2011 Tour de France, Stage 12: Cugnaux - Luz-Ardiden, 209 km

[b.broadhurst]

Contador will be happy to take back a minute on AS on the TT, I think his TT has got better this year!!

 

[Publicus]

It's a very nervous night for all of us Evans fans but we must all have faith. Stay strong ACF94, Cadel will do well tonight. He has a little aura about him this year. If you look carefully you can see a faint glow around him as he rides.

I see you've started drinking again.

 

[Sasquatch]

Bruyneel expects Klöden to drop because he still has lower back pain. He says Leipheimer is perhaps their best bet right now.

Leipheimer? lol.

RadioShack are in deep ****.

 

[Ramira]

Interesting, both Bruyneel and Riis saying that Evans will be in yellow tonight. Not sure about Bruyneel but I doubt Riis really believes Frank and Andy can't take 3 and 11 seconds respectively on Evans.

 

[brollebol]

Bruyneel expects Klöden to drop because he still has lower back pain. He says Leipheimer is perhaps their best bet right now.

Too bad, I was hoping for Kloden to do well. Also I was hoping for Leipheimer to get dropped like a stone on every climb...

 

[Campionissimo]

I'm very curious about the time of the favorites on the climb to Luz-Ardiden. The climb is comparable with the Alpe d' Huez, maybe a little less hard. But the road on Luz-Ardiden is quite bad, and Alpe d' Huez is good tarmac. Does anyone know the climb time of Armstrong in 2003?

About the race: hopefully we see a attack of Moncoutie. He definitely has the skills to close this gap on the Hourquette d'Ancizan and Tourmalet.

 

[b.broadhurst]

15km for the break or peloton?

The break so about 18km for the peloton

 

[sublimit]

Lars Bak or Danny Pate could do the work of 20 Europcar riders. They're wasting their time as they dont have the horsepower.

Its not like the break is going quick either.

 

[just some guy]

15km for the break or peloton?

ACF BMC moving to the front Bet they take the pace setting up - Just for you so you don´t get angry

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

what energy? they are basically standing still

nice one.

40km might not be flying, but it all accumulates latter on.

--
@acf - breakaway
http://gaps.letour.fr/us.php

 

[Publicus]

I'll be glad when we get out of this neutral zone. This pace is killing me.

 

[Bala Verde]

Riis ideal scenario is that Alberto wins alone.

He does have a plan, but doesn't really disclose anything, only that he wants Contador to follow and if he feels good, he should attack

During th 2m interview he basically didn't say anything

Oh and he said it's time for Evans to finally take yellow.

 

[Sasquatch]

Looking at it if Moncoutie wanted to win the stage today he would be in the breakaway. I know he has the form to bridge to the escape group but he should really be in the break. The only way Moncoutie wins from here is if Cofidis ramp a high pace up, eliminate half the peloton, eliminate as many domestiques as they can, Moncoutie goes on an attack, gets a gap of 5 minutes by the final climb and hold on as there will be no one in the peloton to chase hard as they would have been eliminated.

 

[sultanofhyd]

I'm very curious about the time of the favorites on the climb to Luz-Ardiden. The climb is comparable with the Alpe d' Huez, maybe a little less hard. But the road on Luz-Ardiden is quite bad, and Alpe d' Huez is good tarmac. Does anyone know the climb time of Armstrong in 2003?

About the race: hopefully we see a attack of Moncoutie. He definitely has the skills to close this gap on the Hourquette d'Ancizan and Tourmalet.

Someone posted it earlier in the thread, Armstrong 35"30s~ and Mayo 36"10s~ or somewhere around that.

 

[b.broadhurst]

Anybody think BMC has used too much energy in the first week? No support for Evans in mountains?

 

[auscyclefan94]

nice one.

40km might not be flying, but it all accumulates latter on.

--
@acf - breakaway
http://gaps.letour.fr/us.php

thanks timmy!

 

[Woody22]

I see you've started drinking again.

Publicus, you are one funny guy. If you supported Evans you would easily be my favourite poster.

 

[Ramira]

Riis ideal scenario is that Alberto wins alone.

He does have a plan, but doesn't really disclose anything, only that he wants Contador to follow and if he feels good, he should attack

During th 2m interview he basically didn't say anything

Oh and he said it's time for Evans to finally take yellow.

He really didn't say anything surprising. He doesn't want to disclose how good/bad Contador is and he will never say he expects AS to take the yellow

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Anybody think BMC has used too much energy in the first week? No support for Evans in mountains?

probably doesn't matter how much energy they used they were no gonna be a force in the mountains.

 

[sultanofhyd]

Bunch has passed the feedzone so around 17 km to the sprint.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

It's a very nervous night for all of us Evans fans but we must all have faith. Stay strong ACF94, Cadel will do well tonight. He has a little aura about him this year. If you look carefully you can see a faint glow around him as he rides.

For what do Evans fans have to be nervous? Worst case scenario he drops a minute.
And that's the worst case scenario

Try to be a Gesink fan and have no idea how he will go after his back injury. It's agonizing as hell. If it goes well a party, if it goes bad it's a disaster and we'll talk about Vuelta plans already

 

[Contre la montre]

I'm very curious about the time of the favorites on the climb to Luz-Ardiden. The climb is comparable with the Alpe d' Huez, maybe a little less hard. But the road on Luz-Ardiden is quite bad, and Alpe d' Huez is good tarmac. Does anyone know the climb time of Armstrong in 2003?

.

I seem to recall that Armostrong holds the record with 35.35. Mayo second best in 36. and a bit.

 

[Sasquatch]

Anybody think BMC has used too much energy in the first week? No support for Evans in mountains?

Evans doesn't have the team to support him in the mountains.

 

[sultanofhyd]

For what do Evans fans have to be nervous? Worst case scenario he drops a minute.
And that's the worst case scenario

Try to be a Gesink fan and have no idea how he will go after his back injury. It's agonizing as hell. If it goes well a party, if it goes bad it's a disaster and we'll talk about Vuelta plans already

And what about Contador fans? Grueling Giro, knee injury, 1 and a half minute down, desperate to make up time, weak team etc

 

[b.broadhurst]

Evans doesn't have the team to support him in the mountains.

His team is designed to give him more help in the mountains not sure it will happen though!!