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snapdragen
07-02-2006, 09:05 AM
Thought I'd start this, although I have no great insights. Poor Thor got smashed, possibly by one of those green finger things. :eek:

I just love watching sprint finishes!

OK - Discuss.
jobob
07-02-2006, 09:08 AM
Very cheeky move by George :cool: to get those 2 all-important seconds in the last intermediate sprint.

And congrats to Fabian Wegman for winning the covetted "King of the Overpass" classification. :D
Trek420
07-02-2006, 09:37 AM
Thor will smash...big green finger!

Ok let's talk amoungst ourselves: on to the next stage: looks relatively flat (as in "it would kill me to ride it"), another day for the sprinters? Who's left? Who's on first? Who will surprise us all? Will GG (gorgeous George) save his strength for the mountain stages?
Lifesgreat
07-02-2006, 09:51 AM
If it is flat, Boonen or McEwen (who will he head-butt this time?? :p )
Trek420
07-02-2006, 09:54 AM
maybe a specator will? Do we have any TE'ers who are there?
maillotpois
07-02-2006, 03:46 PM
Poor Thor. That was a lot of blood on his pretty jersey.

Snap that Tour de Schmalz guy is hysterical - thanks for shaing that.

Wow. George. Super cool. I really wish we were there this year. It is such an amazing party over there when this is going on. And with the result less pre-determined than usual it would be more fun. Although the first year we went was 2003, and that year was pretty crazy.
CR400
07-02-2006, 04:47 PM
Boy I am so hoping that George has what it takes to get the job done. I think it is only fitting that he win the GC, and get to enjoy the ride into Paris. I really can't think of any guy more deserving (sp). I mean he pretty much gave up seven years of his career to be loyal to the cause of a friend. Now its his turn. I think highly of a man who didn't bail out to try to get the glory on his own before his time.

That was so cool to see George put on that yellow jersey. It was almost a tear jerker.
emily_in_nc
07-02-2006, 05:25 PM
Boy I am so hoping that George has what it takes to get the job done. I think it is only fitting that he win the GC, and get to enjoy the ride into Paris. I really can't think of any guy more deserving (sp). I mean he pretty much gave up seven years of his career to be loyal to the cause of a friend. Now its his turn. I think highly of a man who didn't bail out to try to get the glory on his own before his time.

Hear hear! I couldn't agree more!

I am lovin' me some George right now...I wanted him on the podium even before all this cr*p went down, most especially after his heart-breaking equipment failure in Paris-Roubaix, and now I think the tour is his to lose.

GO GEORGE!!!! :D

~Emily
betagirl
07-02-2006, 05:54 PM
George looked AWESOME in yellow. I wonder how long he'll hang onto his lead, considering it's only 4 seconds.

Thor's injury looked quite bad. Hopefully he's all patched up and will be back tomorrow.

Great stage.
jeannierides
07-02-2006, 06:09 PM
Lovin' Big George right about now!
KnottedYet
07-02-2006, 06:37 PM
Does anyone know what cut Thor? Those sponge hands don't seem like they could possibly do that. Maybe one of those boomer-sticks. Sure was an awful lot of blood. How do ya think the spectator feels?

Is he patched? Will he ride tomorrow?
Fredwina
07-02-2006, 07:16 PM
They were saying it was one of the hands. They're not foam. I want to say cardboard, but that would have a very stiff piece of cardboard, or a very nasty paper cut
velogirl
07-02-2006, 07:25 PM
I highly doubt Bruyneel will want George in yellow more than a day or two this early in the race. That would put a lot of responsibility on the Disco boys. And George isn't even necessarily the annointed team leader at this point. Rather than wasting effort trying to defend the yellow jersey this early in the race, I think Disco will let go of it tomorrow so they can conserve for the mountains.

Just my 2.5 cents
Kalidurga
07-02-2006, 07:28 PM
Does anyone know what cut Thor? Those sponge hands don't seem like they could possibly do that. Maybe one of those boomer-sticks. Sure was an awful lot of blood. How do ya think the spectator feels?

Is he patched? Will he ride tomorrow?

Cyclingnews.com (http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2006/tour06/?id=results/tour061) has the most detailed description of what happened that I've seen yet. I wonder if those green hands are made of that corrugated type of plastic that you can get signs made from. That would definitely be stiff enough and have a sharp edge to it. Fortunately, Thor will apparently live to smash another day.

Each year that I watch the Tour, I end up yelling at the spectators through the tv. From the people with the apparently lethal green hands to the doofballs that run along beside the riders and reach out to pat them on the back, there are some real idiots over there. I hope today's spectator feels some remorse, but it doesn't seem that any of them think about how dangerous they can be if they get too close.
KnottedYet
07-02-2006, 08:25 PM
Thanks for the link to Cyclingnews! What a great website!

And I thought MY varicose veins were bad...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/tour06/index.php?id=/photos/2006/tour06/tour061/IMG_0873

...the only thing I share with Hincapie.

Dang, Thor bled a lot. Wonder if The Powers That Be will ban those signs/hands/thingies.
jobob
07-02-2006, 09:26 PM
Each year that I watch the Tour, I end up yelling at the spectators through the tv. Gah, tell me about it ! I always freak when the riders wend their way through the crazed crowds in the mountain finishes, and I'm constantly amazed when they make it through intact.

There's aways a nit or two or twenty who think it's cool to stand right in their paths to snap a photo and jump away at the very last moment. I cannot fathom how the riders can cope with that, they must be in some sort of zen-like state of concentration.
Quillfred
07-02-2006, 09:30 PM
It is very sad that spectators can create more danger for the riders.

Thread drift: hey, how did George Bush get in the race?!?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/tour06/index.php?id=/photos/2006/tour06/tour061/40
spazzdog
07-02-2006, 10:13 PM
Apparently the Tour organizers have banned the big hands for the following stages on the last 100-200? meters because of the smashing of Thor.

spazz
jeannierides
07-03-2006, 04:57 AM
I highly doubt Bruyneel will want George in yellow more than a day or two this early in the race. That would put a lot of responsibility on the Disco boys. And George isn't even necessarily the annointed team leader at this point. Rather than wasting effort trying to defend the yellow jersey this early in the race, I think Disco will let go of it tomorrow so they can conserve for the mountains.

Just my 2.5 cents

George is the "unspoken" team leader. Bruyneel is downplaying that in order to keep the pressure down a bit. No one really wants the media attention that Lance carried with him. George is driven & definitely has what it takes. Granted, they may give it up for the bigger goal, but yellow is definitely a goal of George's.

My 2.5 cents:)
velogirl
07-03-2006, 08:58 AM
George is the "unspoken" team leader. Bruyneel is downplaying that in order to keep the pressure down a bit. No one really wants the media attention that Lance carried with him. George is driven & definitely has what it takes. Granted, they may give it up for the bigger goal, but yellow is definitely a goal of George's.

My 2.5 cents:)

I don't think that's necessarily true. George is the sentimental favorite with American fans. But, Bruyneel is a smart guy. He's got three racers who could win this race and I think he'll play his cards as opportunities unfold. If Disco can win with another racer, he'll do that just as quickly as setting up George for the win.