2011 Tour De France Stage 17 (20/7/2011): Gap > Pinerolo, 179km

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Mollema has dissapeared from the lead group.
Weird

I suspect he will cross the finish like any second now...

 

[Dedelou]

Hell of a lot of buildings in Sestriere for a population of 886!

each of the families own at least two buildings: One hotel and one apartment for rental.. The rest is mostly barns for night life

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Hoogerland really is a terrible descender. Omg.

 

[Carl0880]

Starting to look really good for Perez for the stage win, which for as aggressive as he has been the last 4 years, he deserves it.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Hoogerland really is a terrible descender. Omg.

netherlands is the colombia os 21st century in downhil

ten dam, gesink, thomas dekker, clement, hoogerland, my god

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

1'30...

These dudes in the break are not realising Perez is winning this.

 

[Dedelou]

HE is referring to the Basque country, which is where Euskatel is from. Basque is the northern mountainous region of Spain, they consider themselves seperate from SPain .

Euska -tel.. is the phone company for Euskadi .. (the word for Basque in Basque language). Although all of them are Spaniards , not all of the riders in the Team are Basque. PS: The Basque region extend to a region in France with several cities.

 

[Maxiton]

I have to say, I keep noticing that Voeckler looks entirely comfortable in yellow, like he was born wearing it.

 

[GroupDK]

A stage win !! (what is this)

Yesterday was an interesting stage, only thanks to contador, otherwise it would likely just have been another stage where the rest of peloton had been rolling to finish.

But a shame how so many stages just are being neutrlizing and gived away to a an early break and that will also take some of the motivation from the favorites when the stage win is already gone.

a joke..

Cant blame europcar, this is offcourse perfect for them, and my hats off to have they have handle it so fare..

 

[rhubroma]

The most frustrating thing is when you look at the map and at km 138 it says "Fennestrelle 1163m". Fennestrele reminds me a lot of the mountain that lies 1km to its North.

I know they might not be bothered to go 300km into Italy to do the Zoncolan for example, but the Colle delle Finnestre is right there.

Its right there!!!!

I can't believe how terrible this Tour is.

The Pyrenees were a huge letdown. We're in the second day in the Alps and they select climbs like these, with a finish after a technical descent.

The most exciting moment of the Tour so far was yesterday's last hill and treacherous decent.

At least the next three days should be good, but this race says volumes about the lack of imagination the race organizers have. And given the lessons the Giro and Vuelta have provided, it makes me wonder if theirs is pure insolence?

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Where is ferminal? Roche is coming back.

 

[Parrulo]

so 17 k till the start of the climb for perez . . . .

 

[jobiwan]

I have to say, I keep noticing that Voeckler looks entirely comfortable in yellow, like he was born wearing it.

That's because Europcar rides at a snail's pace, and BMC, Saxo, Leopard, Liquigas are content to do nothing.

Although with this stage, having anyone of the favorites attack before the Pramartino was a bit of a dream. A good dream, but a dream none the less.

 

[Dedelou]

I have to say, I keep noticing that Voeckler looks entirely comfortable in yellow, like he was born wearing it.

Come to think of it .. He has spent almost 17 days in Yellow if you add the last time. Has anybody in this year's tour worn the jersey more than that?

 

[MartinGT]

HE is referring to the Basque country, which is where Euskatel is from. Basque is the northern mountainous region of Spain, they consider themselves seperate from SPain .

Then its a Basque? Not a Bask?

Which, is what he was referring too I guess?

 

[Carl0880]

this is getting to be little redundant, but we are going down a HC climb with the peleton being led by one of the worse climbing sprinters, Farrar. Tells you how little racing their has been

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

so 17 k till the start of the climb for perez . . . .

He has the stage won imho.

 

[MartinGT]

Whos the best climber out of the front group?

 

[Carl0880]

Come to think of it .. He has spent almost 17 days in Yellow if you add the last time. Has anybody in this year's tour worn the jersey more than that?

Cancellara has 21 days,

 

[Hawkwood]

this is getting to be little redundant, but we are going down a HC climb with the peleton being led by one of the worse climbing sprinters, Farrar. Tells you how little racing their has been

It could be worse, Andy could have been leading them down!

 

[Parrulo]

He has the stage won imho.

ya shouldn't have a problem keeping the second group away

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

He has the stage won imho.

Only if the break continue to sit there picking their noses. There are a lot of them. The "descent" is very shallow at the end. If they work they should reel him in. If they don't, their teams should take them out behind a shed and shoot them.

 

[Connor Pass]

Starting to lose time now - down to 1.14 from about 1.35

I think he'll get caught.

 

[Dedelou]

Cancellara has 21 days,

thanks .. I forgot about Fabian

 

[Maxiton]

That's because Europcar rides at a snail's pace, and BMC, Saxo, Leopard, Liquigas are content to do nothing.

Although with this stage, having anyone of the favorites attack before the Pramartino was a bit of a dream. A good dream, but a dream none the less.

Nope. He looks that way all the time, fast, slow, descending, climbing - like he owns the jersey and plans to keep it. Agree about the dream, though. But when the attacks do come, I think (hope) they'll be decisive.