2012 Tour de France: Stage 16, Samatan-Pau 158.5 KM

[fluffkitten]

I think I miss HTC.

I don't, they tended to ruin any breakaway and made things far too predictable.

 

[AtletiSK]

Rest Day starts early

yop, actually started yesterday

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

Rest Day starts early

They've scrapped the rest days this year and have introduced the occasional race day instead.

 

[TomasC]

It´s Greipel´s birthday, so Lotto should be very much in... OGE have not won and keep saying how eager they are to win a stage... Cavendish would deserve a favor from SKY for this TdF... not counting Liqui, they are non existing as a collective
yet teams are showing "a lot of respect" to the fans by not riding at all 2nd day in sucession... probably saving energy for the rest day

I noticed Liquis nicely collectively packed together, but on the wrong side of the bunch.

 

[taiwan]

I think the break is going to take it.

 

[maltiv]

Sorry but that's BS.

If you think so. Personally I'm no fan of stages where a small breakaway is gifted the victory. If it's a big breakaway they at least it'll be a great fight and the winner will deserve it, but when there are just 5 guys...

 

[ManInFull]

yop, actually started yesterday

Well, sometimes 3 consecutive rest days are needed....

 

[frenchfry]

Voeckler is in the break, so he'll win. Will probably do the least amount of work, but win. It's always like this.

Now I can understand that you don't appreciate Voeckler, but it seems to me that in the break on the stage he won he did far more work than any of his break-mates.

 

[maltiv]

Well, sometimes 3 consecutive rest days are needed....

A great gift to someone like Wiggins who traditionally doesn't have the greatest recovery. With 3 rest days in a row now, he'll have no problems in the third week.

 

[frenchfry]

I just started watching, and the lead has already gone from less than 9 minutes to over 10 1/2 minutes. This is really exciting - kind of like an F1 race when there is no passing.

 

[SetonHallPirate]

I wonder if the peloton has come back together, and if quite a few riders are going to make it inside the time limit, that'll probably be around 15-18 minutes or so...

 

[Frosty]

I wonder if the peloton has come back together, and if quite a few riders are going to make it inside the time limit, that'll probably be around 15-18 minutes or so...

How many are off the back?

Bernardeau and van Hummel got dropped very early in the stage - their retirement was announced at the same time so maybe they were still a long way behind.

 

[ManInFull]

I just started watching, and the lead has already gone from less than 9 minutes to over 10 1/2 minutes. This is really exciting - kind of like an F1 race when there is no passing.

This is absolutely ridiculous. The commentators are talking up Wednesday's stage, but I think it's BS. On Wednesday, all of the GC contenders will be together on the descent to Luchon.

 

[whittashau]

So the GC contending teams want Sky to be fresh for the upcoming mountain stages?

 

[AtletiSK]

it´s pretty funny, but cycling-wise the first week was by far the most exciting part of the race... hopefully at least in the remaining 2 mountain stages we will see some fireworks

 

[SetonHallPirate]

How many are off the back?

Bernardeau and van Hummel got dropped very early in the stage - their retirement was announced at the same time so maybe they were still a long way behind.

I thought there were more than that dropped off the back...

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

it´s pretty funny, but cycling-wise the first week was by far the most exciting part of the race... hopefully at least in the remaining 2 mountain stages we will see some fireworks

Nothing happened in the first week (apart from crashes).

 

[maltiv]

Just saw an interview with Sagan where he referred to himself as "Sagain". The interviewer didn't understand anything, while Sagan was just like "Sagan again, Sagain!"

 

[Mellow Velo]

The tarmac has been pretty entertaining, but the terracotta roof tiling has been particularly exiting.

 

[SetonHallPirate]

The TdF live ticker is showing just Hutarovich off the back...not sure if he's just the only prominent rider who was dislodged from the peloton.

 

[frenchfry]

The break is now at 11 1/2 minutes. I statred flipping channels and "Des chiffres et des lettres" is more exciting than todays stage.

 

[Warhawk]

"The hardest race to win is in a small group."

You guys really don't have a good grasp of statistics, do you?

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

it´s pretty funny, but cycling-wise the first week was by far the most exciting part of the race... hopefully at least in the remaining 2 mountain stages we will see some fireworks

The second week was excellent, maybe you weren't watching.

 

[asdfgh101]

Stage 12 was a good breakaway stage.

My idea of boredom: Small break not chased down on stage with pan flat finish and no difficulties in the last kilometres.

Almost as bad as the Hushovd stages; wasting good climbs by placing them miles from the finish before a flat finale.

 

[WindLessBreeze]

Lanterne*Rouge

TdF: BOOOOORRRIIINNNNG!