Tour de France 2015

[phantom13]

I thought Sagan, Albasini and Gerro seemed like good bets, looks like a short classics sort of day. Valverde is the clear cut favourite but given how far back Quintana is already wont he have to close ranks?

 

[Sasquatch]

I thought Sagan, Albasini and Gerro seemed like good bets, looks like a short classics sort of day. Valverde is the clear cut favourite but given how far back Quintana is already wont he have to close ranks?

The climb doesn't suit Quintana, Froome, Contador, Nibali etc so Valverde will get the go ahead unless he doesn't have the legs. This is not a climb you can use a bunch of team-mates on. It's all men for themselves once they hit it and the explosive guys will take the win so it suits the types of riders you mentioned above. Too steep for Gerrans. He's never performed on this climb before. Too steep for Sagan too. Albasini a real good shot.

D Martin, Valverde, Albasini, Rodriguez, Arredondo or Uran is winning the stage tonight. I doubt anyone else can beat one of those blokes.

 

[Fitzey]

Any chance of a breakaway going for the long range victory? Or even attempting to go on the break?

 

[monty1104]

Any chance of a breakaway going for the long range victory? Or even attempting to go on the break?

Someone will, but Movistar will make sure it's closed down before the last 2 climbs.

 

[monty1104]

I thought Sagan, Albasini and Gerro seemed like good bets, looks like a short classics sort of day. Valverde is the clear cut favourite but given how far back Quintana is already wont he have to close ranks?

Valverde will pull rank for sure on this stage. For 20 stages he will help Quintana. Tonight is for him.

 

[Hellgood]

Last nights stage was great viewing. Even better because of the early start/finish!

Like the majority, feel tonight is a huge opportunity for Valverde. Kwiatkowski hasn't been in the best of form of late, but he would have to be a chance as well?

 

[Vader]

Thinking Valverde and Purito are the two biggest contenders for this stage.

 

[Sasquatch]

Any chance of a breakaway going for the long range victory? Or even attempting to go on the break?

Nah, Katusha won't let it go. Rodriguez lost time and is suited to this climb so he will want bonus seconds to try and catch up. He knows that the big 4 won't finish top 3 on this stage so it's a good chance to claw back a few seconds. Then you have Movistar who want it for Valverde and obviously GreenEDGE who are setting it up for Albasini.

There will be a bunch of attacks on the penultimate climb and Tim Wellens will be one of them. If a bunch of them get away they could hold on but it's highly doubtful. We have 4 teams who believe they can win the stage today with their selected riders.

 

[monty1104]

I think they're passing through someone's home town tonight. You reckon Paul and Phil might give it a passing mention?

 

[Papa Juggs]

Thought I was tuning in late but looks like it's early.

Looks like a small break that will get pulled in soon enough.

 

[Vader]

Thought I was tuning in late but looks like it's early.

Looks like a small break that will get pulled in soon enough.

SBS are starting the coverage much earlier this year. Stages are still scheduled to finish at the same time though - around 1:30am EST.

Previously they used to join the coverage with around 120km to go before the end of the stage. This year they're actually going from the pre-race and neutralised sections of the race. We get to see every single minute of the race this year, if we're sufficiently masochistic to put up with their talking heads and Gabriel Gate rubbish.

 

[Papa Juggs]

Ah so that's what's going on. That's good if you want to see all the chateaus lol

Break is now opening up a bigger gap. Peleton being lazy.

 

[monty1104]

Ah so that's what's going on. That's good if you want to see all the chateaus lol

Break is now opening up a bigger gap. Peleton being lazy.

Love it. More time for #trolldj.

 

[Vader]

Thinking back to last year, I wonder if Nibali is expecting to pick up some time on the cobblestones tomorrow? Last year he gained 2:35 on Contador on the cobbled stage - Froome pulled out that day, without having even reached the first of the cobbled sectors. The weather conditions this year are a lot better than they were last year - the cobblestones shouldn't be too wet & slippery. Stage 2 had the echelons, Stage 4 has the cobblestones. This year's race really does have everything.

 

[Papa Juggs]

Gap smashed by over a minute in no time. They just wanted lunch

 

[monty1104]

Thinking back to last year, I wonder if Nibali is expecting to pick up some time on the cobblestones tomorrow? Last year he gained 2:35 on Contador on the cobbled stage - Froome pulled out that day, without having even reached the first of the cobbled sectors. The weather conditions this year are a lot better than they were last year - the cobblestones shouldn't be too wet & slippery. Stage 2 had the echelons, Stage 4 has the cobblestones. This year's race really does have everything.

I was thinking that today actually. You'd think Nibali would have a go at getting some time. Of the "big 4", Nibali is most likely to lose time on the TTT so he really needs to get time wherever he can.

 

[Donakebab]

That looked brutal. Shitloads down all mangled in a pile. Cancellara down. Did someone go flying into a ditch on the other side of the road?

 

[monty1104]

Cancellara down. Massive crash

 

[rippersnipper]

Holy *

 

[monty1104]

Pretty sure Cancellara tried to go off road and went over his handlebars.

Race neutralised. That FDJ rider did not look in good shape.

 

[Papa Juggs]

Neautalization but released just then.

 

[rippersnipper]

Cancellara gets back on his bike and they let them go again, wow hahaha

 

[monty1104]

Christian Pruddhomme doing his best big bird impression in the car.

Tom Dumoulin abandons.

 

[Papa Juggs]

The riders are throwing hands up like wtf?

 

[monty1104]

I don't think I've ever seen a race actually stopped like this.