Le Tour de France 2007 (The official Thread)

Safin

Brilliant race today.
This is how i want a climb just before the end and then a race to finish

Terrible bad luck for Vinokourov witht he mechanical failure but a ride of grit from there on with all credit to his team astana. They really helped him when it mattered. A shame that a leading contendor for the title has to suffer a 1 minute penalty even before the alps, but three cheers. That was determined ride.

And lol cancellara looked good in the downward sprint, till he ran over..

Still retains yellow jersey with 33seconds advantage.

The action is heating up now,, and alps are coming

medpal

what a dramatic race.

Popovych lost in a curve so did cancellera.

pozzato wins the sprint to finish.

The top 10 of the fifth stage is:
1. Filippo Pozzato (LIQ) 182.5km in 4h39’01" (39.244km/h)
2. Oscar Freire (RAB)
3. Daniel Bennati (LAM)
4. Kim Kirchen (TMO)
5. Erik Zabel (MRM)
6. George Hincapie (DSC)
7. Cristian Moreni (COF)
8. Stefan Schumacher (GST)
9. Bram Tankink (QSI)
10. Jerome Pineau (BTL)

edit : after reading safins post above, yes vinokourov lost about 1.20 time but he had a nasty crash and his team did back up to pull him up with group but every one got exhausted on the run.

it was a nice sporting gesture by Tom boonen to help him out as much as he can.

Safin

it was a nice sporting gesture by Tom boonen to help him out as much as he can.

was it

I thought tom bonnen must be thanking him for doing the pacemaking for him in the climb

medpal

Stage 5 was dramatic in form of competition, results, crashes and spirit of cycling.

There were so many incidents that most likely this will be the best stage of this years tour.

Italian Fillipo Pozetto won the race sprinting ahead of powerfull sprinters.

Cancellera staged a remarkable leadout for peloton in chasing and kept the jersey for one more day and he will most likely hold it till Alps on saturday.

Bravery of Geoffroy Lequatre :

Geoffroy Lequatre was amongs a barrage of riders who crashed today. He braved his injuries and carried on after receiving treatment by race doctors. He went on to finish the stage almost 45 minutes after Pozetto crossed line almost went unnoticed as crowd had vanished after enjoying the sprint.

here is what BBC writes about him:

The crowd had dwindled away and not many people were there to witness the single bravest moment of stage five, 44 minutes after stage winner Filippo Pozzato nosed across the line and 21 minutes after the penultimate finisher.

His face contorted with agony, shorts ripped to shreds, thigh looking like a side of meat, and fingertips all stripped of skin, Lequatre crossed the line and simply collapsed in tears. These are tough, tough boys here.

Kolden`s Fall:

At about 107 Km. mark Kloden was involved in a crash and fall on to the side of road covered with grass. He immediately mounted the bike and catched up with peloton.

Later on after the race he was investigated and found to have fractured the Coccyx (the last but tiny and important bone of Vertebral Column).

It is hoped that he will be able to start the stage 6 today.

Vino loses out:

Alexander Vinokourov, Leader of team Astana and teammate o Kloden was also involved in a crash with about 25 kms to go. He sufered bruises and abrasions over his Knee, elbow, and hip.

While he fell the leaders of peloton increased the pace piling up the misery for him. All the members of Team Astana backed off to help him except kloden and one more. They tried hard but the pace of peloton and Vino himself dropped off everyone behind.

Then he paced with team car and later on with sprinters who were dropped off by peloton especially Tom Boonen.

Discovery Channel's Noval injured by BT team car:

Discovery Channel's Benjamin Noval was injured on the descent to the finish, when, while riding away from any race action, a Bouygues Telecom team car hit the brakes in front of him, and he went through the rear window. Noval apparently required stitches in his chin and arm, and directory Johan Bruyneel thinks he'll start Stage 6.

Top finshers for the stage 5:

Code:

1) Filippo Pozzato, Liquigas, Italy
2) Oscar Freire, Rabobank, Spain
3) Daniele Bennati, Lampre, Italy
4) Kim Kirchen, T-Mobile, Luxembourg
5) Erik Zabel, Milram, Germany
6) George Hincapie, Discovery Channel, USA
7) Christian Moreni, Cofidis, Italy
8) Stefan Schumacher, Gerolsteiner, Germany
9) Bram Tankink, Quick Step, Netherlands
10) Jérôme Pineau, Bouygues Telecom, France
11) Cadel Evans, Predictor-Lotto, Australia
12) Fabian Cancellara, CSC, Switzerland
13) Alejandro Valverde, Caisse d'Epargne, Spain
14) Chris Horner, Predictor-Lotto, USA
15) Fränk Schleck, CSC, Luxembourg
16) Martin Elmiger, AG2R, Switzerland
17) Linus Gerdemann, T-Mobile, Germany
18) Inigo Landaluze, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Spain
19) Michael Rogers, T-Mobile, Australia, T-Mobile, Australia
20) Laurent Lefevre, Bouygues Telecom, France

Top 10 in general classification:

Code:

1) Fabian Cancellara, CSC, Switzerland, in 28:56
2) Andreas Klöden, Astana, Germany, @ :33
3) Filippo Pozzato, Liquigas, Italy, @ :35 
4) David Millar, Saunier Duval, Great Britain, @ :41
5) George Hincapie, Discovery Channel, USA, @ :43
6) Vladimir Gusev, Discovery Channel, Russia, @ :45
7) Vladimir Karpets, Caisse d'Epargne, Russia, @ :46
8) Mikel Atarloza, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Spain, @ :49
9) Thomas Dekker, Rabobank, Netherlands, @ :51
10) Benoît Vaugrenard, Française des Jeux, France, @ :52
11) José Ivan Gutierrez, Caisse d'Epargne, Spain, @ :53
12) Alberto Contador, Discovery Channel, Spain, @ :55
13) Oscar Freire, Rabobank, Spain, @ :55
14) Andrey Kashechkin, Astana, Kazakhstan, @ :55
15) Cadel Evans, Predictor-Lotto, Australia, @ :55
...
22) Levi Leipheimer, Discovery Channel, USA, @ 1:00
23) Denis Menchov, Rabobank, Russia, @ 1:00
...
25) Alejandro Valverde, Caisse d'Epargne, Spain, @ 1:03
...
81) Alexandre Vinokourov, Astana, Kazakhstan, @ 2:10

Top 10 in points (Green Jersey Classification)

Code:

1. ZABEL E. MRM 102 Pts
2.BOONEN T. QSI 98 Pts
3. MC EWEN R. PRL 84 Pts
4.FREIRE O.  RAB 84 Pts
5. HUNTER R. BAR 83 Pts
6. HUSHOVD T. C.A 79 Pts
7. CHAVANEL S. FDJ 70 Pts
8.STEEGMANS G. QSI 66 Pts
9. CANCELLARA F. CSC 63 Pts
10. FÖRSTER R. GST 59 Pts

Safin

Bravery of Geoffroy Lequatre :

Geoffroy Lequatre was amongs a barrage of riders who crashed today. He braved his injuries and carried on after receiving treatment by race doctors. He went on to finish the stage almost 45 minutes after Pozetto crossed line almost went unnoticed as crowd had vanished after enjoying the sprint.

wow

this part we missed cos of idiots at ten sports

i didn't even know kloden was injured. Great effort by him. I guess thats why one team astana rider was backing off. i didn't get his name yesterday.

Is there any day when ten sports plans to show the full race

i am writing to them, doc how about you send them this feedback too.

Safin

My letter of disgust sent to TenSports

Hello,
I just wanted to convey to you that your coverage of Tour De France is quite unacceptable. Its a premier sporting event and you own the exclusive rights to the race. However not once has the full race stage been shown from start to finish. Your coverage starts with 100Km to go. And to top it all, for the highly exciting stage 5(Thursday's race) you guys were showing highlights of copa america till 8pm and only picked up the live race with just 50KM to go to finish. This is a huge disappointment to the cycling fans in India considering that last year we used to watch the complete race. I sincerely request you to please look into the matter and consider showing the full event live.
Regards,

If you feel the same way,, here is the form to vent your disgust: Sports - Ten Sports

medpal

safin your point noted and i promise to send the mail daily till tour completes

Safin

And i thought it was getting Dull.
Dramatic ending. Superb sprint by Tom Boonen(what happened to Robbie, everyone was saying he thrives in chaos and in the most chaotic race till date, Robbie is not in top 10

)
Really loved the end sprint by boonen. No organization, he had to go around 5 riders including hunter and then keep of Oscar friero and Robbie Hunter.

And hats off to bradley wiggins. To lead for 190Km alone from the 2nd KM of the race..

deserved the title of the best man on the track today.

The fun's gonna start tomorrow

medpal

infact it was a boring race for me.

Teams of the sprinters played with the speed straegy while teams of climbers rested themselves.

Only a few meters of sprint at last chaotic as usuall.

Top 15 (all same time)

1) Tom Boonen, Quick Step, Belgium
2) Oscar Freire, Rabobank, Spain
3) Erik Zabel, Milram, Germany
4) Sébastien Chavanel, Française des Jeux, France
5) Thor Hushovd, Credit Agricole, Norway
6) Daniele Bennati, Lampre, Italy
7) Robert Förster, Gerolsteiner, Germany
8) Robbie Hunter, Barloworld, South Africa
9) Romain Feillu, Agritubel, France
10) Murilo Fischer, Liquigas, Brazil
11) Francisco Ventoso, Saunier Duval, Spain
12) Jérôme Pineau, Bouygues Telecom, France
13) Robbie McEwen, Predictor-Lotto, Australia
14) Danilo Napolitano, Lampre, Italy
15) Geraint Thomas, Barloworld, Great Britain

Overall standings after Stage 6:

1) Fabian Cancellara, CSC, Switzerland, in 29:49:55
2) Andreas Klöden, Astana, Germany, at :33
3) Filippo Pozzato, Liquigas, Italy, at :35
4) David Millar, Saunier Duval, Great Britain, at :41
5) Oscar Freire, Rabobank, Spain, at :43
6) George Hincapie, Discovery Channel, USA, at :43
7) Vladimir Gusev, Discovery Channel, Russia, at :45
8) Vladimir Karpets, Caisse d'Epargne, Russia, at :46
9) Erik Zabel, Milram, Germany, at :48
10) Mikel Astarloza, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Spain, at :49

Boonen Recaptures the Green Jersey, which will not see more chages till end of next week when alps stages are finished.

Polka dot jersey wa held by Chavanel and will see major chages as comes the climbs.

Gusev continues his lead in young rider classification.

Today is the first big stage,

today we have two category 3 and one category 4 climbs and to add the icing race will culminate after a category 1 climb at Col de la colombiere followed by extremely fast descent.

medpal · 08:03 PM

first mountain climb of category 1 and lead group of 15 already teared away in 4 groups and we are just about to start the climb. 8 kms to go.

if you wanna enjoy a real sports this is the event.

trust me if you see live it today then you will be hooked to tour de france.

update:
whole field is going haywire, already yellow jersey and green jersey have been dropped behind by the main group.

Rabbo bank team of michael rasmussen have done the damaging by pacing the pursuit.

there are numerous riders on road riding alone either dropped by leaders or peloton.