2012 Tour de France: Stage 16: Pau → Bagnères-de-Luchon, 197 km

[Mellow Velo]

He was the GC guy in only 4 tours, usually patching up for their glorious leader Iban Mayo when hed get dropped on first cat 2 climb of the race.

How is that different from now?
Patching up for Hypertensive Frank, Mediocre Monfort and over the hill Kloden.
No patching up in 2003.

Having said that, he stayed hitched to the Skytrain longer than most in the Dauphine.

 

[Kwibus]

Hats off for Nibali trying. Basso was actually useful today which is nice to see.

It's sad though that Nibali is the only one able to challenge the Sky duo. With all due respect as I like Nibali a LOT he isn't the worlds best climber. Wiggins is getting this Tour on a plate.
It's good to see Nibali in great form though.

Oh and I'd like to say that when I noticed the descent of the Peyresourde I was like "WTF is this crap". I liked the idea of a downhill finish, but not on a 4 lanes road with 4 bends in it. Pfffffffff
What the hell did ASO do?

 

[Richeypen]

I was optimistic that this would be a good Tour. But Wiggins and Sky are too strong.

Realistically, we only have one entertaining stage left. Even if it is a belter, it is unlikely that this Tour will go down as anything but a mediocre Tour.

I think it is a shame. Other than the stage with the ridiculous 40km run-in at the weekend, the parcours hasn't been too bad. It could really have done with one more MTF to replace the stage on Friday. And they should have made Stage 1 more selective...this might have stopped some of the crashes in the first week. But it might not have.

Totally agree.

 

[H2OUUP2]

Hats off for Nibali trying. Basso was actually useful today which is nice to see.

It's sad though that Nibali is the only one able to challenge the Sky duo. With all due respect as I like Nibali a LOT he isn't the worlds best climber. Wiggins is getting this Tour on a plate.

Yup, on a silver platter. No one has made him work for that thing. Usually the yellow Jersey is isolated, and has to defend it himself. Nibali has to hit Wiggins more, If he can obviously, and Wiggins will drop, and the best rider on that team will prevail, and the best rider will win this year.

 

[robert_c]

I just noticed Tyler Farrar is holding the Lanterne Rouge after todays stage. GO USA !!

 

[Cervelo77]

Game over for Evans and BMC. Now Peyragudes is our last hope for something interesting to happen with the climbers, but I fully expect Sky will control and Wiggins will consolidate in the TT.
If Froome would attack Wiggins tomorrow that would be fun to watch, but it will not happen.

 

[Cervelo77]

Yup, on a silver platter. No one has made him work for that thing. Usually the yellow Jersey is isolated, and has to defend it himself. Nibali has to hit Wiggins more, If he can obviously, and Wiggins will drop, and the best rider on that team will prevail, and the best rider will win this year.

I think the problem is Nibali will not want to put himself into the red since he has a podium spot to protect now. Given his age, winning TDF is not a must do for him this year, which is a shame.

 

[H2OUUP2]

I think the problem is Nibali will not want to put himself into the red since he has a podium spot to protect now. Given his age, winning TDF is not a must do for him this year, which is a shame.

True. I will still hope for action though.

Could see VDB doing some attacking. He will want to solidify that 4th spot going into the ITT. Maybe he didn't go today because he knew he could just ride himself into 4th spot, and save a big one for tomorrow.

 

[Nibali]

This is the most boring Tour ever

 

[maxmartin]

This is the most boring Tour ever

you are welcome to vent here

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=17740

 

[Richeypen]

Nice easy day for the grupetto

Mark Cavendish ‏@MarkCavendish
Today's stage can be put into perspective by the fact that by the end I didn't care that I was just puking over myself. Hills+Heat=Suffering

David Millar ‏@millarmind
@MarkCavendish We could've been puking on each other and we wouldn't have cared. DZ puked all the way home in the bus. It's just wrong.

 

[whittashau]

only 36 pages for the queen stage of the Tour? That says a lot.

 

[Lexman]

Eh... according to the live-update from Danish TV2 Gyselinck did finish, but HD. Then got a dispensation...

indeed he was hindered by a motorbike from the gendarmerie on a descent and arrived 4 seconds late... he will be able to start tomorrow good for him

 

[Sem Travões]

I just hate when Voeckler wins

 

[DominicDecoco]

Nice easy day for the grupetto

Mark Cavendish ‏@MarkCavendish
Today's stage can be put into perspective by the fact that by the end I didn't care that I was just puking over myself. Hills+Heat=Suffering

David Millar ‏@millarmind
@MarkCavendish We could've been puking on each other and we wouldn't have cared. DZ puked all the way home in the bus. It's just wrong.

That is indeed wrong. It's not really not how it should be, is it. It's not like they are fat riders that do f*** all. These guys are in their best form. If they really believe that the peloton is a lot more cleaner than it used to be, the time limit should be looked at as well.

 

[thehog]

only 36 pages for the queen stage of the Tour? That says a lot.

zzz zzz zzz

 

[shalgo]

only 36 pages for the queen stage of the Tour? That says a lot.

I count 107 pages, and I even block signatures. Just how many people do you have on "ignore"?

 

[The Sheep]

I count 107 pages, and I even block signatures. Just how many people do you have on "ignore"?

I have 27 pages

 

[shalgo]

Well, given that people can choose how many posts to view on each page, I suppose the number of replies is a better comparison.

We are 1066 for this thread, which is indeed rather low--compare, for example, the 2630 replies the thread for last year's Alpe D'Huez stage.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=14598&page=264

 

[will10]

Alpe d'Huez kicked off at 96km to go, little wonder there was more discussion.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Maybe tomorrow Wiggins cracks and we reach 3634256436235235 replies, reach 19 suspensions, 34 warnings and 4 moderators gone to the hospital after a mental breakdown

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I count 107 pages, and I even block signatures. Just how many people do you have on "ignore"?

Change your number of posts per page. go to user cp - edit options - thread display options.

 

[robert_c]

I just read that Cadel blamed a stomach bug for today's performance.

 

[webvan]

36 pages here.

Did Cadel puke like the Manxman and the Zab? Seems to me he was too busy trying to hold the wheel of Amael friggin' Moinard...dude's really lost it, but I'm sure Lelangue and Rijs will dig out their little suitcase of courage that helped Flandis so well in 2006, if anything I hope these guys get busted once and for all and get banned for life, they certainly deserve it...

As for Wiggo, well he showed who was boss when he caught Nibali after Froome signaled he couldn't. I'm thinking Wiggo might want to finish alone tomorrow at the top to shut the naysayers up, a nice little acceleration from 1k to get evereyone off his wheel and that will be it.

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

36 pages here.

Did Cadel puke like the Manxman and the Zab? Seems to me he was too busy trying to hold the wheel of Amael friggin' Moinard...dude's really lost it, but I'm sure Lelangue and Rijs will dig out their little suitcase of courage that helped Flandis so well in 2006, if anything I hope these guys get busted once and for all and get banned for life, they certainly deserve it...

As for Wiggo, well he showed who was boss when he caught Nibali after Froome signaled he couldn't. I'm thinking Wiggo might want to finish alone tomorrow at the top to shut the naysayers up, a nice little acceleration from 1k to get evereyone off his wheel and that will be it.

Would be nice but I doubt he would want to show Froome up after the minimal work Froome has done for him.