2012 Tour de France: Stage 17, Bagnères-de-Luchon - Peyragudes 143.5KM

[will10]

Nibali decides not to screw the break and sits up. Piti says thanks

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Nibali isn't doing any work it seems. Maybe it wasn't an attack after all, just great descending?

 

[hudman]

Nibali has sat up

 

[stazzy]

No-one in that front group will work with Nibali, so he's stuffed just working EBH for a bit, hardly a good return for Nibali to work by himself.

ye he sure worked EBH there

 

[Eshnar]

Not all mountain stages need to be super long climbing marathons. Short stages often turn out to be more interesting than long ones, but of course there needs to be a combination of the two, and this Tour didn't have enough climbing in the first place.

I agree, but this stage lacks kms because all others stages lack too.

 

[Bala Verde]

Nibali, did he expend energy in the descent? Or was he just faster and ended up ahead of the peloton?

 

[kjetilraknerud]

The final descent will be interesting...

 

[auscyclefan94]

Thanks

Sky set the pace? Pace due to attacks?

Nibali went on the descent?

Pretty much yes to all.

 

[DominicDecoco]

I'd love to see Nibali's descending in the fog.

 

[Pantani_lives]

This is ridiculous. Finally something seemed to happen, but no...

 

[Red Rick]

I hope there's so much mist on Port de Bales that the sight is under 30m.

If Ducrot starts comparing Port de Bales to Mordor the Dutch know what the weather is like over there

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

Porte grins at Nibali..

 

[Kwibus]

Nibali isn't doing any work it seems. Maybe it wasn't an attack after all, just great descending?

Probably. It must've been pretty easy for him to close the gap.

I was afraid the break wouldn't agree with his appearance there unless he brought 4 Liqui teammates with him

 

[Danilot]

No wonder we have such boring mountain stages wrt the GC, if even riders themselves say "Oh noooo, you can't attack from afar, you're 3rd in the GC, plz to go back to teh bunch".

Coward Valv-Piti.

 

[Kazistuta]

Sagan should join the leading group, allowing Nibali to catch up on him on next descent..

 

[will10]

Nibali did the descent in the front and just drifted away from Sky

 

[cocteau_ireland]

The only chance for nibali is heavy fog later that disrupts the sky borg. If their instruments start going on the blink too that'd help.

 

[Red Rick]

Nibali probably decided that staying with sky in the decent was boring as hell, and he decided to have some fun

 

[auscyclefan94]

This is ridiculous. Finally something seemed to happen, but no...

NIbali would have been silly to continue on.

 

[TatryTour2013]

Did Sagan more than 1 minute on the descent vs. Zubeldia group? Crazy guy!

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Speculation only, but maybe Valverde and Nibali made a deal. "Sit back now, and I'll help you when you attack later".

 

[CobbleStoner]

This is ridiculous. Finally something seemed to happen, but no...

that was a beautiful example of why cycling is great, the eldest most respected member of the break went to Nibbs and said 'what the hell are you doing? either work or go back to the peloton, now'

 

[auscyclefan94]

No help for Zubeldia!!!

 

[Bala Verde]

Nibali did the descent in the front and just drifted away from Sky

cheers


10 char

 

[Kwibus]

No wonder we have such boring mountain stages wrt the GC, if even riders themselves say "Oh noooo, you can't attack from afar, you're 3rd in the GC, plz to go back to teh bunch".

Coward Valv-Piti.

This always happens. The riders in the break see their chances of victory dissapear when a GC rider joins them so they won't work with him.
If Nibali had some helpers with him it could've been different.