TNT1

Again, Ballan leads the way.

More cobblestones: the paterberg! 16:03:46 CEST Ballan, Boonen and Pozzato are working well togehter on this narrow lane. 16:02:58 CEST Paolini is really driving along and is now only 7 seconds back. But using up a lot of power along the way...

A group of 10-15 are now 14 seconds behind the trio. Luca Paolini jumps to try to catch them.

Some major gaps developing. Pozzato and Boonen have now caught Ballan.

Pozzatto and Boonen aren't happy with this development and take off in chase.

Ballan is building up a nice little lead.

Ballan leaps into the lead and bounces his way up the cobbles.

15:57:23 CEST 2200m long, with 1500m cobbles, and a few really steep sections. 15:56:48 CEST We are approaching the Kwaremont again. 19km remaining from 256km 15:56:17 CEST Burghardt is now nearly to the two leaders, with the field a few seconds behind him. 15:55:21 CEST The chase group has now caught the Boonen group. Marcus Burghardt of BMC leads the chase of the two leaders now.

Boonen sends Terpstra up the road. Boonen really does not what to come to the finish line with all these people around him, he wants his teammates to help dump them all.

15:52:28 CEST They have a 13 second gap to leader Jerome. The Sky-led field its at 33 seconds. 15:51:54 CEST The lead group is: Matteo Tosatto (Team Saxo Bank), Alessandro Ballan (BMC), Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky), Jacopo Guarnieri (Astana), Luca Paolini (Team Katusha), Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale), Sep Vanmarcke (Garmin-Barracuda) and Vincent Jerome (Team Europcar) 15:49:35 CEST Jerome slurps down a power gel, to give him the extra energy to get away. Must be working, he now has 20 seconds.

Jerome is pulling away, with 17 seconds on the Boonen group, the field at 45 seconds. Terpstra tries to jump from the Boonen gropu, takes Chavanel and a few others with him.

Didn't read em all yet, and this is a pointless recurring thread which will be deleted/merged with the rest soon enough... I was just walking the dogs and buying some chicken livers for dinner or I'd have gotten rid of it already. Point is, I posted both pics before, and no one said a peep...

Nope, EBH/Gatto have been absorbed by the chasing field. They are getting close enough to make Boonen nervous.

It looks as if he has 10 seconds on the Boonen group, with EBH and Gatto at 40 seconds.

It looks like our group is: Tosatto, Ballan, Boonen, Chavanel, Terpstra, Flecha, Guarnieri, Paolini, Sagan, Vanmarcke, and Jerome. The latter has now taken off and has a small lead.

Flecha hits the front as the Paterberg begins, but the real drama is behind, as there is a crash in the main group. Vansummeren hit the barrieres and a number of riders were caught up including Sagan and Breschel. Boonen, Terpstra, Chavanel and Pozzato avoided the fall and are leading the pursuit of the leaders.

Paolini looks to get clear of that select group ahead of the Paterberg, and he brings Flecha and Pichot clear with him. The trio has 6 seconds over a group of around 20 riders as they approach the base of the climb.

Posted this before with no warning, so that would be odd to get one now?http://www.lowbird.com/data/images/2011/07/wordpress-awjeeznotthisshitagain.jpg

Christian Knees is now trying to string things out in the main group. Sky have been quite active today, even before Cancellara's crash, with Hayman particularly impressive.

14:23:18 CEST Our Topsport rider in the break has popped as we hit the Kwaremont for the first time today. The bunch are 1:47 behind. Farrar sets the pace.

14:18:55 CEST Katusha, Astana, Rabobank all pressing on the front of the bunch, trying to get the best position before we hit the Kwaremont. Watch where Klier goes, he knows these road so well. Teammates call him Satnav. 14:17:00 CEST Maes brings Boonen back to the bunch. Not sure what the problem was there for the former world champion.

http://theaxemen.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/ayecarumbaoj3.jpg?w=230&h=300

14:15:44 CEST 81km left and the gap is 2:40 14:14:41 CEST Team bosses can complain about safety and radios all they want, but really, some of them drive like idiots.

Noob.