TdF stage 5

All down to Porte to show he should have been team leader all along

This is going very wrong for my team, nevermind

Do we really think that Wiggins would have been a better GC contender than Porte? Liggett certainly seems to think so, but then again he is a monumental dick.

Its raining so Wiggins would have packed in by now.

I think I probably scored ok today, but could have been a lot better. I told myself I wouldn't make extra transfers & take penalty points for a stage that would be such a lottery. Then I cracked late last night and decided to put in Haussler or Hayman for Taaramae for 10 penalty points. I put in Haussler. Then Taaramae and Hayman score points & everytime the cameras cut to Haussler he was sprawled on the tarmac. That the way it's gone for me all season in this game. If there's a 50/50 decision to make I always chose the wrong option.

I'm glad Boom won, Belkin really need a new sponsor, to me that is a great thing for them.
Nibali was brilliant.
Renshaw was a surprise.
Pity for Van Marcke. and Haussler both in My team.
Keukaliere was quietly fancied by many

I've got Sagan and Cancellara at least.

Looks like the lumpy time trial is going to be very very important now.

Have a look at the bottom end of the field today, obviously the sprinters were staying safe but Jeansson, Reichenbach, Vanotti, Scarponi, JRod, Kiryenka, Voeckler, Gerrans to name just some lost huge time.

I like this quote drom elsewhere,

"Marginal losses"

Wiggins, were he to have given a flying fig, would probably be a better GC contender than Porte will be. He would've been strong today, especially in the knowledge that his big rival had just retired early. Still think he would've been a top-ten-at-best type in GC, but more likely up toward 5th place.

Shame Sky couldn't rally round Nieve, he was immense last year. Great, great ride from Nibali and Fuglsang today, by the way.

Oh and in Fantasy terms, despite a so-so day (none of top three, no-shows from GVA & Kristoff) I've somehow pushed my way up to 19th overall!

Who would have thought Nibali would score so many points in the first 5 stages?

Please can someone check how many points Van Den Broeck should have for stage 5 ......I thought it should be 5 for 6th on GC and another 5 for 16th on the stage but he only seems to have been awarded 5 in total

It's evidently too late for me to do team for tomorrow.

Just did four transfers to take a pen. Then realised I left out Kittel.

I am not having a good race. Currently 1,276th place

Can't help thinking Team Sky cut off their nose to spite their face and are now paying the price...

Froome out.... even before he reached the cobbles. It's a shame for him, hope he gets better soon.

Carlton Kirby is desolated on Eurosport. He blamed Cannondale for pushing too hard, amongst other reasons. He is going to spend the rest of the race discussing Froome instead of the race.

I wonder if Thomas will be allowed to go now and try and win it for Froome.

I think a fair few fantasy teams might have just taken a bit of a blow on that one.

According to the beeb, Froome has retired...

It feels like about a third of the peloton have hit the deck already. Both the big sprinters, Tony Martin, Froome, Demare, a few others. As I was typing this another bunch went down including Cancellara. Bit ropey out there for them.

I am sure you all know by now but cobbles cut from 9 to 7 sections.

I really wonder about the organisers. You have to keep riders as safe as possible, so cuts are made, and that is fine.This is a 21 day race with so much at stake. But in these days why are the teams and UCI allowing ASO to put the cobbles in. A career could be ended really easily. Banking on a fine dry day?? I know they wanted to commemorate WW1 and I applaud that fully.
At least unlike the Giro they haven't gone for neutralisation.