Tour de France Stage 2

by James Moffat on Jul 5, 2009 10:48 PM EDT

Stage 2 Monaco - Brignoles 187 km

The highlights I'm watching started with 60 km to go as a category 4 climb. Jussi Veikkanev had been chasing the points over the three categorized climbs and after winning the climb over the L'Ange Pass he will get the Polka dot jersey at the end of the day. That jersey will soon be gone by the time a few decent mountain passes have been climbed. Soon after the breakaway of four was under siege from the peleton with Columbia pushing all their riders to the front. Anyway Veikkanen will be a happy man on the podium. The chances are that he will hold the jersey into Spain. At the 40 km mark the gap was 4 minutes; 4 km later the gap was two and a half minutes. It was clear that Mark Cavendish wanted a bunch sprint.

Soon after the bunch was back together the Columbia train started charging into the finish at Brignoles one by one the riders pulled off until at a kilometre to go when there was only three riders to go. The funniest moment of the tour so far transpired when a few riders missed one of the last corner. Going into the final straight the Renshaw, Cavendish and Farrar group started to come away from the peleton. With 200m to go Cavendish went past Renshaw. Farrar tried to stay in Cavendish but in sprinting perfection Farrar couldn't and Cavendish claimed the first mass-start stage in the Tour de France.

Now the question is when will Mark Cavendish stop.

Poll

How many stages will Mark Cavendish win

1-2

1 votes

2-3

3 votes

4-5

12 votes

6+

2 votes

18 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I want to say 6+ but that seems so unreal to me

but there hasn’t been a sprinter like Cav in a long time, could end up with 9 like Petacchi at the Giro a few back. I’ll go with 4-5 although I imagine he might very well win 7-8.

Vamos Alberto!!!

by Phil H. on Jul 5, 2009 10:56 PM EDT reply actions

I accedenily said 1-2 but I think 4-5

6 seems unlikely

by James Moffat on Jul 5, 2009 11:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah I can't see Cav winning only 1 more

I fear total domination from him in the sprint stages, but there will probably be a break that survives on one of them and then I hope someone else steps up, anyone please!!!

Vamos Alberto!!!

by Phil H. on Jul 5, 2009 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Well if Petacchi won nine stages in the 2004 (or was it 2005?) Giro...

Mon coeur appartient à les forçats de la route.

by Josenka on Jul 6, 2009 12:13 AM EDT up reply actions

2004

by shadesofgray on Jul 6, 2009 2:11 AM EDT up reply actions

I am 98% positive that I saw Boonen get forced to the outside by the squirly Euskatel rider that caused the fiasco, and subsequently overshot the corner. Luckily there was a fork in the road which prevented a crash. Anyboy hear his post stage comments? I have to believe he’ll be more of a factor as the race wears on – afterall, he was in the thick of it with a km to go. I dig the new jersey too btw, so easy to pick him out from the helicopter.

by Koppenberg34 on Jul 6, 2009 1:20 AM EDT reply actions