 2014 16:37
by Andy_Craddock
As a massive Cav fan I don't think criticism of him is justified really.

Yes he made a mistake, he's a racer and wanted to win and gain an advantage. Riders lean all the time in the sprints to get an advantage (look at Sagan following Kittel yesterday, he was leaning on people quite a bit) it was just that Cav leaned at the wrong time and got caught out.

For the idiot to suggest Cav done it on purpose, why on earth do it on such a prestigious time for Cavendish and british cycling.

To compare him to Suarez is just a joke!

Posted: 09 Jul 2014 17:18
by Neil Compton
Ed Moss wrote:Before it reached the cobbles he's been a bit unlucky the past few days.
Wonder what happened to Contador today, looks like he was on a bad day as well.

Real shame we didn't get to see an epic Froome vs Contador battle.
Yer that's what's disappointing. If Contador does not win now i will be very suprised.

Posted: 09 Jul 2014 18:15
by petemarshall
I thought Contador did well today actually he stayed on his bike.

Niballi just demonstrated his bike control and tactical ability as he did in last year's Giro. He is the best all round rider, perhaps better than Contador, we will see.
It means a real race now.

Posted: 09 Jul 2014 19:46
by Ed Moss
On a more positive note, we should have a fantastic start list for the Vuelta, and we will be back to Froome v Wiggins.

Posted: 10 Jul 2014 08:17
by petemarshall
Ed Moss wrote:On a more positive note, we should have a fantastic start list for the Vuelta, and we will be back to Froome v Wiggins.
Not quite Hinault v Le Mond though is it, but if it happens it should ensure Rodriguez finally wins a Grand tour. 8)

Meanwhile on the real positive note, Contador v Niballi (and now several chancers all will fancy a pop).

Posted: 14 Jul 2014 14:34
by Ed Moss
Eurosport are reporting Contador had a frame failure...

If it's true that's really really unlucky and not a good day for Specialized.

Posted: 14 Jul 2014 14:59
by GrahamGamblin
He's abandoned!

Posted: 14 Jul 2014 15:01
by Ed Moss
Another one for the Vuelta then.
Real shame...Looks like Nibali for the win.

Posted: 16 Jul 2014 11:10
by Philip Whiteman
Ed Moss wrote:Eurosport are reporting Contador had a frame failure...

If it's true that's really really unlucky and not a good day for Specialized.
There appears to have been a great deal of controversy surrounding this story. Like Ed and his concern for Specialized, I thought 'bloody hell - that is not a good advert for the bike manufacturer".

However, it transpires that Contador's bike was actually damaged by a vehicle and did not break underneath Contador - assuming that accounts are true and correct.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/07/ ... ash_336328

" .... UPDATE: However, a fourth version of events has since come to the fore, and it’s the most plausible yet. According to Specialized’s Giampaolo Mondini, one of Contador’s frames was broken while it was still on the roof. Following Contador’s crash, the team car had to rush to his aid and clipped the Belkin car as it passed, destroying the bike.

“What happened next is that the team car tried to get recover position and get up to him, passing all the other team cars in doing so. The road was really narrow and the second bike on the roof ended up touching those on the Belkin team car. It was going pretty fast and the frame broke on top of the roof due to the impact,” Mondini told CyclingTips.

“When the car arrived to Contador, Roche had left his bike to the side [for Contador to use if necessary]. The people inside didn’t initially realize that the bike on the roof had been broken as things were so stressful. Everybody was a little bit confused. Contador got a third bike and got going, but unfortunately couldn’t continue in the race.”

The broken bike had Contador’s number on it, suggesting it was his primary bike. But it was also quite clean, suggesting it had been on the roof, rather than ridden. Most teams don’t put numbers on riders’ second bikes, but Munoz has done so in the past. It is plausible that the broken bike had indeed been on the roof of the team car, rather than under Contador. CyclingTips was able to corroborate the crash story with the driver of the Belkin car. The fourth version of the story, it seems, is finally the correct one.

The timeline from the crash onwards:

Contador hit the ground while trying to eat near the bottom of the descent.

Roche stopped, left Contador his McLaren Tarmac.

Contador got onto his third bike after the crash, an S-Works Tarmac with a normal Tinkoff paint job, and without a race number. His first bike had been crashed, and his second obliterated by an impact with another car. A brief shot on television showed his mechanic picking up his crashed bike, still in one piece.

Roche finished the stage on his second bike, rather than his McLaren. The story of Roche’s bike getting run over seems to have been born of the confusion surrounding the incident.

Whether the frame was broken by a car or a pothole, the result is the same. Contador is out of the Tour de France."


Read more at http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/07/ ... IEx04M0.99