Lance, he had loads of crashes and everyone carried on

also consider that if Shleck won the tour in 12years time he wouldn't be old. On this occasion, S*** happens.

39 seconds? Try asking Laurent Fignon about that 8 seconds business…

As above. It's a race.

the one doping the least?

Schleck's over it you should be too!

the repurcussions of schlecks chain jumping and contadors reaction to it (i'm sure he knew exactly what had happened) are debatable rather than controversial.

Without wanting to take anything away from Schleck, i'm a fan as he's such a likable fellow, he didn't really show dominance over contador unlike contador who did ride him off the hill on a couple of occasions.

If Schleck was the better ride he would have left Contador hanging on the Tourmalet.

Ditto, it's a bike race. If my chain falls off in a race no one's going to wait for me. Stephen Roche has it right- Schleck should've been ready and in the right gear rather than fannying about changing whilst in full tilt. Everyone knows you can't pound at that sort of stress and expect your gears to work perfect every time.

Schleck will win one day. He's a superb rider and hopefully we'll have some epic battles in years to come. Also, unlike Evans and Vino, a very likeable guy. How many tour riders have said "I don't want to sound arrogant"?!

Yay, this is more like the kind of TDF thread I've been after.

I find it hilarious that there is even a debate about the chain slipping business. As several have said above, it's a race, the guy who completed it fastest won it (probably). I know loads of people are whinging about etiquette and sportsmanlike behaviour but I hope that over the next few years that kind of stuff gets eroded and I can watch a more interesting race. Road riding is dull enough (in comparison to other cycling events, obviously only in my very subjective opinion) without stupid etiquette conventions stopping people racing. If you want a race without mechanicals playing a part, don't ride bikes. Or learn how to change gear, and put a chain on quickly.

I like the story of the guy who re-welded his bike in a local smithy one year. Make them create their own bikes from base metals every year.

I find it hilarious that there is even a debate about the chain slipping business. As several have said above, it's a race, the guy who completed it fastest won it (probably). I know loads of people are whinging about etiquette and sportsmanlike behaviour but I hope that over the next few years that kind of stuff gets eroded and I can watch a more interesting race. Road riding is dull enough (in comparison to other cycling events, obviously only in my very subjective opinion) without stupid etiquette conventions stopping people racing. If you want a race without mechanicals playing a part, don't ride bikes. Or learn how to change gear, and put a chain on quickly.

it's not boring if you understand it ,have done it,or have watched it for thirty years

I felt you could see on the Tourmalet that Contador was the better rider, but this "honour" nonsense got in the way again- after Schleck felt he was stiffed with his chain, "honour" meant he had to take a stage win.

A bike race is a bike race is a bike race. Fastest time wins- be that me pootling round a field or 3 weeks round France. You don't make sure your bike works, you do something daft then you lose. I'm sorry, but if I'm attacking someone I sit there, pick my gear THEN go, it's common sense.

what if you need to change gear after a while. Which just MIGHT happen, given you are accelerating (changng speed) and the roads MAY have varying gradient?

😆 Son, that would probably be for the best.

Think Contador was a wee level above this time out, so you can't begrudge him the win. He looked under some pressure at times from AC, but never enough to really take him into deep waters. Vice verca AS was never really tucked up by Bert, either.

AS has to take huge heart from this that he can win the Tour in the future. Agree with the arl fella above that the pseudo track standing business was hardly the stuff of champions, but he's only young. It's one thing to talk about taking the race by the scruff of the neck and blowing the peleton apart – blood and guts strewn all over the road, but it probably takes a few Tours under the belt before you have the confidence to ride like this. Maybe AS will be more aggressive in the coming years.

Schlek's gears jumped because he was in 39×12. Any novice MTB'er knows not to stress the chain like that. He should have attacked in the big ring.
It was a stupid attack anyway. If he had succeeded, he would have definitely been caught on the following descent.
The right man won. Touching to see his tears yesterday, he showed how much it means to him.

i need to disagree with those who felt that Contador had more in the bag than Schleck. Firstly, the reason AS got his original 41 sec gap over Cont was because he put the hammer down on a climb and Cont couldn't respond. The only time Contador got time on AS was on another climb where AS couldn't respond at first but then picked the pace up later and lost only 10 secs ( which cont still didn't win the stage, beaten on a sprint). Just remember as well that contador when he took advantage of the whole 'chaingate' issue, he was wheeled up the hill with 3 others whereas AS chased down cont by himself up the climb and got within 13 secs of him at the summit. The only reason cont got so much time out of AS was the fact everyone in Cont group worked together for the stage whereas AS only had 2 others to help him and 1 of those was Cont' team mate who obviously did no help in the bunch. TT aside, i think AS looked stronger, had a better team around him and did more of the work in the climbs compared to 'Cont who spend most of it being wheeled up.

And for those who feel the tdf IS boring, try riding in groups at that speed for that distance and find out how hard it is. 70kph on the straights on Fridays stage, thats tough work!!