2014 Tour de France, Stage 18: Pau–Hautacam (145.5 Km)

[Vino attacks everyone]

Nibali to truly go all out, guns blasing, ballistic nuclear misssile awesomeness super karate kick.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

So GC Riders in TdF are by the definition all better than GC Riders in Giro?

LOL. But you have a great point here. OFC Majka can go with them. He wasn´t planned for the TdF, so he just came on lately...

 

[inthepink]

So if Majka goes over the Tourmalet first he wins polka even if J-Rod wins stage and si second on Tourmalet ??

 

[Netserk]

So if Majka goes over the Tourmalet first he wins polka even if J-Rod wins stage and si second on Tourmalet ??

No, but that will never happen.

 

[Tank Engine]

I could see someone like Konig get in the break and have the French teams keep it close until the final climb to protect their podium places. That would allow Astana to save their matches until the end. Otherwise I don't think they have enough power to keep the break close enough for Nibali to go for the win.

Voigt has been really quiet in the last week. I feel he has one last tour breakaway in his legs. And Tommy V is almost a certainty too.

Voigt was in the early break today. But I'm sure he'll still go out with a bang.

It's the last of three days in the mountains. Only the strongest have a chance.
Majka will pick up enough points win the polka dot jersey. Astana will find allies of circumstance so that the race comes down to the last climb.
Nibbles has no need to hold back.
On this stage there won't be any presents, or anything like "oh **** I've won the tour, oh **** there goes Quintana" like last year.

 

[Alcanelo]

Pinot will win this one and cement second place

 

[MBotero]

Thought G might just be saving his legs today for a big effort tomorrow but he tweeted that it was a genuine bad day.

That's bad,seems like nobody can really step up and bring a stage win for the team.Maybe Richie can have a miraculous day,he lost 7.38 to Majka today,maybe he was saving something or he just sucking,who knows.

 

[pigoonse]

Nibali to truly go all out, guns blasing, ballistic nuclear misssile awesomeness super karate kick.

...and then, he is gonna win the stage too.

 

[maarten]

Majka to cross Tourmalet first and secure his jersey.

This. If Majka makes it over the Tourmalet in a group break and picks up 25 points there, with the break mopping up most of the rest of the points, he can get >50 points ahead of Nibali and won't have to worry about competing on the Hautacam climb when the GC contenders start attacking each other.

(I'm assuming he cares that he "really" wins the classification as opposed to getting the jersey because Nibali is in yellow.)

 

[Frosty]

That's bad,seems like nobody can really step up and bring a stage win for the team.Maybe Richie can have a miraculous day,he lost 7.38 to Majka today,maybe he was saving something or he just sucking,who knows.

Nieve did better today so maybe he could go in the break tomorrow. It is the last real opportunity for team mates to play a big part for the GC guys though so i think at least one team will have their domestiques driving hard at some point in the stage. Makes it hard for the break to stay away but we shall see.

 

[yespatterns]

the weight of control is on movistar, and we know pinot has to attack. I think Sinkoff Taxo (as eurosport would put it) will take a break aside from the polka dot points. Jrod is burned out, gadret can't hang, but JCP could be worrying. Anyway, Nibbles FTW, hopefully Pinot after.

 

[damian13ster]

That was because he s*cked in the TT even though it was a mountain one. Once this kid can TT he will be deadly

He is decent Time Trial rider. look at first time trial in Giro. He is not Nibali, Contador, Froome or Uran but I think he is in top half among GC contenders.

 

[djpbaltimore]

Voigt was in the early break today. But I'm sure he'll still go out with a bang.

Oops, you are right! I just didn't notice him.

 

[Jagartrott]

Again, Zubeldia moved like a ghost this stage. I don't think he was ever clearly visible, but he was thereabouts. It's like Monfort in the Giro, nobody knows he was there, but somehow, he walks away with some UCI points (not enough to really be noticed, mind you).

CIA and MI6 have been on the phone with both, so I've gathered.

Edit: Oops, wrong thread. But I'm sure we'll see the same this final mountain stage.

 

[Fzotrlool]

 

[Carols]

Wow look how chubby Nibali was!!!

 

[whittashau]

He looks like he has a chubby *** there.

 

[SeriousSam]

Horner is such a cheerful guy, always a smile on his face.

 

[VeloHuman]

He is decent Time Trial rider. look at first time trial in Giro. He is not Nibali, Contador, Froome or Uran but I think he is in top half among GC contenders.

Majka's Giro ITT was a huge step forward. He beat some real specialists. Can't underestimate this kid in the future. He has a nice kick, too.

 

[May0maniac]

That was because he s*cked in the TT even though it was a mountain one. Once this kid can TT he will be deadly

Yeah, i mean it is not like he gained 1:16 on aru in the flat itt an came in 4th

 

[Frosty]

I said earlier that at least one of the GC teams will want to make a hard race of it so the break might well be caught. However, i suppose it is also the best chance for a break to succeed so some of the teams without a win or a GC hope may want to get as many riders in the break as possible to power it along and make sure the break stays clear. First thoughts are of Europcar(ok Rolland is doing well on GC but is upstaged by Ag2r/FdJ) and Sky here. Nieve did climb well with the GC guys so maybe Sky will try to get quite a few in the break, i imagine Voeckler will give the break another go.

 

[Devilen]

Looking overall its actually interesting to notice the difference between Sky - Froome and Tinkoff Saxo - AC.

Sky have been a no-show since Froome crashed out, while Tinkoff Saxo have been showing great individual preformances between Roche, Rogers and Majka, and have a very good case for claiming the title as the best climbing team

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Disgusting stage design. Practically impossible to think of a lazier ASO stage short of just finishing in Luz-St-Sauveur.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

This. If Majka makes it over the Tourmalet in a group break and picks up 25 points there, with the break mopping up most of the rest of the points, he can get >50 points ahead of Nibali and won't have to worry about competing on the Hautacam climb when the GC contenders start attacking each other.

(I'm assuming he cares that he "really" wins the classification as opposed to getting the jersey because Nibali is in yellow.)

Hey why did you take my name in 2009 if you're only going to make 4 posts in all those years!

Now I had to take a ridiculous username.

 

[SeriousSam]

Disgusting stage design. Practically impossible to think of a lazier ASO stage short of just finishing in Luz-St-Sauveur.

A watchable, entertaining race nonetheless.