TOC stage 4

Anyone else as gobsmacked as I am that, in the land where they basically invented the internet *California*, the AMGEN website can be so utterly shite at producing stage results? I mean, WTF are they thinking?

I have checked their website in the morning, hours after the end of the race, and they still haven't put the results for that stage up. I'm sorry, but that is utter incompetence. I have had to look at and rely on wikipedia to get an idea of what has happened in the Top 10.

I will say one thing. I think the UK, and Europe, has embraced the internet as a source of information more than than the USA. Giro, TdF and Vuelta results go up quicker. FFS!

1,2,3,4 how did you manage that!!! shows how bad my performance is!! hopefully tomorrow will be a good day

The day I finally get rid of Boivin, he finishes in the top 10... but I shouldn't really complain seeing as a got 1,2,3,4 today.

P.S. Dave, if you're reading this, can you check your email please.

Sagan, Haussler, Matthews, Boonen, Kluge (then i know Howard was 9th, Mondory 10th)

Another less than impressive day

The big question is, is it a risk to drop sagan tomorrow?

Am I right in saying the category of the climb doesn't affect the number of mountain points scored? Therefore as 5 riders score points, you still get 5 for first in a cat 1 and cat 4?

Cyclingnews says that Talansky has abandoned. That is unfortunate if it's true.

EDIT: They corrected that it was Nocentini who abandoned. OK, I'm much better with that

Crumbs... do you think if I ask Garmin nicely they'll send Tyler Farrar over ther.... actually, nah, Farrar'd just fall over half way round.

Apparently climbing in 90 degree heat is hard. 5 riders have abandoned and we're not 50 miles in.

...and i got rid of howes. . . so he's in the break today.
If i had stayed purist, i'd have more points. . . I think. I think they are approaching an even flater bit as i type

err, drheaton, believe me its flat as a dutch pancake, with a downhill finish . . . so you need pure sprinters with a leadout train . . . ISH

No idea what today even looks like, is it the same again?

Currently got:

Horner
LL Sanchez
Sagan
Haussler

Talansky
Nocentini
Howard
Salas
Rodriguez

Made a couple of changes

Stage Date of transfer Rider in Rider out
123 May 16, 11:50 Pieter Weening Rinaldo Nocentini
123 May 16, 11:50 Fabio Duarte Levi Leipheimer
123 May 16, 11:50 Tejay van Garderen Chris Horner

Peter Sagan (LIQ)
Tejay van Garderen (BMC)
Fabio Duarte (COL)
Luis Leon Sanchez (RAB)
Pieter Weening (GRE)
Christophe Riblon (ALM)
Maarten Tjallingii (RAB)
Roger Kluge (ARG)
Ken Hanson (OPT)

Crap, forgot to make my transfers, stupid America and their stupid local time...

Changed my mind and brought in Boily for the break - 7 KOM climbs in the first two-thirds of the stage today. Fingers crossed...

ToC has been atrocious for me so far, so not much hope here. I subbed in two guys who I don't understand why they were on my team I still haven't figured on Haussler, so he's guaranteed to finish top 3 again...

Only two subs for the ITT, but I don't think I'll need more than that... given, it's all a loss anyway at this point.

Horner
Sagan
Nibali
Hincapie

Durbridge
Talansky
Howes
Bookwalter
Howard

Got rid of Cummings for tonight, and brought in a time triallist that i had nevber heard of, so hoping to get pts for him that few others get.....he rode for Discovery in 2007

Well my team currently sits like this
(and my ToC is already ruined)

Sagan
Haussler
LL Sanchez
Van Garderen

Talansky
Meyer
Bouet
Howard
Atapuma

So not making any transfers for this stage

4 then for the ITT, where I will axe Sagan, Haussler, Sanchez and Howard. With those transfers setting me up nicely for 6 and 7, maybe a transfer or 2 before 6 to change out one of my TT guys and Bouet. Then no transfers between 6 and 7, so I can then make 4 transfers ready for the sprint

Sounds so straight forward, but the fact I didnt quite get my team right from stage 1 has left me behind the game. All about not loosing ground in the overall at the moment. Similar in my messed up Giro team, but at least I still have a bit of time with that one

Made one transfer per stage the last couple of days, already fairly well set for the rest of the week (have Horner, LL Sanchez and Talansky) so might not use all of my 4 transfers tomorrow.

Lots of KOM points on offer for whoever's in the break, but with the last KOM still 70km from the finish, its tough to see past Sagan again right?

As I'm sure most people have done, I've saved 4 transfers for tomorrow, so its all about choosing the right TT and climbing guys...

I know the stages have been fairly similar so far, but I've really enjoyed watching it, a fascinating change to the European races.