Tour de France 2014

You do it to yourself you do...

If I can't win I'll take somebody out with me?

He should have bitten Gerrans shoulder for good measure.

ha!

^^ Yep. Well, the first bit. I think he was trying to win, but got boxed in and it went wrong.

It doesn't really matter does it. I'm not saying he should be punished or anything, nobody is going to be regretting what just happened more than he is.

I wasn't. Blame is a tricky thing in this kind of situation, it's a sprint, you have milliseconds to make decisions and are moving at high speed on a bike in close proximity to other riders and accidents happen.

just that little bit more often when Cav's in direct proximity

but I think we'll keep on disagreeing on this

Us and Tom Veelers.

Given how long he's been sprinting, how many major crashes has Cavendish had? I can think of two. He's aggressive, he wants to win, but he's not dirty.

A real shame to lose Cavendish. Now who will be Kittel's main rival? Greipel on a good day? Doubtful.

Cav far too aggressive, a lot of leaning all around. Does it a lot when things dont go his way. Oh well, come on Froome!

Time for the footy.

Germany wins on penalties.

I actually thought the same thing, but then I'm an avowed non-sprinter and for me mass sprints are definitely a bit like penalty shootouts. :)

This forum rather inclines against leaning, I wonder why.

Talansky lost 4 minutes to Kittel, yet to be seen if he was in an accident and will be awarded the same time as the main field.

Cav far too aggressive, a lot of leaning all around. Does it a lot when things dont go his way. Oh well, come on Froome!

Time for the footy.

I see you know as much about bike racing as you do about football.

the point is that he's still agressive after noticing he can't win.

A real shame to lose Cavendish. Now who will be Kittel's main rival? Greipel on a good day? Doubtful.

this, too.

Arse!

He's nails too. Tour over for Cav. Mrs Wrongcog is having a right good cry now. She loves im innit. Dat crowd tho!

Booooo. I loves him too, and I feel his pain, quite literally :( What a way to start the Tour!

Not sure if I care who's to blame, if it was Cav's fault he certainly fucking paid for it. Tour will be duller without him.

the point is that he's still agressive after noticing he can't win.

What? Who was alongside him when he crashed.

It looked like they got their bars caught and went down, cavs bars even got caught in the front wheel as his bike flipped. To me it it looked like Cav leaned on Gerrans to make some space, then as Gerrans moved to his left a bit because he was being pushed, Coquard pushed back and they both went down.

Cav was in a good position when he crashed, for some reasons felt threatened by Gerrans.

Come on, Belgium!

I'm looking forward to the footage from the on bike cameras...

Is no cameras on the bikes in this race though....shame really

Oh wait I was wrong ....http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-tech-video-cameras-on-bikes

I meant the Veelers cannonball move last year

remember that time when the whole peloton delayed the start of a Tour de Suisse stage to make a point?

Cav was in a good position when he crashed, for some reasons felt threatened by Gerrans.

I doubt he even knew it was Gerrans, just knew there was someone trying to take the space he wanted and pushed back.

I actually thought the same thing, but then I'm an avowed non-sprinter and for me mass sprints are definitely a bit like penalty shootouts. :)

I cringe to think how the redtops will report this (if they do). We was robbed, etc.

It was a good stage though. Odd stopping of the peloton on occasions, I wonder if the marshals need to be further out from the hazards/locals?

Cancellara's dig was exciting!

Cav gets so low in a sprint and the bike is crazy angles on the downstroke.

He definitely put his shoulder into Gerrans for position tho.

Problem with his technique is he can't surface as he is under the other riders armpit, no matter how hard he tries.

Like magnets obv.