Some varied views on what happened...
First up is Bob Roll commenting on Lance in particular - and it's a fair and balanced view overall. A reporter (Frankie Andreu, apparently) and the co-host put a pro-Lance spin on it though, the reporting theme being "bad luck x 3" for Lance. But when you clip a pedal in a corner that's miss-applied skill, timing and judgement as much as "luck", isn't it? (And I say that as someone who has come off the bike whilst leading a race... by clipping a pedal. You should know better but sometimes it just happens. It hurts, too.)
Interesting that Andy Schleck thought the peleton should have waited for Armstrong - which admittedly sometimes happens and perhaps should always happen when the GC leaders are affected by such incidents - but as the bunch was so large with so many teams in with a chance it wasn't really an enforceable option. Perhaps he could have gone to the front and called a truce, a la Fabian on the stage into Spa? Not that team Astana was likely to agree - they were keen to gain time on the 'old man'.
Interesting also that Lance rolled a tyre in the pedal-clipping incident. You'd get a fine and a few weeks 'rest' for that sin in these parts.
Lance Update - Stage 8 - Versus
First up is Bob Roll commenting on Lance in particular - and it's a fair and balanced view overall. A reporter (Frankie Andreu, apparently) and the co-host put a pro-Lance spin on it though, the reporting theme being "bad luck x 3" for Lance. But when you clip a pedal in a corner that's miss-applied skill, timing and judgement as much as "luck", isn't it? (And I say that as someone who has come off the bike whilst leading a race... by clipping a pedal. You should know better but sometimes it just happens. It hurts, too.)
Interesting that Andy Schleck thought the peleton should have waited for Armstrong - which admittedly sometimes happens and perhaps should always happen when the GC leaders are affected by such incidents - but as the bunch was so large with so many teams in with a chance it wasn't really an enforceable option. Perhaps he could have gone to the front and called a truce, a la Fabian on the stage into Spa? Not that team Astana was likely to agree - they were keen to gain time on the 'old man'.
Interesting also that Lance rolled a tyre in the pedal-clipping incident. You'd get a fine and a few weeks 'rest' for that sin in these parts.
Lance Update - Stage 8 - Versus
From the 2010 Tour de France - Stage 8Interview with Cadel Evans - Post Stage 8 - Versus
From the 2010 Tour de France - Post Stage 8SBS: Tour de France 2010: Evans bounces back to take yellow
"I don't know if everyone saw my fall after 6 km. I thought then that the Tour might be over," said Evans, who had to ride most of the 2008 edition hampered by injuries after a crash early in the race.SBS: Tour de France 2010: Evans bounces back to take yellow
"I had to get treatment from the doctor."
As Chavanel is not a specialist climber the Frenchman knew he would give up the race lead, but it was not until late on the 14km climb to Avoriaz that Evans was assured of the yellow jersey.
Despite Evans' scrapes from his crash, seven-time champion Lance Armstrong came off far worse, the American crashing before the climb to Ramaz and losing nearly 12 minutes to finish more than 13 minutes behind Evans.SBS: Tour de France 2010: Sastre happy to move up
While Schleck suggested the peloton owed it to the American to wait, Evans was less generous in his assessment.
He remembers only too well the times rivals did not wait for him: "To have a crash in a mountain stage of a Tour can be really difficult.
"Today I crashed but two years ago when I crashed in the Tour I had one of hardest days of my career on the stage to Hautacam, with all the bruising and pain.
"That day, I got dropped with (sprinter) Julian Dean on the first climb and was fighting for yellow at the end of day.
While another challenger, Andy Schleck, attacked in the final kilometre to win the stage, and Evans took the yellow jersey, Sastre moved up 14 places to 12th overall at 2min 40sec behind the Australian.Evans secures yellow jersey - TourDeFrance - Sportal Australia
"I am satisfied with today's stage. I was with the leaders of the race and I didn't lose time to any important riders in this Tour de France," said the Spaniard.
"It was a very hard stage. The first nine days of the Tour were not easy for anyone. I am happy that all the problems we had at the beginning of the race are behind us.
"Now everything is good. I am feeling better every day and can be optimistic for the coming days. I am very satisfied.
Evans (BMC Racing) finished in a group 10 seconds behind to become the first world champion to take the Tour race leader's yellow jersey since Greg LeMond in 1990 but Armstrong saw his dreams of winning another title fall into oblivion.
"My Tour's finished," said seven-time champion Armstrong, who finished third in his comeback year in 2009.
"But I'll hang in there and enjoy my final Tour."
"I'm not going to complain. This is just a bad day."
"It went from bad to worse."
