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

[Ataraxus]

Re: Re:

Starting grid?!

Will there be a countdown with red lights and then green? What if you do a false start? Is traction control allowed? So many questions.

They are doing a 65km formation lap.

Are you Italian perhaps?

In English it is referred more as a warm up lap and in your sentence I see a word by word translation of "Giro di formazione"

 

[rlntlssly]

Re: Re:

Starting grid?!

Will there be a countdown with red lights and then green? What if you do a false start? Is traction control allowed? So many questions.

They are doing a 65km formation lap.

Are you Italian perhaps?

In English it is referred more as a warm up lap and in your sentence I see a word by word translation of "Giro di formazione"

It's called a formation lap in Formula 1.

 

[VO2 Max]

Re: Re:

In English it is referred more as a warm up lap and in your sentence I see a word by word translation of "Giro di formazione"

Parade lap, warm-up lap, formation lap, all in normal use.

 

[Winnen]

Kruijswijk, Valverde and Quintana will go early. However the other favs will wait until the last (brutal) climb. But it will be futile. This is the third week and Poels will be there to crush them all. He will go so fast that Tom and G cannot follow and will pass the line together with Froome while doing a 'high five'. Tom and Roglic will lose over a minute. G only 30 seconds but he will have a suspicious mechanical during the ITT.

 

[YavorD]

I don't think G will just let Froome if he attacks. This is the chance of his life and he is already 32... and he probably wont get a better one. If he has the legs, he will follow Froome.

 

[burning]

I think that this grid business is super overrated, we will see what happens in 1.5ish hour

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

I think that this grid business is super overrated, we will see what happens in 1.5ish hour

Following the F1 emulation, I expect crashes, chaos and a few riders out of the race in the first curve.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Lol at that starting grid! Hilarious!

 

[drebelo]

Honestly I think this idea of the starting grid will lead to nowhere but i would genuinely like it if it was used in a stage where they would start at the bottom of one of the mytical tour climbs and just a simple race to the top. Attacks from the favourite from the start a carnage could happen. Of course it would have to be a micro stage but it could be done in the morning and a time trial at noon perhaps

 

[Forever The Best]

Surely there will be engines dying in formation lap?

 

[glassmoon]

Is Demare getting the head-start or not? He should've been on the 2nd climb already...

 

[Oude Geuze]

But then again we have mountaintop ITT which are more exciting as they actually go all out instead of following wheels of super doms and the track sprinting.

 

[BullsFan22]

I dare not get excited. Every time I get excited before a potentially dynamic stage, I get disappointed or at least wanting more when it's all said and done.

I realize that Sky have set a good pace in these mountain stages, thus not allowing for too much action from the GC men, but it hasn't been that tough, not sure what's going on with the men that have ambitions for high placings.

Will this stage bring something? Well i'd say 99% of us sure hope so. Can Dumoulin upset the Sky train? Can Roglic get closer to the top 3 and fight for a final podium in Paris with the ITT still to come? Can Quintana salvage his tour? Will any other GC men try their luck?

I predict somebody will make a brave attempt, fairly early on, or at least not wait till the last climb to attack. Or will Sky attack hard with Froome?

 

[rick james]

took a wee half day at work, this day better deliver

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

One of these three will happen.
1. Froome and Thomas destroy everyone while Froome wins stage and puts time into Thomas to make the ITT interesting.
2. Other teams attack Sky causing either Froome or Thomas to crack and a contender to gain lots of time. Not sure which contender, maybe someone from Lotto or Movistar.
3. Absolutely nothing causing Bora and BMC to chase breakaway and GVA vs Sagan for the stage win.

I think that number one is the most probable. Number 2 can happen but is less probable. Number 3 LOL.

 

[VO2 Max]

Re:

I don't think G will just let Froome if he attacks. This is the chance of his life and he is already 32... and he probably wont get a better one. If he has the legs, he will follow Froome.

As Geraint-fan and Froome-hater I hope so. In a sense he could have done with Froome being maybe 30secs better off already so more comfortable of leaving things to the ITT; as things are now you'd expect 1. Geraint 2.Tom 3.Froome after the ITT so CF will have some green light to go and try to wrap up the Sky one-two. Thomas's history is of him being too much of a team man to go after Froome and risk dragging Dumo along. He's ok if TD cracks because Thomas can leave him and take up the chase; the danger is if TD is just losing a few seconds per km and Thomas has to make a cal of whether to take it up or not.

 

[Highlander]

Re:

I think that this grid business is super overrated, we will see what happens in 1.5ish hour

I imagine that we'll see Rowe take the lead within the first few kms and hold that position until the final climb. He'll set a brutal pace that will deter any attacks and the Sky train will be set up for the summit finish.

 

[trucido]

Will Demare start this race from the pit lane? Obviously had car problems yesterday.

 

[ppanther92]

Re: Re:

I think that this grid business is super overrated, we will see what happens in 1.5ish hour

I imagine that we'll see Rowe take the lead within the first few kms and hold that position until the final climb. He'll set a brutal pace that will deter any attacks and the Sky train will be set up for the summit finish.

Thats the most likely option.

 

[happytramp]

I genuinely don't think froome will be allowed to attack... He's relied on loyalty from his team in each of his tour wins. It would look terrible if he attacked his team mate in yellow, one who'd spent years helping him.. It'd be an absolute disaster for his public image too... It could also cost the team the tour if TD could follow and Thomas could not.

 

[Lequack]

I genuinely don't think froome will be allowed to attack... He's relied on loyalty from his team in each of his tour wins. It would look terrible if he attacked his team mate in yellow, one who'd spent years helping him.. It'd be an absolute disaster for his public image too.

But his attack would be "for the team", so that G can lay in the back.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

I think that this grid business is super overrated, we will see what happens in 1.5ish hour

I imagine that we'll see Rowe take the lead within the first few kms and hold that position until the final climb. He'll set a brutal pace that will deter any attacks and the Sky train will be set up for the summit finish.

Thats the most likely option.

Honestly think Rowe has a rest day today

 

[del1962]

Re: Re:

I think that this grid business is super overrated, we will see what happens in 1.5ish hour

I imagine that we'll see Rowe take the lead within the first few kms and hold that position until the final climb. He'll set a brutal pace that will deter any attacks and the Sky train will be set up for the summit finish.

Thats the most likely option.

Honestly think Rowe has a rest day today

Yep early grupetto

Castro, Poels, Kwiat and Bernal to make the front

 

[happytramp]

I genuinely don't think froome will be allowed to attack... He's relied on loyalty from his team in each of his tour wins. It would look terrible if he attacked his team mate in yellow, one who'd spent years helping him.. It'd be an absolute disaster for his public image too.

But his attack would be "for the team", so that G can lay in the back.

Sorry, yeah i edited my post that's true but if Dumolin stayed close to him and Thomas couldn't it could risk them losing their advantage in the TT.

 

[RattaKuningas]

Re:

Honestly I think this idea of the starting grid will lead to nowhere but i would genuinely like it if it was used in a stage where they would start at the bottom of one of the mytical tour climbs and just a simple race to the top. Attacks from the favourite from the start a carnage could happen. Of course it would have to be a micro stage but it could be done in the morning and a time trial at noon perhaps

I think that it would work if it were a pursuit stage (riders start according to their time differences) because I honestly don't think that any GC guy would just sit and wait while his GC lead melts away.