2011 Tour de Suisse, Stage 3: Brig-Glis - Grindelwald, 107.6 km

[jobiwan]

Only 108 kms, Stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse packs quite a punch.

With climbs up the Grimsel Pass and Grosse Scheidegg, its again going to be a climber who claims victory after a 10 km descent to Grindelwald!

Top 15 GC:

1 Juan Mauricio Soler (Col) Movistar Team 4:33:19
2 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:00:16
3 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:22
4 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad 0:00:27
5 Frank Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:00:31
6 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 0:00:38
7 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Katusha Team 0:00:39
8 Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:00:52
9 Chris Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:01:02
10 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:01:05
11 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:06
12 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:08
13 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek 0:01:26
14 Francis De Greef (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:01:30
15 Johann Tschopp (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:01:33

Map:

Profile:

 

[Moondance]

I think we can safely say that Soler won't be winning this one

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Hopefully, given the poor descending calibre of the GC opposition, he can hold on to the jersey for another day though.

 

[will10]

People have forgotten what parcours Soler won his TdF stage on.....the profile was nigh on identical to this one.

 

[El Pistolero]

I think we can safely say that Soler won't be winning this one

Wouldn't know about that. If he takes enough time on the mountains it's possible. He's a very aggressive rider, so he's not afraid about attacking early.

 

[theyoungest]

I think we can safely say that Soler won't be winning this one

Remember the stage Robert Gesink won last year?

 

[hfer07]

People have forgotten what parcours Soler won his TdF stage on.....the profile was nigh on identical to this one.

+1000
I hope he & the team get to control the race

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Only 108 kms, if they don't race too hard, maybe Sagan can take this?
hang on as long as possible on the climb and get back in the descent ? or am I too optimistic

 

[El Pistolero]

Only 108 kms, if they don't race too hard, maybe Sagan can take this?
hang on as long as possible on the climb and get back in the descent ? or am I too optimistic

Hell no lol.

 

[Oreknan]

Only 108 kms, if they don't race too hard, maybe Sagan can take this?
hang on as long as possible on the climb and get back in the descent ? or am I too optimistic

im sagan fan but i not believe he has any chance here, he is good in short climbs, but in these type of climbs always get dropped, in sardegna do well but it wasnt near the same of this climbs

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Hopefully, given the poor descending calibre of the GC opposition, he can hold on to the jersey for another day though.

Mollema is a good descender actually

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Mollema is a good descender actually

Sorry, I meant GC opposition as in 'people who Soler can compete with', you know, the kind of people he might actually have a chance of beating.

 

[theyoungest]

Mollema is a good descender actually

I remember him saying after last year's Giro that he got a chance to work on his weaknesses, one of them being descending.

 

[taiwan]

Cunego, surely. The yellow jersey's available if he can gap Soler on the descent.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Both the climb as well as the downhill are brutal. The gaps will be huge!
Just look how huge they were in 1996 and 199 wehen they raced here

1996
1. Peter Luttenberger (Aut) Carrera 6.07.29
2. Andrei Tieteriouk (Kaz) AKI 1.34
3. Gianni Bugno (Ita) Maglifico 1:58
4. Gianni Faresin (Ita) Panaria
5. Eugeni Berzin (Rus) Gewiss s.t.
6. Riccardo Forconi (Ita) Amore a Vita 2:15
7. Alberto Elli (Ita) Maglifico 4:04
8. Marco Vergnani (Ita) Amore a Vita 4:07
9. Udo Bolts (Ger) Telekom 4:36
10. Michele Laddomada (Ita) Amore a Vita 5:01

11 Ekimov Vjatceslav RAP 5:04
12 Della Santa Stefano MAP
13 Checchin Stefano CAR 6:12
14 Meier Armin PMU
15 Bettin Mauro REF 6:19
16 Fois Valentino PAN 8:40
17 Meier Roland PMU 8:43
18 Tronca Amilcare SCR 8:48
19 Ferdeghini Lorenzo MAG 9:24
20 Hampsten Andrew USP 12:36


1999
1. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Ballan-Alessio 5.23.59
2. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Vini Caldirola
3. Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE-Deutsche-Bank 0.47
4. Oscar Camenzind (Swi) Lampre-Daikin 0.47
5. Laurent Dufaux (Swi) Saeco-Cannondale 0.47
6. Roberto Shambelluri (Ita) Cantina Tollo-Alexia 1.10
7. Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) Team Deutsche Telekom 1.53
8. Sven Montgomery (Swi) Post Swiss Team 2.21
9. Pavel Tonkov (Rus) Mapei-Quick Step 3.09
10. Beat Zberg (Swi) Rabobank 3.25
11. Mikel Zarrabeitia (Spa) ONCE-Deutsche-Bank 3.44
12. Daniel Atienza (Spa) Team Polti 4.08
13. Philipp Buschor (Swi) Post Swiss Team 4.08
14. Mirko Celestino (Ita) Team Polti 4.55
15. Niki Aebersold (Swi) Rabobank 5.41
16. Manuel Fernandez (Spa) Mapei-Quick Step 6.17
17. Roland Meier (Swi) Cofidis 6.17
18. Cristian Gasperoni (Ita) Cantina Tollo-Alexia 6.17
19. Giusvan Piovaccari (Ita) Cantina Tollo-Alexia 6.17
20. Daniele Nardello (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 6.44

 

[Descender]

Wait, is that a high mountains stage? But, but... it doesn't finish at the top. Is that even allowed??

 

[El Pistolero]

Wait, is that a high mountains stage? But, but... it doesn't finish at the top. Is that even allowed??

It's even better than a MTF imo

 

[Eric8-A]

I'm pretty sure Soler's confidence was extremely boosted by today. Given that, he'll be able to defend the jersey tomorrow if he rides the way he did today.

 

[roundabout]

Remember the stage Robert Gesink won last year?

The descent from Albula is a motorway compared to this one.

On the plus side there are no ravines to fall into IIRC.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Both the climb as well as the downhill are brutal. The gaps will be huge!
Just look how huge they were in 1996 and 1999 wehen they raced here

Different era. Different timegaps. Different juice

 

[DenisMenchov]

Bauke Mollema FTW!!!

btw. Is Kruijswijk going to le Tour?

 

[Ferminal]

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

kruijswijk is a pretty good descender.

 

[auscyclefan94]

that is a tough climb! Matthias Frank ftw!

I think this is between Schleck, Soler and maybe Mollema.

 

[dlwssonic]

Go frank and tschopp! Frank schleck for the win! leopard will do some good pacing today.