Let the racers race #TDF Cavendish and Hushovd Stage 3

Ok so in their wisdom the director of the Tour the France have decided to dop away with three intermediate sprints on the stages and replace them with one Super Sprint.

The reason is simple often the breakaway never used to contest the sprints they just rode through, although if there were three in teh breakaway they usual tried to share the honours and the line money. Now however, there are points for the first 15 at the Intermediate sprint. The result is that there will now unless there is a big group out in front still be points on offer for the sprinters still with the peleton. One stage one with three escapees that was 13 points, today with 5 that was 10.

Now there is one important difference between a sprint on the finish line where 45 are on offer and the intermediate where a total of 20 for the top rider could be available. If a sprinter were give his all, fall off and end up bloodied and wounded, he would still be within the final 3km when this happened. he could limp in to the finish if he needed to and not face elimiation on time. What we have seen so far is that these guys are still sprinters when it comes to that intermediate sprint. Today two of the toughest came shoulder to shoulder, literally.



If you look at this Mark Renshaw has just peeled off in the second white Jersey, 5th wheel and the Yellow Jersey of Thor Hushovd then leans into Mark Cavendish on the bend. These guys were doing 60-65km/h at this point. If Cavendish where to hit a curb or gutter at that speed he would have come off. He needed room, he is worried that Hushovd would take the line of the rider in lime green ahead and force him off the road. Of course he is going to lean back to give himself space. This is a racing incident and at this point of the race a matter of self preservation. Indeed both the riders were still racing as second and third man once the last lead out man in Pink pulled off 200 metres further on down, and did not impede another racer in doing so.

Tour director of competition Jean-Francois Pescheux said:

"First of all Hushovd left his line and then Cavendish forced his way in. That’s a serious infringement. We can’t allow that.

"If we let this pass, in the sprint tomorrow there could be dozens of guys crashing and then people will be asking us 'Why didn’t you act’?"

 The question is where should Cavendish have gone if he couldn't keep the line as Hushovd had taken it. The straight line leads straight to the curb and disater. If a sprinter had come off and got badly hurt 94km from the end of the stage, it is unlikely that they would have have the cut off time, therefore ending his race.

Last year when Cavendish's lead out man Mark Renshaw was

Now there was a telling point in Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen's commentary that race Referees need to be in a sprint to experience what happens before making some of their judgement. A split second to make a decision for survival or an announcement some hours later with teh hindsight of video footage. As it was Cavendish who could have been eliminated came in first and Hushovd 6th of those sprinting from the pack, neither of them was put off by the incident, they dealt with it and got on with racing.

So you have made the race more exciting, and you are making for more agressive racing not once, but twice in a stage. So you are wanting the fearless to take their Tour in their hands at about the half way point, but not keep a line that will avoid trouble, risk a major off, a broken collarbone and a long limp home to try and get treatment to carry on.

Mind you if the rule about sprints:

2.3.036 SprintsRiders shall be strictly forbidden to deviate from the lane they selected when launching into the sprint and, in so doing, endangering others. from the UCI rules

Is going to be equally adherred to Mark Cavendish should be in 4th place on the stage look at Sébastien Hinault here, at 40 seconds in from the left, nudging into Farrar.

What Do Points Make? #TDF

Today as in every year since 1975 the Tour de France is heading for 8 circuits of the Champs-Élysées. Most of the prizes have been decided.

On the Col Du Tourmalet on Thursday the Polka Dot Jersey for the King of the Mountains was finally planted firmly on shoulders of Anthony Charteau (BBox). The challenge from fellow Frenchman and the old man of the Tour Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Espange) failed to close the remaining gap.

Yesterday it was as you were for Yellow and White (Young Rider) as last year. Alberto Contador (Astana) was 31" ahead of Andy Schleck (Saxobank) in the time trial into Pauillac. It means that Contador leads by 39", an irony not lost on many which was the exact time difference he took out of Schleck following his chain falling off when he was attacking Contador on the Port de Bales on Monday. It means that Contador is in Yellow and Scheleck will equal Jan Ullrich with a third successive White Jersey. The top three have all been the best young rider because Denis Menchov rode a good time trail yesterday to displace the Olympic Champion Sammy Sanchez from the final podium.

Lance Armstrong in his last Tour will be on the podium but only as a part of the best team as Radioshack have won that prize.

However, the real excitement lies in the Green Jersey competition for points. The current standings are:

• Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) 213
• Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) 203
• Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) 197

The point allocation on the line will be 35 for first, 30 for second, 26 for third, 24, 22, 20, 19 etc. There are also two intermediate sprints on the Champs-Élysées offering 6,4 and 2 points. It means that three teams will be working hard to secure the Green Jersey today.

If Mark Cavendish can repeat his performance in the French Capital from last year and win on the famous boulevard. The Norwegian would have to be second to stay ahead and the Italian if he was seventh would be equal on points but behind the Manxman on stage wins therefore losing his lead. The question is will any of them be in a position to take the intermediate sprints as often these go to a breakaway, or will the teams keep up the tempo for the full eight circuits to give their men a chance to get a shot at the 12 points on offer.

This will be an exciting afternoon on the approach to Paris, especially for three sprinters and a busy one for their teams.

Where Has the Sprint Gone from Cav? #TDF

Yesterday's stage left a lot of questions for Mark Cavendish and the HTC-Columbia team.

His team took control of the race 5km from the finish, last year that would have been enough. His big powerful train would have propelled him towards the front of the peleton ready to launch him towards the line with a couple of hundred metres to go. Sure there were roundabouts in the lead up to the finish but the HTC boys were grouped at the front and looking out for their man.

Then it came Mark Renshaw was at the head with Cavendish in his wheel. Over to the right hand side of the road. Cav and Thor Hushovd had been shoulder to shoulder behind their respective lead out men in the seconds before.

Then against the script over on the left comes a surge from the other sprinter, who was near the front through all the roundabouts, Alessandro Petacchi made a run for the line. There seemed to be no response from Cavendish and Hushovd realised he was on the wrong wheel too late to switch across the road to come in 9th in the sprint, 3 places ahead of Cav who appeared in the last metres to have lost one of his pedal bindings.

But even before that it looks like Cavendish infection earlier this year may have taken something away from him. He may not be quite the sprinter he was over the last two years as a result. Of course it may be like everyone else he was still merely shattered after the Hell of the North the previous day, when he did ride well and came in 25th when there were groups all down the road. There was a 1% incline at the end, not a lot but after the day before it may have been sapping.

Today of course is another day and another day suitable for sprinters. Again it is flat with no real concern providing an escape isn't given too much head. But there may be concern over just how much speed in currently in the legs of Britain's top sprinter, or course come later today I may not have any concerns over that whatsoever. Cav has been one to bounce back before when he hasn't won as expected with a double, Friday's stage is also for the sprinters. So we wait and see.

The Tour Takes on the Hell of the North #TDF

Well the Hell of the North certainly added to the excitement of the opening to this Tour de France. I've never seen an opening three stages being so tough and it certainly is making looking forward to the other 17 days of racing. Somehow yesterday may have been a day to wait, but today it was pedal to the medal and hope that your bike holds up to task at hand.

However, one of the contenders Frank Schleck ended up by the side of the road with a broken collar bone on the cobbles, the cyclist's worst nightmare. Falling while near the head of the race, the ideal place to ride the pavé. However, he fall led to confusion behind. But at the head of the chase pack Fabian Cancellara, yesterday's slow it down man, pushed the pace. The younger Schleck brother Andy his Saxobank teammate was with him, as well as Cadal Evans. But other tour contenders Alberto Contador, Bradley Wiggins and Lance Armstrong were dropped.

There were numerous bike changes and more that he needed for the unfortunate man in yellow Slyvain Chavanel. He kept having mechanical issues and having to change his bike. Even the master Lance Armstrong had to pursuit back to the chasing pack after a mechanical issue. His teammate Yaroslav Popovych buried himself for the cause and when he had given his all and the gap was still there it was Lance himself who fought through the cars to catch those ahead.


Thor Hushovd did take the sprint at the end of the race, beating a British sprinter into second. But not Mark Cavendish he was some way back, however Gerraint Thomas on his debut tour now has a second place finish, is second in the Green Jersey behind Hushovd and leader in the young rider jersey. So the British national jersey will not be on display tomorrow and hopefully for some time, tour colours take precedent. But being 23 seconds off the lead shows that for Sky there really is no limit to their expectations.

Wiggins while not in the leading group only lost 53 seconds to them. But more importantly made time over Contador and Armstrong 2o secs and 1 min 15 secs further back.

While Hushovd got maximum points in the sprint Mark Cavendish picked up his first one, yes only one when he trundled over the line 4th in a big group 2'08" back. I hope he doesn't live to rue those other 3 points on the Champs-Élysées on the 25th.

Tomorrow is meant to be a tame day but we've said that before. Here is the route.

Chaos on Stage One of Tour de France #TDF

Well it wasn't the coastal winds that caused chaos on the first mass finish of this years Tour de France but some of the bends towards the finish of the race.

First having just entered the last 3km when anybody involved in a crash has their time protected with the group they are with sprint king Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia), fellow Brit Jeremy Hunt (Cervelo) and Oscar Freire (Rabobank) and were amongst those that went down.

Later just inside the flame rouge marking the final kilometre there was a second crash which literally blocked the road behind a lead group of about 25-30. This took out Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) amongst others.

So it was left to Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) who also benefitted when Cav crashed in the Tour of Switzerland to take the line, Cav's normal lead out man Mark Renshaw took second, which makes you wonder what would have happened in the Manx engine was there. Last year's Green Jersey winner Thor Hushovd (Cervélo) took third place. With Robbie McEwen (Katusha) and Mathieu Ladagnous (Française des Jeux) the first French men making up the top five.

There had been an earlier all day break away of three who had been captured with 8km to go before the real drama of the day took over. The fact was that all the sprinters' teams were vying for position in the lead up to the finish. All in all a thrilling end to what might otherwise have been a normal bunch finish. Just have to hope that nobody else is going to have to retire as a result, Swiss rider Mathias Frank (BMC) didn't not line up at the start this morning having broken his wrist in a crash in the 8.9km time trial prologue yesterday.

Update: Just heard that Adam Hansen has suffered a broken collar bone and will be out of the HTC-Columbia train.

Tomorrow we have the first hilly stage of the race. In total there are three each category 3 and 4 climbs so someone in a breakaway coud pull on the first King of the Mountains jersey when they arrive in Spa. See below.