2013 Tour de France, Stage 15: Givors - Mont Ventoux 242.5 Km

[The Hitch]

I'm not getting that at all from what they've said. They sound more like they're just looking forward to the stage and are confident they can do well.

I'm by no means a Froome/Sky fan, but I don't see anything inherently wrong with what they've said about the Ventoux stage.

I don't think theirs anything wrong about what they said either but what they did say strongly implied they expected to win the tour tomorrow.

Definately not the usual we hope we can do well tomorrow. Both bruneelsford and froome take the - say as little as possible, approach to.media commitments. Here both for once were very specific about just how optimistic they are for tomorrow.

 

[Hugo87]

What's up with Coppel this year? Last two tours he has done well but he's way down in this one. Could be a potential for the breakaway. Cofidis also have Le Mevel and Taaramae. Maybe the team has been waiting for the mountain stages at the end -if so, then tomorrow is the time to start attacking!

Voeckler is invisible this year too... Maybe could be into a breakaway in the Alpes arrived.

 

[airstream]

you didn't see the live interview on eurosport

on brailsford eyes and smirk you could only read: "ventoux...7 w/kg, ventoux 7 w/kg kill them all"

Jens don't frighten people. They can handle it seriously.

 

[manafana]

roland wont be good enough to compete for the kom pts on this stage

 

[jens_attacks]

the thing is barring any miracle for the next week,even if chris puts two minutes on everyone tomorrow, he still didn't win the tour. for him it would be more important to have a strong team than to put time on the others(he can wait for itt). the alps will be devastating terrible for team sky if they are in the same shape, look at lopez for christ sake. my personal feeling is that the other teams will only get stronger but not sky .

 

[Ryaguas]

gaps can be big because they will start the ventoux after 220 km of racing. that is really long and will be for riders with strong engines. I think froome has one. quintana definitely has one, kreuziger and more, but contador?...

I think that Contador has a big engine, still remember that stage in Il Giro 2011 when He attacked in Giau and almost won that stage that Garzelli wont IIRC...

I think that in this stage Froome could show some cracks in the armor if He gets isolated early... Movistar and Saxo should try something, Movistar looking for revenge on Belkin and Saxo to isolate Froome early and play the Kreuziger Card... Mollema and Contador should try something together if they have the legs to crack or damage Froome...

I want Quintana to win after dropping Froome!
This is a good stage for Contador to start showing that the form is coming and next week He will give hell to SKY and Froome...

 

[slosada]

Did Europcar work against Valverde though? I thought it was OPQS and Belkin

Yes, especially Rolland was in the rotation with strong pulls ahead... I didn't understand why. Nonetheless it was good to see him getting the same fate afterwards (but the damage on Valverde and Costa was done)

I wonder if Movistar will try to go for that polka dot jersey as a secondary prize.

OTOH, I don't see Saxo controlling the race, whoever is up in the road may help the attacks.

Movistar to start the hostilities at Côte de Bourdeaux with 2nd tier riders as they did today.

Then shake things at the base of Mt. Ventoux (or slightly earlier if conditions are ideal). The goal would be to isolate Froome and/or put a pacer for a later attack from Quintana.

I'm not sure Contador is now ready to launch attacks, but a similar strategy seems logic.

From Sky's prospective, they would dream of having a nice and uneventful ride until the base of Mt. Ventoux, then use their train to leave Froome safe until the last 5K, where he can put time on anyone, except Quintana maybe.

 

[postmanhat]

Hopefully tomorrow will be a great stage, but sadly I just see the Schindler's List extra riding away and winning but at least 2 minutes.

That would be an incredible stage by an extraordinary rider!

Am hoping for something, anything, from Schleck tomorrow. Back to some kind of form and his sort of stage.

 

[jens_attacks]

yep same here about andy. i want to see him in the top 5

 

[cycladianpirate]

I'm not so sure. Dogs tend to do better when they hunt in packs and this particular dog hasn't got a pack worthy of the name.

The "sky method" relies on a big train that either throws you out of the back or makes you suffer like you envy the guys who have given up.

"Froome Dawg"? He'd better get used to being a lone wolf.....

 

[Ryaguas]

you didn't see the live interview on eurosport

on brailsford eyes and smirk you could only read: "ventoux...7 w/kg, ventoux 7 w/kg kill them all"

Man that will be very sad... but after watching what He did in Ax3... that is likely to happen

 

[The Hitch]

I think that Contador has a big engine, still remember that stage in Il Giro 2011 when He attacked in Giau and almost won that stage that Garzelli wont IIRC...

Nieve won the stage. It was probably Contadors worse of that Giro though because he attacked 7k out on Gardeccia and only put about 10 s into Scarponi.

It was also 1 of only 2 of the 6 mountain stages that he didnt finish in the top 2, though he still finished 3rd.

 

[autologous]

yep same here about andy. i want to see him in the top 5

The great Andy. Reduced to *maybe* getting top 5 on a mountain stage, as away to partially redeem his last 2 years.
What a f*king joke.

No wonder Airstream is on here trolling Froome doubters, I imagine focusing on Andy's insignificance is too painful.

 

[ArmchairFan]

I think Valverde will be going for the Stage win. If he attacks then Froome, Contador at al will have to let him go and off he rides.... That'll be his revenge!

 

[Martina]

I don't think theirs anything wrong about what they said either but what they did say strongly implied they expected to win the tour tomorrow.

Definately not the usual we hope we can do well tomorrow. Both bruneelsford and froome take the - say as little as possible, approach to.media commitments. Here both for once were very specific about just how optimistic they are for tomorrow.

Isn`t it possible they just play a psychological war? Kind of to calm down Saxo`s euphoric Friday?

 

[airstream]

The great Andy. Reduced to *maybe* getting top 5 on a mountain stage, as away to partially redeem his last 2 years.
What a f*king joke.

No wonder Airstream is on here trolling Froome doubters, I imagine focusing on Andy's insignificance is too painful.

I'm happy for Andy. He inspires me in this Tour. He should top 10 which means he's still in top game. Very good result for a guy who didn't ride GTs for 2 years and hardly imagined where he really was before the Tour.

There are no Froome doubters. Only resentful people who agree to exchange any racing ideals so Froome won't won. Froome demonstrated probably the most oustanding climbing for 10-15 years at Ax-3. Before the Tour he was called a boring rider because he doesn't attack [which was false even back then]. Ax 3 stage even worsened general attitude towards him. It's a typical hypocrisy and betrayal while betrayal is the most terrible thing in this world.

 

[cineteq]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jul/12/tour-de-france-2013-pain

 

[the sceptic]

Will be interesting to see who gets into the break tomorrow
Hopefully we will get another Pereiro situation where the break gets huge time

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

i predict movistar not caring about quintana too much unfortunately. valverde and probably 3 more movistars will go in the breakaway. i don't see valverde doing any work for quintana this july. only if he takes the maillot jaune somehow.

what do you think ryo?

also imagine the battle for the breakaway, the french all over the place omg

as was clear from the start quintana was protected just like valverde. now all will work for him. unzue knows he's the future, not valverde

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

They have to keep the pace high before Ventoux to drop Froome's teammates. They can't afford him going up Ventoux with the bulk of his team alongside.

you can't drop anyone before the ventoux

 

[airstream]

you can't drop anyone before the ventoux

You can in theory but riding Ventoux like TTT against main bunch... Utopia

 

[Miburo]

you can't drop anyone before the ventoux

It's possible, if the wind is good. It happened in 2009 but i doubt it'll happen.

I think this stage is all about trying to follow Froome, maybe quintana will try something before that but he's the only relevant guy in GC who will try it before Froome goes crazy.

 

[theyoungest]

A 220 k echelon stage followed by a 20 k climb... make it happen.

 

[Orbit501]

Still 55 points for the KOM tomorrow assuming someone gets on top first at every climb. But the first 4 climbs (Eyzin-Pinet, Primarette, Lens-Lestang, Bourdeaux) will be for the breakaway. Ventoux is HC (25 points), doubled as it's MTF (so 50 points). If Rolland isn't in the first places in Ventoux, he'll probably lose his jersey. So Rolland will try to follow the leaders.

As a reminder, here's the number of points for each stage in the final week:
Stage 15: 55 points (1+1+1+2+50)
Stage 16: 12 points (2+5+5)
Stage 17: 10 points (5+5)
Stage 18: 92 points (5+2+5+25+5+50)
Stage 19: 75 points (25+25+5+10+10)
Stage 20: 71 points (5+2+2+2+10+50)

The fight for the polka dot jersey will be tough in the final three stages with 5 HC climbs (including 2 MTFs), 3 first category climbs and 5 second category climbs.

If Rolland wants to secure his jersey, he'll just need to be in the breakaway towards le Grand-Bornand, with Glandon and Madeleine. If he gets placed in any MTF (they're all HC) so he'll have it in Paris.

Excellent post, thanks. I agree that stage 19 (le Grand-Bornand) is the stage where he really needs to hoover up the points as he can take maximum points in the break on that stage without needing to survive until the end. Manafana's post below is the reason why I think tomorrow Tommy V will try heriocs for Rolland as I can't see Rolland holding out on Ventoux against GC tomorrow and having enough energy left for the big points in the Alps.

roland wont be good enough to compete for the kom pts on this stage [Ventoux]

Did Europcar work against Valverde though? I thought it was OPQS and Belkin

I also seem to remember it was OPQS and Belkin doing all the work (before Saxo did their bit, which was a different scenario). Belkin have to be enemy No.1 for Movistar as they were the ones capitalising on Valverde's mechanical (OPQS already driving hard for different reasons).

Perhaps what is meant by Europcar having no chance tomorrow because of Movistar revenge is because they will go crazy, thus forcing the GC pace up and so limiting the chances of the break surviving and so Europcar lose out, or that they will have such strong riders in the break that will take the stage win anyway at the expense of Europcar?

 

[jens_attacks]

as was clear from the start quintana was protected just like valverde. now all will work for him. unzue knows he's the future, not valverde

how the hell was quintana protected lol? they all left him alone in that front group and expected for alejandro. nairito was extremely lucky that he didn't have a mechanical in those last 80 kms otherwise game over.

again i don't think they will work for him only if he can guarantee a podium place at least. valverde and some of his lieutenants will just go in the attack