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

[murali]

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.

actually, belkin can think of doing tht tomorrow.

 

[Sasquatch]

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.

If they have team-mates that are still standing, then they do the work for them. I don't think Ten Dam or Mollema should help Sky and they won't be pacing Froome. Just ride on his wheel.

I just think they should just sit in and let everyone do the work. Why attack? Just sit back and let everyone do it for you.

 

[Aditya]

Astana could have been even more prominent if Jani was still there. Him and Fuglsang could have certainly done something to get close to the top 5. Better than the Belkin boys any day

 

[Cimber]

Weather looks fine on the top at the moment:

http://alpedhuez.livecam360.net/bergers

 

[Carl0880]

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.

Everyone is thinking about Saxo but maybe part of a deal with Sky is they help control Quintana and Jrod. For Mollema to maintain his 4th position, he needs to stop those from passing, especially Since both 5th and 6th are looking to be getting stronger while Mollema seems to be weakening at this moment.

 

[Cimber]

Everyone is thinking about Saxo but maybe part of a deal with Sky is they help control Quintana and Jrod. For Mollema to maintain his 4th position, he needs to stop those from passing, especially Since both 5th and 6th are looking to be getting stronger while Mollema seems to be weakening at this moment.

Ride to win or stay home

 

[murali]

is it still stannard and thomas in the front?

 

[Scott SoCal]

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.

Exactly.....

 

[Scirea]

If they have team-mates that are still standing, then they do the work for them. I don't think Ten Dam or Mollema should help Sky and they won't be pacing Froome. Just ride on his wheel.

I just think they should just sit in and let everyone do the work. Why attack? Just sit back and let everyone do it for you.

That's okay, I'd probably do that knowing that everybody in front of me in the standings are stronger than me, probably some behind me too. Nobody said they shouldn't do that, it all started with the assumption that Bekin might want to work with Sky.

 

[spalco]

The feeling of riding towards Alpe d'Huez with those clouds overhanging must be pretty intense.

 

[puffin]

Roche and Pulinho with 1 and half minutes. Does anyone know if the Col d'Ornon descent is tricky enough for an attack?

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Weather looks fine on the top at the moment:

http://alpedhuez.livecam360.net/bergers

that's great

Thanks for that !

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I didnt see the attack but why didn't they send tosatto and bennatti up the road? they could really launch paulinho and roche on the flat

 

[Alphabet]

I think Saxo may have sent these two away a little early. They've been out alone for what, an hour now?

 

[Cimber]

Roche and Pulinho with 1 and half minutes. Does anyone know if the Col d'Ornon descent is tricky enough for an attack?

I read somewhere that it is tricky

 

[Cimber]

I didnt see the attack but why didn't they send tosatto and bennatti up the road? they could really launch paulinho and roche on the flat

Cos they attacked on the cat. 3

 

[Scirea]

I didnt see the attack but why didn't they send tosatto and bennatti up the road? they could really launch paulinho and roche on the flat

What flat? There is not much flat left in the stage.

 

[murali]

I think Saxo may have sent these two away a little early. They've been out alone for what, an hour now?

i think that they expect the two to be caught midway up the first ascent.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

What flat? There is not much flat left in the stage.

everything in between third climb and ormont climb. not flat of course, but rolling

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

i think that they expect the two to be caught midway up the first ascent.

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

 

[Rajna31]

I didnt see the attack but why didn't they send tosatto and bennatti up the road? they could really launch paulinho and roche on the flat

Thought of the same thing actually, it wasn't too smart to send those 2 up the road with more than 6 minutes back, they won't be of any use on Alpe if they're exhausted from the chase. Flat specialists could have helped them making them more useful later on.

 

[Scirea]

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.

 

[Scott SoCal]

I think Saxo may have sent these two away a little early. They've been out alone for what, an hour now?

Maybe, but Sky is having to keep them at a reasonable distance. Saxo is making them burn matches early.

Isolate Froome, isolate Froome, isolate Froome. It's on the menu today

 

[batchuba]

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.

 

[Miburo]

I agree with ryo, bennati should have been to follow those 2.