2013 Tour de France, stage 17: Embrun / Chorges 32 km (ITT)

[Maaaaaaaarten]

+ 1 hope mollema finally got kicked out.

Don't count on it.

very technical parcour in up and down in the rain got him this result:
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=22002

and climbing TT got him this result:
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=24528

So he got 11th in a completely flat TT, where he used to always get crappy results. Now he's got a hilly technical TT, where he always gets great results if he does his best for the sake of GC.

On the other hand, all his rivals are supposed to be a lot better on hilly TT's as well, so it's not like being better in this TT will profit him very much.

 

[murali]

i thought j-rod had the least too lose.

the stage, imho, will be won by the climber (and descender) who has least to lose.

 

[murali]

Don't count on it.

very technical parcour in up and down in the rain got him this result:
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=22002

and climbing TT got him this result:
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=24528

So he got 11th in a completely flat TT, where he used to always get crappy results. Now he's got a hilly technical TT, where he always gets great results if he does his best for the sake of GC.

On the other hand, all his rivals are supposed to be a lot better on hilly TT's as well, so it's not like being better in this TT will profit him very much.

so are you suggesting that rui costa will win this TT?

 

[Hugo Koblet]

So where does all this "Froome can't descend" come from?

 

[fantomas]

Heavy Rain and maybe lightning; especially during the late afternoon when Froome will set off source:

https://www.google.co.uk/#output=se...08,d.d2k&fp=52be170eef598309&biw=1024&bih=667

Not good for Sky fans.

Though I still think he will bring the house down, and win the stage and gain at least 1 to 2 mins on other contenders.

Well, yesterday around this time the weather forecast also said isolated thunderstorms towards the end of today's stage. The weather is quite unforeseeable in the area this time of the year.

 

[airstream]

So where does all this "Froome can't descend" come from?

Only part of AC fans have this confidentional info.

 

[TomasC]

Contador to finish out of the podium and behind Kreuziger.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

so are you suggesting that rui costa will win this TT?

I'm suggesting if he was wearing the yellow jersey he would do pretty well. You know on the top of todays climb, which he basically TT'd alone with a headwind, he took 50secs out of Coppel, jeannesson, Riblon and Kloden, who are all decent climbers. So yeah, considering Costa took most of his time on Mollema in the flat in that TT, I'd say climbing as fast as Costa is enough to do well in this TT, especially since Mollema is more motivated and is good in rain and descends as well......

Look, I'm not saying TGBM is gonna win this or podium or something, just saying he's always done great in TT's like this. Technical, up and down and rainy.

However, since Quintana and Contador are his direct challengers for the podium, you have to do great in a TT like this to hold on to your podium shot, since both of them ought to do great for sure as well.

 

[fantomas]

1.Dawg
2. Tony
3. de Gendt

No Tony. Rolf Soerensen rode it and says it's really, really hard - irregular ascends and a very techinal first descent; something for the GC guys.
Tony Martin did it after finishing Dauphiné and told his DSs that the profile doesn't serve it right and that he won't stand a chance.

 

[Pulpstar]

i thought j-rod had the least too lose.

the stage, imho, will be won by the climber (and descender) who has least to lose.

If we're playing that game it'll be Contador, he couldn't give a monkeys if he is 2nd, 10th or w/e.

 

[Taxus4a]

Only part of AC fans have this confidentional info.

I think Alberto need to take more risk than Froome... but they descend similar.

 

[cycladianpirate]

Don't think anyone will ride a TT bike.

Gaps won't be big at all.
Froome will win by a minute, but behind him it'll be close. Simply too short for real damages.

Want a bet that Froome won't ride a TT bike? OK, maybe not with a full aero rear wheel, but a TT bike nonetheless.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I think Alberto need to take more risk than Froome... but they descend similar.

Alberto isn't a great descender. A bit better than Froome probably. However, the difference is that Froome seems scared and Alberto just leaves it all on the road.

 

[Taxus4a]

Don't count on it.

very technical parcour in up and down in the rain got him this result:
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=22002

Well, that ITT has two different parts. There were 3 hard and short climbs, with nasty and tecnical descents, yes, but it had 11 k totallu flat in a good road...

Everybody expected Tony that day to win... and there was two members of an spanish forum that told: no, Tony cant win this ITT, I was one of them, and he didnt. We kinow well the route.

I dont know exactly the route but it looks that tomorrow Tony has more difficult to win, becouse there is not flat. He has no chances.

This year in Pais Vasco he could win becouse there were some flats, and not tecnical descents, but in the climbs and in the tecnical descents, Quintana put time on him... so, Where is going tomorrow Tony to put time on Quintana?

Samuel and Mollema beat Tony despite the long flat sections....even Purito was close...

Quintana was close to Tony Martin despite the flat sections.. and the climbs wanst so hard, and the descents wanst so techical...

Tomorrow climbs are not very hard, but are long, and it looks like descents are most of them technical... so.. it is difficult to say, but it looks difficult for Tony... he is good in climbs, he is good in descents, but.. there are people better... he need more flat sections.

 

[fantomas]

Alberto isn't a great descender. A bit better than Froome probably. However, the difference is that Froome seems scared and Alberto just leaves it all on the road.

Alberto is a decent descender and on top of that he has guts. Froome is a, at best, mediocre descender. Even is Contador doesn't go full *** on a decent, he's better than Froome. If, however, he goes full ***, Froome's more cautious descending might be faster 1 out of 20.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Good ITT for Mollema, Quintana, Contador (and obviously Froome)

 

[fantomas]

Want a bet that Froome won't ride a TT bike? OK, maybe not with a full aero rear wheel, but a TT bike nonetheless.

No TT bikes tomorrow. Feel free to mock me if i'm mistaking. I am pretty sure i won't be.

 

[Finn84]

With the prediction showing just 0.4 millimetres of rain between 11 and 14 and 3 for next three hours, assuming the rain is stable all time, the rain would start just after 13.30.

 

[Orbit501]

I'm curious to know who people think will go better out of Quintana and Kwiatkowski.

White jersey competition is over now anyway because of what comes after, but they could have similar battles against each other in the future.

 

[Netserk]

I'm curious to know who people think will go better out of Quintana and Kwiatkowski.

White jersey competition is over now anyway because of what comes after, but they could have similar battles against each other in the future.

I think Quintana will beat Kwia.

 

[ILovecycling]

I'm curious to know who people think will go better out of Quintana and Kwiatkowski.

White jersey competition is over now anyway because of what comes after, but they could have similar battles against each other in the future.

Is this a joke?I mean maybe in ToP or Beijing ,but Tour lol

 

[The Hitch]

Froome wins but by a far smaller margin than expected. 20- 30s to Quintana. Mollema a further 5-10 seconds down .

Contador loses 1 minute on Mollema, and 30 to his teammate Kreuziger.
Says afterwards knee injury hurt him but sensations were good and he is looking forward to Alpes.

 

[Lupetto]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd51YzF1YN8

Video of the first descent.

 

[Orbit501]

Is this a joke?I mean maybe in ToP or Beijing ,but Tour lol

Tbh, I haven't thought through which races, and wasn't talking particularly about TdF. Only thinking that they're exactly the same age, are both great riders, and whilst Quintana will always dominate on the climbs, Kwiatkowski is a superb all rounder.

 

[Orbit501]

I think Quintana will beat Kwia.

Kwia showed some mean descending skills on stage 9 of this Tour in particular though.