dstrong 

reef58

I have a feeling this stage is going to do some kind of damage. I don't know what, but we shall see

DXchulo

Sagan

Mithrandir

It's not uncommon for people to be over-eager and cause stupid crashes on the first stage.

Just hope Wiggins, Horner, and Vinokourov don't crash out this time.

dstrong 

40% chance of rain.

FriendlyFred

I LOVE that the Tour has begun, this is the best time of the year! That said, I'm not sure I enjoy special yellow bikes for whoever is in yellow during the race. For the final stage, the ride into Paris, it's cool. While the race is in progress, it just feels wrong.

dstrong 

I don't mind the yellow bike...the yellow helmets are another matter. I preferred the red numbers on the leaders of the team competition. Me thinks the helmet manufacturers were behind this latest change.

shoota 

Wow.

DropDeadFred

I called it before the race finished that sagan would pop off and win it, just didn't think he'd be such a ***** about it...I kind of don't like him anyways...hope those guys teach him a good lesson out there...wheel sucker

jeffpoulin

I didn't care for how he leeched Cancellara's wheel for the last few kms without offering any help, then pull out in front for the last few meters. It was not an honorable way to win IMO. Cancellara must be steamed for being played for a chump.

DropDeadFred

It was either sprint it out with the field or sprint it out vs sagan. He couldve let the field catch back up but I think 2nd is better than nothing. To me, thats just Sagans style, which I don't care for. Some might call it smart, I just call it being a *****. We have a guy thats a pretty damned good rider here locally and he pulls the same crap just to make himself feel/look better...there are ways to work around that...purposefully putting other riders between you and them and pushing a drop. Sagan seems to be real good at being in the right spot at the right time and is very opportunistic

ultraman6970

You have to understand that at that point everybody was going full gas... sagan is not a climber, FC neither but he is super strong to come up with stuff like the one he did today. Sagan sure was full gas and probably he was almost going to his wheel, the prove of it is that where ever FC moved, sagan was moving aswell, you just follow the wheel by inertia, when you have some in the tank you dont do that at all. The reason for FC to tell him for going to the front was to burn him. FC cant sprint compared with sagan so he needed to make him work at the front to smoke him from behind or at least to have more chances in a sprint with a weaker sagan. So, no way sagan was going to work at front at all.

DropDeadFred

I think FC can hang with Sagan in a sprint...wouldve been nice to see cav up there.

kiloRH

Anyone know where to see total elevation gain for each stage? The profiles never give it.

canam73

A little cheap, but I don't think he was looking to play Cancellara.

I think he was worried Boassan Hagen would make it across and he wanted to save everything for the sprint against Edvald. Among those three, Spartacus was the only one who had an interest in gaining a time gap.

HardyWeinberg

I didn't know if the Slovak Chicken Dance was a form of atonement.

chasm54

Some of you guys just crack me up. It's a bike race, not a game of pass the parcel. If you're smart enough to sit in until you can jump for the line, that's to your credit. There's nothing "dishonourable" or "cheap" about it, the idea is to be first across the line.

That was a finish for very strong men. Most impressed with Sagan, the kid has brains as well as balls.

jeffpoulin

Well, he got his stage win, so I guess that's all that matters to him. The rest of the field knows how he plays, though, so he can forget about getting any help if he finds himself in a breakaway without his team. Long term, what he did today may hurt his chances for future wins more than he realizes. Not sure I'd call that smart racing for someone so early in his career.

caloso

Anyone know the incline of that final kick-up? I see that the profile graphic says 4.7%, but there was one section of a 100m or so that looked hella steep.

thenomad

sounds like all of nascar.

Look, its the way the game is played, its physics at work. Why would Sagan drag Fabio to the line? They are not teammates!
If you don't want someone to jump from behind you then ride off the front and shake him loose.
If you can't then look for his jump and match/beat him.
Or, don't tip your hand early and stay on his wheel and get the jump on him if you think you can.

Fabio was asking Sag to take a pull at the front to help him get freebie seconds for the yellow jersey. That's up to Sag to agree or not, he chose no. Big deal.

chasm54

Sorry, this is nonsense. Sagan isn't going to be going on big breaks in stage races, it is already clear that he isn't that style of rider.

As for "the rest of the field knows how he plays...", well, the rest of the field know how Cavendish, and Goss, and Greipel works. Is anyone complaining because they don't waste their time towing the peloton along?

Beachgrad05

These reactions were what mine were. And I liked how Sagan rode in the TOC so have been a fan...but today I felt he was wheel sucking and the chicken wing thing at end seemed appropriate in a way.

cbuddy2005

No balls at all! I don't mind the chicken $hit move at the end, but don't celebrate like you did something wonderful in a victory except to wheel suck and out sprint a timetrialer who pulled your sorry a$$ to the line.
Kudos to Spartacus for a good attack and a good finish.

Wait 'til tomorrow, Sagan will be lucky to finish top 5

Shifty

+1 Honor has nothing to do with strategy at the finish line. I admire Sagan as a strong and smart rider, same as I admire Fabian for the same reasons.

FPSDavid

Haha, whats the meaning of Sagan's chicken wings?