Jul 09 2011

Le Tour- Stage 8

Aigurande to Super-Besse Sancy 118 miles

Le.  Tour.  De.  France.

Flaming chunks of twisted metal.

Bradley Wiggins is entirely out and Team Sky is in bad shape after his crash.  Geraint Thomas forfeited the White (Young Rider) Jersey to fall back and assist Wiggins.  Sportsmanship.

It split the Peloton and left only 80 riders in the zero delta (got the same time as the Stage winner, Mad Manx Cavendish) group including Hushovd, Gilbert, Frank and Andy, Evans, and Contador.  Everyone else added about 3 minutes or more.  Liepheimer of Radio Shack suffered additional indignity with a puncture and Horner finished dead last and barely at that.  Broken nose and concussion, unlikely to start after overnight observation and a morning examination by the team physician.

After the carnage BruceMcF evaluates the GC this way–

Contador, the Schleck brothers, Cadel Evans, Kloden, David Millar, Vinokourov are all in a position where what matters is what will happen when they hit the high mountains, with Sammy Sanchez still looking to make up 2:35 on the highest placed GC contender

This Stage is rated Medium Mountain and the first place where we can expect race changing deltas.

They say you can’t win Le Tour in the first week, but you can sure lose it.  We shall see what we shall see.

Vs. coverage starts at 8 am with your half hour of hype.  I’ll be concentrating on Silverstone and later- napping.

rustymancuso581

8 comments

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  2. For sure.

  3. Paul- Frank Schleck

    Phil- Evans

  4. Looks like a lovely day both there & here. Good day for some hills. They are pacing faster than expected, too

  6. can have some bad consequences. Coming up to the finish in a drizzle

    Leader is 22 sec ahead, going up hill

  7. From the Guardian:

    The top 10 in stage eight

    1. Alberto Rui Costa (Mov) 4hr 36min 46sec

    2. Philippe Gilbert (OLO) +12sec

    3. Cadel Evans (BMC) +15sec

    4. Samuel Sanchez (EUS) +15sec

    5. Peter Velits (THR) +15sec

    6. Dries Devenyns (QST) +15sec

    7. Damiano Cunego (LAM) +15sec

    8. Alberto Contador (SBS) +15sec

    9. Andy Schleck (LEO) +15sec

    10. Frank Schleck (LEO) +15sec

    The top five on GC

    1. Thor Hushovd (GRM) 33hr 06min 28sec

    2. Cadel Evans (BMC) +1sec

    3. Frank Schleck (LEO) +4sec

    4. Andreas Kloden (RSH) +10sec

    5. Jakob Fugslang (LEO) +12sec

    Yellow: Thor Hushovd

    Green: Philippe Gilbert

    Red Polka Dot: Tejay Van Garderen

    White: Robert Gesink

    Team Yellow: Team Garmin (USA)

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