A second transition stage which will come down to a tug-of-war between breakaway specialists and the sprinters. It is worth noting that, although this Tour de France will have lots of short, bumpy stages, it has also got something for the green jersey contenders. They will have at least eight opportunities to duke it out, including this stage from Bourg-en-Bresse to the Beaujolais hills in Saint-Étienne. Who will triumph in the old capital of cycling? Looking back on last year’s Tour, Kittel has the edge, but I and others think Cavendish can still go very fast (but not right now). He raced too much in 2013, but he has been smart enough not to repeat the same mistake this season (true, he’s really cut down on his racing recently).

Always thought it’s the best way to win a race, what a great ride from Gallopin.

I’ll quote jfletch here

Sagan’s tactics today were spot on IMO. If Cannondale don’t chase the break wins, so they chase. In the finale he had to follow moves else they would have slipped of the front without him, he didn’t force the move, just followed Kwiatkowski.

This left him in the winning move, can’t ask more than that, he gave himself a chance.

But when it was 4 he did all he could do. Sometimes in cycling you have to be willing to lose in order to win. If he’d chased down every break he would have been mugged finally so he was right to ask others to close gaps. It will pay off next time he is in a break when people may be less willing to call his bluff.

If he had a stronger team then maybe he would have been able to sit in and let his team close gaps in the run in but he doesn’t and other teams won’t do the work if he is there.

Cancellara had this issue a few years ago in the classics. He was so strong that everyone would look at him to close every gap, so he refused to chase and now people don’t call his bluff so much. Now he wins sprints from small groups instead of either being forced to chase every attack or go solo from a long way out.

Mostly this.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-11/results

I guess the big story is a DNS – Andrew Talansky. He will not be starting today, perhaps not surprisingly considering yesterday.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/talansky-abandons-the-tour-de-france

I’m not a huge Talansky fan (he seems a bit whiny to me, especially after that Gerrans crash), but it was clear he was in a lot of pain yesterday, and rode very well to finish. As always, I hope he heals up soon.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1TQGMC1umg[/video]

Photos from stage 11.

Today could be a day for Kittel or Greipel, depending on who gets over the climbs. Maybe if it’s super hard Sagan might have another chance. Then again maybe he will just go from the start line and ride the whole 185km solo fuelled purely on frustration.

A few useful links

Live Cycling News Text Updates
Steephill
Official Tour Live Feed App
Classifications
Withdrawals
Fantasy League Standings
Loser League Standings

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/report-bauke-mollema-to-trek-factory-racing – Mollema has a fair amount of potential, but will he be able to complain about everything and anything enough to fit in with the current trek team?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/feltrin-aims-to-clarify-contador-crash-controversy – crashgate v2

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/former-tour-de-france-winners-say-give-armstrong-his-victories – interesting opinions from different people, especially Schleck – irony much?

Is Gerrans ever going to get his win?

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alcWnRPbDl8[/video]

http://road.cc/content/news/123656-tour-de-france-tech-2014-sylvain-chavanel%E2%80%99s-iam-cycling-scott-foil

And one for the fans..

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/tour-de-france/geraint-thomas-skys-next-grand-tour-leader-130413

Then again maybe he will just go from the start line and ride the whole 185km solo fuelled purely on frustration

Well there’s not really another stage for him is there? I’m thinking Cannondale to keep the pace high and try to tire out Kittel and Greipel enough in the heat that Sagan can take it. Hard to see how a break’s going to stay away.

edit: since they’re in Bourg En Bresse, here’s a photo of a massive local cock.

I guess the big story is a DNS – Andrew Talansky. He will not be starting today, perhaps not surprisingly considering yesterday.

Very sad picture there, crossing the line with the broom wagon sitting on his back wheel 🙁
But hey, at least they’ve still got Millar … oh

But hey, at least they’ve still got Millar … oh

Is this the tour of the left behinds?

Anyway, chance of a long solo breakaway?

Very sad picture there, crossing the line with the broom wagon sitting on his back wheel

Massive respect to Talansky for plugging away and completing the stage within the time limits, clearly in a lot of pain at the end and during the brief post stage interview.

Don’t know Talansky very well, but him getting off the bike yesterday, clearly in distress, his DS telling him to abandon and then getting back on despite being so far behind already got an imaginary round of applause from me.

his DS telling him to abandon and then getting back on

looked the other way round to me

I think this is the stage that is threatened with disruption by protesters unhappy with Orica shipping 15,000 tonnes of highly dangerous chemicals from Australia to St Etienne for incineration.

Did seem that way. The DS was overheard telling him that he wasn’t going to do himself any damage if he carried on and that he just had to put up with the pain and get through the stage. Looked very hard.

Protest is tomorrow apparently
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/tour-de-france-protest-planned-over-oricas-export-of-toxic-waste-20140711-zt2r7.html

I think this is the stage that is threatened with disruption by protesters unhappy with Orica

Stick Hinault in the lead car, that should sort it.

from the cycling news live feed today:

Today could be the last chance for Sagan to take a stage victory. He has finished in the top 10 in all but three of the stages this season, with a frustrating three seconds places. Yesterday he went on the attack but sat up when the others refused to help him chase Gallopin. He reportedly threw his bike when he arrived for the podium presentation.

😳

Unfortunate for Talansky. At the same time Talansky was suffering out the back Garmin were pushing at the front trying to move Slagter up. So it looks like they had written him off at that point. So why encourage him back onto his bike just to suffer.

As far as today goes it looks like a re-run of yesterday to me. So I’ll say Sagan for the win with the same faces, Kwaitkowski, Degenkolb, Gerrans and Gallopin. Can’t see Kittel being there as Cannondale will be pushing hard over the last two climbs to bring the break back. Maybe Griepel can hang on as well.

So why encourage him back onto his bike just to suffer.

Because we’re talking about him now?

I’m using today’s stage as an excuse for a bit of Saint Etienne

Nothing can stop us now (says Nibbles)

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSuxnF8dOPU[/video]

looked the other way round to me

I was going from what the ITV commentary said at the time, obviously puts a different spin on it if it’s completely the opposite!

That was a bad crash 🙁 De La Cruz abandons.

I’ve gone for the Mosquito today, if he doesn’t get lost and manages to stick with Reza that is…

Demare has cracked

Watching the highlights last night, Talansky interviewed post race seemed upset, hurt and angry, DS chappy interviewed seemed blunt and pragmatic about the need to delay making a decision about abandoning until it could be done dispassionately – after the race, in the hotel.

Those clips, however well chosen they might have been, definitely pointed to a particular type of conversation by the roadside.

This could be another close one.

Greipel crashed… Sagan for the win? Please???

It’s looking good for him. If he loses this one his bike may well resemble Contadors!

Kittel and Renshaw out the back a few km earlier and europecar expended energy in the breakaways.

Sagan second again???

Ooof almost.

Oh FFS not again.

He’s gonna kill someone soon

I wonder if someone will try and tell him it’s ok because he’s got some good points for the green? 🙂

Close and an incredible effort from looked like a fairly poor position at one point. Who was the last Green Jersey winner without a stage win?

Edit: Hushovd 2005.

@llama

I went to school with St Etienne (the blokes anyway)

Pete Wiggs and Bob Shukman in those days………..

He left it too late. Unbelievable.

Did he leave it too late or does he just not have enough speed ? Feel for him really as he’s done a lot of good work so far.

Spreading himself too thinly maybe trying to win every non-mountain stage? It’s not like he’s being beaten by the same person every time (other than Kittel in the big bunch sprints.) He’s probably being beaten by riders who’ve been targeting one specific stage for weeks.

lemonysam – Member

edit: since they’re in Bourg En Bresse, here’s a photo of a massive local cock.

🙄 😉

Did he leave it too late or does he just not have enough speed ?

Maybe. He admits in the interview below his legs are tired and he wasn’t fast enough. Always the bridesmaid.

http://www.steephill.tv/players/720/dailymotion/?title=Peter+Sagan+Post+Stage+12&dashboard=tour-de-france&id=x21nbzt&yr=2014

Great interview by Chavenel today

Do you have a link a a?

No it was on the itv 4 highlights.