2012 Tour de France: Stage 10: Mácon → Bellegarde-sur-Valserine (195 km)

[rainman]

Apart from Sky only teams not in break are Argos, Movistar, Cofidis, Lotto Belisol.

 

[Gloin22]

Everyone but Cummings, Burghardt and Sagan?

But surely any 25 man break needs pulled back immediately...

Why ? There's no-one except Scarponi that will threaten GC.

And he's rubbish TT'er too....

 

[dlwssonic]

Not really technical according to the video, but down the Grand Colombier is fast!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AEwyHkNrJI&yr

Thanks.
Grand colombier is very far out to attack from

 

[greenedge better then some]

works out great for sky,Scarponi only 10mins down so when he gets to 6 or 7 mins the other teams will chase them down to keep there guy in the top 10 on GC

 

[dlwssonic]

Why ? There's no-one except Scarponi that will threaten GC.

And he's rubbish TT'er too....

But I thought sky would have been more worried about other GC contender teams sending men into the break plus its huge.

Gap at 4.50 now.

 

[Panda Claws]

It almost seems as if the other teams really are forming a massive alliance against Sky.

 

[dlwssonic]

It almost seems as if the other teams really are forming a massive alliance against Sky.

That's the most logical thing to do now.
If they don't the chances of them beating sky are 0.

 

[Gloin22]

But I thought sky would have been more worried about other GC contender teams sending men into the break plus its huge.

Gap at 4.50 now.

But the thing is - they don't have to work that hard. They can let the break have 7, 8 mins. There's no one there to threaten GC and the can pace less.

 

[Cimber]

49,8 km/t average speed the first hour

 

[Panda Claws]

Sky is biting off more than they can chew, if not today then surely one of the other stages.

 

[Fidolix]

Everyone but Cummings, Burghardt and Sagan?

But surely any 25 man break needs pulled back immediately...

Voigt...

 

[dlwssonic]

But the thing is - they don't have to work that hard. They can let the break have 7, 8 mins. There's no one there to threaten GC and the can pace less.

Yup but I believe sky would be worried about sagan and the BMC and RSNT domestiques pacing their leaders down the descents.
However nibali's and cadel's attacks on the descents could turn out to be futile.

 

[dlwssonic]

49,8 km/t average speed the first hour

Incredible.
Probably EBH, Knees, Eisel and cav leading the peloton now at full gas.
Rogers and Porte MIGHT have to be used a bit early today.

 

[Peccio89]

Sagan might be a really good helper if Nibali attack on the descent.

 

[Fidolix]

Is Frank gonna try an Andy? Voigt could pull him all the way to the line.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Arashiro for the win.

 

[cineteq]

Thanks.
Grand colombier is very far out to attack from

It is, but I doubt BMC and LIQ sent their riders to help their GC guys down the Richemond, just watch Dauphiné's stage 5 this year.

 

[Yingge]

Remember the 2010 Giro, Stage 11 and what happened when a large break was not chased down quickly enough? Wiggins was in that break too and finished 4th, while Porte took over the Pink jersey.

 

[kanari]

If Sagan is in with a chance of a stage win, will he even bother waiting for Nibali? I'm not so sure...

 

[Dedelou]

It almost seems as if the other teams really are forming a massive alliance against Sky.

This is the second time in this year's Tour that a large group escape after a brutal first hour of riding. Many of those in this one will be ditched as soon as the road rise, but I can't imagine alliance of this magnitude, just teams pursuing their own little goals for the day, be it some points for the green jersey, some mountain points or in the case of french riders, the stage win that please the crowd. (vockler). I am curious to see how far SKY allows them to go before they take on the chase and (who ) are the hidden bombs put in the break to help a more serious attack later on

 

[VO2 Max]

Why should Sky worry? Martinez is the best placed rider with 15 mins back, so they can let the breakaway go with 10 minutes, and then no one can help to the other contenders.

There's no rule saying Sagan, Burghardt or Cummings have to stay with the break. If the tactic is to assist Nibali and Evans on the descents and run-in then they'll drop off and pace themselves up the Grand Colombier as required to be in the right place at the right time.

 

[Panda Claws]

Is the gap still 4'50"?

 

[vcampbell]

Remember the 2010 Giro, Stage 11 and what happened when a large break was not chased down quickly enough? Wiggins was in that break too and finished 4th, while Porte took over the Pink jersey.

How many people were that stage in the break? 68? It's a bit more than 25, I guess.

 

[sulgpallur]

Is the gap still 4'50"?

it is now over 5minutes

 

[Yingge]

Is the gap still 4'50"?

No - 5:30 after 67.4km now.