[stevej]

Video of the headbutt + swerve here: http://www.cyclingfans.com/node/1040  (pinched from Mark Twight's twitter)

[nash1]

Total lack of class and respect from AC today. I really hope he gets battered on Thursday. Not impressed 

[clm]

Fuck off.  This kind of crap is all over the cycling forums.  Shrek is only up on AC because of AC getting tied up in other Shreks crash and a broken spoke on the cobbles - mechanical?  Did Shrek wait for Chavanel when he had mechanicals or attack - hard? Don't forget that Shrek would be 6 mins or so down if Spartacus hadn't nullified the stage for him in the Ardennes.  There seems to be a lot of Bertie hatred around.

Plus, it wasn't a mechanical. It was a fluffed gear shift - amateurish.

[Percy B]

Coupled with the fact that Shrek hasn't got a chain catcher fitted on his bike (probably to save the 20 grams it will add to his bike) which are pretty standard on all pros bike nowadays and prevent you from dumping your chain at an inopportune moment.

I can understand he's pretty pissed, so lets hope he uses the anger and smashes Contador in over the next 2 stages, as opposed to just giving up like a loser. All this sportsmanship deal is OK in small doses, but if everyone is super nice to everybody else all the time, no-one will be allowed to win in case they hurt someone elses feelings...... Let's not turn bike racing into a non-competitive sport now.

On a different note, I notice that Tyler Farrah has finally thrown in the towel after busting his wrist on stage 2 and continuing to ride the next 10 stages (including all the alpine stages)... Hard as nails!

[Dolly]

What a stage next tho -I can hardly wait. Those hills are fookin massive. I've ridden the Col d'Aspin (which is only Cat 1) and it was nails and driven up the Tourmalet - which was hard to drive up.
AS has got to go for it - even tho he might lose it on the descent. What else can he do ?

[butters]

You get the feeling that Nicolas Roche is just a little bit pissed off with Gadret?

[Dolly]

That's a great read though.
Its good to see professional sportspeople telling it like it is

[Dolly]

It was all a bit disappointing today wasn't it ?
Hardest stage of the tour on paper but the downhill/flat last 60 k spoiled it as a race.
At least there's a finish on top of the Tourmalet on Thursday which should hopefully mean that Schlek will attack and we'll get some good racing

[cofe]

Toe clip waddage from Jens Voigt

[robertostallioni]

Thats great!

[Falling Down]

Toe clip waddage from Jens Voigt

That one and the Roche article are brilliant.

[cofe]

More bangers here from The Big Picture.

[Percy B]

Thats great!

Jens Voigt is my hero.

http://www.bigringriding.com/post/707584392/chuck

Watching the insane turn on the front he did for Shrek the other day just confirms the suspicions highlighted in the link above. Jens is basically prepared to ride until he dies for his team leader. He is the man, and is apparently impervious to pain 

The bigringriding blog is worth a look anyway if you're into road racing and like a laugh - a treasure trove of spicy goings-ons

[Palomides]

Jens Voigt is doing nothing to alleviate my suspicions that all cyclists are grade-A fruitcakes

I'm doing 70 kilometres an hour on the first descent when my front tyre explodes," explained Voigt. "Before I hit the asphalt I actually manage to think that this is going to hurt. Both knees, elbows, hands, shoulders and the entire left side of my body were severely hurt.

My ribs are hurting but hey, broken ribs are overrated anyway. Fortunately, I didn't land on my face this time and I'm still alive. I was offered a ride on the truck that picks up abandoned riders but I'm not going to quit another Tour de France.

"Now, there's a rest day and Paris is not that far away.

[jfw]

  can't wait til todays stage 2:41 to go 

[cofe]

pissing it down in pau this morning according to armstrong's twitter. should be good...!

[Percy B]

cav = slow.

Are you going to have him a race?

errr. slower than other pro tour sprinters i should have said.

So, we're nearing the end of the Tour - any change in your assessments as to Cav's slowness yet, Chappers? I reckon 4 stage wins, the last of which was won by a long way without the assistance of a lead out train.... Cav is undoubtedly the fastest sprinter in the pro-peleton at the moment.

£5 bet for a win on the Champs-Elysees?

[tlr]

Cav's accleration at the end of that was savage. Unbelievable.

Any one got a hat Chappers can eat?

[chappers]

just got back from france...

hand me all your hats, looks like i have to eat the lot. the guy is amazing.

pics soon...

[chappers]

trying to get back on as contador attacked to take the yellow jersey.


wiggo (dont really know what to say here...not doing so good...)


cav on the same climb - note his podge belly. as i said before, ill eat my words, fast as fuck.

[cofe]

the ITV commentary was incredible at the finish: "is hushovd going to cause the shock of the day? Where is Cavendish?!" (Cav zips past in the background like hushovd is stood still).

He might not have the green jersey, but there's no doubt who the best sprinter is.

[Dolly]

Cav is unbelievably good isn't he ?
Has anyone noticed how desparate AC is to get Schlek's OK for the victory ? He's very tactile/matey which has increased since "that stage"
IMO he's looking for for Schlek's approval or absolution from the bad thing he thinks he did

[chappers]

what i find incredible about cav...in the early stages he really didnt look like he had the legs. then the winning started, but he took a huge knock by losing renshaw and he still managed to outclass the rest of the field.
he showed at milan san remo that he can sprint without a lead out, but after their dominance at the 2009 tour i (wrongly) thought he had become a one trick pony. those later stages its incredible to see him battle for the wins alone.

amazing. he is with no doubt the fastest in the field.

[Falling Down]

I loved that clip when he was smiling and whipping his boys along in front. Obviously enjoyed himself this time after the first few days.

[cofe]

"I am at least 5 times faster than the rest of you"

Like this one too:



All from Guardian.