Stage 11 - Renshaw DQ'd in crazy decision
The Tour de France is one of the greatest shows on Earth. Now mind here we did say shows. Not races. Every stage is a show. The actors (riders) come out on stage (the road) and play their part. Except this show is not scripted. It is ad libbed and raw and may well have claims on being the oldest reality show on television. For what you see are athletes on the edge. The pressure filled environment that the riders operate in occasionally causes eruptions and momentary explosions. This is what transpired at the end of Stage 11.
Stage 11 was flat and regulation until the last 20km. The cross winds caused panic as the pace increased towards the finish. The Saxo Bank team took up the pace making the run into town a frantic affair. The pace set by Fabian Cancellara was around 55kmph (Cancellara was pushing 550watts for the more technically minded of you).
The regularity ended when Julian Dean veered off his line and was rewarded for that move by Mark Renshaw who aimed a headbutt at him. The result was Renshaw being thrown off the Tour by the race officials. The Tour has had a history of head butts. Eric Zabel in 1997 and Robbie McEwen in 2205. Both these riders were relegated to last place on the day. Not expelled. The Renshaw case was simply a relegation not expulsion. The over zealous officials have got this one completely wrong. At the end of this Mark Cavendish clocked up win number 13 on the Tour.
Who's Hot
Mark Cavendish - Another flat stage and another win for the Manx Missile. He is amassing wins at will and has already surpassed sprinting great such as Robbie McEwen and his mentor Erik Zabel.
Team Saxo Bank - The Saxo train was brilliant and when they put the hammer down the bunch split into a million pieces. Cancellara's turn on the front was brutal.
Who's Not
The race officials - Calling Mark Renshaw's action dangerous was correct but the disqualification was an oversight. Of course the team of Farrar and Dean agreed but their sprinters have ben so inferior this season it lets them off the hook for the stage. When Farrar pushes Renshaw no comment was made about that. There is no precedent or reason to the decision. Pre Tour in Switzerland Cavendish brought down half the bunch in a sprint and was only fined 200 francs. Renshaw should have been relegated and fined and the matter left there.
Results of Stage 11
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia 4:42:29
2 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
3 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Transitions
4 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
5 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha
6 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
7 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
8 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
9 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
10 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram
General Classification (Yellow Jersey) after Stage 11
1 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 53:43:25
2 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 0:00:41
3 Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:02:45
4 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 0:02:58
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:03:31
6 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack 0:03:59
7 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 0:04:22
8 Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:04:41
9 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha 0:05:08
10 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 0:05:09
Points Classification (Green Jersey)
1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 161 pts
2 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 157
3 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 138
4 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia 132
5 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 122
Mountains Classification (polka Dot Jersey)
1 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 161 pts
2 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 157
3 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 138
4 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia 132
5 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 122
Comments (5)
by Matt, 16 July 2010I agree Phil, knee jerk. Disappointing for mine, to hear some of the talk (and footage) centered around the headbutting when it looks like clear self/team preservation.
by firstoffthebike's Phil Wrochna , 16 July 2010The only punishable infringement can be the deliberate movement offline in front of Farrar, which from what I can see from the footage, appears to be a blocking move out of frustration or protest in the heat of the moment against Garmin.
I don't believe there was any intent to harm from Renshaw, only to hinder, because you can see him move back on line when touched on the back by Farrar, so he obviously was not trying to ram him into the fence.
Again, I have to agree with Phil, knee jerk.
There's precedent to keep him in the race. What we saw was a reaction from the race officials that was knee jerk and not considered. Two guys can whack each other with their front wheels post stage and get away with it but this is deemed worthy of expulsion.. not a good call
by DukeLaw, 16 July 2010Three headbutts not one and then a deliberate hook unto Farrar. How are you going to punish a lead-off man anyway? Fair decision since he could have caused a nice pile-up at the end of a Tour stage.
by timmy b, 16 July 2010Ok apologies.. I thought Renshaw was DQ'd from the stage not the whole Tour. I think that decision could have gone either way. It was poor riding to deliberately move across Farrar's line, the headbutt look personally I didn't have a problem with that, part an parcel of sprinting. What I had a problem with was Renshaw deliberately crossing Farrar's line and nearly putting him into the fence. Paolo Bettini did it at the Giro d'Italia and it cost Baden Cooke a stage win. We saw what happened with Cavendish riding across the line into Haussler too. It's dangerous and needs to be stamped out. However, kicked out for the headbutt? I would agree that is bizzare.
by timmy b, 16 July 2010Renshaw lucky to be in the race after nearly putting Farrar into the barriers. You do what Renshaw did at a club race, you'll be on the sidelines for a month. A fair decision!