2012 Tour de France: Stage 11: Albertville → La Toussuire - Les Sybelles (148km)

[Mellow Velo]

Very attacking start has actually made the climb, slow.
Currently running behind the slowest schedule.
Too many cooks, sitting around, doing nothing but spoil the broth.

 

[maxmartin]

Is this an HC climb? Nobody is doing anything to Sky.

the question is who can? and is it a good time?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Gesink and Mollema need to go to the Vuelta and tear it up with Conti and Andy. Maybe then we'll see a good battle.

I've seen this Tour de France movie about 7 times before.

 

[Bala Verde]

Mollema abandon.

good.

Finally a wise decision.

I think they waited for a mountain stage to see if they could be of relevance.

No. So go home.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Mollema is out.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

And speaking the devil, Mollema abandons. After all those injuries it was about time

 

[Marco Pantani]

if you want. nibsli and evans to be able to bridge over, they cannot take like 5 min on the madeleine, for the moment its mostly malacarne against ebh in some kind of standoff

I doubt they'll try after the Madeleine already. On the other hand they should push them to the limit as often as they can. But then there's still the valley to do.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Is this an HC climb? Nobody is doing anything to Sky.

it is HC. Too early in the stage maybe?

 

[Machu Picchu]

Gesink and Mollema need to go to the Vuelta and tear it up with Conti and Andy. Maybe then we'll see a good battle.

I've seen this Tour de France movie about 7 times before.

Good chance that the Vuelta may be the best GT of 2012, looking forward to it.

 

[vcampbell]

Mollema abandon.

Thank god, now prepare to the Vuelta.

 

[auscyclefan94]

EBH looking tired...but still on the front.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Tommy Voeckler resplendent in polka dots already making faces.

 

[webvan]

Small gap, things have slowed down ? Or Sky are going faster than it looks?

 

[Bala Verde]

it is HC. Too early in the stage maybe?

Perhaps. But it's only 150Km

I think in the Giro they did such a short stage and it exploded and never settled anymore (2009 or so?)

I think the tactics are not lined up. Some people send guys ahead to attack on the Croix de la Fer (LIQ). Which means that the ones without people ahead should pull the peloton and reign those back in? And what team does have the ability to ride up the Madeleine at an infernal pace, and then do the Croix de la Fer and then the Tousuire.

They had better coordinated their attack...

Yesterday was the perfect day to make the stage hard from the start

 

[Bobby G]

And speaking the devil, Mollema abandons. After all those injuries it was about time

Thank God. Go on Gesink, follow him out. Have a couple of weeks to recover then back on it for La Vuelta

 

[Montanus]

it is HC. Too early in the stage maybe?

Yep. 10k flat before Croix de Fer. Sky can take a minute there if they want.
Action should come on Croix de Fer or maybe first on the last climb.

 

[Bala Verde]

Van Hummel and Larson behind the bus (VAC)

 

[auscyclefan94]

im outta here...see you all after the stage!

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

it is HC. Too early in the stage maybe?

Problem is, there aren't too many realistic chances left. We have this stage and 2 more climbing stages.

Best case scenario, Wiggins loses time in one of them but makes it back on the TT. That leaves this stage and one more for riders to make up time on Wiggins.

 

[Roude Leiw]

Tommy Voeckler resplendent in polka dots already making faces.

i don't think we will see a lot of him today, will hang on for dear life, said on french tv that he was completely cooked yesterday after the stage

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Cmon team Astana me want polka dots!!

 

[Bala Verde]

Kruijswijk dropping from the break

 

[The Chicken]

You people still watch this racket?

 

[Bala Verde]

Scarponi for Polkas?

Kessiakoff and Velits

1)Velit
2)Kessikaoff
3)Kern
4CAS
5)Scarponi

 

[iwasonbwh]

Sagan to attack on the descent with Nibbles on his wheel, catch break let Sagan take intermediate points and put Nibbles on Basso's wheel for Glandon / Croix de Fer. Looks like something that would be interesting anyway.