jyl

I haven't been watching this, since I don't get BEIN Sports and have been too busy to watch the morning pirate feeds. Curious how the race is going. What's the deal with Wiggins - heard he's multiple minutes down already? Are the Schlecks both out already?

Caretaker

Watched stages 2&3.

Wiggins not performing.

jyl

Ritchie Porte and the rest of the Sky train performed well in Dauphine. I think the results in the two races support Sky's decision, as unpopular as it may have been, to leave Wiggins off the TdF squad. I like Wiggins a lot, and enjoy his mercurial talent, but he's a leader not a domestique.

Zinger

Don't have coverage and like the OP am too busy to get up that early but am belatedly picking up the final klicks on YouTube (1st 2 in Danish but the third in english).

Tour de Suisse 2014 HD - Stage 1 - FINAL KILOMETERS - YouTube

Tour de Suisse 2014 HD - Stage 2 - FINAL KILOMETERS - YouTube

Tour de Suisse 2014 HD - Stage 3 - FINAL KILOMETERS - YouTube

Cycling News has good print coverage and complete lists of finish times:

Tour de Suisse 2014: Stage 1 Results | Cyclingnews.com

Tour de Suisse 2014: Stage 2 Results | Cyclingnews.com

Tour de Suisse 2014: Stage 3 Results | Cyclingnews.com

Checking up on the progress of a couple of favorite youngsters who are likely using this for a training ride: Lawson Craddock (USA) Team Giant-Shimano being one who is doing surprisingly well in his second European multi stage tour in 20th in the GC, 43 seconds down.....so far, lol. Another: Janier Alexis Acevedo Colle (Col) Garmin Sharp is 17th in the GC 38 seconds down.

Frank Schleck didn't make the cut today. Andy Schleck is still in it 2:19 down in 50th GC. Wiggins is 2:52 down in 56th.

sprince

Frank has a concussion. Andy is just not the same rider any more -- kind of makes me wonder what's really going on.

jyl

I feel badly for Andy S. By all accounts he has been working very hard to come back, but the results are terrible and I think his career is ending.

trustnoone

What's really going on? I would say that Riis was generally better at rider preparation. Frandy hasn't really done much since leaving Riis. 2011 was the best shot but the opposite of synergy occurred. Alternating between bans, crashing, and generally sucking a time trials is going to seriously limit a pro career.

Look at the Dauphine or TdS. Aside from Frank Schleck's win in 2010, virtually every other rider who has won GC in either was strong in the ITT in addition to any other rider qualities. Interestingly, Andy's TdF win in 2010 was also one of the rare occasions when someone who was relatively weak in the ITT also won the GC.

In the TdF, climbing alone gets polka-dots and only if you make it to the mountains or in the Scheck's case, the start line.

.

jyl

I agree AS doesn't have the necessary TT but what is striking is he can't keep up on the climbs either.

Zinger

Final few klicks, a flat stage 4

Tour de Suisse 2014 HD - Stage 4 - FINAL KILOMETERS - YouTube

Ken Brown

Rohan Dennis dropped from 3rd in the GC to 67th on stage 3. The announcers thought it foolish that he was hanging at the back of the peleton and he must have been caught out. I haven't hear that he has been unwell so it looks like he just blew an opportunity to be on the podium. Pity, especially after Talansky's brilliant performance at the Dauphine.

Zinger

Not sure what's up with Rohan Dennis. He's 5:58 down in 69th after the 4th. If this is supposed to be a training ride for him he's not looking good to get on a roster for any grand tour unless it's already been promised to him. I've kind of got hopes for Acevedo, in this one to podium, when they start the hills. We'll see if I'm dreaming or not.

ColnagoC40

Just saying, but with the TDF just around the corner, hanging in the back of the peleton may be the smart thing to do right now.

Caretaker

Wiggins is out of the TdS after yesterday's crash.

Zinger

Final klicks of today's stage:

Tour de Suisse 2014 HD - Stage 5 - FINAL KILOMETERS - YouTube

Stage 6 has a cat 2 & cat 3 climb then flat finish.

Lots of long moderate grades and a descending finish in stage 7



Steep climb at the end of stage 8



Biggest climbs in the 9th and last stage.

jyl

OPQS train got picked apart, Cav only had Renshaw at 1 km, he hung back to reduce risk in the last corner (he said later) but probably not a good idea as he was then behind the crashers and was taken down himself. Sagan really positioned himself well w/o teammates.

Zinger

Crazy congested finish today. Watching the overhead aerial shots, I'm surprised there wasn't more of that before they even got there.

hueyhoolihan

wow, this young Craddock fella from the U.S. did very well in the TT today. anybody know if he'll be in the TDF? if so, i want to watch for him. BTW, what team does he ride for?

sprince

Pinot, Kreuziger and Evans also did just well enough in the TT to be placed perfectly going into the climbing stages. Would love to see Sagan hang on for the overall, but it's hard to see where it's worth it for him. The final two stages might be a little much to ask of a track guy like Craddock (giant-shimano).

sprince

According to steephill, Craddock is not on the tdf team.

Zinger

Yeah Craddock did himself well today but I'm not expecting him to hang onto that 7th GC after tomorrow. It's Acevedo (Garmin Sharp) that I'm hoping to do well in these last two stages even though I'm already a Craddock fan. Thibaut Pinot shows some promise for France perhaps. I'm also kind of wondering how he does in these last two.

No this and the Bayern Rundfahrt were the two races I saw him rostered for so far this year. He's brand new to the multi-stage European tours this year so I think they're just bringing him along to get some steep climbing time in the base. I haven't checked to see what else he's on the roster for this year yet.

Zinger

Wow haven't had the chance to see the finish yet today but Craddock and Sagan fell waaay down in the GC.

Acevedo looks like headed for the top 10 but the podium doesn't quite look to be in his reach. Lotsa hills in the last stage though so I'll still hope for the miracle for a third place. He's about a minute or more down on 2&3 in the GC.

hueyhoolihan

i won't say who won, but Martin, where ever he may have finished, surprised me.

Zinger

Article here on Craddock says The team hasn’t decided whether he and another American rookie, Chad Haga will race the Vuelta a Espana, or the North American races to round out the season. I suspect he was working for team mate Tom Dumoulin today. It also says that both will take deserved breaks before then.

Americans Craddock, Haga fitting in fine at Giant-Shimano - VeloNews.com

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Final klicks of today's next to last stage:

Tour de Suisse 2014 HD - Stage 8 - FINAL KILOMETERS - YouTube

Caretaker

Spoiler alert

Spoiler spoils it again.

2014 Tour de Suisse Live Video, Previews, Results, Photos, TV, Startlist, Route

Zinger

Ha ha

I kinda thought something like that might happen in this last hilly stage....no surprise really.

And well at least my guy Acevedo made the top ten. I guess I'm OK with that.

And Craddock certainly got his steep climbing time in. From 7th in the GC to.....well......he finished, lol.