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

[webvan]

I make the VAM 1870 from the replay.

1855 by my (revised) count, details posted in the mountain powerdata thread.

 

[maxmartin]

I am a bit concerned about all these supposed climbers who get shelled out by the domestiques. Let's face it today was hardly a mountain stage. It just happened to finish up a reasonable hill.

exactly and this is only the first week, more fireworks are waiting for us

 

[dlwssonic]

Stay strong. Just over a month left till Portugal

Just a while more to the vuelta.

 

[Fetisoff]

No, it was me writing Schistosomes in a post. The server crashed immediately.
They are very nasty wee beasties!

Probably the forum's spell-checker crashed, trying to see if you spelled that word correctly, causing a chain reaction

 

[Fetisoff]

Just a while more to the vuelta.

Well, I haven't seen every stage preview of this year's Vuelta, but if it's anything like previous years
- random Vuelta stage-

______________________________/


, then Portugal is going to be more interesting

 

[jsem94]

I'm already looking forward to Shrek vs Clentador in the Vuelta now....

 

[dlwssonic]

Well, I haven't seen every stage preview of this year's Vuelta, but if it's anything like previous years
- random Vuelta stage-

______________________________/


, then Portugal is going to be more interesting

It's apparently very mountainous, like nearly half of the stages end in MTFs/hill top finishes I think.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I'm already looking forward to Shrek vs Clentador in the Vuelta now....

I wish Gesink would pull out now too. He's not a typical mountain stage attacker so that 'going for a stage win' part is never going to work

 

[Fetisoff]

It's apparently very mountainous, like nearly half of the stages end in MTFs/hill top finishes I think.

Any multi-mountain stages though? Or are they all like the profile I've given above?

pretty much.
There's also one like this

___/\_________/\_______________/

Which stage is that, do you remember. Might as well check it out

 

[Eshnar]

- random Vuelta stage-

______________________________/

pretty much.
There's also one like this

___/\_________/\_______________/

 

[Bobby G]

I'm far from a Sky fanboy. I enjoy seeing them do well but I'm not particuarly fan of any of their GC/Climbers. British cycling seems littered with candid, arrogant sorts.

However, it's hard to blame them for the way this tour is playing out. The Tour organisers set the route, they've dictated that an 'all rounder' will win this tour. Sky have realised this and are utilising their abilities to attempt to win the greatest cycling race of all. Can't blame them for that.

Anyways, next years event will be the perfect antidote. Saying that we'll all probably bemoan the boring riding again as we did last year.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

I don't understand it either

I enjoy the race, the stages, but all put together in a stage race it is ****. Too few decisive mountain stages, too many tt km.

Fair enough. But I do think to some extent that an exciting race is due to the riders as much as the course. The last couple of Giros were not as exciting as the course would have led me to think they would be. But last year on Alp D'Huez which, due to it'a shortness, struck me as being dull was quite the opposite.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Looks as if Cadel's going to have to do it the hard way.
TJVG was the last BMC rider left and he was dropped inside a km from the start of the climb.

Hope that Evans and Nibali attack tomorrow, off the downhill that looks to be pretty steep and testing.
Other than that, I'm not really sure what the rest can come up with, at this juncture.
Looks as if getting in the break is going to become very competitive, very early in the race.

 

[maxmartin]

I wish Gesink would pull out now too. He's not a typical mountain stage attacker so that 'going for a stage win' part is never going to work

i think he will do that

 

[Andre.J]

VDB2 lost pace by going off the road into grassy shoulder. Not sure why he went off. Too bad though, as I was hoping he'd have a good Tour. Same with Gesink and Samu. But at least we still have an interesting 3 or 4 way battle for the GC.

I was also cheering for those 3 : VDB , Sanchez and Gesink. My problem now is I don't really like Wiggins, Evans, or Nibali...maybe Menchov

Disheartened once again,

Andre

 

[UlleGigo]

Wiggins is a chump, so if he can climb with Evans he's up to something. That seems to be your argument. Do you realise how ridiculous you sound?

That and a little training technique being used by Sky that was invented by a well known doctor that had some undisclosed, but obviously well known, extra elements to it.

Do you think everyone is referring to them, as I have done, as 'UK Postal' because they're really truly super duper riders?

It is the Sky fanbois who look rediculous here. You have to maintain a realistic perspective here and I am certainly doing that.

I don't expect to get anywhere however. I'm dealing with a rich assortment of know-nothings.

 

[LaFlorecita]

It's apparently very mountainous, like nearly half of the stages end in MTFs/hill top finishes I think.

8 uphill finishes.

 

[dlwssonic]

Looks as if Cadel's going to have to do it the hard way.
TJVG was the last BMC rider left and he was dropped inside a km from the start of the climb.

Hope that Evans and Nibali attack tomorrow, off the downhill that looks to be pretty steep and testing.
Other than that, I'm not really sure what the rest can come up with, at this juncture.
Looks as if getting in the break is going to become very competitive, very early in the race.

Isn't the downhill way too far from the finish?? Plus there is that vital TT coming up the next day. There are more descents closer to the finish to gain time on wiggins.

 

[maxmartin]

Looks as if Cadel's going to have to do it the hard way.
TJVG was the last BMC rider left and he was dropped inside a km from the start of the climb.

Hope that Evans and Nibali attack tomorrow, off the downhill that looks to be pretty steep and testing.
Other than that, I'm not really sure what the rest can come up with, at this juncture.
Looks as if getting in the break is going to become very competitive, very early in the race.

Nibali have to try something due to time trail. but this is still early only the first week, more opportunities are lying ahead

 

[DominicDecoco]

I like how Frank thinks it's a major achievement that he has ridden 65 race days. He's done fuc* all in 60 of them...

 

[Armanius]

Nice finish today! Very disappointed with BMC though. So much for looking like a "super team" with all the signings of big names last year, not that I ever thought Gilbert or Thor would be an asset for Cadel at the TDF. BMC still can't touch Sky. Cadel will have to win the TDF on his own, if he can.

 

[dlwssonic]

Not good for evans that so many good climbers are not doing well or are way back on GC.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Garmin/Sky

I am still trying to work out the logic why Garmin did so much on the front going up to the climb - for Dan Martin - you must be joking he lost more than a minute and never showed his face.
All they ended up doing was acting as extra men in the Sky train.

 

[maltiv]

Well, at least Nibali didn't lose any significant time. He's still a threat for the Wiggins/Evans boredom-fest, although if Sky continue like this, Nibali won't be able to attack in anything but descents. Everyone else are pretty much out of it.

 

[dlwssonic]

Nice finish today! Very disappointed with BMC though. So much for looking like a "super team" with all the signings of big names last year, not that I ever thought Gilbert or Thor would be an asset for Cadel at the TDF. BMC still can't touch Sky. Cadel will have to win the TDF on his own, if he can.

BMC were never ever strong in the mountains and I don't see how they could have helped cadel today anyway. Cadel just needed to sit on the sky train.
Their job so far was to keep cadel out of trouble in the first week.
Cadel does not need much help in the mountains.