K.Katso

Hats off to Cav for a brilliant finish. I can't wait to see that Olympic road race too.

gregf83 

Too bad there's no prize for being fastest when it doesn't matter.

ericy

There was a point where the camera was following Cavendish, and off to the side of the road were quite a number of riders - all in the middle of a "nature break". Usually French TV quickly cuts away to another camera when this happens, but they missed it this time.

900aero

The black guy in the t-shirt during the ceremony was the track sprinter Maurice Green who was there in some official role. Obviously didn't get/read the email about the dress code.
Maurice is not the current US ambassador to France although foreign policy might get a whole lot simpler if ex-Olympians were automatically made ambassadors for their countries.

alpha_bravo

Maybe I'm still in awe of his win on Friday, but it didn't look like cav was even trying the last 500 meters. He basically did the minimum that was needed to get the job done and succeeded.

chasm54

Actually, the bit I liked best about the finish was Wiggo"s lead-out. Just inside the final kilometer, Albasini was trying to muscle in at the head of the GreenEdge train. He was out of the saddle and sprinting flat-out, and Wiggins simply accelerated away from him through the corner without shifting from the saddle. There's a lot to be said for being Olympic champion at the pursuit...

chasm54

I noticed that too. But today I read this comment about the Sky team doctor:

Roger Freeman: Team Doctor. Freeman looks after Wiggins' physical health, ensuring he is fit for purpose for training and racing at all time. Has impressed on Wiggins that there can be no shaking of hands on tour, the risk of infection is too great

Jaaanosik

Sagan is learning. He was too much back in both cases, Friday and Sunday. If he stays right on Cav's wheel it could have been different story.
... or he'll do the same thing as Cavendish did on Sunday, going for a long 600-1000m attack.

contango 

Indeed. I have to say hearing Lesley Garrett howl her way through it I reached for the mute button. Given our national anthem was being sung, surrounded by Union Flags, on the most famous street in the French capital that shows just how bad I thought she was.

contango 

Maybe Lesley Garrett could have stayed at home and saved all of us the ordeal. The crowd could have sung our national anthem and not butchered it.

contango 

I thought that was great too, seeing Wiggo leading out team mates for a stage win while wearing the yellow jersey was great. As the UK commentators said the yellow jersey leading out the rainbow jersey has never happened before. Lots of history made yesterday.

nun

I had to switch channels when Lesley Garrett came on. I couldn't stand the singing or that Terrible Union Jack dress. If it was arranged by the French to embarrass the Rosbifs they did a good job; if it was set up in consultation with Sky I have to think Murdoch was behind it; and if anyone from UK cycling or the Ministry for Sports was involved they need to be sacked.

Here's a critic of the performance in the Telegraph. There's a poll at the end in which 96% believe that Ms Garrett's performance was awful.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/9...-ceremony.html

gregf83 

You could say the same thing about every sprinter that loses: if only...

Cavendish went from around 300m not 600.

nun

I thought Goss had Cav for a moment, but then Goss hit the wall and Cav pulled away. Sagan looked good, but left it too late. Sagan is a great talent, but I get the feeling that this year's early success and fame might just derail his progress. We'll see........can't wait for the one day classics.

gregf83 

Cav was sprinting on the right side so he had good visibility to anyone coming up on his left. It's quite possible he backed off a little when Goss faded and that's why Sagan gained a little ground at the end.