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Very much doubt he will drop Porte, but still woudln't be surprised. However, its a perfect climb for a good Don Alejandro, maybe not nearly as hard as Froome would like it to be. Would pay a bit to see him win there and get the Maillot Jaune.Arredondo said:He's a big threat. Especially with this soft route.
All depends on Froome really. If he's able to drop his rivals on La Planche, we'll should start looking to the Vuelta already.
If not, the race is on.
Valv.Piti said:Very much doubt he will drop Porte, but still woudln't be surprised. However, its a perfect climb for a good Don Alejandro, maybe not nearly as hard as Froome would like it to be. Would pay a bit to see him win there and get the Maillot Jaune.Arredondo said:He's a big threat. Especially with this soft route.
All depends on Froome really. If he's able to drop his rivals on La Planche, we'll should start looking to the Vuelta already.
If not, the race is on.
Planche des belles filles doesn't suit perfectly to valverde. Those 20% gradients will kill him. He is always dropped in this type of climbs in vuelta.Valv.Piti said:Very much doubt he will drop Porte, but still woudln't be surprised. However, its a perfect climb for a good Don Alejandro, maybe not nearly as hard as Froome would like it to be. Would pay a bit to see him win there and get the Maillot Jaune.Arredondo said:He's a big threat. Especially with this soft route.
All depends on Froome really. If he's able to drop his rivals on La Planche, we'll should start looking to the Vuelta already.
If not, the race is on.
Isn't the only 20% gradient about 250m from the finish? He should be fine there if he's sprinting by then. And, if he is dropped at that point, it's hardly going to be a disaster. Apart from that the max is only about 12% or 13% I think at any point.portugal11 said:Planche des belles filles doesn't suit perfectly to valverde. Those 20% gradients will kill him. He is always dropped in this type of climbs in vuelta.Valv.Piti said:Very much doubt he will drop Porte, but still woudln't be surprised. However, its a perfect climb for a good Don Alejandro, maybe not nearly as hard as Froome would like it to be. Would pay a bit to see him win there and get the Maillot Jaune.Arredondo said:He's a big threat. Especially with this soft route.
All depends on Froome really. If he's able to drop his rivals on La Planche, we'll should start looking to the Vuelta already.
If not, the race is on.
Rollthedice said:None of the main contenders should loose more than 20 sec to the winner on PdBF so I don't see how the race is decided there, be it Dawg who wins.
portugal11 said:Planche des belles filles doesn't suit perfectly to valverde. Those 20% gradients will kill him. He is always dropped in this type of climbs in vuelta.Valv.Piti said:Very much doubt he will drop Porte, but still woudln't be surprised. However, its a perfect climb for a good Don Alejandro, maybe not nearly as hard as Froome would like it to be. Would pay a bit to see him win there and get the Maillot Jaune.Arredondo said:He's a big threat. Especially with this soft route.
All depends on Froome really. If he's able to drop his rivals on La Planche, we'll should start looking to the Vuelta already.
If not, the race is on.
He was really strong there but I can tell you 5 climbs similars to PDBF that valverde lost time. Valverde always performs better in spain than france.Mr.White said:portugal11 said:Planche des belles filles doesn't suit perfectly to valverde. Those 20% gradients will kill him. He is always dropped in this type of climbs in vuelta.Valv.Piti said:Very much doubt he will drop Porte, but still woudln't be surprised. However, its a perfect climb for a good Don Alejandro, maybe not nearly as hard as Froome would like it to be. Would pay a bit to see him win there and get the Maillot Jaune.Arredondo said:He's a big threat. Especially with this soft route.
All depends on Froome really. If he's able to drop his rivals on La Planche, we'll should start looking to the Vuelta already.
If not, the race is on.
Cumbres Verdes in Vuelta 2014 was a climb of similar length and gradient...
portugal11 said:He was really strong there but I can tell you 5 climbs similars to PDBF that valverde lost time. Valverde always performs better in spain than france.Mr.White said:portugal11 said:Valv.Piti said:Very much doubt he will drop Porte, but still woudln't be surprised. However, its a perfect climb for a good Don Alejandro, maybe not nearly as hard as Froome would like it to be. Would pay a bit to see him win there and get the Maillot Jaune.Arredondo said:He's a big threat. Especially with this soft route.
All depends on Froome really. If he's able to drop his rivals on La Planche, we'll should start looking to the Vuelta already.
If not, the race is on.
Planche des belles filles doesn't suit perfectly to valverde. Those 20% gradients will kill him. He is always dropped in this type of climbs in vuelta.
Cumbres Verdes in Vuelta 2014 was a climb of similar length and gradient...
PDBF - 6km @ 8.5%WheelofGear said:What are you talking about? Valverde is one of the best riders on shorter 10-20% climbs like Mirador de Ézaro and Mur de Huy.
Do you mean longer climbs?
Mr.White said:Rollthedice said:None of the main contenders should loose more than 20 sec to the winner on PdBF so I don't see how the race is decided there, be it Dawg who wins.
Not literally decided, but if Froome doesn't win, and he'll try for sure, I think it's going to be hard mental blow to him. In all previous times when he won, he took advantage early on and then his team guided him safely through majority of the stages. In the 3rd week he's vulnerable and I don't think he would want to wait for the Galibier and Izoard to win the race. I wouldn't bet on him if he does. He usually has couple of stages red circled and I think Planche is the first one. Stage 12 in Pyrenees might be another one. Jura stage is probably harder than both, but Mont du Chat is 25km from the finish. So I think Froome will go all out in stages 5 and 12, and if someone survives that without damage (being dropped), he's in prime position imo.
rick james said:Mr.White said:Rollthedice said:None of the main contenders should loose more than 20 sec to the winner on PdBF so I don't see how the race is decided there, be it Dawg who wins.
Not literally decided, but if Froome doesn't win, and he'll try for sure, I think it's going to be hard mental blow to him. In all previous times when he won, he took advantage early on and then his team guided him safely through majority of the stages. In the 3rd week he's vulnerable and I don't think he would want to wait for the Galibier and Izoard to win the race. I wouldn't bet on him if he does. He usually has couple of stages red circled and I think Planche is the first one. Stage 12 in Pyrenees might be another one. Jura stage is probably harder than both, but Mont du Chat is 25km from the finish. So I think Froome will go all out in stages 5 and 12, and if someone survives that without damage (being dropped), he's in prime position imo.
why is that? because he was ill in the 3rd week one year of this race, we have no proof he will be vulnerable in the 3rd week
One of his best wins. Loved that Vuelta.ice&fire said:Probably the closest climb to PDBF where Valverde has won is this:
https://youtu.be/-TA6YtiWB-c?t=23m30s
LaFlo won't like it
Mr.White said:rick james said:Mr.White said:Rollthedice said:None of the main contenders should loose more than 20 sec to the winner on PdBF so I don't see how the race is decided there, be it Dawg who wins.
Not literally decided, but if Froome doesn't win, and he'll try for sure, I think it's going to be hard mental blow to him. In all previous times when he won, he took advantage early on and then his team guided him safely through majority of the stages. In the 3rd week he's vulnerable and I don't think he would want to wait for the Galibier and Izoard to win the race. I wouldn't bet on him if he does. He usually has couple of stages red circled and I think Planche is the first one. Stage 12 in Pyrenees might be another one. Jura stage is probably harder than both, but Mont du Chat is 25km from the finish. So I think Froome will go all out in stages 5 and 12, and if someone survives that without damage (being dropped), he's in prime position imo.
why is that? because he was ill in the 3rd week one year of this race, we have no proof he will be vulnerable in the 3rd week
Well he lost time twice in the 3rd week, 2013 and 2015, so I would take that as a indicator that he's not firing on all cylinders at that particular part of the race, if you don't mind...
ice&fire said:Probably the closest climb to PDBF where Valverde has won is this:
https://youtu.be/-TA6YtiWB-c?t=23m30s
LaFlo won't like it
GuyIncognito said:Mr.White said:rick james said:Mr.White said:Rollthedice said:None of the main contenders should loose more than 20 sec to the winner on PdBF so I don't see how the race is decided there, be it Dawg who wins.
Not literally decided, but if Froome doesn't win, and he'll try for sure, I think it's going to be hard mental blow to him. In all previous times when he won, he took advantage early on and then his team guided him safely through majority of the stages. In the 3rd week he's vulnerable and I don't think he would want to wait for the Galibier and Izoard to win the race. I wouldn't bet on him if he does. He usually has couple of stages red circled and I think Planche is the first one. Stage 12 in Pyrenees might be another one. Jura stage is probably harder than both, but Mont du Chat is 25km from the finish. So I think Froome will go all out in stages 5 and 12, and if someone survives that without damage (being dropped), he's in prime position imo.
why is that? because he was ill in the 3rd week one year of this race, we have no proof he will be vulnerable in the 3rd week
Well he lost time twice in the 3rd week, 2013 and 2015, so I would take that as a indicator that he's not firing on all cylinders at that particular part of the race, if you don't mind...
I think you have the years wrong, there. 2013 he lost 10 minutes by puncturing during echelons
2015 he finished on the podium, even finished with Froome on Alpe d'Huez
You may be thinking of 2014 when he crumbled in the last week. According to him due to family problems that meant he supposedly wasn't motivated that year