2014 Tour de France July 19, Stage 14: Grenoble - Risoul 177km

[Jancouver]

Stage details

Distance: 177km

Category: High mountains

Highest point: 2,360m

The second day in the Alps is a rival for the queen stage epithet, but probably comes off second best to the Pla d’Adet stage three days later. The first two climbs – the Col du Lautaret and Col d’Izoard – are old Tour haunts. At 2,361m, the Izoard is also the roof of the race, with the route planners hoping it will be a springboard for a desperate chase up to Risoul, which is debuting in the Tour this year. The peloton tackles the Col d’Izoard from the Briançon side, but the steep and technical descent alongside the Torrent d’Izoard could provide the impetus for the brave to set off and pressurise the race leader on the Risoul which starts after a period of flat on the valley floor.

Risoul has featured in ASO races in the recent past – twice in the Tour de l’Avenir and twice in the Critérium du Dauphiné. It’s only 6.1km in length and has an extremely constant gradient around seven per cent, so anticipate the speed up the climb to be punishingly high.

FINAL CLIMB

 

[maxmartin]

A break away, J Rod? Nibali follows those who are fighting for the second place, may take some time if opportunity presents itself.

 

[webbie146]

Nibali to take it easy and just follow wheels for a day.

 

[Eclipse]

GCN preview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Ml8yz5B-c

and some on board footage of the descent down Col d'Izoard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMI1iIs9P6k

 

[DenisMenchov]

Pinot goes ballistic and takes the MJ.

 

[Jspear]

Nibali will win out of the GC guys. I'd like to see one of the TS guys take the win.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Another warm day?

 

[Red Rick]

It depends on which team will keep the breakaway close in order to fail massively, and Nibali's boredom levels

 

[Red Rick]

Also, Kittel to finish out of the time limit after dropping before the Lauteret officially started

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

A lot less warm

 

[Fzotrlool]

Hopefully a strong breakaway to win this time. They need at least ten men with strong climbing abilities.

A dream break would be like, Nieve (plan C), JRod, Voeckler, Fränk (hopefully he is allowed), Serpa, Kiry (for Nieve), Quemeneur (for Voeckler) Spilak (for Purito), Rogers, Roche, Feillu, Kruijswijk and Serpa.

 

[Escarabajo]

My prediction is that Pinot will have a fist fight with Valverde. Valverde expends his little testosterone left in his body and responds. Both riders are expelled from the race, leaving Nibali with a "clear" open chance to seize the race.

 

[hfer07]

Nibali to gift the stage to Pinot, but then Valverde out sprint them to get the stage and further their mutual hate

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Nieve or Pinot ftw please.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I think the competition could isolate Nibali pretty quickly, perhaps somewhere half way up Col d’Izoard. But it requires a good plan up the first climb or at least a concerted GC contender attack on d'Izoard. Nibali is ridiculously strong but who dares wins. Perhaps.

Anyway Sky and Tinkoff to attack from the get go allowing Peraud to sneak into the break with them. Horner and Ten Dam should join them too.

 

[Alcanelo]

Porte to gain two mins back on Nibali and everyone else. Horner to get dropped. Or maybe the other way round

 

[MBotero]

I think the competition could isolate Nibali pretty quickly, perhaps somewhere half way up Col d’Izoard. But it requires a good plan up the first climb or at least a concerted GC contender attack on d'Izoard. Nibali is ridiculously strong but who dares wins. Perhaps.

Anyway Sky and Tinkoff to attack from the get go allowing Peraud to sneak into the break with them. Horner and Ten Dam should join them too.

Looks like a good plan,it will be interesting to see how Nibali would deal with such a situation.The only problem is that nobody seems to be strong enough for such a plan to be implemented.
I would go with Nieve for the win,time to show Sky management that they are useless.

 

[RobbieCanuck]

Could Rafal Majka have challenged for the Yellow if he had not been so wasted from the Giro? He had a great race today, even though Nibali pulled away from him at the end.

 

[sir fly]

Well, the only sensible development is Nibali soloing from the Lautaret, just to overshadow Andy's 2011 Galibier.
That's what's left to be surpassed after the cobbles, La Planche des Belles Filles and Chamrousse on his epic conquest.

 

[GoGarmin]

I'd like to see some french teams get riders up the road and then help Pinot, Bardet or Peraud get from the top of the Izoard to the base of Risoul.

Honestly the fight for the podium is going to be great over the next week.

 

[Jagartrott]

Could Rafal Majka have challenged for the Yellow if he had not been so wasted from the Giro? He had a great race today, even though Nibali pulled away from him at the end.

Majka was wheelsucking poor König the entire climb only to jump out of it in the last 150 m. Earned a lot of minus points in my book.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Looks like a good plan,it will be interesting to see how Nibali would deal with such a situation.The only problem is that nobody seems to be strong enough for such a plan to be implemented.
I would go with Nieve for the win,time to show Sky management that they are useless.

Thats why I think it needs to be concerted. 5 or 6 of the top guys attacks halfway up sort of thing.

Fuglsang won't be much help. Scaponi is tired from the Giro plus some crashes here. Kangert perhaps only man left when it gets tough.

It can definitely be done, but big risk involved for some of these guys.

Sky operates like it was 2012.....

 

[Jancouver]

Majka was wheelsucking poor König the entire climb only to jump out of it in the last 150 m. Earned a lot of minus points in my book.

What a loser move by Majka at the finish line. Even Konig was shaking his head.

 

[Coat-O]

Majka was wheelsucking poor König the entire climb only to jump out of it in the last 150 m. Earned a lot of minus points in my book.

Yeah, and he doesn't even mention Konig in the post-interviews.

“I’m satisfied but I’m definitely hungry for more and the stage to Risoul tomorrow is a possibility. I’m at the Tour and I’ve done the Giro, so naturally I’m a bit tired. But I’m glad that I came in second just after Nibali on a 20-kilometer climb. That’s not so bad”, says Rafal Majka after the stage.

“I will try to be aggressive tomorrow like I was today. Rogers and Roche are strong on the climbs so we have different cards to play. The first climb tomorrow will definitely be hard as well so I’ll be ready if the right moment comes”

He made ONE move where he jumped on König's wheel. That's not aggressive to me.

 

[Jancouver]

Yeah, and he doesn't even mention Konig in the post-interviews.

“I’m satisfied but I’m definitely hungry for more and the stage to Risoul tomorrow is a possibility. I’m at the Tour and I’ve done the Giro, so naturally I’m a bit tired. But I’m glad that I came in second just after Nibali on a 20-kilometer climb. That’s not so bad”, says Rafal Majka after the stage.

“I will try to be aggressive tomorrow like I was today. Rogers and Roche are strong on the climbs so we have different cards to play. The first climb tomorrow will definitely be hard as well so I’ll be ready if the right moment comes”

He made ONE move where he jumped on König's wheel. That's not aggressive to me.

What a *** Majka is. As Leo said, he should at least pull the last few minutes and not just jumping over finish line. But no worries, karma will get him sooner than later. What goes around comes around.