2016 TdF, Stage 15: Bourg-en-Bresse → Culoz (160km)

[saganboss]

Re:

Who here thinks that Peter will go to get those sprint points? Or will he save himself for monday, and then try to get some points after the rest day?

he will try for sure. if they don't go too hard i think he has a chance for the 20 points

 

[Red Rick]

Stage would probably be better in reverse order, or at least if the did the Grand Colombier from bottom to top.

I don't think anyone's gonna win, seems they're riding off a cliff around 40km into the race

 

[sir fly]

Re:

Stage would probably be better in reverse order, or at least if the did the Grand Colombier from bottom to top.

I don't think anyone's gonna win, seems they're riding off a cliff around 40km into the race

You're right... Didn't even bother to classify the rock.

And this is tomorrow's attraction

Spirit of last year.

 

[Inquitus]

The Bookies take on the stage:

Odds
Majka - 8/1
Valverde - 12/1
Nibali - 12/1
Rui Costa - 12/1
Froome - 14/1
Quintana - 20/1
Porte - 20/1
Zakarin - 22/1
Mollema - 25/1
Bardet - 25/1
Purito - 28/1
Rolland - 28/1
Dan - 33/1
Yates - 33/1

 

[Inquitus]

Re: Re:

Stage would probably be better in reverse order, or at least if the did the Grand Colombier from bottom to top.

I don't think anyone's gonna win, seems they're riding off a cliff around 40km into the race

You're right... Didn't even bother to classify the rock.

And this is tomorrow's attraction

Spirit of last year.

Which climb is that please?

 

[sir fly]

Re: Re:

Lacets du Grand Colombier.

 

[RattaKuningas]

I think that tomorrow we will see Quintana that we expected to see this tour. There are no crosswinds or long flats that favor bigger riders like Froome. I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow is the first day that Froome will show some weakness because I think that Quintana is not the only one that will attack tomorrow. And I really hope that there will be racing immediately from the start not some silly waiting game until we are well into last kilometers of last climb.

 

[Tank Engine]

This is a very difficult stage to control. de Gendt and Majka will be fighting it out for mountain points. Rui Costa from the break.

 

[Cycling1984]

Re:

The Bookies take on the stage:

Odds
Majka - 8/1
Valverde - 12/1
Nibali - 12/1
Rui Costa - 12/1
Froome - 14/1
Quintana - 20/1
Porte - 20/1
Zakarin - 22/1
Mollema - 25/1
Bardet - 25/1
Purito - 28/1
Rolland - 28/1
Dan - 33/1
Yates - 33/1

Who do you fancy? I'm all for nibs tomorrow but afraid Sky made send a super dom in break for stage hunting and to prevent them from having to chase. Can't see anything bar a break making it...

 

[Inquitus]

Re:

I think that tomorrow we will see Quintana that we expected to see this tour. There are no crosswinds or long flats that favor bigger riders like Froome. I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow is the first day that Froome will show some weakness because I think that Quintana is not the only one that will attack tomorrow. And I really hope that there will be racing immediately from the start not some silly waiting game until we are well into last kilometers of last climb.

I agree, the Col du Berthiand (780 m), 6 kilometre-long climb at 8.1% - category 1, which starts at the 17km mark and summits at 23km, is preceded by couple of lesser climbs, the peloton could be hugely thinned down in this opening if its attacked as expected.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Re:

Who here thinks that Peter will go to get those sprint points? Or will he save himself for monday, and then try to get some points after the rest day?

sagan doesn't need any points

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Re:

I think that tomorrow we will see Quintana that we expected to see this tour. There are no crosswinds or long flats that favor bigger riders like Froome. I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow is the first day that Froome will show some weakness because I think that Quintana is not the only one that will attack tomorrow. And I really hope that there will be racing immediately from the start not some silly waiting game until we are well into last kilometers of last climb.

problem for quintana is that the climbs are more hills, short and low altitude except the colombier

 

[Inquitus]

Re: Re:

Who do you fancy? I'm all for nibs tomorrow but afraid Sky made send a super dom in break for stage hunting and to prevent them from having to chase. Can't see anything bar a break making it...

Nibali, Costa, Rolland, Majka or Zakarin from the break looking at that list would be my favourites, everyone else is too close on the GC to be given much rope, and I think it's a day for the break. I'd whittle that down to Nibali, Zakarin and Majka, with Nib's probably my favorite, he can salvage a stage win from the TDF and probably won't be held to dom duties on behalf of a clearly out of form Aru, his own form will need to have moved on a fair bit from last week though!

 

[RattaKuningas]

Re: Re:

I think that tomorrow we will see Quintana that we expected to see this tour. There are no crosswinds or long flats that favor bigger riders like Froome. I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow is the first day that Froome will show some weakness because I think that Quintana is not the only one that will attack tomorrow. And I really hope that there will be racing immediately from the start not some silly waiting game until we are well into last kilometers of last climb.

problem for quintana is that the climbs are more hills, short and low altitude except the colombier

True but let's hope that he will do something on Colombier then.

 

[malakassis]

given todays rather soft pedaling i guess we can expakt attaks for GC tomorrow. and as mentioned before,some top guy might lose the tour tomorrow. this stage reminds me a bit of 2014 belle filles stage,although later in the race.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

De Gendt vs Pauwels for sure.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Re:

De Gendt vs Pauwels for sure.

yes please

 

[Red Rick]

If Quintana is gonna go long range, he's most likely gonn do it on Montee de Bisanne, on stage 19. But I think he needs to be the better climber from stage 17 onwards.

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

Best designed stage of this tour.

And luckily we've quintana and mollemma for the attack. They'll risk it all here.

Sarcasm doesn't ease the pain

haha if you think mollema will risk anything here.

You're not really a smart guy are you?

 

[TBSOUTH]

What about a few more names for the break.....Buchmans-Plaza-Costa

 

[portugal11]

I think rui costa will win. This stage is horrible. We won't see anything tomorrow

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Froome should go berserk on the descend and destroy the wannabees for good.

Should that fail, I like to see Valverde take a stage win.

 

[Melo]

Zakarin - 22/1

:surprised: He rides in Le Tour? In these 2 weeks I haven't heard of him.

 

[perico]

Re:

Zakarin - 22/1

:surprised: He rides in Le Tour? In these 2 weeks I haven't heard of him.

That's actually a solid bet for tomorrow. He has been completely anonymous and had a pretty solid TT yesterday.

 

[Tonton]

Nice OP, again. One correction tho', Le GC via Culoz has been used twice at the Dauphine including '98 with Vino first on top, and more times than mentioned in the OP for the Tour de L'Ain. Including in '11 when the MTF was won by none other than Tibopino (who was also the first atop the climb - not a MTF and via Lochieu, in '10). Both feats in the first two minutes of this video, courtesy of Tonton Sport Organization .

https://youtu.be/GoGGZk2y3Eg

Noteworthy: the '10 Tdl'A was won by the great Haimar Zubeldia .

Great design, although (call me greedy), I would have loved the Artemare/Virieu monster (used in the Tour de l'Avenir '78, '79, and '98 - with many guys walking it) . Regardless, it's plenty tough enough, and should make for a spectacular race. This could be Movistar's opportunity to attack in the first GC ascent, isolate Dawg, and finish him off in the second "lacets" ascent. Who knows...

If Aru is 100%, he could do some damage, Bardet comes to mind...