Riders crash because there is more going on other than their own immediate vicinity, Landa crashed taking a sip out of a bottle and he touched wheels with the guy in front… don’t see many on here bemoaning his crash.. just the Porte one.

My concerns were more about the number of them in total, we had nearly all of the GC contenders on the floor at some point, plenty of other riders will be nursing some fairly sore bits in the morning, will see how many don’t line up come Tuesday

Great race, delighted for Degenkolb. But I don’t think it belongs on a GT. Sorry classics are classic. But this is too much of a lottery for GC riders. GC riders would not volunteer for Paris Roubaix.

Heal fast Richie. Sounds like a separation if no break.

Some of it is driven by sponsors too. Continental are big tyre sponsors and they don’t make a tubeless tyre so they’ll have been pretty instrumental in holding it all back.

Aren’t they all running tubs?

There’s a horrible clip out there of Egan Bernal running straight into the back of a BMC team car after it crash brakes. The whole support car / narrow pave roads thing is a mess.

 GC riders would not volunteer for Paris Roubaix.

A climber wouldn’t volunteer for PR.

A TT specialist wouldn’t volunteer for Alpe d’Huez.

A sprinter wouldn’t volunteer for the Galibier.

Etc.

If the Tour is to challenge riders, it should do so. Including pavé is just one more challenge, like a sprint, like a TT, like a climb, like a descent, etc.

Cobbles have been in the tour for years, it’s part of the history of the tour and of France, keep them in.

Stages like this set it apart from the Giro / Vuelta. Brilliant day. Most of the GC riders bosses it anyway, and it was a spectacle to see.

Wtf is wrong with Richie Porte. Can he ever stay on his bike. Jesus

Wtf is wrong with Richie Porte. Can he ever stay on his bike. Jesus

Anyone got the video of the crash there? All I’ve seen so far is the afters

Sorry but in this instance I think it is spectacle for spectacle sake. The entire peloton was overly nervous. Porte crashed before the first pave, probably as a result of general sketchiness. I still think it was a great race, but if Bardet had lost three minutes instead of burying himself and burning the runner-up in this year’s PR, it would not have been great for the GC.

Sprinters (except Super Mario, of course) don’t have any choice but to drag themselves over the Galibier and beat the time cut-off. It’s a team sport, and they still get to sprint for Paris glory. They even have go-slow protest days 😀 . I feel the same about the TTT btw. Great spectacle, but can ultimately mar a close race for GC.

Porte crashed before the first pave, probably as a result of general sketchiness.

Yeah still not see if he crashed or just ran into the crash, looked like it was a big group stack trying to get set for the first section

Did any GC contender stay rubber side down today?

 Did any GC contender stay rubber side down today?

Nairobi Quintana. Did the ride of his life, stayed in top 20 throughout, hid in the wheels, followed the moves.

Quite surprisingly, Geraint Thomas missed lots of opportunities to crash as well. Valverde got through unscathed as did Nibali. Bardet, I don’t think had any crashes but he covered that nicely by simply puncturing 4 times, having 2 bike changes and still managing not to have at working gears for at least some of the race.

Quite surprisingly, Geraint Thomas missed lots of opportunities to crash as well.

Yes amazing that the former winner of Paris roubaix as a junior was ok on the cobbles

Yes amazing that the former winner of Paris roubaix as a junior was ok on the cobbles

Yep, he was also luck to avoid everyone else crashing too. I guess it was always going to happen he is saving himself for a much easier place to have his.silly crash

The difference between this and a climbing or TT stage, is that way too much is left to chance. Nobody wants to see a race won or lost on the flip of a coin.

Matt Hayman summed it up quite well. Many of these guys dedicate their entire year to this race, and make huge sacrifices. They shouldn’t be subject to a stage as volatile as this.

These stages belong in one day racing in my opinion.

I enjoyed watching that. I think its right to have it in as a stage. The TdF should have everything and thats why it’s the most prestigious tour. If you can win the tour tou are the best all round rider.

I think this will improve the racing in the Alps as riders now need to attack and potentially change tactics. It will make it more enjoyable as a spectator.

Got to feel sorry for the riders now having to ride up some Alps this week. Took me many days to recover from the battering you get riding Roubaix – finger joints especially. I was also staggered at their average speed – 28.5mph.

I really enjoyed it. I think that they need to mix it up and pay honour to TdF of old occasionally.

Ultimately if the Tour was the same every year and the GC was best “climber with a hint of TT” then you are only ever going to get the Froome’s of the world winning.

Like above having ridden the sportive and 22 sections of cobbles, it adds to the experience as you just watch in wonder at how the hell they ride it that quick.

Glad he won stage too, i work for an insurers and had to look at the images of the accident they were involved in in Spain as part of the claim, some turned my stomach being a cyclist.

I feel the same about the TTT btw. Great spectacle, but can ultimately mar a close race for GC.

Yep, my inclination would be to drop TTT before dropping cobbles. Oh and bring back a mountain ITT.