How shall I put it? A crucial stage riddled with heritage sites and tourist landmarks. I mention heritage and tourism because it starts from the Royal Salt Works, which date from the time of Louis XV. The stunning pictures will be broadcast in 190 different countries. And I say it is a crucial stage because, after ten days of racing, the time trial will give us a much clearer picture of the state of affairs. The beautiful course is similar to the stage around the Lac de Vassivière a few years ago. We chucked in a climb which will no doubt sap cyclists’ legs. We chose this terrain to make it easier for strong riders to prevail.

I don’t think my fantasy team can take another win by Cancellara, so him to puncture, and Martin isn’t going to be able to go that fast with a broken wrist. Wiggins to win, Sagan and Cadel to go top 5.

Great pictures as always.

http://www.steephill.tv/2012/tour-de-france/photos/stage-08/

Don’t see there being much change to the top 5 at the end of today..

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/stw-tour-de-france

A few useful links (The tour live feed app is particularly useful today)

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

Martin to start at 10:57am, Sagan at 1:42pm, Cancellara at 1:54pm, Froome at 3:24pm, Evans at 3:36pm, Wiggins at 3:39pm (all riders 3 minutes apart).

I dont think Wiggow will win it today but top 3 and he takes some time of Cuddles – does not even need a mechanical for that today – and wear Yellow till the end

Odds on Wiggo winning the tour without ever winning a stage?

Bit boring to watch TT though IMHO

What is the weather like re conditions being the same for the day?

PS You ok? Not sleeping or something this is terribly early for you

I fancy Sagan today…

Martin, Gesink and Scarponi are killing my velogames team…

Martin has been riding with a broken wrist. Surely he doesn’t just want to get the miles in? I think he has been waiting for today so he can take a win. I think wiggins has got to play his cards and will put in his best time trial. So him or Spartacus for 2nd and 3rd.

How far back do you think Cadel will be? I think Wiggins will put a minute into him assuming no mechanicals.

Sagan will do well but it he gave a lot yesterday and this is long so doesn’t suit his short sharp power bursts like a prologue.

I fancy Sagan today…

I fancy him everyday. Martin on course, 1st at 1st time split.

PS You ok? Not sleeping or something this is terribly early for you

Don’t worry, haven’t got out of bed yet 🙂

22 degrees, little bit of cloud, and a tiny bit of a tail wind I think.

Martin on the road and in the lead surprise surprise

I’ll stick my neck out for my 2p prediction: Wiggo 1st Froome 2nd

and Evans to loose time but not a massive amount

I fancy him everyday.

Don’t worry, haven’t got out of bed yet

:shudders:

Evans seemed to be talking criptically yesterday, saying that today’s time trial could turn things updside down? surely he hasn’t got something special in his back pocket of courage?

Where are you getting splits? Nothing on cyclingnews yet.

exactly, he would have had this marked as a key stage all year

he’ll do better than expected

splits on letour.com

Where are you getting splits? Nothing on cyclingnews yet.

Look at the OP. Martin will be at split 2 any second now.

http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2012/us/live/aso/

Martin up at split 2, only by 23 seconds though. Almost definitely not enough.

Disappointing from DZ, although all Garmin have had a rough time.

Ta brakes

Voigt just gone 9s slower than Martin at first check (which would translate to ~20s at the finish all things being equal). Now we know Jens can ride a good TT, but you’d also expect him to lose rather more than that to the big boys – not going to be Tony’s day today I don’t think.

telegraph is saying Martin punctures so if he changed a wheel or bike then that is fast – he’s not having much luck though is he.

13:38 Voigt 13″ behind Martin at 31.5km

Voigt is second at the second check as well… he was 9″ behind Martin at 16.5km and at the 31.5km mark, he’s only 13″ slower than the world champion.

Voigt only 13s slower at the 2nd check. Either Jens is going super fast or Martin is not having a good day (not surprising with a broken wrist).

I’d be surprised if he had a puncture based on those splits – or if he did he lost very little time due to it. Very steady differences between him and other riders.

he did, Ned Boulting spoke to him and confirmed. he’s having a stinker this tour…

Strange – must have been going really well for the rest of the split where he did it, and not so well on the other splits! Can only assume it was in the first split (I’ll take at 14km on the sweepstake) and he lost motivation afterwards.

cancellera getting ready

Cancellara takes lead at first split, 38s ahead of Martin

Ah – they’ve just said Martin’s puncture was 5km from start – I picked the correct split anyway.

Is there a neutral service car following each rider with a spare bike/wheel? What did Tony Martin do about his tyre?

am watching the tt.is it my eyes going,or do the bikes not run rim brakes 😕 at least 2 i have seen don’t seem to have a front brake.

that irritating scouser gets about doesnt he ?! 🙂

rf90
they are probably tucked in behind the steerer/crown under the down tube

brakes are built into the forks

at least 2 i have seen don’t seem to have a front brake.

aren’t some of them a “built” into the back of the forks for aero advantage

some of them have brakes inside and or behind the fork

RF all the brakes are hidden behind the fork crown / integrated with the Chain stay under the BB for max aero 🙂

ah! 🙂 (was envisioning a fred flintstone’s style stopping maneuver/or hitting a tree e.t.c 😳

Is there a neutral service car following each rider with a spare bike/wheel? What did Tony Martin do about his tyre?

No – a team car following each rider (or at least most big names – I guess some of the lowlier riders might get neutral service if the team doesn’t have enough drivers to go round). He’ll have got either a wheel change or more likely a complete bike change (Martin will likely have had a spare TT bike on top of the car – Wiggins certainly does).

Stuff like this

Or this

cheers C.

They are riding fixies and have graduated from the school of uber-hipness, thus no longer have need for pointless things such as front brakes. Maybe.

Edit: Realman, don’t try to fool anyone with your photoshoppery. Seamless,btw 😉

Those “crop circles” are very cool.