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

[airstream]

Froome to own it in a meek way with an attack from 4 to go. Quintana +30', Contador, Kreuziger +45''.

 

[Ruby United]

I'm a bit confused. If they do cancel it will they just skip the first Alpe d'Huez and finish on the 2nd or skip the 2nd and finish on the first??????

 

[search]

what would be the difference?

http://web-aso.adequatesystems.com/www/images/3453/Etape_18.jpg

they could finish on Col de Sarenne instead, but I guess it's more likely they'd just skip that final lap

 

[phanatic]

I'm a bit confused. If they do cancel it will they just skip the first Alpe d'Huez and finish on the 2nd or skip the 2nd and finish on the first??????

They skip the first. Otherwise, they would never finish.

 

[sultanofhyd]

I'm a bit confused. If they do cancel it will they just skip the first Alpe d'Huez and finish on the 2nd or skip the 2nd and finish on the first??????

Err, there is only one Alpe d'Huez, it is the same either way.

 

[l.Harm]

 

[LaFlorecita]

Lol

10c

 

[JRanton]

Weather for tomorrow's stage: "From 14/15 h frequent violent storms... heavy rain, hail possible, wind gusts... Alpe d'Huez with fog"

 

[murali]

When will they decide about the change in route?

I just hope that this time around, they dont wait for the riders to reach the top of alp beofre they decide that they are going to shorten the route.

 

[Frank Tuesday]

Err, there is only one Alpe d'Huez, it is the same either way.

The first ascent doesn't go to the finish line, so they will use the route from the second ascent, thereby skipping the first.

 

[sultanofhyd]

The first ascent doesn't go to the finish line, so they will use the route from the second ascent, thereby skipping the first.

They will climb the first ascent but instead of turning into the Sarenne they will continue to the summit of the Alpe. Taking the 'route' of the second ascent implies that they reach the base from the descent of the Sarenne, which would not be the case.

But this is just semantics. They'll climb the Alpe once and finish at the summit, calling it the first or second ascent is non-sense as there will only be one ascent.

 

[all_in]

For me will be:
1-2.Froome-Quintana(will de decided in a sprint)
3.Purito +30 s
4-5.Nieve-Contador +45
6-7.Valverde-Kreuziger +1.00
8.Fuglsang-Dan Martin +1.30
9-10.Mollema-Ten Dam over 2 minutes

 

[janraaskalt]

They'll climb the Alpe once and finish at the summit, calling it the first or second ascent is non-sense as there will only be one ascent.

If it is cancelled.

 

[The Hitch]

This is a joke right. They announced Alpe twice 8 months ago. Been shouting about it every week since then. Prudehomme has probably been creaming over it for a decade. They probably in 2011 were already working out exactly what the profile would look like. Its supposed to be the queen stage of the queen tour.

And only now, less than a day before the stage, they realize- oh ****, that descent looks dangerous and it might rain.

If they dont do every metre of that stage, CP should resign by the end of the day.

 

[UpTheRoad]

If it is only going to be one climb, they should do the ascent of the Sarenne and finish with a short downhill to the finish of the Alpe.

Or they can do the Sarenne twice as the road on the Alpe side is much better for going downhill.

/ I can hope, right?

 

[Kwibus]

This is a joke right. They announced Alpe twice 8 months ago. Been shouting about it every week since then. Prudehomme has probably been creaming over it for a decade. They probably in 2011 were already working out exactly what the profile would look like. Its supposed to be the queen stage of the queen tour.

And only now, less than a day before the stage, they realize- oh ****, that descent looks dangerous and it might rain.

If they dont do every metre of that stage, CP should resign by the end of the day.

This.

10 char.

 

[Lupetto]

Ned Boulting ‏@nedboulting

JF Pescheux denies any possibility that tomorrow's stage will be shortened. Has no idea how these rumours started.

..............

 

[jens_attacks]

that descend in rain...ugh it will be ugly as hell

 

[Pulpstar]

This is a joke right. They announced Alpe twice 8 months ago. Been shouting about it every week since then. Prudehomme has probably been creaming over it for a decade. They probably in 2011 were already working out exactly what the profile would look like. Its supposed to be the queen stage of the queen tour.

And only now, less than a day before the stage, they realize- oh ****, that descent looks dangerous and it might rain.

If they dont do every metre of that stage, CP should resign by the end of the day.

+1

(10 char)

 

[classicomano]

..............

Let the carnage begin.

 

[airstream]

The first 3-4 kms of the Sarenne descent are extremely dangerous. Even cancelled Crostis descent has no such gulfs. I'm wondering whether riders will dare attack there or instinct of self-preservation will prevail

 

[Eshnar]

Don't worry guys, it'll be an epic stage, since tomorrow I won't be able to watch it. This year all the time I couldn't watch a stage it turned out to be one of the best of the year

edit: it happened last year too, now that I mention it.

 

[MatParker117]

Neutralised descents?

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Hope for some fireworks tomorrow. Maybe long attack by Contador, Valverde or Rodriguez on first Alpe d' Huez ascent? Alberto will not be happy with 2nd and he can take more risk, I think. Who knows, maybe famous Sarenne descent will be used to distance the yellow jersey (but Contador's got to be careful because Sarenne will be less forgiving than Manse).

 

[BigMac]

Updated the original post with first and second climbing routes, aswell as the descent from Sarenne.