2011 Tour de France Stage 16 (18/7/2011): Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Gap, 162.5km

[Damiano]

Personally I hope for Knees og de Gendt to take the victory in a breakaway.

 

[Moviefan1203]

I'm hoping for Tejay Van Garderen to make a surprise attack and take the stage.

That would be a dream for me, but I'm pretty sure he has to look after Velits through the final week. He'll be told to conserve his energy to protect Velits' 16th possession.

 

[Parrulo]

That would be a dream for me, but I'm pretty sure he has to look after Velits through the final week. He'll be told to conserve his energy to protect Velits' 16th possession.

i don't see it happening simply because he doesn't has the strength anymore. last year in the vuelta he bonked completely mid way through the second week. i highly doubt that less then 1 year after he will have the strength to this kind of attack in the middle of the third week.

 

[Mambo95]

You do wonder sometimes about the punters who are giving the bookies their odds. For a stage that's uphill the entire way Contador & Andy Schleck are both 80/1, Frank no even listed down to 200s yet Cavendish is at 40/1.

It's uphill all the way at a gradient of about 0.8% for most of it and the favourites are unlikely to make a move on this stage.

It'll be won from a breakaway. Nobody can be bothered to chase.

 

[Sylvester]

God what I would give for Zubeldia to win this from a break and sneak into the top 10. Very unlikely, though

 

[Arnout]

Oh this is very very bad news.

He only says that since the system is changed, he now basically has to be quicker at the top of the last climb than Vanendert to take the jersey. So it is a possibility but he won't actively chase the points.

 

[velosiped]

Breakaway it is. The marked men will not be allowed to go. Isn't this the stage Haussler would have won if he was here?
HTC will put Martin or Goss there. Others might be Oss, Chavanel, Miller, Thomas/Gerrans, Roelandts, Roux and Casar.
How healthy is Flecha? Is Terpstra ready for another try? Or Thor?
Leukemans might have something up his sleeve.

 

[greenedge]

Goss, Thor, EBH and Rojas will be desperate to win the stage. Gilbert will attack though. Also Cav will get popped but could he descend back in???? Not if Gilbert attacks.

 

[Gubby Allen]

It's uphill all the way at a gradient of about 0.8% for most of it and the favourites are unlikely to make a move on this stage.

It'll be won from a breakaway. Nobody can be bothered to chase.

The odds of the climbers seem about right to me but Cav (and Griepel) being half that surprise me. Pettachi is very low odds too, but that's likely via a breakaway.

Has Cavendish any chance at all tomorrow then?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Either Zubeldia or Leipheimer will find themselves in this break. I would expect LL. Sanchez to be there too. Gilbert will surely have a go if the peloton is close to the break. Sky will be in the break, likely with Boasson-Hagen.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

The odds of the climbers seem about right to me but Cav (and Griepel) being half that surprise me. Pettachi is very low odds too, but that's likely via a breakaway.

Has Cavendish any chance at all tomorrow then?

No. He might get to the Cat 2 at the end, but there's no way he's holding on there. I think he'll want to pick up a few at the intermediate and then save as much energy as possible.

 

[Mambo95]

Has Cavendish any chance at all tomorrow then?

Not really. 40/1 seems too short to me, but that's probably because someone's put some money on (maybe they expect a repeat of stage 19 2009 - I don't though).

I can't see beyond a breakaway personally.

 

[Archibald]

Watch the forum explode if someone tries to neutralize the stage on the descent.

voeckler being in the malliot juane being the only one, and he has no other GC teammate that his DS will want to do that for, so somewhat unlikely

EBH from the break or Gilbert off the descent
would love to see Rojas take the intermediate and the stage win

 

[El Pistolero]

He only says that since the system is changed, he now basically has to be quicker at the top of the last climb than Vanendert to take the jersey. So it is a possibility but he won't actively chase the points.

I hope Vanendert gets the 8 points on tomorrow's stage.

Although looking at the past winners of the KoM, maybe it's better to let Samu win

 

[PedalCastro]

Jeremy Roy will be in the break away!

 

[El Pistolero]

I think Thomas de Gendt will finally show him self.

 

[Wergeland]

Goss, Thor, EBH and Rojas will be desperate to win the stage. Gilbert will attack though. Also Cav will get popped but could he descend back in???? Not if Gilbert attacks.

Isn't Goss ill? Or is he better now?

 

[Wiggins_fan]

Johnny will take this one.

 

[Jeanne]

Johnny will take this one.

+1 I'd be cheering for him and of course, for Chavanel even if I'm the only one. And I have little hope he's gonna win a stage this year...but, who knows?

 

[Sem Travões]

Tomorrow it will be Schak attack day, I wouldn't be surprised if even Levi tried to, now that it will a attack to be seen

 

[Jux1893]

Paulinho to win from the break.

 

[Swede1]

If Gilbert attacks at the top of the climb and gets 8 seconds on the peloton, he won't get caught. Lotto would have to chase all day for him to have a chance at winning though..

 

[Gingerale]

tyler ferrar. that was not a good post race interview.

he's *****d off the missle. angry cavendish might fly up hill now.

 

[Sidbike]

Yep. That's the way to do it.

 

[Sidbike]

Voeckler entering into alliance with Gilbert, giving him the stage in return for time on the yellow?

I like your prediction.