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

[Carols]

I wonder if Saxo will be releasing contador's power data now. The change between ventoux and post rest day must be absolutely mind-blowing. Lol.

I'd rather know froomeVO2max 2010 vs now. But Sky doesn't test VO2max...sure

 

[Cimber]

To bad the Euskatel riders didnt make it

 

[Bakhjulet]

Carrots attacking on a descent where Stannard is setting the pace.

 

[Scott SoCal]

I hope it´s Brailsford who call the shots today, I really do.

This. Will. Be. Epic.

 

[xrayvision]

hes stressed alright, reading every news paper he can get his hands on to see if somebody know the Saxo plan.

 

[wwabbit]

Brailsford is furiously flipping through his playbook to the page "How to counter Fuente De tactics"

 

[Scirea]

It would be very silly if Sky did not team up with Belkin. It is in both teams interests to control Saxo Tinkoff with Contador and Kreuziger.

Why the hell would it be Belkin's best interest? Mollema and Ten Dam are obviously MUCH weaker now than Contador and Kreuziger. Their best interest would be to show some ****ing guts and race for glory. Controlling Saxo my ***...

 

[Cimber]

Roche+Paul got 1 min

 

[Scott SoCal]

Why the hell would it be Belkin's best interest? Mollema and Ten Dam are obviously MUCH weaker now than Contador and Kreuziger. Their best interest would be to show some ****ing guts and race for glory. Controlling Saxo my ***...

Yeah. It only makes sense if they are racing for a minor placing.

 

[GroupDK]

silly from saxo-tinkoff...just burning riders

Come on ' everything looks very easy in backview..

its a race, and saxo been the subject for the race in this tdf..

not seen much for all the other teams..

and im here to see some fascinating and speculating cyclin- racing, nothing else..

i couldnt care less about them individuel.. its all about trying to create a show..

 

[murali]

do you think that they can catch the break before col d ornon

 

[ThirdWorld]

do you think that they can catch the break before col d ornon

no
10char

 

[Cimber]

do you think that they can catch the break before col d ornon

No. Both of them have been average in this Tour. But the goal might not be to catch the break.

 

[xrayvision]

do you think that they can catch the break before col d ornon

Nope, they not even trying to do that.

 

[Sasquatch]

Why the hell would it be Belkin's best interest? Mollema and Ten Dam are obviously MUCH weaker now than Contador and Kreuziger. Their best interest would be to show some ****ing guts and race for glory. Controlling Saxo my ***...

After the tough 12 months Belkin has had, the sponsor and the team will be more than happy to have 2 riders in the top 10. Podium or not, to have 2 riders in the top 10 is a good return for the sponsor. If they ride sensibly, they can still maybe get on the podium as Contador and Kreuziger will take risks and could lose time. Let them burn themselves out. If it doesn't work, then they get 4th and whatever other placing they have, which the sponsor will be wrapped with. It's all about preserving those high placings rather than risk attacking and lose them.

And fatigue for all we know could be getting to Ten Dam and Mollema and if that is the case, then they need to ride sensible.

 

[Stilletto]

Fuglesang still has Gaspa, Gavazzi, Bazayev and Muraveyev? No?
Still better than the whole of the Saur team....

 

[The Hitch]

he's not wrong

I know. Thats what im saying. The journos and media are as usual trying to build this up as the hardest stage in grand tour history, where in reality its probably not even in the top 5 for the year.

 

[murali]

how is fugslang today?

 

[Amused]

Weather not bad at all. Blue skies on the horizon at the top of AdH. Not raining.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Anyways belkin will choke again.

 

[vcampbell]

how is fugslang today?

Danish.

10char

 

[Stilletto]

...Chirpy...

 

[xrayvision]

Weather not bad at all. Blue skies on the horizon at the top of AdH. Not raining.

It can change in 15 minutes. Danish TV had a live weather forecast, all observations and prognoses says 90% chance of rain. But we will see.

 

[ThirdWorld]

Weather not bad at all. Blue skies on the horizon at the top of AdH. Not raining.

the weather in the big moutains can change very fast... I hope there will be a hard rain just when they start to dowhill the Col de Sarenne!

 

[Scirea]

After the tough 12 months Belkin has had, the sponsor and the team will be more than happy to have 2 riders in the top 10. Podium or not, to have 2 riders in the top 10 is a good return for the sponsor. If they ride sensibly, they can still maybe get on the podium as Contador and Kreuziger will take risks and could lose time. Let them burn themselves out. If it doesn't work, then they get 4th and whatever other placing they have, which the sponsor will be wrapped with. It's all about preserving those high placings rather than risk attacking and lose them.

And fatigue for all we know could be getting to Ten Dam and Mollema and if that is the case, then they need to ride sensible.

Good point. So you think the best way to get two top10 spots is to control Contador and Kreuziger and help Sky? They should do exactly the opposite, just sit back and enjoy while the top dogs are going at each other. Contador and/or Kreuziger might burn themselves out and there is also a small chance for a Froome breakdown if he has to work too much because his team can't control everything. Helping Sky with their manpower to chase down Saxo boys is a terrible way to go for Belkin, the worst possible decision in this situation.