Damn!!! What carnage!!!
Stage 3 *spoilers*
- Thread starter N8 v2.0
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I agree. I was pulling for Valverde cause I wanted someone fresh that doesn't get a ton of attention to win...
Oh well... I wouldn't mind seeing Kloden win. He's been better than Ullrich save for the TT's the past couple years and without the support of an entire team.
Oh well... I wouldn't mind seeing Kloden win. He's been better than Ullrich save for the TT's the past couple years and without the support of an entire team.
Valverde, Rodriguez, Dekker all out; Horner and O'Grady also injured.
Stage 3 of the Tour de France took a heavy toll on the peloton in terms of race-ending crashes. The biggest name to bow out was ProTour leader, stage win and Tour GC candidate Alejandro Valverde, who touched his teammate Oscar Pereiro's back wheel with 20 km to go and crashed, breaking his collarbone. Valverde couldn't get back on the bike and was taken away in an ambulance to Maastricht hospital, where the collarbone fracture was confirmed, as well as abrasions to his left elbow and hip. The bone was was fastened to allow him to travel to Spain - likely tomorrow - where it will be decided if an operation is necessary.
"I am really disappointed of course at being so unlucky," declared Alejandro Valverde after leaving the hospital. "Now what I hope is that I will come back as soon as possible in good shape because I am already hungry to compete again. I am sure my teammates from Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears will do great things during the Tour. I would have like to share those emotions with them, but it will be for next year!"
Another crash with 54 km to go took out Davitamon's Fred Rodriguez and Rabobank's Erik Dekker. Both abandoned the race immediately, and although Rodriguez didn't break any bones, he suffered heavy concussion. Dekker suffered concussion and serious facial injuries: abrasions, facial trauma, a contusion, a ripped upper lip, as well as a couple of broken teeth. He was kept unconscious on Tuesday night so that his face could be cleaned. Thus ended what is almost certainly his final Tour de France.
Stuart O'Grady (CSC) also crashed during the stage, and a CAT-scan in the hospital in Genk revealed a small fracture on his fourth thoracic vertebra. He will probably be able to continue the race, with a decision being made before tomorrow, depending on how much pain he is in and how much power he has to work with.
Finally, Chris Horner (Davitamon-Lotto) had to be checked out in Herentals for a suspected broken hand. Fortunately for the American, it was not broken and he will be able to race tomorrow.
Casar downed by drunk spectator
Sandy Casar (Française des Jeux) finished 137th in yesterday's third stage after being taken out by a drunken spectator at the foot of the Cauberg. The spectator then got into an argument with Casar's DS Marc Madiot, while others tried to steal the Frenchman's wheels.
Although Casar lost several minutes, he was credited with the time of the first group (five seconds behind winner Kessler), and therefore is just 39 seconds behind on GC.
Stage 3 of the Tour de France took a heavy toll on the peloton in terms of race-ending crashes. The biggest name to bow out was ProTour leader, stage win and Tour GC candidate Alejandro Valverde, who touched his teammate Oscar Pereiro's back wheel with 20 km to go and crashed, breaking his collarbone. Valverde couldn't get back on the bike and was taken away in an ambulance to Maastricht hospital, where the collarbone fracture was confirmed, as well as abrasions to his left elbow and hip. The bone was was fastened to allow him to travel to Spain - likely tomorrow - where it will be decided if an operation is necessary.
"I am really disappointed of course at being so unlucky," declared Alejandro Valverde after leaving the hospital. "Now what I hope is that I will come back as soon as possible in good shape because I am already hungry to compete again. I am sure my teammates from Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears will do great things during the Tour. I would have like to share those emotions with them, but it will be for next year!"
Another crash with 54 km to go took out Davitamon's Fred Rodriguez and Rabobank's Erik Dekker. Both abandoned the race immediately, and although Rodriguez didn't break any bones, he suffered heavy concussion. Dekker suffered concussion and serious facial injuries: abrasions, facial trauma, a contusion, a ripped upper lip, as well as a couple of broken teeth. He was kept unconscious on Tuesday night so that his face could be cleaned. Thus ended what is almost certainly his final Tour de France.
Stuart O'Grady (CSC) also crashed during the stage, and a CAT-scan in the hospital in Genk revealed a small fracture on his fourth thoracic vertebra. He will probably be able to continue the race, with a decision being made before tomorrow, depending on how much pain he is in and how much power he has to work with.
Finally, Chris Horner (Davitamon-Lotto) had to be checked out in Herentals for a suspected broken hand. Fortunately for the American, it was not broken and he will be able to race tomorrow.
Casar downed by drunk spectator
Sandy Casar (Française des Jeux) finished 137th in yesterday's third stage after being taken out by a drunken spectator at the foot of the Cauberg. The spectator then got into an argument with Casar's DS Marc Madiot, while others tried to steal the Frenchman's wheels.
Although Casar lost several minutes, he was credited with the time of the first group (five seconds behind winner Kessler), and therefore is just 39 seconds behind on GC.
Drunk spectators suck
Link to a good text play-by-play of the Tour?
Can't do sound at work.
Can't do sound at work.
During the live action, play by play is updated in text on the official Tour site at http://www.letour.fr/2006/TDF/LIVE/us/400/index.html
There is also an auto updating timer that shows you how far ahead the leaders are from the peloton and where each jersey is in the pack. It's good stuff.
There is also an auto updating timer that shows you how far ahead the leaders are from the peloton and where each jersey is in the pack. It's good stuff.
The tour site is good, but I like cyclingnews better.JustRideBikes said:
There is also velonews -- http://www.velonews.com/tour2006/
But they dont have a blimp.The Toninator said:
14:01 CEST
OK, so let's continue in the spirit of the last few days. Here's another of our very elaborated questions from the CN blimp: Which was better, Thor Hushovd's one legged sprint for third or Tom Boonen's flat tyre sprint for fourth and the maillot jaune?
Best answer wins our almost-dead ventilator, which has really got on our nerves these last few days.