Tour De France Stage 2: Dusseldorf-Liege 203.5KM

neris

3 weeks of Sky with the yellow jersey continues with a long enough stage with no serious uphill and a sprint finish expected. Cavendish is saying hes happy just to be there and isnt sure how his form is. Quickstep will be pushing for Kittel to take a win on Belgian soil. Dan Martins 49 seconds off in 57th place and Nico Roche 1:14 off in 122nd







the GC standings




DNF's today:
Alejandro VALVERDE (Team Movistar)
Ion IZAGIRRE (Bahrain-Merida)

WinnyThePoo

Could see a few attacks go off the peloton towards the end. Some one like Wellens could nip away.

Inquitus

WinnyThePoo wrote: »

Could see a few attacks go off the peloton towards the end. Some one like Wellens could nip away.

Be very surprised if this isn't a sprint between all the main players. Kittel the heavy favourite, maybe Demare, Sagan or Griepel can upset him?

velo.2010

Ha, just about to bump this! Don't know if I can sit through the entire stage. It should end in a sprint but I can't see each one of the nine declared sprint stages ending in sprints. GC teams and the likes of Sagan will look to break it up if they sniff a chance. It's a relatively easier parcours this year so there should less routine/boring flat stages.

Canondale and DE already looking to break not unexpected for them. Huge crowds out to see them off.

dastardly00

As Enfilade said, absolutely MASSIVE crowds at the stage start

Somedude9

Talk of potential crosswinds

Are there any bonufication points available for a good performant?

Inquitus

Somedude9 wrote: »

Talk of potential crosswinds

Are there any bonufication points available for a good performant?

10, 6 and 4 today in bonaficayshuns!

dastardly00

Some cracking German chateau porn so far :cool:

retalivity

So phinney in the first kom jersey of the tour?
If someone else takes the other kom point later on, there will be 2 people with 1pt each - who gets the jersey?

robyntmorton

Luke Durbridge (ORS) has abandoned. Ankle ligament issues after his crash yesterday.

MPFGLB

Curious tweet from Nico Roche saying his new goal was to make the 2nd sign on.... wonder if his injuries are worse than he thought ...sometimes things turn up much later

Cant understand a word JA Fletcha is on about ...what is he saying...he jumps all over the place...no coherent thought pattern

MPFGLB

MPFGLB wrote: »

Curious tweet from Nico Roche saying his new goal was to make the 2nd sign on.... wonder if his injuries are worse than he thought ...sometimes things turn up much later

Cant understand a word JA Fletcha is on about ...what is he saying...he jumps all over the place...no coherent thought pattern

Hatch asked him something earlier and it was like he was answering a different question entirely.

Anyone spot Bernie Eisel have some craic with a bunch of balloons earlier

at1withmyself

retalivity wrote: »

So phinney in the first kom jersey of the tour?
If someone else takes the other kom point later on, there will be 2 people with 1pt each - who gets the jersey?

Phinney gets it as he's higher up the GC

Kaisr Sose

dastardly00 wrote: »

Some cracking German chateau porn so far :cool:

That first one near Düsseldorf was like a miniature Versailes! Stunning but if 'lawn, front , sides and back'

Kaisr Sose

at1withmyself wrote: »

Phinney gets it as he's higher up the GC

The KOM point near the finish will be the point that decides it if two riders are equal on points.

velo.2010

Somedude9 wrote: »

Talk of potential crosswinds

Are there any bonufication points available for a good performant?

Regarding commentary, I fear Sean will gradually get the squeeze and become more sidelined in favour of somebody like Brian Smith. The presentation is becoming more UK centric and although Smith has a heavy accent himself, he is clearer than Kelly when speaking.

Darkglasses

Found Flecha very difficult to understand as well, could do with a little bit of vocal training I think

Weepsie

velo.2010 wrote: »

Regarding commentary, I fear Sean will gradually get the squeeze and become more sidelined in favour of somebody like Brian Smith. The presentation is becoming more UK centric and although Smith has a heavy accent himself, he is clearer than Kelly when speaking.

Possibly, they risk losing viewers to ITV or streaming. Though you can watch it with commentary off on the player too frequently.

Squeezing Kelly out when he probably could offer more insight then all of them put together would be nuts (excepting LeMond)

Inquitus

velo.2010 wrote: »

Regarding commentary, I fear Sean will gradually get the squeeze and become more sidelined in favour of somebody like Brian Smith. The presentation is becoming more UK centric and although Smith has a heavy accent himself, he is clearer than Kelly when speaking.

I don't think they'll squeeze Kelly out, but with full coverage of all the stages for the 1st time this year, they needed more people on the team.

ThisRegard

Sean and Carlton coming up now for the business end of the stage.

neris

Glourios Belgian weather

neris

Missed that crash looks like froome got involved in that

Mint Sauce

Just seen the replay.

:eek: :eek: :eek:

spock.

The break have a real chance here.

WinnyThePoo

Great riding from offredo and phinney

spock.

Kittel takes it

Decuc500

The first of many I think.

neris

Big cry baby kittel

Weepsie

There was a quick step rider in the bunch celebrating wildly before kittel was off the line. That's good bike control

neris

Aru 9th.... can't be right