Le Tour 2018 stage 17: BDL to Saint-Lary-Soulan 65k

[YavorD]

WHen you leave the thoughest climb for a MTF (and the climb is a monster) its really hard to expect some attacks early. Maybe there will be a chaotic racing with almost no control, but I don't think any of the favorites will have a go early.

 

[Robert5091]

Re: Re:

Demare will be 57 minutes behind on top of the first climb but will manage to finish just inside the time limit once again.

Démare is perhaps candidate for
- the most solo riden kilometers
- the only rider whose biceps is bigger AFTER the tour

Demare wants that win on the Champs-Élysées.

 

[Finn84]

Re:

Anyone know the expected wind direction on last climb?

Tail or tail/crosswind mostly. There are few serpentine corners so short periods of headwind can be expected.

 

[loge1884]

Re: Re:

Demare will be 57 minutes behind on top of the first climb but will manage to finish just inside the time limit once again.

Démare is perhaps candidate for
- the most solo riden kilometers
- the only rider whose biceps is bigger AFTER the tour

He's still in the race? WTF? What a farce, what a disgrace

one of the miracles of the tour: how can someone loose minutes on every cat3 climb and then gain time in the final HC-climb? ..... my best guess is, the answer might have something to do with nationality ....

 

[sulgpallur]

Re: Re:

Demare will be 57 minutes behind on top of the first climb but will manage to finish just inside the time limit once again.

Démare is perhaps candidate for
- the most solo riden kilometers
- the only rider whose biceps is bigger AFTER the tour

He's still in the race? WTF? What a farce, what a disgrace

one of the miracles of the tour: how can someone loose minutes on every cat3 climb and then gain time in the final HC-climb? ..... my best guess is, the answer might have something to do with nationality ....

He is pacing himself

 

[memyselfandI]

Re:

last climb is so hard that favs will wait

And so Alaphilippe takes it. No downhill finish to excel this time, but it's always great to see an athlete who doesn't have a problem with asthma.

 

[glassmoon]

Re: Re:

Demare will be 57 minutes behind on top of the first climb but will manage to finish just inside the time limit once again.

Démare is perhaps candidate for
- the most solo riden kilometers
- the only rider whose biceps is bigger AFTER the tour

He's still in the race? WTF? What a farce, what a disgrace

one of the miracles of the tour: how can someone loose minutes on every cat3 climb and then gain time in the final HC-climb? ..... my best guess is, the answer might have something to do with nationality ....

He is pacing himself

I guess he doesn't get booed by "fans" for cheating...

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re: Re:

last climb is so hard that favs will wait

Absolutely. Also, going to be HOT. A serious risk of bonking for anyone who goes early. That said, I'm sure Bardet or one of the Movistar riders will try something futile. Everyone else will follow Sky until the last climb kicks up.

Thomas and Froome (and Dumoulin to some extent) have been resting for the past 3 days. I can't see either imploding today. Though I'm hoping for carnage.

I don't think so. I think that Kruijswijk, Martin and Zakarin will go already on the first climb. Perhaps Fuglsang as well.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Last climb reminds me of Blockhaus btw

 

[woodburn]

Re: Re:

I feel the resignation is strong here

It feels terrible hoping for mechanicals to make the race interesting

Sad part is both Froome and Dumoulin would probably be one minute closer w/o respective crash and mechanical in week 1.

 

[MrTea1976]

Jumbo to be the most exciting team, top 3 to finish within 20 seconds of each other. I don't think Froome will win it. Demare to get an all body workout.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re: Re:

I feel the resignation is strong here

It feels terrible hoping for mechanicals to make the race interesting

Sad part is both Froome and Dumoulin would probably be one minute closer w/o respective crash and mechanical in week 1.

Thomas years of crashing and bad luck finally reversed itself.

 

[loge1884]

Re: Re:

I feel the resignation is strong here

It feels terrible hoping for mechanicals to make the race interesting

Sad part is both Froome and Dumoulin would probably be one minute closer w/o respective crash and mechanical in week 1.

Thomas years of crashing and bad luck finally reversed itself.

if good and bad luck worked like a jing/jang, then Richie Porte would have to get the Giro/Tour double next year ...

 

[python]

all summit finish stages should be like THIS...action packed yet saving the tedious hours.

tom will cement his tour win today...

 

[Bardamu]

I hope Movistar goes all-out from the get-go. Don't make the Skybots bar perhaps Bernal return and have Froome and Thomas work themselves. If they turn out the strongest, c'est la vie, but don't let them dictate today's race.

 

[glassmoon]

Re: Re:

I feel the resignation is strong here

It feels terrible hoping for mechanicals to make the race interesting

Sad part is both Froome and Dumoulin would probably be one minute closer w/o respective crash and mechanical in week 1.

Thomas years of crashing and bad luck finally reversed itself.

if good and bad luck worked like a jing/jang, then Richie Porte would have to get the Giro/Tour double next year ...

Ritchie's crashing has nothing to do with luck (good or bet) though

 

[ppanther92]

Re: Re:

Demare will be 57 minutes behind on top of the first climb but will manage to finish just inside the time limit once again.

Démare is perhaps candidate for
- the most solo riden kilometers
- the only rider whose biceps is bigger AFTER the tour

He's still in the race? WTF? What a farce, what a disgrace

Why is it a farce? Did he make the time limit? Yes. Did you see him cheat? No.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

This is the day that Froome will make his Giro-like performance and win the Tour. At least I hope so, we need something to happen to salvage an absolutely horrible Tour.

It has been better than 2016 and 2017 so far.....

I dont know what to expect. I would be glad if I at least got to see a blow out on the last climb, but Im not sure. Bernal, Poels and Kwiatkowski are so incredibly strong its not even funny

 

[Bardamu]

Re: Re:

This is the day that Froome will make his Giro-like performance and win the Tour. At least I hope so, we need something to happen to salvage an absolutely horrible Tour.

It has been better than 2016 and 2017 so far.....

I dont know what to expect. I would be glad if I at least got to see a blow out on the last climb, but Im not sure. Bernal, Poels and Kwiatkowski are so incredibly strong its not even funny

Poels hasn't been strong yet . Which means he'll probably be the strongest rider in the third week, as always.

 

[loge1884]

Re:

,,,
am I correct in thinking there will be no neutralised roll out?
....

seems like there is a Formula One type starting lineup .... the idea being, making it hard for the teams to regroup (as the race starts directly into a climb) .... reality is, that Sky has positions one and two and thus can easily control the race from scratch .... besides I can't see any madman gone crazy succesfully attacking right from the start apart Mikel Landa, but he is Movistar and their policy clearly is "please be cautious", i.e. better 5th than heroically fail an attempt at 1st ...

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re: Re:

This is the day that Froome will make his Giro-like performance and win the Tour. At least I hope so, we need something to happen to salvage an absolutely horrible Tour.

It has been better than 2016 and 2017 so far.....

I dont know what to expect. I would be glad if I at least got to see a blow out on the last climb, but Im not sure. Bernal, Poels and Kwiatkowski are so incredibly strong its not even funny

I don't even remember the 2016 or 2017 Tour so you might be right about that.

 

[RattaKuningas]

I wish that the early sections of the Peyragudes would've been little bit harder. First 3 kilometers are 6,5%, 3% and 6%, which doesn't seem to be hard enough in my opinion. GC guys are going to worry about each other following them too much.

 

[Robert5091]

From the rule book - I expect complete chaos at the start -

Special feature for stage 17 from Bagnères-de-
Luchon to Saint-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet.
At Km 0, riders shall be positioned in the same order
as the general classification after the previous
stage. They shall be distributed into five different
groups. The first twenty riders in the general
classification shall be included in the first group
in offset rows with the wearer of the yellow jersey
in first place. Riders shall then position themselves
freely in the other groups corresponding to their
places in the general classification

 

[wheresmybrakes]

If its the first 20 riders at front of grid, I can see krusher going up the road for Roglic with one of the Movistar guys. They need to get SKY working from the start as most people have said. This will test G's mettle today, if he gets through this stage unscathed, I can't see him losing this race, then it's a race for 2nd and 3rd between Dumo and Froome. I can't see Roglic or any of the Movistar lot to make any difference. Hope it isn't a borefest though.

 

[topcat]

Pure climber Dumoulin to win the stage. SKY to win the team competition.