2013 Tour de France, stage 18: Gap - Alpe-d'Huez, 172.5km

[Cimber]

I think it's going great for Saxo so far. If I'd be them I'd blow the race apart on the next cat. 2. If they don't do that Froomeborg will probably have some morons for other teams who would help him later on.

They wont do anything on the cat.2 as long as they have Roche and Paulinho up the road. They will want them to get over with a nice gap

 

[Scott SoCal]

of course not, that would make their attack completely useless. they want them over the alpe, which seems unliekly. saxo won't attack until after alpe dhuez on that small climb and then downhil

They are forcing Sky to ride now. Burn matches now.

 

[GroupDK]

Roche & Pau 2.15 to peloton.

thx for the 360 alp viewlink.

 

[Scirea]

I hope my tiny mind simply cannot comprehend this genius strategy - but it seems to me Roche and Paulinho ****ed up royally by missing the breakaway, and this desperately improvised Plan B is just going to result in two wiped out and useless Saxo guys in the middle of nowhere.

They didn't miss the break, Froome and Sky didn't let anybody from Saxo to get into the break, they chased down everybody.

 

[spalco]

Over two minutes for Rochinho on the peloton.

eta: btw, that should be Nicholas' nickname anyway.

 

[Amused]

All out attacks on the first climb? If that doesn't happen Sky will surely catch the two Saxo guys?

 

[Alphabet]

It would have been better for Saxo to send a couple of guys away 5-6 km before Contador attacked, that way they would have been fresher. Assuming he would attack at the foot of the first climb of L'Alpe, they could have gone on the descent.

 

[painai]

Would be interesting if Contador can break, shades of stage 18 tdf 2011

 

[Scirea]

They wont do anything on the cat.2 as long as they have Roche and Paulinho up the road. They will want them to get over with a nice gap

I'd blow the race apart from about the middle of the cat. 2. As we saw in the stage to Gap that would only leave a select group on the front, 8-12 people maybe. Then they would have 2 descents and 2 ascents up Alpe-d'Huez to hurt Froome who surely wouldn't have anybody but maybe Porte there with him while Contador would have Kreuziger (the joker card), Roche, Paulinho and maybe even Rogers. Their only chance to get the yellow from Froome (and it's a very slight chance) is completely blowing him up on one stage where he loses all of his lead. They won't be able to take the jersey by taking 1,5 minutes on him every day, that's not possible.

 

[batchuba]

They didn't miss the break, Froome and Sky didn't let anybody from Saxo to get into the break, they chased down everybody.

Well of course Sky resisted, but at least one of them was still most certainly supposed to get in it anyway. Hell, we saw the moment "Rochinho"(as he has apparently just been christened) tried and failed to get on.

 

[murali]

i think that they will definitely up the pace and drop a lot of riders in the cat 2 climb.


just hope that sky loses at least two riders at the top

 

[Scott SoCal]

Well of course Sky resisted, but at least one of them was still most certainly supposed to get in it anyway. Hell, we saw the moment "Rochinho"(as he has apparently just been christened) tried and failed to get on.

When Froome was chasing Mick, himself.... Then no Saxo guys were going to make the break.

 

[GroupDK]

Jens Voight..

 

[murali]

so we will now be talking about froominho and cotadorinho?

 

[murali]

i am going to bet that AG2R will now come forward to help Sky so that they can protect their 20th spot in GC.

 

[Scott SoCal]

so we will now be talking about froominho and cotadorinho?

Pistoleroinho versus Dawginho.

 

[murali]

i just hope that AC waits for half an hour more before he starts the attacks. i want to watch it when he attacks. (so selfish of me)

 

[Ruby United]

Looks like today is gonna be Saxo's do or die day.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

They are forcing Sky to ride now. Burn matches now.

sky are't really riding

 

[Ruby United]

Polka dot plus yellow, first time since 1970 #es commentator.

 

[murali]

are the 2 saxo riders slowing down? i just so the gap to leaders fall by 10s

 

[Scirea]

sky are't really riding

We will see how much "they rode" when it will be time to throw down the gloves. I reckon despite "Sky aren't really riding" they won't have anybody to help Froome, only Porte.

 

[Rajna31]

Polka dot plus yellow, first time since 1970 #es commentator.

They have been talking about that ever since Froome won on Ventoux.

 

[Scirea]

are the 2 saxo riders slowing down? i just so the gap to leaders fall by 10s

I think that was when they started the mountain, it's back up to 2:35 now.

 

[brian1225]

Breakaway will win it a lock.