So…the head blocking in the sprint…I say it was an accident and that it was just rough and physical (looked like that from the Helo view more than the others)…the others, looked like blocking. What do you all think was the intent if any?
Yeah that was a heck of a move wasn’t it. I couldn’t figure out if he was trying to get him to move over or just f*!#ing with him. Didn’t seem to be too effective either way.
Trying to keep him out of the draft, I presume. No accident.
Looked like an intentional block, but to be honest, at that level of effort, I’m not sure it was intentional. If I ever pedaled that hard, the only thing other than pedaling that I could manage would be to respire.
From the front it looked to me intentional…from the top…not so sure…I dont know, I was not in his brain…but I do have the Oujia board out…
seems like it was intentional…he’s frustrated for not winning and the man does have a temper.
It looked to me like he was about to fall over. He was balancing to prevent disaster.
Freddy Rodriguez leads McEwen out, Boonen on McEwen’s wheel. Boonen jumps the leadout (he punches it just before Freddie pulls off.) This gives him a clean wheel, and McEwen has to wait a fraction of a second for Freddie to pull off to go himself.
As this is going on, the other line in the sprint is forming to the right, and Stuart O’Grady comes off Thor Hushovd’s wheel.
Boonen goes slightly to the right, OGrady goes to the left, and sets up off Boonen’s wheel (and looks good, setting up for a jump at the line - you can see him pause and gather himself. Robbie is now boxed in.
Just as O’grady is set for a run to the line, He gets bumped by McEwen; He is trying to push O’Grady off of the line so he can get a run at Boonen. O’Grady leans in, and overlaps arms with McEwen, who leans back, and drops his head into O’Grady - who eventually clears out about 6 feet to the right.
McEwen also bumped Boonen - just a little bit - when he went by…
http://www.cbdcycles.com.au/letour/
After an argy-bargy with Stuart O’Grady (Cofidis) in the last 100m, Robbie McEwen (Davitamon-Lotto) was relegated by the Jury of Commissaires to last place in the peloton and fined 200 Swiss Francs for an irregular sprint. Runner up to Boonen yesterday, McEwen has been frustrated so far this Tour De France. “I had good legs, but I went too late…I was boxed in on the left and the right. Yesterday I went too early and today I was too late.”
New caption:
“After more than 100 miles in the saddle, Robbie McEwen must take a quick nappy before finishing today’s stage. Fortunately for McEwen, colleague Stuart O’Grady provides a comforting shoulder to cry on.”
They guy is wearing white shorts…what more can you say.
Sprinter behavior. Look how wide Boonan, and Stewys elbows are. With Stewys elbows that wide Robbie is locked under and there is no hole to go thru(even if he has the legs) His only option is to wrap his head and shoulders to pry himself free . The problem is that that move slowed both riders down and the guy on the otherside of Boonan gets second.
I laughed pretty good on that one, that was about as blatant as you can get in front of 10 million viewers. No way either of those two guys has the horses that Boonan has this week. Without the Patac-attack big Tom may get a few more stages this Tour. I sort of like Robbie, kinda dirty but he is a scrappy little guy.
I always thought that as long as your hands stay on the bars, its anything goes.
It looks like they are in love.
The green jersey and the sprints bore me. Give me a 3-5 riders that make a break and outrun the peleton… now that’s excitement.
Eric Dekker would be my favorite rider, if not for the drug history.
Sprinter behavior. Look how wide Boonan, and Stewys elbows are. With Stewys elbows that wide Robbie is locked under and there is no hole to go thru(even if he has the legs) His only option is to wrap his head and shoulders to pry himself free . The problem is that that move slowed both riders down and the guy on the otherside of Boonan gets second.
I laughed pretty good on that one, that was about as blatant as you can get in front of 10 million viewers. No way either of those two guys has the horses that Boonan has this week. Without the Patac-attack big Tom may get a few more stages this Tour. I sort of like Robbie, kinda dirty but he is a scrappy little guy.
I think today’s sprint finish proves that ROBBIE has the horses too! :)))