Tour de France Stage 15: Givors - Mont Ventoux 242.5km aka The beginning of the End

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Mar 13, 2007
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Saved for @Freakie's awesome preview. Just chuck it in and I will move it up here.

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Mar 13, 2007
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This will be a brutal, tough day as it is freaking hot over there. Winds will tell the story of the stage, if there is a headwind on Ventoux I can't see any GC gaps happening as it is just too hard to get an advantage. Hoping for some Contador and Quintana magic tonight, after some Agar domination! I don't think the break will stay away, as Movistar will probably shut it down and hope for a stage win, or if a French team misses the break they might do the work. GC guys may have to attack early, as the top is so exposed when the wind is going the wrong way there is no point. As they won't have to descend, this may be Quintana and Pinot's best chance.

Respect this climb.
 

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alfy!

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Bastille Day! Good luck to the Frenchies on this stage, although apart from a couple (Rolland, Pinot) I can't see them having any success.

Longest stage of this years Tour and with a lovely HC climb of Mont Ventoux to finish it off. Going to be fun.
 
Sep 12, 2007
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Seems like the sort of stage where Froome might take a huge lead (especially given his ride on the Ax-3) or if Contador, Mollema or Kreuziger can mount a big attack one of them might even take the yellow tonight. Apologies if this is stating the obvious but with a little noob enthusiasm this seems like THE stage to watch!!
 
Seems like the sort of stage where Froome might take a huge lead (especially given his ride on the Ax-3) or if Contador, Mollema or Kreuziger can mount a big attack one of them might even take the yellow tonight. Apologies if this is stating the obvious but with a little noob enthusiasm this seems like THE stage to watch!!
Could be. Stage 18 will be amazing as long as Froome doesn't extend his lead too much. I'm much more pumped about stage 18 than tonight.
 
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The only reason I can think of would be if the team ordered him to defend his GC position. Really hoping for him and Contador to go beserk tonight and take a chunk out of Froome to beautifully set up the final week. After Agar I believe in the miraculous!
 

dart

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the reason they stop at the top is because of the awesome mixed lolly shoppe:

jmqx.jpg


i'm not ashamed to say i spent 12EUR on lollies when i got to the top.


ok maybe a little ashamed :oops:

cannot wait for tonight, am hoping for one of a few things to happen:

a successful breakaway of 20 riders, all non-GC threats, who then duke it out on the climb, mano-a-mano-a-mano (x20)

a contador (or someone) special like on verbier where he put time into everyone, bringing the GC back to within a few seconds, or maybe even him taking the yellow

something else which results in froome losing the jersey
 

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Freakie

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Thanks Shane, been at the block for 8hrs and still not home. Going to need a shitload of red bull to stay up!
 

crazyman27

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I really can't see anything else happening except Froome gunning it up Ventoux to extend his lead again (or just following all the moves from other GC guys). Just like Wiggins, he will never leave his saddle and lose no time. Stage win to Rolland, he can climb the big ones and it's Frenchie day.
 
Tonight's stage is one where do I really give a s**t about the first 222 kms? Its all about the last 20 kms.

I think TDF race director Christian Prudhomme is a sadistic prick for making them ride so far before the final climb.
 
Tonight's stage is one where do I really give a s**t about the first 222 kms? Its all about the last 20 kms.

I think TDF race director Christian Prudhomme is a sadistic prick for making them ride so far before the final climb.
Apparently the ASO or the UCI (or maybe both) have a rule where the maximum length for a stage in a GT is 240km. They seemed to have missed this point today though.
 
Its almost a blessing in disguise the the final 20km will be the best part tonight. Hopefully the cricket will be over by then :)

My H2H's for tonight
De Clerq vs Cunego @ $1.48
J-Rod vs D. Martin @ $1.45
Fuglsang vs JC Peraud @ $1.50
 

seanoff

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Tonight's stage is one where do I really give a s**t about the first 222 kms? Its all about the last 20 kms.

I think TDF race director Christian Prudhomme is a sadistic prick for making them ride so far before the final climb.
Just about every Ventoux stage ever held has been this sort of brutality.

Long, sort of flat ride across the masif central and then Ventoux. Very occassionally they let them go down the other side, but not often.
 

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