2014 Tour De France stage Stage 2: York – Sheffield: 201km

[Miburo]

2014 Tour De France stage Stage 2: York – Sheffield: 201km

This stage can be really awesome, many things can happen. If the riders really want to race, i expect a battlefield.

Km 47.0 - Côte de Blubberhouses1.8 kilometre-long climb at 6.1% - category 4
Km 85.0 - Côte d'Oxenhope Moor3.1 kilometre-long climb at 6.4% - category 3
Km 112.5 - VC - Côte de Ripponden1.3 kilometre-long climb at 8.6% - category 3
Km 119.5 - Côte de Greetland1.6 kilometre-long climb at 6.7% - category 3
Km 143.5 - Côte de Holme Moss4.7 kilometre-long climb at 7% - category 2
Km 167.0 - Côte de Midhopestones2.5 kilometre-long climb at 6.1% - category 3
Km 175.0 - Côte de Bradfield1 kilometre-long climb at 7.4% - category 4
Km 182.0 - Côte d'Oughtibridge1.5 kilometre-long climb at 9.1% - category 3
Km 196.0 - VC - Côte de Jenkin Road0.8 kilometre-long climb at 10.8% - category 4

 

[sultanofhyd]

Cote de Blubberhouses

 

[Eclipse]

Been so excited for this one.

If today is any indicator the crowds on Holme Moss will be insane.

 

[the sceptic]

Is this the best stage 2 in a grand tour ever? (ok maybe hyperbole, ill wait for libertine to come and correct me) But it really looks like it could provide some great racing.

Froome to go thermonuclear and take yellow.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I hope Kwiatkowski will be in action tomorrow.

 

[Arredondo]

There will only be one winner tomorrow

Really curious to see if Contador wants to put pressure on Froome already. It will be a hell of a race

 

[Vino's Mum]

I wrote this in an earlier thread, but watch out for the fast technical descent and short climb in and out of Bradfield, about 25 km from the finish. It's a real bottleneck at the bottom in the village before turning sharply up the climb, and could be pretty hairy.

Possible heavy showers should only add to the fun.

Sagan ftw.

 

[veji11]

It will be interesting to see how it developps :
- First if quite a few riders try to go for the morning breakaway or just like today just a few. If there is battle to take the breakaway, than it will already tire some guys out.
- Second, do we have secondary attacks from leaders' teammates later on to serve as support for their leader in case of attack, put pressure on other teams to put in some work.
- Third do we see some semi big guns if not big guns try something before Jenkin Road or not.

Last but not least, which team will put in some work tomorrow ? Kittel said he expects to lose the jersey, so why bother. Do we have some bluffing going on ? Or teams like Movistar, Orica or Cannondale putting in the work for the stage win ? Or Sky going all "this is a serious stage so we are going to treat it like a moutain stage and get the train going" ?

And let us not forget the weather ! This could add some action !

 

[Lance Armstrong]

What's the weather forecast? Sagan would love some rain.

 

[PedalCastro]

Sagan. I think and hope!

 

[Ricco']

What's the weather forecast? Sagan would love some rain.

If AccuWeather is accurate, there will be some showers in Sheffield tomorrow afternoon.

 

[Jspear]

Sagan all the way. Valverde will be 2nd. Gerrans, Jrod, and Kwiatkowski will all be there as well.

 

[yespatterns]

This does have sagan written all over it, but I hope a gc contender loses their mind and shakes things up.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Is this the best stage 2 in a grand tour ever? (ok maybe hyperbole, ill wait for libertine to come and correct me) But it really looks like it could provide some great racing.

Froome to go thermonuclear and take yellow.

It's the best opening weekend stage in recent memory in any GT, that's for sure. Definitely in respect of Le Tour. Arguably stage 2 in 2010 could have been up there with it, although the likelihood would have been action left to Rosier. In the end of course we got no action at all.

This one I think is better however, owing to there being more climbs than the 2010 stage, and with the climbs being less well-known to the riders (and also that the last climb is so short may mean more action beforehand if riders want to win time, because they'll need to shed domestiques so there's nobody to chase them back later).

The best Giro opening weekend stage that I can remember recently would be the Agrigento one from 2008:

That was a very nice little stage, but there's only really the two relevant small climbs near the end, the double ascent of the final climb; that wasn't so steep as to be able to create the kind of gaps that Jenkin Road could.

La Vuelta's biggest GC-relevance on stage 2 lately has been the Monte da Groba stage from last year, but that was a one-climb stage on a dullish climb, not as interesting as this could be. There was an interesting puncheur stage in 2008 into Jaén that Valverde won, but that was a bit more like the Plumelec Tour stage - a few early climbs, then flat-to-rolling until the uphill finish. The Vuelta tends to put the first interesting stage on stage 3 these days (Arrate 2012, Málaga 2010)...

 

[Vino's Mum]

What's the weather forecast? Sagan would love some rain.

T' local forecast: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2654996

"A bright day with sunny spells. Scattered showers will develop through the afternoon, these heavy later with a risk of thunder."

Plenty of the roads before the route reaches the outskirts of Sheffield are already narrow and bumpy, and will be bad enough in the dry at full gas. If it rains, I can see one or two of the GC riders looking to test out Froomey by going from anywhere after Holme Moss.

 

[armchairclimber]

I'll give you all a wave from the Cote de Greetland (actually badly named....it should be Cote de Blackley).

 

[jaylew]

Sagan all the way. Valverde will be 2nd. Gerrans, Jrod, and Kwiatkowski will all be there as well.

I have my doubts about Kwia and particularly Purito. I just don't think they have the form at the moment.

 

[sir fly]

I'm expecting a lot from this stage.
The profile is promising for stage hunters as well as for the GC contenders, the countryside is beautiful and fans are great.
Everything in the place for an entertaining Sunday.

 

[Jspear]

I have my doubts about Kwia and particularly Purito. I just don't think they have the form at the moment.

We shall see. I would agree with you about Purito. Kwiatkowski claims he is in good shape. As a team if OPQS wants to win stages they should really try with him tomorrow. Things don't look to good for Cav.

 

[maxmartin]

Froom gap everyone

 

[Pantani_lives]

Several types of rider can win this stage:
*Punchers: Valverde, Rodriguez...
*Decent climbers with a sprint: Gerrans, Rui Costa...
*Sprinters that can hang on: Sagan
*Attackers: Voeckler, Chavanel, Bakelants...

 

[jens_attacks]

i expect many great things from this. probably i will end up disappointed

i think froome will attack,alberto will follow. maybe valverde can hang in there too. wish the same for nibali. i also want the schlecks to attacks here

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Give me some heavy rain and the shark will swim away from everybody

 

[veji11]

I wonder what the Voecklers, the Vichots, The Gallopins, The Van Armaets, the De Marchis, the Bakelandts, the Chavanels, the Iglinskys, the Booms etc will do. Will they wait for the late stage to try something ? try to go real early by battling for the morning breakaway or wait for the second half to try to attack than and bridge the gap with the morning group ?

Because if those guys are active, they could encourage some big guns to try something.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Be prepared for the imminent dynamic duo attack:

Anyway I hope at least 60 riders will lose 10+ minutes on his stage.