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

[Eshnar]

You must have watched the entire Giro then

I did But couldn't see stage 3 where Hesjedal went crazy.
Last year the only stage of the Vuelta I couldn't see was... Fuente Dé.
This year I couldn't see the S.Elpidio stage at Tirreno...
Tdf Stage 9 I couldn't see the first two climbs. Go figure. Then I turned on the TV and the peloton stopped.

Come to think of it, the only good stage I managed to see this year was the Pescara stage at the Giro.

 

[Glacier]

Rain, hail, fog, thunder, lightning and a lot of wind

http://vejret.tv2.dk/artikel/id-70156521:vildt-vejr-truer-tourfeltet-på-alpe-dhuez.html

With Danish TV2's notoriously bad trackrecord of failing to accuratly predict the weather, i'm pretty confident that it wont be that bad

 

[cycladianpirate]

Internet warriors......

 

[skidmark]

This'll be pretty crazy, good thing Pinot already went home. On the one hand, I do fear for the safety of the riders and it's not quite as simple as 'it's a race so slow down if you're scared', obviously the organization is responsible for choosing the parcours and there is the tacit assumption that riders will take risks because it's a race. They wouldn't have to take those risks if those weren't the parcours, it's like putting someone in a cage with a hungry lion and saying 'listen if you don't want to fight the lion you don't have to'. You kind of have to.

On the other hand, yeah this was decided months and months ago. Eff you to the ASO if they're getting cold feet now. From a spectator point of view, it's incredibly stupid if their big plans for the centenary tour all-time highlight stage came down to 'hoping it doesn't rain'.

My plan as a viewer (which I find perfectly acceptable and not hypocritical since I'm not an organizer) is hoping for a spectacle where no one gets seriously hurt or dead. How are they even gonna take the motos down to film? Team cars? This will be effing nuts.

 

[Pulpstar]

Why is OPQS in red corner? They don't give a **** about the distance. Cav will be part of the large groupetto. Kwai is not going to lose to talansky, as he has a 4 min window.


I too think that Quintana will win stage with 2x alp. Froome doesn't have support for 2 rounds of alp. porte cant stand against AC,Kreu,Quintana and j-rod.

Tony Martin has said it is unsafe for ages...

 

[doperhopper]

What are the bookies' odds for Vroom to crash out? Pistolero is another candidate.

 

[true legend]

I reckon Cavendish would be a huge favorite for Paris-Roubaix if it didn't have the cobbles

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Look, those who don't want to ride it they can choose not to. No one is forcing them.

This is a silly argument, really. Professional sportsmen need to be protected from themselves sometimes. Sometimes a rugby player will get a smack on the head and they want to carry on, but it's up to the doctor to make a sensible call, or sometimes a boxer will be cut to ribbons, and with their own pride getting in the way, it's up to their corner to throw in the towel. With adrenaline flowing, under pressure and bodies wracked in pain, bad decisions could easily be made on this descent with horrific consequences, which means that they need to protected from themselves for everyone's benefit.

 

[Pulpstar]

I reckon Cavendish would be a huge favorite for Paris-Roubaix if it didn't have the cobbles

He could well be a favourite for the Giro & vuelta too if they didn't have climbs and time-trials.

 

[Pulpstar]

What are the bookies' odds for Vroom to crash out? Pistolero is another candidate.

Poor form to ask a question like this, and odds are discussed in the cycling betting thread.

Anyway he is 1.08/1.09 on Betfair (Bet $12 to win $1) (For overall)

 

[smajo.fb]

in th elight of the comment by Riis i kinda hope the stage won't be shortened and AC will go full *** on the Serane descent and then suddenly... puncture
not wish any injury to AC but i do not like Riis and people like him should be banned from any involvement in cycling

 

[Miburo]

So we've rain. Yeah no way they'll do that descend

But if they do it then Contador will go full *** with kreuziger on that descend and i don't think Froome will even try to follow.

Better lose 1 minute than risk your whole tour.

How much could this man take on that rainy descend?

Anyway that descend is really dangerous, if you're too scared use your brakes. Nicely put Bjarne.

No one is forcing you to ride the descend full gas.

 

[icefire]

in th elight of the comment by Riis i kinda hope the stage won't be shortened and AC will go full *** on the Serane descent and then suddenly... puncture
not wish any injury to AC but i do not like Riis and people like him should be banned from any involvement in cycling

I agree. Bald team managers should be banned: Riis, Matxín, Brailsford Am I missing anyone else?

 

[The Hitch]

I did But couldn't see stage 3 where Hesjedal went crazy.
Last year the only stage of the Vuelta I couldn't see was... Fuente Dé.
This year I couldn't see the S.Elpidio stage at Tirreno...
Tdf Stage 9 I couldn't see the first two climbs. Go figure. Then I turned on the TV and the peloton stopped.

Come to think of it, the only good stage I managed to see this year was the Pescara stage at the Giro.

Don't you ****ing dare turn on that tv next 3 days.

 

[Miburo]

Don't you ****ing dare turn on that tv next 3 days.

Where is the realistic Hitch? Isn't Contador all talk these days?

 

[icefire]

...

How much could this man take on that rainy descend?

Anyway that descend is really dangerous, if you're too scared use your brakes. Nicely put Bjarne.

No one is forcing you to ride the descend full gas.

Didn't you watch Lombardy last year?

 

[petiagos]

bet for the riders in the breakaway ?
Who do you think is going to be in the break ?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Rain, hail, fog, thunder, lightning and a lot of wind

http://vejret.tv2.dk/artikel/id-70156521:vildt-vejr-truer-tourfeltet-på-alpe-dhuez.html

they predicted the same for today

 

[zombo10]

Col de Sarenne - extended descent http://vimeo.com/70139351

If the weather forecast stands, and it’s raining, this could end up in a real bloodbath...

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I agree. Bald team managers should be banned: Riis, Matxín, Brailsford Am I missing anyone else?

well, we could shave all other team managers heads and boot them all out.....

 

[zombo10]

Cloudy and hot from the start. From 14/15 h frequent violent storms to the finish with heavy rain, hail possible, wind gusts, fog at 1,500 m.
Temperature 25° departure, then 20° wet, but 11/12° on the Alpe d'Huez with fog.

http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/stage-18/weather.html

 

[Carols]

I did But couldn't see stage 3 where Hesjedal went crazy.
Last year the only stage of the Vuelta I couldn't see was... Fuente Dé.
This year I couldn't see the S.Elpidio stage at Tirreno...
Tdf Stage 9 I couldn't see the first two climbs. Go figure. Then I turned on the TV and the peloton stopped.

Come to think of it, the only good stage I managed to see this year was the Pescara stage at the Giro.

You need a recording device you know

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Cloudy and hot from the start. From 14/15 h frequent violent storms to the finish with heavy rain, hail possible, wind gusts, fog at 1,500 m.
Temperature 25° departure, then 20° wet, but 11/12° on the Alpe d'Huez with fog.

http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/stage-18/weather.html

again same happened today and pretty much nothing happened

 

[Frosty]

they predicted the same for today

I think that weather did happen near alpe d'huez today?

 

[zombo10]

Col de Sarenne - extended descent http://vimeo.com/70139351

If the weather forecast stands, and it’s raining, this could end up in a real bloodbath...

-> Cloudy and hot from the start. From 14/15 h frequent violent storms to the finish with heavy rain, hail possible, wind gusts, fog at 1,500 m.
Temperature 25° departure, then 20° wet, but 11/12° on the Alpe d'Huez with fog.

http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/stage-18/weather.html