Stage 1 Results and Stage 2 Race Day Planning
Well that wasn't expected!
I hope many of you got to experience watching Stage 1 before you heard any of the news of the mishaps of the day. It was definitely suspenseful and entertaining live. Who would have thought a team bus would get stuck under the finish line metal banner on the first stage of the Tour de France.
Watching that bus wedged tightly in place as the peloton barreled down the road heading straight for that big white, green and blue blockade was surely suspenseful. Seeing the bus finally excised and driving in reservse by a clearly shaken bus driver, back down the straight away and out of the way, was like a Hollywood movie in action. I was almost expecting Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves to exit the bus as in the movie Speed.
You couldn't dream this stuff up.
Communication and confusion may have added to the stress and anxiety in the last kilometers causing some of the crashes, but Marcel Kittel said he heard nothing of the bus incident until after the finish. He did however hear that Greipel and Cavendish had been involved in the crash. Cavendish blamed the state of confusion for the crash, but slo-mo video shows Greipel trying to shoot a gap that closed too quickly, causing him to snag Tony Martin's handlebars and take him out. Tony injured his shoulder read update on his injury on his team website.
The outcome could have been much worse if Plan B - to complete the sprint at the 3km mark - had gone through as decided in the last minutes of the stage. The 3km marker was actually at a round about in the road. Narrow bends in the road preceded and followed the point, but the spot already had an official camera waiting to capture a photo finish if needed (used to officiate the 3km cutoff).
This was the day that a bus got stuck under the finish line and the 3km marker became the 6km marker.
The hastily made Plan B made the finish line at the 3km marker, making the 3km marker at 6km, making everyone's time who finally did cross the recovered finish line at 0km (basically Plan A), and within the 6km marker before any crashes occurred, receive the exact same final time as the winner of Stage 1. Wow. At least it was clear who got the classifications jerseys.
The expected winners did not win. But this is bike racing, and this is the Tour de France. We have 20 more stages of this stuff to follow. I'm liking the Tour so far.
Orica GreenEdge bus gets stuck under finish banner as cyclists bear down (01:41 English) Recapping Stage 1 w/ Phil and Paul (02:30 English) — nbcsports
The bus actually moved the final banner and trailer
Somebody move that bus! The Orica-greenEdge Team bus stuck under the finish line.
I couldn't help but wonder if they had too many kangaroos on top of the bus as well. Photo © by Karen at Pedal Dancr®
Even the kangaroo inside the stuck team bus fell today.
Stage 1 Results (full results at letour.com)
The Entire Peloton +00'00"
*Tony Martin went to hospital after the stage with a shoulder injury, but no word yet on whether he will or will not start tomorrow.
Classification Jersey - after Stage 1
YELLOW - Marcel Kittell, (Team Argos-Shimano)
GREEN - Marcel Kittell, (Team Argos-Shimano)
[Jersey to be worn by: Alexander Kristoff, (Katusha)]
POLKA DOT - Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Euskaltel Euskadi)
WHITE - Marcel Kittell, (Team Argos-Shimano)
[Jersey to be worn by Danny von Poppel (Vancansoleil-DCM)]
COMBATIVE - Jerome Cousin (Team Europcar)
Marcel Kittel of Germany - the man who won the yellow, green and white jersey today.
A photo I snapped of Marcel Kittel last year - before his haircut. Photo © by Karen at Pedal Dancer®
The exact 3km Rule
UCI Road Rule 2.6.027 - In case of a duly noted fall, puncture or mechanical incident in the last three kilometers of a road race stage, the rider or riders involved shall be credited with the time of the rider or riders in whose company they were riding at the moment of the accident. His or their placing shall be determined by the orders in which he or they actually cross the finishing line.
If, as the result of a duly noted fall in the last three kilometers, a rider cannot cross the finish line, he shall be placed last in the stage and credited with the time of the rider or riders in whose company he was riding at the time of the accident. (rule last modified on 1.02.12)
UCI Road Rule 2.6.028 - In the case of a duly noted fall, puncture or mechanical incident beyone the red tirangle in a team time trial stage, he rider or riders involved shall be credited with the time of the teammates in whose company he was/they were riding at the moment of the
accident.
If, as the result of a duly noted fall beyond the red triangle, a
rider cannot cross the finish line, he shall be credited with the time of his teammates in whose company he
was riding at the time of the accident. (rule last modified on 1.01.05)
Photos of Corsica
Now for some wonderful travel photos from the Island of Corsica and a trip my brother Mike and his wife Suz took to visit the island as tourists last summer. All photos by Mike and Suz for Pedal Dancer® (again with their trusty iphone cameras!) click any image to enlarge
A 9:30 pm departure from Toulon
Transportation to Corisca on a gigantic car ferry--at least 9 decks!
Arrival at Bastia, Corsica
Green and white marble church
A pretty hillside village
Beautiful blue seas off Corsica
Hilltop grave in Corsica
Beach front property
Ahhh, the Mediterranean!
Our hostelerie in Calvi
A dog with a mission
A private bay for this boat
10 minutes down the road from the coast
Northwest side of the island
Symbol of Corsica freedom
A line of beautiful bays as we head south along the west coast.
Statue of Napoleon in the city of Ajaccio, his birthplace
Napoleons death mask
A semi private bay
Stage 2 - Race day plans
We are still on Corsica - riding another 156 kilometers to Ajaccio. Climbers line up because this is the first day we will get to see who brought their game to the 2013 TDF.
Profile - Stage 2, 2013 TDF
Stage 2
Sunday, June 30th
Bastia > Ajaccio
Preview of the centenary edition of 'La Grande Boucle', By Team SKY
Related posts by Pedal Dancer:
Tour Travel - Tour de France Stage 1, 2, 3
The 100th Tour de France