Hate to look backwards...

by Le Comte on Aug 8, 2008 12:22 PM EDT

and I hate to waste a post on this but I just noticed something interesting that I have not seen commented upon, either here or elsewhere, and it seems to me kind of big:

In Stage 2 of the Tour de France, there was evidently a split of some sort and Bernard Kohl finished 1'59" behind the peloton (which included Sastre and Evans). Needless to say, if he could have that time back, he would have won the Tour de France (though, just as needless to say, had he not lost that time, the race probably would have played out differently).

Anyone know what happened to him that day? Seems kind of strange to think that he may have lost the Tour de France that day and no one has said a word about it...

(results taken from http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/tour08/?id=results/tour082)

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i think they gave the time back to him

check the overall classification the following day

by King of Doping on Aug 8, 2008 12:35 PM EDT reply actions

Mistake or re-time

Look at the next days results, he is tied with Sastre there. So either it is a mistake, or, was there a crash on stage 2? he probably got the time re-instated the next day.

by Markk on Aug 8, 2008 12:38 PM EDT reply actions

Time was reinstated, but

he also lost 30 seconds or so getting caught up behind Schumi’s crash at Super Besse. I think he also lost a bit more time in another crash (I don’t recall which stage).

Had it not been for his bad luck, he certainly would have finished above Evans.

His inexperience was also a factor in his final placing, as he burnt way too many needless matches chasing down everyone who accelerated on the lower slopes of the Alpe. Had he conserved a little more energy at the bottom of that climb, I’m convinced he could have narrowed the gap to Sastre. Would it have been enough for the overall win…? He’s a very promising GT talent, and maybe he’ll get another chance one day.

by The Team Chef on Aug 8, 2008 2:56 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, I agree with that

if I was his DS next year, I’d tell him I’d dock his salary if he wins the KOM jersey. I mean, it’s nice to win it if you’ve got no realistic shot at the GC, but I don’t think that applies to Kohl…

by Le Comte on Aug 8, 2008 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions

yes but

everyone has some bad luck (except, somehow, Lance). I get that he’s tantalizingly close to winning a Tour, but you can’t wipe the slate clean of mishaps for him unless you do so for others too. I know Evans’ story (crashes); Menchov had problems coming off the Bonette; etc.

Doesn’t matter though. This was a 90 hour race and he was a couple minutes short of winning. He’s close enough to pull it off if things ever break right for him.

"If writing too much about the Classics is wrong, I don't want to be right."

by Chris Fontecchio on Aug 8, 2008 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Lance did crash too......

I’m looking forward watching Kohl during the next years, he surely was a surprise, for me at least!

by Bruce Suomi on Aug 8, 2008 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Kohl's bad luck,

particularly at Super Besse, was really through no fault of his own and happened at the finish of a stage. Sure he came up short in the end, and I’m not suggesting he should have won the Tour. Sastre was the best this year, and his final Yellow was well earned.

I am suggesting that Kohl’s performance was the next best in the race. In my mind, Kohl was the strongest in the race next to Sastre, and Cadel Evans is one lucky guy to have even made the podium this year. I don’t ever recall a Tour where so many in the front group crashed at the worst possible moments.

by The Team Chef on Aug 8, 2008 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions