2011 Tour de France, Stage 10: Aurillac - Carmaux, 158 km

[dlwssonic]

I think he will attack on every mountain stage, and as he said the question is how desperate is he for time? I'd say he won't spend too much of his energy attacking in the Pyrenees, but if he goes into the Alps without gaining any/negligible time on the Schlecks, he has to keep attacking till he (or Schleck) cracks. I don't think he'd risk that on the Pyrenees.

Ofcourse, he may smoke everyone on Luz Ardiden and get a minute back and all this talk will be moot.

that will never never happen on thursday. this aint the giro. andys climbing ability is nearly as good as a top form contador. plus he has a injury and has fatigue. I think he wont be able to put a real good solo attack on thursday.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

I'm sure Greipel's fans and Cav's detractors were stoked to see that. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. That was a good win for Greipel and well deserved but it doesn't prove anything. Greipel got the better of him once, Chapeau. It doesn't put him on Cav's level just yet. All it does is intensify the rivalry.

Cavendish-27 GT stage wins (17 at Tour), 1 monument
Greipel-7 GT stage wins (1 at Tour), 0 monuments

 

[El Pistolero]

I'm sure Greipel's fans and Cav's detractors were stoked to see that. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. That was a good win for Greipel and well deserved but it doesn't prove anything. Greipel got the better of him once. Chapeau, but it doesn't put him on Cav's level just yet. All it does is intensify the rivalry.

Cavendish-27 GT stage wins (17 at Tour), 1 monument
Greipel-7 GT stage wins (1 at Tour), 0 monuments

Milan-San Remo is a monument?

 

[Jamsque]

The green jersey is going to be very interesting from here on out, I think Cavendish's 2nd today may prove crucial when all is said and done. He has a great chance to take the jersey tomorrow and the intermediate sprints on Thursday and Friday are before any real climbs so he could extend his lead there. Friday has a flat finish that comes after the Col d'Aubisque, I wouldn't be surprised to see Rojas get a bunch of points there and maybe even take the jersey away from Cav, and depending on how the climb is ridden (and how his form is on the serious mountains) Gilbert might even be up there.

Saturday has an early intermediate sprint just after a 2nd cat climb, anything could happen there, and then Sunday is another Cavendish stage. From then on there are two really tough stages that could see Gilbert and Rojas pick up a bunch of points if they can hang on to the finish and two MTFs before paris. It is going to be close.

 

[BM1979]

Schlecklet's form hasn't looked any better than Contador's, even he missed the split today, not a big deal though. Frank looks good but he is never going to threaten Contador on GC.

I think Frank is the Wild Card this year , Alberto still has to mark him, if they tag team him and isolate him , I feel the fatigue from the Giro will take it's toll.

Its only a couple of days until we get a true indication of how everyone is feeling

 

[auscyclefan94]

Milan-San Remo is a monument?

Sadly yes...

 

[sultanofhyd]

that will never never happen on thursday. this aint the giro. andys climbing ability is nearly as good as a top form contador. plus he has a injury and has fatigue. I think he wont be able to put a real good solo attack on thursday.

You can never rule anything out with Contador. There were similar doubts over his form in the Giro when he couldn't keep up with Scarponi in an uphill sprint. 2 days later he smoked everyone on the fairly innocuous climb of Etna. Ofcourse he has an injury to deal with, but I don't think its anywhere near as serious as its being made out to be.

 

[Jamsque]

Sadly yes...

Ahem. Are you sure you should be badmouthing it? Didn't an Aussie win this year?

 

[El Pistolero]

The green jersey is going to be very interesting from here on out, I think Cavendish's 2nd today may prove crucial when all is said and done. He has a great chance to take the jersey tomorrow and the intermediate sprints on Thursday and Friday are before any real climbs so he could extend his lead there. Friday has a flat finish that comes after the Col d'Aubisque, I wouldn't be surprised to see Rojas get a bunch of points there and maybe even take the jersey away from Cav, and depending on how the climb is ridden (and how his form is on the serious mountains) Gilbert might even be up there.

Saturday has an early intermediate sprint just after a 2nd cat climb, anything could happen there, and then Sunday is another Cavendish stage. From then on there are two really tough stages that could see Gilbert and Rojas pick up a bunch of points if they can hang on to the finish and two MTFs before paris. It is going to be close.

Nah, Cav has easily won this... Mountain stage is 20 points while easy boring stages are 45.... And only one intermediate sprint on a mountain. The rules are a joke.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Sorry, I fail to see how a heavier, taller rider expended less energy to finish. I don't buy that Griepel used so much less energy to be there. He was faster man on man, and I suspect that he is not the only one riding who is thus. Cav without Renshaw is a different man.

Yes, as we saw on the Champs Elysees, last year.
I'm not Cav fan.
Andre the Giant was quicker, today, but it's probably a one off.

 

[MartinGT]

I tell you what, I ****ing love our sport

 

[Sasquatch]

The green jersey is going to be very interesting from here on out, I think Cavendish's 2nd today may prove crucial when all is said and done. He has a great chance to take the jersey tomorrow and the intermediate sprints on Thursday and Friday are before any real climbs so he could extend his lead there. Friday has a flat finish that comes after the Col d'Aubisque, I wouldn't be surprised to see Rojas get a bunch of points there and maybe even take the jersey away from Cav, and depending on how the climb is ridden (and how his form is on the serious mountains) Gilbert might even be up there.
Saturday has an early intermediate sprint just after a 2nd cat climb, anything could happen there, and then Sunday is another Cavendish stage. From then on there are two really tough stages that could see Gilbert and Rojas pick up a bunch of points if they can hang on to the finish and two MTFs before paris. It is going to be close.

Yeah, that stage suits a break and the pace in the peloton will be small unless someone wants to try and make up time and then downhill to the finish after dropping some of the favourites. But still, the break by then would have a huge advantage anyway.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

I tell you what, I ****ing love our sport

+1

Arbitrary text

 

[DenisMenchov]

I tell you what, I ****ing love our sport

Don t we all?

 

[MartinGT]

Don t we all?

Well yes of course

 

[patrick767]

He doesn't have it in him anymore to contest and win the pancake flat finishes, and you can't win the jersey this year without being good on those. Cavendish was nowhere in any of the uphill finishes when Rojas and Gilbert were consistently picking up points but a couple of flat finishes and he is breathing down their necks and as someone said he could even take the jersey tomorrow.

Hushovd doesn't have it in him anymore to take the jersey under this year's rules.

Maybe, but I'm still not convinced. It's clear that Hushovd would have more points thus far if Vaughters had supported him. In the past he's also been good at picking up intermediate sprint points when a stage is too difficult for pure, flat stage sprinters. Unfortunately this year he's been mostly absent from the intermediates, perhaps because of team orders?

Cav could take the jersey tomorrow, but can he hold it? Gilbert may pull the points back on the intermediates of tougher stages, though I haven't studied the course layouts well enough to know how that looks from here on out.

 

[DenisMenchov]

It truly is something special.

 

[DenisMenchov]

Maybe, but I'm still not convinced. It's clear that Hushovd would have more points thus far if Vaughters had supported him. In the past he's also been good at picking up intermediate sprint points when a stage is too difficult for pure, flat stage sprinters. Unfortunately this year he's been mostly absent from the intermediates, perhaps because of team orders?

Cav could take the jersey tomorrow, but can he hold it? Gilbert may pull the points back on the intermediates of tougher stages, though I haven't studied the course layouts well enough to know how that looks from here on out.

Sprints are before tough climbs in Thursday and Friday.

 

[goggalor]

I can't get over how good those last 30 minutes were. This tour is awesome.

 

[JRanton]

Judging from the stage standings, Cav did very well to be there at the finish and that effort will clearly have affected his sprint. No drama. Cav will win easily tomorrow.

 

[Carl0880]

Nah, Cav has easily won this... Mountain stage is 20 points while easy boring stages are 45.... And only one intermediate sprint on a mountain. The rules are a joke.

The one thing not to rule out is if Gilbert gets into a breakaway on a Mtn stage. Will Martin/Velits be close enough on the GT so Cavendish's team doesn't want to be on the front chasing Gilbert down. Will it be on a stage that starts with a climb where most of Cav's team won't be in the peleton. If this tour goes like last year, maybe Gilbert will get in a breakaway that stays till the end. Philippe has seemed to be very aggressive in this Tour, so none of this is outside of the realm of possibility.

I have not looked to far ahead to see all the profiles, but we will see.

 

[patrick767]

You can never rule anything out with Contador. There were similar doubts over his form in the Giro when he couldn't keep up with Scarponi in an uphill sprint. 2 days later he smoked everyone on the fairly innocuous climb of Etna. Ofcourse he has an injury to deal with, but I don't think its anywhere near as serious as its being made out to be.

Basso, quoted twodays ago, agrees with you. “I think that the sensations up to now don’t count for much because we haven’t really had very many climbs, just a lot of stress.”

 

[goggalor]

Hushovd doesn't have it in him anymore to take the jersey under this year's rules.

I think that's BS. He is what, 60 points behind Gilbert now? And that's without competing in any of the 9 intermediate sprints so far, and sitting up on the stage Lulu won (although Gilbert could also have a lot more points today, only Cav and Rojas have had clear runs at the jersey). If he had the go-ahead from Vaughters, I'm sure he'd be up there with Rojas, Cav and Gilbert.

 

[lancaster]

the tour making its flat stages "giroesque" being the year we have interesting flat stages.

coincidence?

 

[Bavarianrider]

Hushovd gave away the green jersey. If he had had a go in all the sprints he would have been in a good position know.