Thanks to Astana leaving Contador exposed on the last descent and his inexperience Chavenel took the stage. Jens and the other breakaway boys gave him a master class in tactics.
Great stage.
still in yellow?
The stage I watched was taken by Sanchez.
This Paris-Nice has been one of the best races I’ve ever watched. Great stuff!
I can’t remember the last time I watched a GC-contender get the hammer like that, great racing today!
still in yellow?
No!
This has been one of the best weeks of racing I’ve ever seen. Surprise TT winner, awesome sprint for Cervelo, Rabobank destroying the field in the flats, gritty sprint between Chavenel and Flecha, VdV holding off a charging contador, Roy getting the jump on his breakaway mates and holding them off, carnage on the last climb and Contador dominating, and then awesome work over of the yellow jersey at the end today.
Great stuff!
Those descents look just incredible too.
NOPE 
Sanchez won (oops) and C@ntador is over a minute down now with Jens just behind him on the GC. Tomorrow is going to be awesome. Anstana just didn’t seem interested in supporting him. What percentage of the team did Lance buy? LOL.
I’m with you Justin, it was an amazing stage especially when Jens looked over at Contador as he asked him to get on the front and he just shook his head. Awesome!
Tomorrow should be a real firecracker of a final day. It’s the best day’s racing since Cancellera won Paris-Roubaix!
sanchez should split the win for today’s stage with jens, because he’s the one who helped blow up the break. contador made a mistake by not working with colom and sanchez when they were free. when jens pulled up schleck, and chavanel got back in the mix, there were too many threats for contador to mark. and we saw what happened.
A succinct summation, Carl. Would have thought Bruneel could have seen that coming!
I guess Contador now knows how much support he will get for the Tour…
It’s Lance’s team, and the team made it clear today.
you’d think. and where in the world were his teammates? not one could stay with that group?
Yeah, that’s my thought exactly. What a sporting day, first that stage then Man U get thumped at home AND concede a penatly at home (WTF!) and go on to lose 1-4!
I’m off to buy a lottery ticket. Good job the 6 nations match is tomorrow that would bring me back down!
sanchez should split the win for today’s stage with jens, because he’s the one who helped blow up the break. contador made a mistake by not working with colom and sanchez when they were free. when jens pulled up schleck, and chavanel got back in the mix, there were too many threats for contador to mark. and we saw what happened.
And Chavanel. He was impressive first dropping the peloton then bringing Jens and Schleck back up to the 3 leaders on the descent. That was some superb riding on his part. He’s ridden really smart and stayed calm when the terrain is not his strength and taking advantage when the terrain plays to his strengths.
Schleck has such a terrible jump I thought Contador might hold his wheel, but when he slipped off the back that was one defining moment in the race. It’s the first time I can remember Contador not being able to hold a wheel. Understandable given the way the tactics played out, but still you have to see him get dropped to really appreciate how well he got worked over.
but still you have to see him get dropped to really appreciate how well he got worked over.
Amen, I’m jsut awaiting the Eurosport highlight show in half an hour to see it again.
The last kilometers of stage 7 is already on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggT7qF1KI38
.
Thanks for the link, Fred. I want to see the whole build up again and will watch the utube again for different angles.
man talk about being left for dead…everyone blew him away in that clip. He looked roasted.
'bout the size of it.
Yeah, that’s my thought exactly. What a sporting day, first that stage then Man U get thumped at home AND concede a penatly at home (WTF!) and go on to lose 1-4!
I’m off to buy a lottery ticket. Good job the 6 nations match is tomorrow that would bring me back down!
Julian, I’m not a Man U fan, but watching mutliple games this year, it was if the refs were to scared to call fowls and penatlies. Then suddenly, all in one game, everything was called and Man U get dumped on. Awesome. I’m not a scowser either, but I’d like to see Liverpool catch Man U at the end of the season and make the last games of the season more interesting.
I’m afraid too many refs are card happy at the moment and buy any attempts of unscrupulous players to get foUls awarded. IT’s still a three way race with the ScoUsers and Chelsea in the fight with 10 games to go. If you follow the game you will know how unbelieveable it is for a penalty to be awarded against Utd at home. This time the ref got his decisions right and officiated a very solid game.