Tour de France 2010

I don't think so, but I'd have too look again. From the head on camera, what I saw was Dean come in front of him, move into the side slightly (moved in on Renshaw's line, getting his elbow in front of Renshaw's elbow), and then Renshaw started trying to make room with his head.

Dean came in, I'm not denying that, but I saw no contact from Dean before the headbutting (except for maybe, as I said before, his elbow maybe knocking into/brushing Renshaw's bars).

Yeah he did. He was trying to squeeze Renshaw to the left, boxing in Cav. The elbow definitely went out. Renshaw was having none of it and told him where to get off. Cav grabbed the chance and went for it.

Don't lean

He wasn't trying to turn. It's okay.

Anyway, went back a page, and I'm not sure from the overhead view either. I don't think he did, but fuck it. I'm not bothered really. I still think Renshaw was an idiot.

Ok? Ok? What do you mean "Headbuts Ok"

The headbuts were spendid!

Where's AndyP?

I think disqualification is harsh. His use of the head was a bit out of order but Dean was definitely trying to move him left and block Cavendish so he was right to defend his position. His move after the sprint started to block Farrar was out of order though. The commissaires should have relegated him to last place on the stage, fined him and warned him to his future conduct. Dean should have got a similar penalty in my view as he moved off his line deliberately.

The sprint had a tailwind so going for a long one is less risky and Petacchi has beaten Cavendish a couple of times by going early, both in last year's Giro, so maybe Cavendish thought he'd surprise Petacchi and go sooner than expected. It worked.

petacchi and farrar both took wrong lines for the finish. i don't think renshaws move hampered farrar, he should of stayed on deans wheel. also where the fuck is renshaw supposed to go? move to the centre of the road and sit-up while going 40+mph??

keep going straight?

who said the dutch aren't funny. take on renshaws move.
YouTube- Australian Mark Renshaw Head Butt Tour de France.

lead out guys will peel off, as he did.

with regards to Renshaw blocking Farrar.. Personally, I'm not sure if his 'look' over the shoulder gave him enough time to calculate it. Just looked like he saw no-one on Cav's rear wheel and went into the space to get out of the way. Perhaps he should have known someone would be on Mark's tail but all the action seemed to be on his right shoulder.

Also, no one answered my previous question. How does one get minus points in the race for the green jersey? A couple of guys are currently on -3 and -5 respectively.

How does one get minus points in the race for the green jersey? A couple of guys are currently on -3 and -5 respectively.

You can get fined points for an infraction. If you don't have any points yet, that takes you into negative territory. Both got 5-point fines, one of them has scored 2. No, I don't know what for.

The commissaires should have relegated him to last place on the stage, fined him and warned him to his future conduct. Dean should have got a similar penalty in my view as he moved off his line deliberately.

I agree with this, but this is a measured, objective and considered opinion. As opposed to the knee-jerk overreaction of the dodgy French bosses.

Why did Pescheux feel it necessary to mention Cavendish at all in his statement to the TV? it's irrelevant who (if anyone) was behind Renshaw. Makes me suspicious that the Tour director doesn't like Cav and they'll take any chance they get to scupper his chances.

You can get fined points for an infraction. If you don't have any points yet, that takes you into negative territory. Both got 5-point fines, one of them has scored 2. No, I don't know what for.

thought that might be it but haven't noticed the two guys involved. Cav was fined last year wasn't he?

Chucking Renshaw of the Tour is bullshit,
I think the commisairs thought that last place & fine was not enough for the two infringements (probably right there), but off the Tour? C'mon!
I was actually going for McEwen & Farrar in that sprint but i am all for fair play

Well the fights willl be the only exciting stuff happening this year. It pretty much decided now.

Contador will win... Schleck 2nd.

Dean sticks his arm into Renshaw.
Renshaw fights him off with headbutts.
Renshaw glances over shoulder, sees clear space and moves over.
Farrar was heading for that space and pushes Renshaw away.
No probs. Sean Kelly and Harmon thought the same.
If anything a fine for the headbutts.
They're just doing it to hamper Cav.

harsh punishment doled out to renshaw, and by extension, cavendish. this could really hurt him.

was explaining the whole thing to Plum on here on the phone earlier, she said big deal "let cavendish wipe his own arse".

it doesn't make much sense but made me crack up so i had to share

Why did Pescheux feel it necessary to mention Cavendish at all in his statement to the TV? it's irrelevant who (if anyone) was behind Renshaw. Makes me suspicious that the Tour director doesn't like Cav and they'll take any chance they get to scupper his chances.

+1

It's a fix.

Dean sticks his arm into Renshaw.
Renshaw fights him off with headbutts.
** Renshaw glances over shoulder, sees clear space and moves over.**
Farrar was heading for that space and pushes Renshaw away.
No probs.** Sean Kelly and Harmon thought the same. **
If anything a fine for the headbutts.
They're just doing it to hamper Cav.

Re: Bold bit one: When I turn my head like that, I have a pretty good idea of what's behind me.

Re: Bold bit two: Boardman and some of the riders on the tour didn't, like McEwan:

history shows that a headbutt will get dq'd from stg result (mcewen2005,Zabel 97)

history also shows that looking over shoulder at rival then taking them to barriers will also get u dq'd from stg results

history will now show that combining the 2 aforementioned tactics will get u sent home...greater than the sum of it's parts

Exciting end to the day though.

Why would they be out to get Cav? I don't like him because he annoys me. But he must do more good than harm for the TdF as far as publicity and international reputation?

My favourite post-stage tweet was from DZ, though:

dzabriskie Dude...you're being very undude like...

Followed by the equally awesome:

                **[dzabriskie](http://twitter.com/dzabriskie)**                              I got my hashbrowns...so good!  I  like it here.                

"Re: Bold bit one: When I turn my head like that, I have a pretty good idea of what's behind me."
You're not doing 70kph and I'm pretty sure your eyes don't work behind your skull either.

Boardman's not a sprinter and the 'other riders that didn't like it' were the ones that lost to Cav again. Most of the other commentators think the penalty was too harsh. McEwen is pointing out the penalty is bullshit.

Is Cav French? There's your answer.

You're not doing 70kph and I'm pretty sure your eyes don't work behind your skull either.

Fair point, but I don't see stuff like that very often in sprints. Looks odd to me.

Boardman's not a sprinter and the 'other riders that didn't like it' were the ones that lost to Cav again. Most of the other commentators think the penalty was too harsh. McEwen is pointing out the penalty is bullshit.

Boardman's not a sprinter - sure, but neither is Harmon (I guess Sean Kelly was at one point). I was just using the competitions commentators to make an equal point.

And how is McEwen making that point? Is there some sort of Australian irony I'm missing? Looks like he's saying "1+1=2" to me...

Is Cav French? There's your answer.

There are a lot of non-French riders on the Tour. I'm sure they'd love to see a Frenchman win, but trying to fuck up Cav is going to accomplish/help that how? I suppose I'm just being naive.

Looking at it again, I think Dean should have been sanctioned. Watching the overhead, he moves over on Renshaw, leans in so that so that his hip makes contact with Renshaw's shoulder. All Renshaw does is push him back so that he doesn't get forced into the barriers.

Anyway, completely mad finish - the kind of thing not seen on the Tour since Kelly & Vanderaerden.

From Mark Renshaw' twitter:

think today's punishment was very harsh. I never imagined that i would ever be dq'd from the tdf. Very disappointed.

I am not sure I could be so measured in the circumstances.