July 8, Stage 7: Le Mans - Châteauroux 215km

ednwireland

Fast and furious finish

Finally we come to something a lot more straightforward and typical of what almost every first-week stage at the Tour used to look like. There is nothing to concern anyone as the race starts to turn south, so expect lots of sunflower shots, a long and probably fruitless breakaway and the sprinters going elbow to elbow at the finish. Mark Cavendish will have particularly happy memories of Châteauroux, as he claimed his first Tour stage win in the town back in 2008. Winner of four stages that year, this is one of just half a dozen opportunities he'll get in this edition.





cav is going to be desperate to win this one

Captain Havoc

Pretty much what Ed said. Wind can be in face and quite strong but then there are point when it's blowing you up hill. No hills that killed my legs. Some of the villages are done up really nice.

Pherekydes

The intermediate sprint is only 25k from the finish. That makes things interesting. I see a few riders jumping the peloton just after the sprint as they get their breath back. Voeckler again?

Sundy

I find it hard to get excited for stage with standard sprint finishes. Cant wait for tomorrow and sunday when i can watch two interesting stages while reading stacks of newpapers and drinking coffee!

ednwireland

Sundy wrote: »

I find it hard to get excited for stage with standard sprint finishes. Cant wait for tomorrow and sunday when i can watch two interesting stages while reading stacks of newpapers and drinking coffee!

I love watching sprints, dont want a whole race of them mind

on_the_nickel

I have put a MASSIVE €2 e/w on Rojas at 33/1 and 44¢ e/w on Bozic at 125/1.

Paddy Power is a nervous man at the moment, let me tell you.

kmart6

The fact this is the same finish that Cav one his first stage ever in the TDF I can really see him going for it!

They are def going to have that break away reeled in with 30KM to go so that'll be interesting will some of the main guys ease up for the Intermediate sprint or will they go for it and maybe the pace to the end won't be as fast as other days!

Rovi

Tom Boonen abandons!

happytramp

Poor Tom Boonen.

kmart6

Surprised he lasted this long after the state he was in the other day!!

mloc123

happytramp wrote: »

Poor Tom Boonen.

Did he break his wrist or collarbone on Wednesday? I didn't see any confirmation of it after the stage.

kmart6

Don't think he did....was just really sore...severe bruising from what I gather!

kmart6

Absolutely huge crash!!!

Loads down...Wiggins,EBH,Farrer etc...

John.Icy

Wiggins is done for. His tour is over.

Don't see EBH getting on either, he was waiting a few minutes back with Wiggo...and peleton are going full steam......only 40 or so riders in the front....looks like there easing off. Peleton in tatters.

kmart6

Wiggins is out!!

Carlosthejakal

Bradley Wiggins might have a broken collarbone

GetWithIt

Any sign of Roche?

kenmc

Eurosports commentators going beserk.
Wiggins looks like a gonner

D3PO

Horner caught up in that crash aswell. Did Roche avoid it ?

kmart6

Nothing on Roche yet!!

TinyExplosions

kenmc wrote: »

Eurosports commentators going beserk.
Wiggins looks like a gonner

Bugger, there goes any hope of my fantasy team doing well

John.Icy

GetWithIt wrote: »

Any sign of Roche?

There was a couple of AG2R lads in the front group after the crash...if Roche wasn't there, neither would his teamates...I hope.

bikenut

According to TG4 Roche is fine

D3PO

horner back with the medics car. doesnt look too bad though

dastardly00

Wiggo has abandonned.
Horner is continuing.

kmart6

Yeah there's 3 AG2R riders in that main group there so he's surely in that!!

Show's how Roche's directors were right, said in his piece in the Indo today that anytime he got near the back of the group they were shouting at him to get back up the front, paid off for him there!!

D3PO

i can see HTC and Garmin chasing down the break fairly sharp now just in case theres any more peleton mishaps

John.Icy

I was a bit disgusted with the lads from Sky trying to shove Wiggins on the bike, even though he was clearly in dire pain.

3 AG2R lads in the front, no close ups on numbers yet.

kmart6

D3PO wrote: »

i can see HTC and Garmin chasing down the break fairly sharp now just in case theres any more peleton mishaps

Not going to catch them in 5K though!

D3PO

kmart6 wrote: »

Not going to catch them in 5K though!

dont think anybody really cares about the intermediate today though. too clsoe to the finish for the sprinters to go for it

D3PO

D3PO wrote: »

dont think anybody really cares about the intermediate today though. too clsoe to the finish for the sprinters to go for it

well that put manners on me :D

kmart6

D3PO wrote: »

well that put manners on me :D

Yeah it did....the peloton started chasing them down over 30K from the sprint...if it wasn't for the crash they were going to swalloe them up!

D3PO

10 to go and the Cav train policing things.

Was going to back EBH for back to back stage wins good thing I didnt. I think with no Farrar or EBH in the bunch it will be an easy win for Cav now

ben.schlomo

Rojas is 22/1 on pp and they are paying 3places!!

kmart6

Cav
Pettachi
Greipel



spelled arseway!

D3PO

as predictable as a rainy Irish summer. Cant even be happy with the fantays points for the Cav win having lost Wiggo

kmart6

Roche should jump up a few places hopefully!!

D3PO

kmart6 wrote: »

Roche should jump up a few places hopefully!!

he will jump EBH, Thomas, Wiggo for sure and depends who else whas caught up in it.

kmart6

Haha Cav isn't happy at all bout it being said he has no respect....

Jesus...he's really shocked bout Wiggins....love the way there was no apology from the interviewer for him saying sh*t

Hermy

Genuine shock from Cav in interview when told of Wiggins crash.

kmart6

Roche up to 18th

Colmo52

kmart6 wrote: »

Roche should jump up a few places hopefully!!

Up to 18th in GC

Morrisseeee

Well I tuned in late, thinking it would be just a sprinter stage, but yet again a shiiit load has happened, and Wiggins is out, shocked :eek:

kmart6

Morrisseeee wrote: »

Well I tuned in late, thinking it would be just a sprinter stage, but yet again a shiiit load has happened, and Wiggins is out, shocked :eek:

Not really a **** load...besides that crash there was nothing of note all day!

niceonetom

Tweetfail of the day:

@RobbieHunter Cav def doping a great job..gotta say wish I was there. Just miss being in the mix..

kmart6

His follow up tweet....

I need to get a phone where the o & the p are further away!

...easily done on a Qwerty keyboard!

ednwireland

brilliant win from cavendish, htc show how to do a lead out train properly again great sight

wiggo bummer

did you see chris horner, 12 mnutes down forced onto a stretcher at the end

bcmf

Was it me or did anyone else think that the look on Cav's face when told of twiggo's exit was a bit 'Fook That wasnt in the plan' kinda way. Just thought there was a bit more then 'Thats really bad luck' in it

NickDrake

Wiggins would have gotten on the podium in the tour.

Really sad to see him out.

When you see the likes of Contadope, Vino, Levi etc it really makes you sick.

Get will soon Wiggo. Huge loss

JacksonHeightsOwn

i dont dislike Wiggins in any way

but i think todays crash has actually been excellent for Roches' plans

Wiggins was obviously a major threat for the GC, and now he's gone, also there's Chris Horner who has dropped 12 minutes, its another competitor out of the equation

obviously i feel sorry for the guys mentioned, its terrible for your race to be decided by bad luck, but thats bike racing

ednwireland

hope chris horner is allright

disturbing stuff here
http://video.bicycling.com/video/Chris-Horner-Post-Stage-7-Crash

didnt even know he'd finished the stage