2012 Tour de France: Stage 7: Tomblaine → La Planche des Belles Filles (199km)

[maxmartin]

i though the whole Movie team is down, glad to see Costa is still up there

 

[hfer07]

i though the whole Movie team is down, glad to see Costa is still up there

I wrote about it a docen pages before & no one picked up on it - Costa is in contention still & he has a good repertoire to play along with the tough dogs aiming the GC -and don't forget Cobo to have a go in the uphills as well to either escalate in the GC or to serve as a decoy to set Rui up as a springboard to launch him- I still believe Movistar has some cards to play

 

[thehog]

Brutal finish today. Sky and Wiggins will be looking after their losses no more. Expect attackts right left and centre, particularly after yesterday's crash fesh

Doubt it. I have a sneaking suspicion absolutely nothing will happen tomorrow but the top 7 riding to the last km and gaining maybe 2-3 seconds each. The rest 1-2 minutes back. Just can't see how time can be gained on such a stage. Where do you attack and build a lead?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I wrote about it a docen pages before & no one picked up on it - Costa is in contention still & he has a good repertoire to play along with the tough dogs aiming the GC -and don't forget Cobo to have a go in the uphills as well to either escalate in the GC or to serve as a decoy to set Rui up as a springboard to launch him- I still believe Movistar has some cards to play

According to the movistar report Costa fell earlier in yesterdays stage and bruised his back

I would not count on him

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Ok, go menchov !!

 

[hfer07]

According to the movistar report Costa fell earlier in yesterdays stage and bruised his back

I would not count on him

Maybe- but a lot of the main GC contenders got bruised as well- so that means is the place do have a go - considering that a Itt is coming next to a rest day - so if Costa didn't get injured seriously-he should be able to try something tomorrow

 

[plooton]

Sagan could manage such a quite short climb well. I believe him. He already showed that on Tirreno this year.

 

[royalpig180]

I'm going to go with the main GC battle (Wiggins v. Evans v. Menchov et. al) all in all a draw. Wiggins might lose a few seconds though.

Nibali to win the stage by just a couple seconds, continuing the great tour for Liquigas.
15-20 guys within 15 seconds of the winner. Some might drop out of contention, but we sure won't know who the strongest is after tomorrow.

 

[royalpig180]

Sagan could manage such a quite short climb well. I believe him. He already showed that on Tirreno this year.

Sorry, but as much as I like Sagan, 6 km is very different than 1-3 kms.

 

[greenedge]

I shall say Rolland to dance his way up the climb and win ( unless if he crashed and is sore ).

Valverde/ Samu otherwise.

Pinot if it comes to a sprint could also get a good placing.

Evans to gain time on Wiggins.

 

[UlleGigo]

Wiggins will get dropped in the first 500m then lose a minute.

 

[thehog]

Doubt it. I have a sneaking suspicion absolutely nothing will happen tomorrow but the top 7 riding to the last km and gaining maybe 2-3 seconds each. The rest 1-2 minutes back. Just can't see how time can be gained on such a stage. Where do you attack and build a lead?

Agreed. We can hope but can't see where time can be gained.

 

[Kopuliak]

yellow AND green would be nice

 

[hfer07]

Sagan could manage such a quite short climb well. I believe him. He already showed that on Tirreno this year.

won't happen- it's been proved before that Sagan cannot make it IF he's on the main group - he has demonstrated that he could have any stage as he pleases, as long as the circumstantial reserve favors him

 

[its like that]

yellow AND green would be nice

Dreams are free I suppose

 

[dlwssonic]

TBH I'm not really sure how evans form is now.
Even if he is feeling good at most he will follow wheels and push the pace in the last kms.
I don't think wiggins will lose much time here.

Evans and BMC are just happy that they stayed out of trouble in the first week.
Evans mentioned he is feeling pretty fresh though.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Here's the whole climb in 10 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQqIUa1R2ko

[edit: it looks easier than the official profile suggests, irregular it is; some short down hill/flat sections; especially the last ramp up to the finish is a place where you could take some seconds, a la fleche wallone]

Yeah, accroding to Dan lloyd the final pitch in the final km is @ 22% but Prudhomme said it was at 28%. Should really open the gaps up.

Gesink said he was not hurt, hope that is true

Has a lot of abrasions and cuts and what happened today will take it's toll on Robert. in saying that, he is a fighter.

Evans has a problem, he might be able to get rid of Wiggins on this climb but might take the yellow jersey, which he has to defend way too early ...

Vanendert for the win

Horner second

Sanchez third

Evans may take the jersey but tommorow's stage is an opportunity to give it away.

Even if the gc riders don't attack that early on the climb tomorrow, the final km is hard enough that gaps of 10-15 seconds will open up which makes me think that Evans or even Menchov will take yellow off Wiggins. The final climb will be ridden very quickly so I think Evans should test Wiggins on the finish considering it is so explosive. The is a great stage for Valverde.

I believe tonight will be the real litmus test on whether Menchov is a contender or a pretender for the overall victory. I think he will do very well in today's stage.

 

[auscyclefan94]

At least 9 riders not starting today...****!

 

[maxmartin]

Maybe- but a lot of the main GC contenders got bruised as well- so that means is the place do have a go - considering that a Itt is coming next to a rest day - so if Costa didn't get injured seriously-he should be able to try something tomorrow

Cobo is way down. Costa for stage hunt, absolutely! But GC wise I don't think Costa can defend him well in the high mountain at least I am not convinced yet.

 

[Frosty]

Rui Costa has a sore back according to the cyclingnews article.

 

[boomcie]

Can't see past Evans if he wants to go for it. He does look somewhat weaker than last year.

In other news: all Rabobank riders have received training wheels to use in the descents.

 

[movingtarget]

Yeah, accroding to Dan lloyd the final pitch in the final km is @ 22% but Prudhomme said it was at 28%. Should really open the gaps up.
Has a lot of abrasions and cuts and what happened today will take it's toll on Robert. in saying that, he is a fighter.


Evans may take the jersey but tommorow's stage is an opportunity to give it away.

Even if the gc riders don't attack that early on the climb tomorrow, the final km is hard enough that gaps of 10-15 seconds will open up which makes me think that Evans or even Menchov will take yellow off Wiggins.

I believe tonight will be the real litmus test on whether Menchov is a contender or a pretender for the overall victory. I think he will do very well in today's stage.

First climbing stage is a strange one usually. Riders are just starting to find their climbing legs. Steep climb in parts but short. Wiggins, Menchov and Evans will mark each other probably unless one of the them is feeling really good. Wiggins should be yellow at end of stage. Expecting somone who lost time yesterday to have a go. Someone that did not get injured of course. Also maybe Rolland or Vanendert ? Sanchez will also try something I think, climb should suit him. These are the stages Menchov and Evans should be testing Wiggins on but Wiggins climbing has improved and I would be surprised if he lost any time to them or more than a few seconds at most. Wiggins won't want yellow at this stage so depending on who is in the breakaway, tactics could get interesting.

 

[auscyclefan94]

First climbing stage is a strange one usually. Riders are just starting to find their climbing legs. Steep climb in parts but short. Wiggins, Menchov and Evans will mark each other probably unless one of the them is feeling really good. Wiggins should be yellow at end of stage. Expecting somone who lost time yesterday to have a go. Someone that did not get injured of course. Also maybe Rolland or Vanendert ? Sanchez will also try something I think, climb should suit him. These are the stages Menchov and Evans should be testing Wiggins on but Wiggins climbing has improved and I would be surprised if he lost any time to them or more than a few seconds at most. Wiggins won't want yellow at this stage so depending on who is in the breakaway, tactics could get interesting.

Have you looked at the finish? It is pretty steep and explosive. Even if the big favourites mark each other, due to the >20% gradients in the final km, a time gap will open either way.

Can't see past Evans if he wants to go for it. He does look somewhat weaker than last year.

In other news: all Rabobank riders have received training wheels to use in the descents.

Even though he has said he is feeling fresher and better than last year? People seem to give the Dauphine too much creedance.

 

[its like that]

I wrote about it a docen pages before & no one picked up on it - Costa is in contention still & he has a good repertoire to play along with the tough dogs aiming the GC -and don't forget Cobo to have a go in the uphills as well to either escalate in the GC or to serve as a decoy to set Rui up as a springboard to launch him- I still believe Movistar has some cards to play

See Alto de El Angliru in the Vuelta last year

 

[dlwssonic]

Even though he has said he is feeling fresher and better than last year? People seem to give the Dauphine too much creedance.

Actually cadel was better in the dauphine this year than he was last year.
Maybe people say he looks weaker this year because cadel was so freaking impressive in the first week last year. However this year the stages have not suited him as much as they did last year. Like the up hill finishes this year were more like sprints and they were not long enough for cadel to fully show his strength. That's why today will be very interesting to see how cadel's form is currently.