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

[Arnout]

What is seen, cannot be unseen.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

What a race, folks. What a race.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Valverde wins.

Liqui-fail

 

[cineteq]

Nobody was going to get dropped on that descent. It wasn't a good opportunity. Actually, it wasn't even an opportunity at all.

Which proves that Nibali's only descent attack was the only place to do it and cause some damage during the whole Tour

 

[staubsauger]

So the TDF has a number of post mountain descends, and none of them are hard/technical enough to favour a skilled descender...

At least there just isn't one. Sanchez is out and Nibali is a good one, but still far away from a descender like il Falco.

 

[Eshnar]

That's maybe the silliest thing I've read on this board during the entire race, and there's some pretty silly things floating around.

with early attack I mean before 10 kms to go at least. If that's so silly, show me when he attacked. I counted Gardeccia 2011, Galibier/Huez 2012, and then add another stage because maybe I forgot something.

 

[Bala Verde]

Come on Basso, you are just leading out a peloton of 30 riders.

 

[Dutchsmurf]

Have you seen Wiggins on the descents? Nibali could easily gain some time and put the pressure on him and Froome. Valverde and Costa made mistakes in the descent as well, they're better than Wiggins in a descent.

Wiggins is better on the descents than many give him credit for. Valverde is a great descender and hardly got time on the peleton. To put someone under pressure in a descent it actually needs to be a technical descent or a very wet road. This was neither.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Have you seen Wiggins on the descents? Nibali could easily gain some time and put the pressure on him and Froome. Valverde and Costa made mistakes in the descent as well, they're better than Wiggins in a descent.

Nibali is not racing against Wiggins

 

[CatsNK]

What a race, folks. What a race.

Zzzzzz. The biggest entertainment is watching CAS's hand bleed.

 

[Eshnar]

Clearly Lance Armstrong should try a 2nd comeback

he already did. Isn't he that guy in yellow with the strong team?

 

[Gloin22]

Wiggins is better on the descents than many give him credit for. Valverde is a great descender and hardly got time on the peleton. To put someone under pressure in a descent it actually needs to be a technical descent or a very wet road. This was neither.

Agreed. There's some kind of myth that Wiggins can't descent...

 

[Bala Verde]

At least there just isn't one. Sanchez is out and Nibali is a good one, but still far away from a descender like il Falco.

Sure, but still. If you design a course and intentionally add descents to the finish, why not find some that pose some difficulties.

 

[maltiv]

Basso can't even drop EBH

 

[JibberJim]

Nibali is not racing against Wiggins

No but you think Froome is an even worse descender and isn't likely to get the full team helping him if he is dropped.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Zubeldia!! nr 5 in problems

 

[Cervelo77]

Zzzzzz. The biggest entertainment is watching CAS's hand bleed.

I was thinking the exact same thing. Don't see that every day.

Sigh, this race is underwhelming. T.V. mildly interesting.

 

[Arnout]

Let's see if Martinez will do a pull for Haimar.

Rolland going.

 

[Der Effe]

Nibali is not racing against Wiggins

Maybe he should've done so. Can you tell me exactly who is he racing against?

This year is his best chance to win the Tour. Next year, when the big boys are back, he will get dropped on the first aquaduct.

 

[Warhawk]

CAS is officially a BAMF.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Tour de Farce indeed. Now Liquigas is pacing Wiggins up the climb.

 

[Bala Verde]

Agreed. There's some kind of myth that Wiggins can't descent...

With the descents we have seen, his skills have not been tested either.

 

[Arnout]

Why are the other Shacks not waiting for Zubeldia?

 

[Dutchsmurf]

Maybe he should've done so. Can you tell me exactly who is he racing against?

This year is his best chance to win the Tour. Next year, when the big boys are back, he will get dropped on the first aquaduct.

The ITT alone makes this one of the worst Tours for Nibabli, so no.

 

[Bala Verde]

Last 1 km is near flat?

So we have the last 9K of climbing in this TdF...

Evans a little far in the back.