# stage 3 spoilers



## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

So Vandevelde out, probably broken collar bone. 
petacchi out of the sprint. 
Good thing the wind was not too strong


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## Sojourneyman (Jun 22, 2007)

Damn, hate to see Vande Velde go down again. Wiggans just crashed too.


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## Juanfco3 (Dec 13, 2007)

anyone know just how bad VDV injury is


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## Sojourneyman (Jun 22, 2007)

Greipl couldn't hold Goss' wheel again.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Juanfco3 said:


> anyone know just how bad VDV injury is


He's out of the race...and the commentators were doubtful of him doiing TdF


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

dang... remind me not to race in Holland


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Creakyknees said:


> dang... remind me not to race in Holland


Race in Holland. Just avoid the MUT/sidewalk races.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*jeez*

VdV crashed out last year
oh well there goes all that good form


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## Sojourneyman (Jun 22, 2007)

Hard to see Farrar getting Pink, but it looks like Millar should be able to grab it.


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

sucks to see vdv go out again this year. and its not just that he will be out of the tour, but the sands in the hour glass are running out...

was it two years ago zabriskie kissed a RR crossing bar?

i didnt get to see the stage yet, but what the heck happened? vino in pink? how did evans get separated from that front group? wind? crash? was vino sprinting? and griepel must be relieved the boy racer isnt there. ouch.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

weltyed said:


> sucks to see vdv go out again this year. and its not just that he will be out of the tour, but the sands in the hour glass are running out...
> 
> was it two years ago zabriskie kissed a RR crossing bar?
> 
> i didnt get to see the stage yet, but what the heck happened? vino in pink? how did evans get separated from that front group? wind? crash? was vino sprinting? and griepel must be relieved the boy racer isnt there. ouch.


Flat stage...but that field got massively separated in the last 5k or so by a big 'ol crash, which Wiggins was in, and Vino was not.

Instead of a bunch sprint, groups of 10-20 guys crossed the line...some 8 minutes+ back. Vino was the top GC contender who crossed with the front group.


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## rogger (Aug 19, 2005)

Creakyknees said:


> dang... remind me not to race in Holland


Roads weren't too crazy today, saw some stupid crashes on straight roads though and one hard left to the sea front turned out to be tighter than expected for some. Today's crashes had more to do with overall nervousness and a moderate tailwind.


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## Geoffersonspin (Feb 12, 2010)

What a deathtrap.

My fantasy pick are starting to fall all to hell.


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

Geez. So much for the Giro being prep for the Tour. Makes the TOC in May look more and more attractive.


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

amgen toc must love this. you are right. while it might not be great having some guys go into the tour only racing 1 week, i see some teams using toc as a build up instead of the giro. this is good for both the giro and the tour, actually. it will make the giro more competitive, due to the riders there not training, but actually racing. toc will get some big names racing on american soil, which is desperately needed. they can then go back to training with some actual race miles in their legs.





jorgy said:


> Geez. So much for the Giro being prep for the Tour. Makes the TOC in May look more and more attractive.


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## STinGa (Mar 15, 2003)

*TdF out for VdV?*

Seems to be some conflicting reports. The VeloNews coverage said there should be enough time to recover for the Tour Day France.

We shall see. VdV may have the Bobby Julich curse.

STinGa


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## nayr497 (Nov 8, 2008)

I know the lead dudes need to work together, but can someone explain this quotation to me:

Greipel was visibly angry following the stage, and took out his rage on the stage winner. “You didn't do anything at all, you rotten dumbass,” he said and threatened the Belgian with his fist, complaining that the Quick Step rider had not participated in the work in the front group.

Okay, he didn't work much. But wasn't there a pretty big group and didn't Greipel have a teammate up there? I don't think it is Weylandt's job to help out Greipel, is it?

I'm just confused here. Know you need to work together, but they are also on different teams.

Pretty wild Vino is at the top. And damn, sorry to see VdV do that. Ugh, these guys should get their collarbones replaced with Ti bones; seems like you aren't a top cyclist unless you break one. I saw him holding it after the crash and something fall out of his jersey (his radio?). How he was holding it made me say, "That doesn't look good..."


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## Falling Snow (Apr 2, 2008)

nayr497 said:


> I know the lead dudes need to work together, but can someone explain this quotation to me:
> 
> Greipel was visibly angry following the stage, and took out his rage on the stage winner. “You didn't do anything at all, you rotten dumbass,” he said and threatened the Belgian with his fist, complaining that the Quick Step rider had not participated in the work in the front group.
> 
> Okay, he didn't work much. But wasn't there a pretty big group and didn't Greipel have a teammate up there? I don't think it is Weylandt's job to help out Greipel, is it?


I read Greipel's comments and LOL'd. Just how much work was _Greipel_ doing up front? His team delivered him quite nicely and he just sat back there laying an egg. ...I have him in my fantasy Giro because he's already won a couple races this year and HTC has had the best train for awhile now - you'd think a couple stage wins would pretty much fall into his lap - but jeez.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

jorgy said:


> Geez. So much for *the Giro being prep for the Tour*. Makes the TOC in May look more and more attractive.


mind that. for many of us on the old continent, the Giro IS the grand tour


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## culdeus (May 5, 2005)

I've always wondered if Esta The is worth a damn. Is it like euro-lipton?


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

riders always get angry when people "dont do their share of the work." thats part of racing. griepel is probably pretty ticked because he has lost out on two stages, and earlier this year put out some pretty harsh statements about being able to beat his lead sprinter teammate...its frustration.



nayr497 said:


> I know the lead dudes need to work together, but can someone explain this quotation to me:
> 
> Greipel was visibly angry following the stage, and took out his rage on the stage winner. “You didn't do anything at all, you rotten dumbass,” he said and threatened the Belgian with his fist, complaining that the Quick Step rider had not participated in the work in the front group.
> 
> ...


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## Swish (Jul 31, 2004)

Greipel can't really blame anyone but himself, two times in a row he was the sprinter with the most teammates in the finale. Good win for Weijlandt.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

Salsa_Lover said:


> mind that. for many of us on the old continent, the Giro IS the grand tour


Giro is *A* grand tour.
TdF is *THE* grand tour.


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## albert owen (Jul 7, 2008)

Greipel: All Smoke and No Poke


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## bwhite_4 (Aug 29, 2006)

55x11 said:


> Giro is *A* grand tour.
> TdF is *THE* grand tour.


Giro is *A* grand tour better than *THE* grand tour.

The Italians do it right.


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## JohnHemlock (Jul 15, 2006)

jorgy said:


> Geez. So much for the Giro being prep for the Tour. Makes the TOC in May look more and more attractive.


If I were prepping to win / compete at the TdF, I would stay the hell away from the Giro. Have you seen the topography for the last week? Either come to WIN the Giro and forget the TdF or use it as a mega training ride with no expectations of podium.

If the TdF is your reason for existence (ala The Shack or the Schlecks), better to soak up some Cali sun and tool around for a week than risk getting overcooked or busted up in one of those last several widowmaker Giro stages.


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

bwhite_4 said:


> Giro is *A* grand tour better than *THE* grand tour.
> 
> The Italians do it right.


Alas, the world has spoken to this point. Outside Italy, Giro is losing a lot ground every year to the TdF and ASO. 

Still, at least they aren't as bad as the Vuelta. Being viewed as a prep race for the best GT riders for the Tour is one thing, but a prep race for a single day race- ouch.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

Coolhand said:


> Alas, the world has spoken to this point. Outside Italy, Giro is losing a lot ground every year to the TdF and ASO.
> .


Compared to when? The giro has a much higher profile now than it had, say, 10 years ago.


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

Looks like the "loses wheels" point was correct about him.


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## baker921 (Jul 20, 2007)

Just when I was warming to Evans he goes and spoils it all. Blames Wiggins' crash for loosing him the Pink jersey whilst overlooking the fact that he only got it yesterday because of another crash!
I think a bit of introspection is called for. He should being asking himself why he can never find any team mates prepared to ride with him? let alone for him!


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## untoothedyouth (Jul 9, 2009)

*2 things*

This ain't looking too good for Greipel in the the Cav/Greipel feud and..
if there is a crash in a UCI peloton somewhere in the world bet your bottom dollar a Garmin rider will be in it somehow.


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

JohnHemlock said:


> If I were prepping to win / compete at the TdF, I would stay the hell away from the Giro. Have you seen the topography for the last week? Either come to WIN the Giro and forget the TdF or use it as a mega training ride with no expectations of podium.
> 
> If the TdF is your reason for existence (ala The Shack or the Schlecks), better to soak up some Cali sun and tool around for a week than risk getting overcooked or busted up in one of those last several widowmaker Giro stages.


Racing is dangerous. A few years ago Hincapie crashed in the ToC and ruined his classics season (insert joke here). If you don't want to crash in a race, don't race. Same goes for the pros.

The overcooked part I could agree with, but once upon a time riders routinely won 2 GTs in one year.


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

Is it me or was LA the one who started all this specialization businesss peaking for one race, and being paranoid about crashing during the build races for the tour, and so didnt do them?

Crashes happen (they suck), its a part of racing.


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

Salsa_Lover said:


> mind that. for many of us on the old continent, the Giro IS the grand tour


My post wasn't a slam on the Giro. Just pointing out reality given the objectives cyclists have explicitly stated this and in past years.

VDV was riding the Giro as prep for the tour. And he crashed out. For the second year in a row.


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## neilg1 (Sep 23, 2009)

I hate the idea of "specializing". IMO, the best riders should have the ambition to compete for all the big titles. They should have enough love and respect for the sport that they want to win the classics and the Grand Tours. I see no reason why the cycling season should be replaced by the Tour de France + everything else, and I think that outside of the USA people don't view it this way.


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

neilg1 said:


> and I think that outside of the USA people don't view it this way.


correct :thumbsup:


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

Hey, I saw the stage finish..about the last 10k, on a Dutch webcast with no Dutch speaker around to translate. But on the run in to the sprint, the guy who took second did a couple of pretty crummy looking moves...in my opinion...Leaning into two guys, pretty hard, for no real reason, on his way up lead bunch. I know we all bump a bit at times but usually not unless we happen to touch or someone comes over without knowing you are there...The veiw I saw (overhead shot) this guy...'rabobank, maybe' went right over an leaned on the other riders to make them give way or something...

Anybody else see that action?


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

neilg1 said:


> I hate the idea of "specializing". IMO, the best riders should have the ambition to compete for all the big titles. They should have enough love and respect for the sport that they want to win the classics and the Grand Tours. I see no reason why the cycling season should be replaced by the Tour de France + everything else, and I think that outside of the USA people don't view it this way.


While you may hate the idea of "specializing", the peloton has become so competitive, in order to win any race, a high degree of peaking/specialization is almost required. Under your scenario "the best" riders will attempt to win all kinds of races - classics, tours - grand and not-so-grand, and finish well outside of podium every single time. 

The specialization is driven not by laziness or elitism or lack of perspective from other riders. It is driven by simple professionalism - winning a single race that counts is difficult enough, and is way better than finishing outside of top 10 in a dozen of races.

Tell your non-specialization theory to Menchov - winner of Giro last year, 51st in TdF.


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

SilasCL said:


> Racing is dangerous. A few years ago Hincapie crashed in the ToC and ruined his classics season (insert joke here). If you don't want to crash in a race, don't race. Same goes for the pros.
> 
> The overcooked part I could agree with, but once upon a time riders routinely won 2 GTs in one year.


Heck, training is dangerous.


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## tethernaut (Dec 11, 2008)

Gnarly 928 said:


> Hey, I saw the stage finish..about the last 10k, on a Dutch webcast with no Dutch speaker around to translate. But on the run in to the sprint, the guy who took second did a couple of pretty crummy looking moves...in my opinion...Leaning into two guys, pretty hard, for no real reason, on his way up lead bunch. I know we all bump a bit at times but usually not unless we happen to touch or someone comes over without knowing you are there...The veiw I saw (overhead shot) this guy...'rabobank, maybe' went right over an leaned on the other riders to make them give way or something...
> 
> Anybody else see that action?


I haven't even watched it yet, but I'm gonna go with Graeme Brown.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

jorgy said:


> My post wasn't a slam on the Giro. Just pointing out reality given the objectives cyclists have explicitly stated this and in past years.
> 
> VDV was riding the Giro as prep for the tour. And he crashed out. For the second year in a row.


Last year was fcking ridiculous IIRC. Every rider in the damn peloton of the Giro was "preparing for the TdF", and no one was trying to actually ride a bike race.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Gnarly 928 said:


> Hey, I saw the stage finish..about the last 10k, on a Dutch webcast with no Dutch speaker around to translate. But on the run in to the sprint, the guy who took second did a couple of pretty crummy looking moves...in my opinion...Leaning into two guys, pretty hard, for no real reason, on his way up lead bunch. I know we all bump a bit at times but usually not unless we happen to touch or someone comes over without knowing you are there...The veiw I saw (overhead shot) this guy...'rabobank, maybe' went right over an leaned on the other riders to make them give way or something...
> 
> Anybody else see that action?


yeah it was Brown, I saw him literally lean into another rider and push him off the wheel.


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## BassNBrew (Aug 4, 2008)

muscleendurance said:


> correct :thumbsup:


That would be corrent if you said outside of the US and all the big name contenders in the sport.


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