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

[Amused]

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...

I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, this could make for fantastic entertainment. On the other hand, people have died i cycling before...

(Yes, yes - taking it to far i guess...)

 

[zombo10]

again same happened today and pretty much nothing happened

We will be in the high mountains tomorrow!...

 

[The Hitch]

That descent is so bad no one is going to do anything on it. Its not possible to go 100% on it. Even 50. Everyone is just going to take it with their breaks on. Contador said he will do something but I doubt he had the descent in mind.

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

Contador may try, my point is distancing Froome or even isolating him is unlikely to happen.

 

[Carols]

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

+100

10 char

 

[coinneach]

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

I was wondering if we should ban cyclists from countries they are not really from:

Froome Kenyan not British
Nibali Sciclian not Italian
Porte Tazmanian Not Australian
Cavandish Manx not English
Martin English not Irish

Anyone else I can upset?

 

[Juan Speeder]

I ride singletrack with more exposure than that at least weekly. Rocks, roots, and ledges too

 

[TheBean]

I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, this could make for fantastic entertainment. On the other hand, people have died i cycling before...

(Yes, yes - taking it to far i guess...)

Not too far at all.

Racers HAVE died in crashes, or been seriously injured.

It has been many years since there was a catastrophic crash that led to a racer dying, and I am certainly hopeful all of them make it down safely.

I imagine that if the roads are terrible and the weather scary, there will be a truce of sorts between the riders - kind of like the unwritten "Don't attack through the feed zone" rule.

A shortened stage would be a shame, so would a bloodbath. All we can do is hope for the best and watch the show.

 

[gerundium]

Not too far at all.

Racers HAVE died in crashes, or been seriously injured.

It has been many years since there was a catastrophic crash that led to a racer dying, and I am certainly hopeful all of them make it down safely.

I imagine that if the roads are terrible and the weather scary, there will be a truce of sorts between the riders - kind of like the unwritten "Don't attack through the feed zone" rule.

A shortened stage would be a shame, so would a bloodbath. All we can do is hope for the best and watch the show.

2 years is many years now?

RIP Wouter Weylandt.

 

[ElChingon]

Well they could just record the time gaps of riders as they crest Alpe then shuttle them down the hill and release them according to the time gaps they reached the top? Not that I like that idea abut beats canceling the stage or shortening it up.

Didn't they do something similar at the Giro?

Shame if they cancel it or shorten the stage, removing the descent should be minimal, yes it will ruin the drama and effect of the descent but again beats canceling/shortening the stage further than the descent length.

 

[Alpechraxler]

Milan - San Remo ? There is a differance between 20 cm of snow on a downhill and rain pouring down and wet roads. Ok i really don't know about lightning but i guess the taller riders are more at risk.

 

[Juan Speeder]

Milan - San Remo ? There is a differance between 20 cm of snow on a downhill and rain pouring down and wet roads. Ok i really don't know about lightning but i guess the taller riders are more at risk.

Good thing steel frames are out of favor.

 

[Borgar]

who do you guys think has the best possibillities to hit a break the next stages, Ion izagirre or Romain Bardet?

 

[Jelantik]

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 do hope too. No shortened stage. Otherwise, may as well hand over the yellow jersey to froome in a platter. The race is just begun and it's 100th edition of the tour. I don't hope it would be rain hard. But mother nature is part of cycling. Contador will attack but i don't think he is suicidal either. *he got wife to wait for him at home* So chill, don't worry. No one wants to see people die from racing a bike. Life is too beautiful to waste for just some yellow shirt .. you know.

 

[pastronef]

I was wondering if we should ban cyclists from countries they are not really from:

Froome Kenyan not British
Nibali Sciclian not Italian
Porte Tazmanian Not Australian
Cavandish Manx not English
Martin English not Irish

...Impey?

 

[postmanhat]

Hello

I am the webmaster of InadvertentBigGayPhotos.com.....

 

[Bakhjulet]

Having watched the descent video, I genuinely fear for someone's life tomorrow if it rains.

Agree, they shouldn't do the descent if it rains, clearly very dangerous.

 

[manafana]

im not a fan of that donwhill and riders have been saying so too. 2 clmbs does put alot more pressure on froome.

 

[The Hitch]

Well they could just record the time gaps of riders as they crest Alpe then shuttle them down the hill and release them according to the time gaps they reached the top? Not that I like that idea abut beats canceling the stage or shortening it up.

Didn't they do something similar at the Giro?

Shame if they cancel it or shorten the stage, removing the descent should be minimal, yes it will ruin the drama and effect of the descent but again beats canceling/shortening the stage further than the descent length.

Milan - San Remo ? There is a differance between 20 cm of snow on a downhill and rain pouring down and wet roads. Ok i really don't know about lightning but i guess the taller riders are more at risk.

I think he means giro 15. They did Mont cenis neutralized then I think halfway down the descent it was agreed they would race. That was all riders reaching an agreement though.

 

[Rajna31]

who do you guys think has the best possibillities to hit a break the next stages, Ion izagirre or Romain Bardet?

Bardet, Izaguirre has been a diappointment until this TT. But Bardet was in the breakaway on the Bagneres-de-Bigorre stage, I think he'll go again on Friday.

 

[Pricey_sky]

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...

That descent is absolutely horrendous, what are the organisers even thinking about?!

If they were that obsessed about doing Alpe D'Huez twice for the 100th Tour they should clearly have sorted this out and tarmacked it again.

I hope we get to see the full stage as it will be a real shame however if its raining then I completely understand it being shortened.

 

[Pulpstar]

Prudhomme and Peschaux have had enough time to sort out the road. Certain teams (Saxo) look to have based a strategy round it. Tony Martin warned of its dangers ages back.

If the storm clouds roll in tommorow and either a dangerous descent goes on or the stage is called, well Peschaux or Prudhomme has to take the fall. In fact even if its sunny Peschaux should go. He's made a ridiculous desicion and is now screwed either which way. Off to the tower with Mcquaid and Armstrong I say.

 

[Ryaguas]

Are you ready for the demolition derby tomorrow?

Fasten your seat belts

 

[Rajna31]

That descent is absolutely horrendous, what are the organisers even thinking about?!

It was ridden at the Dauphine and it was alright. No carnage if I remember correctly, no extra slowing down either, just normal descending with caution I assume. Sure, it was in the middle of the stage, not after Alpe and before an Alpe MTF, and it wasn't the 3rd week of the Tour but I think everyone had an opportunity to see it. Only Martin had complaints back then. If Sky thought it was too dangerous, they should have indicated that weeks before the Tour, now it's obvious that they're complaining to reduce the chance of a miracle reshaping the GC.

I have no experience of biking in mountains and have no idea how this descent compares to others, but it just doesn't seem right that the complaints are coming now bar Martin. If Contador was in the lead, I guess Saxo would make the argument Sky's making now.

 

[Jelantik]

It was ridden at the Dauphine and it was alright. No carnage if I remember correctly, no extra slowing down either, just normal descending with caution I assume. Sure, it was in the middle of the stage, not after Alpe and before an Alpe MTF, and it wasn't the 3rd week of the Tour but I think everyone had an opportunity to see it. Only Martin had complaints back then. If Sky thought it was too dangerous, they should have indicated that weeks before the Tour, now it's obvious that they're complaining to reduce the chance of a miracle reshaping the GC.

I have no experience of biking in mountains and have no idea how this descent compares to others, but it just doesn't seem right that the complaints are coming now bar Martin. If Contador was in the lead, I guess Saxo would make the argument Sky's making now.

i haven't heard any complaint coming from purito, quintana, contador, valverde, dan martin, mollema who are in the top 10. Only froome and of course grouppeto martin and radioshack who are basically off top 10 (except froome)

 

[auscyclefan94]

Evans has said that he will be going into the break either today or tomorrow. The most logical day would be tomorrow, but who knows what he will do.