Stage 6 - Epernay to Metz
Another sprint stage and another chance for Goss to show us he's the third fastest man in the world or is it another chance for Tyler Farrar to take out half the field?
Cast iron sprint finish again, four in the escape:
- Davide Malacarne (ITA) EUC
- Romain Zingle (BEL) COF
- Dave Zabriskie (USA) GRS
- Karsten Kroon (NED) STB
One sprint and one cat 4 before the finish.
I think pretty much everyone will have a broadly unchanged team today with an eye on the shake up that will be Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Mine is:
Cavendish
Goss
Sagan
Van Hummel
Arashiro
Ladagnous
Levarlet
Boeckmans
Izagirre
Plan is to ditch Cav, Goss, Ladagnous and Boeckmans tonight but not 100% on who I'll bring in, still deliberating between starting to bring in TTing climbers or to go full out on breakaway riders and try hoover up a load of points on Sunday.
My DS's won't be scoring today so I'm cheering for Sagan, Goss, van Hummel and Greipel. All of whom will then be promptly dropped before tomorrow.
Glad to see Dave Z in the break, wasn't sure about his form for Monday but hopefully this means he's OK...
Monday is why Dave is still in my team...
same as yesterday
Cav
Sagan
Goss
Veelers
Lancaster
Edet
Arashiro
Izagirre
Zabriske
Captain America Running away from something perhaps?
Same team as yesterday starts in 2nd place on the tour overall (1st premium)
Cavendish
Greipel
Sagan
Veelers
Cantwell
Boeckmans
Impey
Morkov
Cooke
Crash in the bunch, Griepel, Gutierrez and Westra are down, no report on any injuries although Gutierrez seems have come off worst.
Report on the crash:
Dr. Florence Pommerie: Greipel has significant injuriesThe medical team of the Tour has recently offered an appraisal on the state of the riders who fell at the 35km mark. “About 20 riders came past our car after the fall, including many team leaders,” said Florence Pommerie. “The crash victims included Sandy Casar (FDJ), Jean-Christophe Peraud (ALM) and Andre Greipel (LTB). Most have abrasions and contusions. “These are minor injuries, but they hurts all the same. André Greipel seems to have some significant injuries including and a wounded finger. He must have landed very heavily.”
Sprint points:
1. Kroon (STB) 15pts
2. Zabriskie (GRS) 14pts
3. Zingle (COF) 13pts
4. Malacarne (EUC) 12pts
5. Goss (OGE) 11pts
6. Cavendish (SKY) 10pts
7. Sagan (LIQ) 9pts
8. Boeckmans (VCD) 8pts
9. Boasson Hagen (SKY) 7pts
10. Hutarovich (FDJ) 6pts
11. O'Grady (OGE) 5pts
12. Impey (OGE) 4pts
13. Popovych (RNT) 3pts
14. Albasini (OGE) 2pts
15. Bak (LTB) 1pt
No Van Hummel 
You have to wonder what Greipel is playing at if he wants the Green jersey, Goss can happily finish second or third and still out score him every stage while he's pikcing up 10 intermediate sprint points.
31 at the intermediate for me from Cav,Tourminater,Impey and Boeckmans 
Just considering my transfers for tomorrow.....actually I've already made 3 and am waiting for the finale to decide whether to take Sagan or Greipel out for my last star transfer.
transfers:
1)Cav for the 'Yankee Dutchman' DONE
2)Cooke for the 'Mayor's Son' DONE
3)Impey for the 'nearly man of Paris-Nice' DONE
4)Greipel(or Sagan) for a 'well named man' although I'm considering Veelers out for 'Aussie Buck'
Van Hummel said yesterday he was feeling good, so I'm hoping he's saving himself for the finish...
Griepel and Gesink on the floor again.
Garmin are quoted as saying that Farrar won't contest the sprint because he's too afraid of crashing. I predict there will be no crash today purely because Farrar isn't there, he seems to cause most of them.
49 points at the intermediate sprint 
You made up 27 on me then TER...
"Today's stage features a tight right-hander just before the 2km to go sign that the peloton is going to have to slow down significantly for. Then comes a gentle left turn and a gentle right hander... with about 1,400m to go there is a 90 degree left turn that leads riders to a 300m downhill stretch (with a gradient of about three per cent) and under a railway bridge.
The speed is going to be up around 70km/h and then, there's another 90 degree turn (to the left) with about 850m to go. And, from there it's flat and straight all the way to the line."
that 49 includes the 5 for the cat 4 too, forgot to say that...
A Cav, Sagan, Goss, Veelers top 4 and the stage could be mine?....
Could be - according to commentary, Lotto are saying that Greipel won't be contesting the sprint due to his injuries
Greipel wont sprint today....
Huzzah
Frison: Greipel won't sprint today
France Télévision has just interviewed the directeur sportif of the Lotto-Belisol team, Herman Frison who explained the injuries sustained by André Greipel today. "He has pain in his shoulder," said the Belgian about the rider who has won the last two stages. "And he won't take part in the sprint today."This is likely to mean that Greg Henderson will be given the chance to sprint for himself instead of doing the lead-out as he's done in the last couple of days. The 35-year-old New Zealander is riding the Tour for the first time this year. He's previously won a stage of the Vuelta a España and he switched teams - from Sky - largely because he wanted to race the Tour before the end of his career.
Obviously it's unfortunate, but from a fantasy news it's bloody great.
Shame about Greipel. Today was always going to be average for me as all my DS riders are the ones I wanted for the hills, but still need some points from somewhere! A Goss win is my best hope...
Friere and Farrar have been dropped. Without those two odds are we should have a safe sprint today.
Yet more crashes, Shrek is down, so is Petacchi.
Is this the end of Shrek's attempt on yellow?
Think Casar and Hesjedal in there too....may change my plans (casar wise)
Bloody hell. Safe sprint - there's only about fifty guys left!
Hesjedal also losing time, could be interesting to see the GC after today...
Ah TER, I though Moncoutie might be your Frenchman 
anyone seen Cav in the lead group?
Chaos, gutted for Hesjedal, Schleck and anyone else who's lost time through crashes. It's not nice but it can happen to anyone and it's nice to see Sky have learned from last year and had Wiggins right at the head of the peloton.
Ah TER, I though Moncoutie might be your Frenchman
He is....
I just found a way of getting in casar for sunday as well.
anyone seen Cav in the lead group?
Poels abandons, Cavendish and EBH in the second group 
That's Karma, I was feeling far too smug about Griepel not sprinting today 
Not sure where they are though as i dont think he is in the second group 
Chavanel is right near the front, is he gonna have another go?
Le Tour reporting that Cav and EBH in the second group although no time check, Schleck and Gesink at around 2:30, Danielson and Vigano have now also abandoned.
Schleck 2'00" behind first peloton
The group that includes Cavendish, Brajkovic, Valverde, Rolland and Schleck is 2'00" behind the Orica-GreenEdge led bunch that is now just 11" behind the four stage leaders.
Sounds like Goss and GreenEdge are caning it to try and keep Cav out of the sprint. Two minutes is surely far too much to make up in 15km and if Wiggins and Sky decide to the up the pace Schleck, Rolland, Valverde and anyone else in that group could lose even more.
My team for tomorrow has taken a beating here. I don't think any of my star riders are in the leading group.
Well its over for Cav as far as the Green goes now
Alot of GC guys loosing quite alot of time
Hesjedal 7 minutes behind, oh dear, quite a come down after the Giro
Astarloza out - thats a shame I was interested to see how he'd go in the mountains...
Balls, Griepel up front and possibly in the sprint
Also, Poels hasn't abandoned, Astarloza has.
Zabriske won combativity i believe
hope veelers is in the lead group...
Sagan takes it!
130 points for the stage for me, not great in the end as i lost out on at least some points for veelers and Cav, could have had that stage but it seems not
1. SAGAN Peter
2. GREIPEL André
3. GOSS Matthew Harley
4. VAN HUMMEL Kenny Robert
5. HAEDO Juan Jose
6. HENDERSON Gregory
7. PETACCHI Alessandro
8. PAOLINI Luca
9. IMPEY Daryl
10. LANCASTER Brett Daniel
11. HINAULT Sébastian
12. CURVERS Roy
13. SIMON Julien
14. EVANS Cadel
15. EISEL Bernhard
16. NIBALI Vincenzo
17. MARCATO Marco
18. KLÖDEN Andréas
19. SANCHEZ Samuel
20. ROCHE Nicolas
That was bizarre. From Greipel saying he wasn't sprinting, to the commentators saying it was van Hummel that lost his chain, I thought it would be a rubbish day, and all of a sudden I got 1,2,3,4. Although I still don't trust that it was actually van Hummel in 4th until I see the replay again...
I think everyone will be having a rethink of their teams tonight!
1, 3 and 4 plus 38 intermediate sprint points and a few standings points, maybe 135-140. Not bad to say my main man missed the finish.
Julien Simon 13th, thats a bonus...
From my team for tomorrow - only Gorka Izaguirre was in the first group.
Taaramae lost 1'39"
Scarponi, Brajkovic, Schleck, Rolland, Mollema, Valverde and Peraud lost 2'09"
Gesink and Kruijswick lost 3'31"
Casar 5'01"
and they're still rolling in at 7+ minutes down, no sign of Hesjedal just yet.
That was bizarre. From Greipel saying he wasn't sprinting, to the commentators saying it was van Hummel that lost his chain, I thought it would be a rubbish day, and all of a sudden I got 1,2,3,4. Although I still don't trust that it was actually van Hummel in 4th until I see the replay again...I think everyone will be having a rethink of their teams tonight!
Think you will beat me on the stage now!
My team is gonna be the same as i planned....
Hesjedal lost 13'24" in the end finishing 181 of 190.
bad day for Garmin and for my purist team
I backed Ryder at 66-1 e/w. Poo.
My team is gonna be the same as i planned....
Me too probably, although that means keeping Astarloza who has abandoned. Going to wait for the dust to settle and try to work out who is injured, and who just lost time because they were caught up behind the crash. A couple of the stars I was intending to bring in tomorrow lost over 5 mins...
...which could be a good thing in terms of getting in a break, as long as they aren't injured...
only one of mine lost time as i am changing all 4 of my stars tomorrow....and you know which star that is
Anyone think sagan could be there at the finish tomorrow?
Those stars who lost time could still be worth a gamble! nothing to lose by getting in a break whilst Wiggo and BMC mark each other for the next 2 days
Anyone think sagan could be there at the finish tomorrow?
It had crossed my mind, but I think not - he's playing the long game of getting to Paris and winning Green. Having said that, he's sat up on most proper climbs so far this season, so who knows what he's capable of if he actually tries...
From my team for tomorrow - only Gorka Izaguirre was in the first group.
I dont think your stage hunting plan has gone well!!!
One of your riders has even abandoned...
sagan's perfectly capabale of being in the hat for the intermediate points tomorrow, i'd guess that'll be his goal for the day
only one of mine lost time as i am changing all 4 of my stars tomorrow....and you know which star that isAnyone think sagan could be there at the finish tomorrow?
I'm not sure about the finish but he could definitely be there on Sunday.
Transfers planned but just waiting for the highlights to assess the damage that crash caused. Time to take some risks so gambling on a couple of stars who've lost time to go for the win tomorrow. Probably not ones you expect though
Out of interest, apart from Rogers and Gusev, which under 20 credit stars do you rate for the TT?
Well im leaving sagan for the intermediate sprint tomorrow, then will take him out for sunday in place of my breakaway guy
none, rogers will be in my team.
Wig_Billy wrote:From my team for tomorrow - only Gorka Izaguirre was in the first group.I dont think your stage hunting plan has gone well!!!
One of your riders has even abandoned...
I know . I'm wondering whether to give up on tomorrow and bring in a load of breakaway guys for Stage 8 instead.
only one of mine lost time as i am changing all 4 of my stars tomorrow....and you know which star that isAnyone think sagan could be there at the finish tomorrow?
Yes. I'm definitely keeping him. He's got nothing to lose and some guarenteed points. Some of the riders who lost time may not have been hurt and will go for stage wins now so I'm not sure who to go for. Might stick in Moncoutie though for Sunday, his kind of day if he's up for it. Also double points at the finish tomorrow so Morkov has had his day. Shame about the crashes but by luck rather than judgement I got 1,2,3,4. Glad the sprints are over for a while. Prefer the mountain stages.
mouncoutie is going in my team sunday in place of sagan
I'm keeping Sagan too. he's plenty good enough a climber to be at the front of the peloton for the intermediate, and he'll still be in green
TERatcliffe26 wrote:only one of mine lost time as i am changing all 4 of my stars tomorrow....and you know which star that isAnyone think sagan could be there at the finish tomorrow?
I'm not sure about the finish but he could definitely be there on Sunday.
Transfers planned but just waiting for the highlights to assess the damage that crash caused. Time to take some risks so gambling on a couple of stars who've lost time to go for the win tomorrow. Probably not ones you expect though
Out of interest, apart from Rogers and Gusev, which under 20 credit stars do you rate for the TT?
Devenyns/Zubeldia?
But Rogers is cheaper and better.
If if there was no TT on monday id have put zubeldia in, however went rogers due to the TT. Rogers shpould top 10 and dont think zubledia will place, maybe top 30 for him, but not higher than maybe 18th/19th
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