2013 Tour de France, stage 11: Avranches - Mont-Saint-Michelle 33km (ITT)

[memyselfandI]

Now they have to crack Froome completely which is highly unlikely,but only Contador can does it

Something like 10 attacks from Valverde and Contador every mountain stage.

I guess Movistar, Saxo Garmin and Belkin and several other teams together could do it, if they did it just for principle (not let team Sky win) more than individual and team reasons..They could rip Sky to pieces and isolate Froome w/ continous attacking without thinking too much themselves, but that would of course be full lottery and so they are not gonna do it but saving it for 'good placing'. Nice.

 

[boringboy]

Very impressing with Froome, he really has come a long way and will interesting to see where it stops. Could he put soo much time in to everyone that he starts next years tour 10 mins in front?

 

[MatParker117]

http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/stage-11/classifications.html

Top 10 after the stage:
1. FROOME Christopher
2. VALVERDE Alejandro + 03' 25''
3. MOLLEMA Bauke + 03' 37''
4. CONTADOR Alberto + 03' 54''
5. KREUZIGER Roman + 03' 57''
6. TEN DAM Laurens + 04' 10''
7. KWIATKOWSKI Michael + 04' 44''
8. QUINTANA ROJAS Nairo Alexander + 05' 18''
9. COSTA Rui Alberto + 05' 37''
10. PÉRAUD Jean-Christophe + 05' 39''

 

[The Sheep]

I guess Movistar, Saxo Garmin and Belkin and several other teams together could do it, if they did it just for principle (not let team Sky win) more than individual and team reasons..They could rip Sky to pieces and isolate Froome w/ continous attacking without thinking too much themselves, but that would of course be full lottery and so they are not gonna do it but saving it for 'good placing'. Nice.

Contador would do that, rest of them I doubt they would.

 

[sjonnie]

So De Gendt with a podium ride

Just looking at that, he was 16th at Stage IV of the Dauphine where Kwiatkowski was 5th. Don't think De Gendt has improved that much since the Dauphine so that suggests the conditions favored the early riders.

 

[goggalor]

Tony stating the obvious: "I didn't expect him to be so close."

 

[Antianti]

Just looking at that, he was 16th at Stage IV of the Dauphine where Kwiatkowski was 5th. Don't think De Gendt has improved that much since the Dauphine so that suggests the conditions favored the early riders.

Without doubt, it's.. otherworldly.

 

[saneguy]

Just wait until next TT, Froome will win that one with ease.

True that!

 

[auscyclefan94]

Evans moves up two places! Yay!

 

[boringboy]

I guess Movistar, Saxo Garmin and Belkin and several other teams together could do it, if they did it just for principle (not let team Sky win) more than individual and team reasons..They could rip Sky to pieces and isolate Froome w/ continous attacking without thinking too much themselves, but that would of course be full lottery and so they are not gonna do it but saving it for 'good placing'. Nice.

I would not be surprised if Froome just said, enough of this, attacked on his own and drove off leaving everyone fighting for 2nd place, he i simply too strong. Might work if soneone stole his bike, but thinking he would be able to out ride the others, even on a old rusten bucket found by the road side.

 

[TheEnoculator]

I guess Movistar, Saxo Garmin and Belkin and several other teams together could do it, if they did it just for principle (not let team Sky win) more than individual and team reasons..They could rip Sky to pieces and isolate Froome w/ continous attacking without thinking too much themselves, but that would of course be full lottery and so they are not gonna do it but saving it for 'good placing'. Nice.

Belkin doesn't have the resource to crack Sky. If any team can do it, it's Movistar. Costa, Quintana, Valverde are going to put a world of hurt in the Alps. Just watch.

 

[Publicus]

Now here's the real question: do Movistar, Belkin and Saxo only race for leftovers or attack Sky with reckless abandon? I want the latter, but I suspect we will get a lot of the former.

 

[Jaunty Monty]

I guess Movistar, Saxo Garmin and Belkin and several other teams together could do it, if they did it just for principle (not let team Sky win) more than individual and team reasons..They could rip Sky to pieces and isolate Froome w/ continous attacking without thinking too much themselves, but that would of course be full lottery and so they are not gonna do it but saving it for 'good placing'. Nice.

On what stages? Before the Alps there is the Ventoux stage that is basically just Ventoux and another TT. Froome will have an even bigger cushion before we get to the stages that could expose Skys weaknesses.

 

[Bakhjulet]

Tony stating the obvious: "I didn't expect him to be so close."

Why not? Froome was just 26s behind Martin in the Olympics over 44k.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Okay.

Well at least white jersey, polka dot and stage win battle will still be interesting.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Why not? Froome was just 26s behind Martin in the Olympics over 44k.

I don't think that is a fair comparison tbh.

 

[ElChingon]

Now here's the real question: do Movistar, Belkin and Saxo only race for leftovers or attack Sky with reckless abandon? I want the latter, but I suspect we will get a lot of the former.

I think we'd like it but I doubt they'll do anything, from previous tours, its yawn till the last 1K.

 

[sjonnie]

Now here's the real question: do Movistar, Belkin and Saxo only race for leftovers or attack Sky with reckless abandon? I want the latter, but I suspect we will get a lot of the former.

Reckless abandon would mean attacking to the point of risking their current positions, not a good tactic. They will attack each other to try and improve/ defend their positions and if they see Sky/Froome in trouble so much the better.

 

[ThirdWorld]

It's over.

Froome can be doing other clinic stuffs... but he is the only really doing 100% of the homework... All the season, 100% focused. the others guys looks like that they are not training... all them know the date of the tdf.. but they come here without top form... like purito, contador and others... so it is hard to believe that this is happening.

I am a fan of contador, but I am very disapointed with the form that he is showing. It's normal to lose, but it is hard to see without a big fight. Like what happenend with Andeson Silva at UFC, ridiculous...

I hope froome can put 10 minutes in this poor riders.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Can we make Froome ride a unicycle? Might make it more a contest.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Froome annihilating the entire GC field.

Subtract the dawg and we would actually have a realistic competition.

Anyway, now we need to see what Belkin, Saxo and Movistar are made of starting with the lyon stage.

I'm sure Martin was sh!tting in his pants, but he did take the win. Congrats.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

Would be a great battle if Froome were removed.

Will Quintana or Kreuziger be sacrificed to chase 2nd place? Or will teams value two top tens more?

 

[Gugashwill]

Tour de Fr1oome

 

[skidmark]

Now here's the real question: do Movistar, Belkin and Saxo only race for leftovers or attack Sky with reckless abandon? I want the latter, but I suspect we will get a lot of the former.

Yeah, tactics are in Froome's favour. If Quintana attacks Saxo will have to chase to defend their GC position well before he closes the almost 4 minutes more to Froome than Contador. I don't think it's good tactics to bluff that much.

Honestly, I think if Contador felt good on Sunday, he would have countered, but he didn't, and that's game over. Froome closing the gap on the flat to Valverde and Plaza by himself was the moment it ended. If he hadn't closed it, or if he had dragged others with him and then they attacked him one by one ala Contador Paris-Nice 09, that would have been the best chance to crack him. Valverde is realistic and doesn't expect to win. Contador is another story if he feels okay. The only thing to do is attack and hope Froome has a bad day, which is unlikely.

 

[spalco]

I am a fan of contador, but I am very disapointed with the form that he is showing. It's normal to lose, but it is hard to see without a big fight. Like what happenend with Andeson Silva at UFC, ridiculous...

Silva was a ****ing moron, you can't compare that with this situation.

Everybody here knew it would be a tough fight to beat Froome, nobody expected it to be an easy ride.