Official Thread: Stage 20: Montélimar - Mt. Ventoux 167km

[BroDeal]

Wow! that tower is seriously crooked. The wind must have been terrible!

No, that is world famous Leaning Tower of Vontoux.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Agree. Nice to see an underdog on the podium on a big stage for a change.

Yup, he has climbed very well at times this tour actually. Unfortunate about gesink, would have had great help from garate. Best signing for Rabo for a while.

 

[richwagmn]

Using you as foil, so many see the race through the prism of what they desire and yearn for.

Andy was great, no, stellar. If he was riding for Frank, all the power to him. But Frank did not respond, or could not respond cuz he had Armstrong stuck on his tail. Blame Contador, blame Andy, but still Lance was there.

As such, both Andy and Alberto were riding tactically smart. A Saxo Bank team mate on the podium, or an Astana team mate? Brilliant for Andy to do so, but stupid for Alberto??? In these forums so many wanted to see several particular riders blow themselves up by performing stupidly. And that they did not (certain Astana riders) unquestionably makes the race boring.

What ever happened to the importance of nuance?

Sorry, but not only is that myopic, but it is immature as well.

Huh? So we agree on Andy and Frank. Andy's choice no doubt.

Contador riding for a third place LA? Tell me when LA ever had to do that? These two are going their separate ways next season and AC has every reason to kick LA in the balls over LA's campaign against AC since his announcement. That's why it's stupid.

 

[mherm79]

Yeah... that would have been better for us viewers, but we don't have our brother struggling to keep up and trying to claw onto the podium. I also wanted Andy to go all out for the stage win, but have no problem with how he rode considering that particular teammate means more to him than a stage win.

+1

I'm sure Andy could see that Alberto was in no discomfort with his attacks. if Alberto was having a bad day then Andy would have tried to make the time. but he wasn't. instead he rode for his team trying to help his brother drop Lance.

Lance on the other hand only needed to stick with Frank / Wiggins and he did that with relative ease.

i enjoyed the stage. sure I would have love to see Andy and Alberto go head to head full gas, but i also loved watching Andy try and launch Frank on an attack only to have Lance cover him. And then there was Wiggins and Klodi holding on.

It was also good to see Nibali, Van De Broek and a few others fighting to hang on. maybe next year they may be the ones attacking??

 

[auscyclefan94]

Personally, i was a bit dissapointed with Ventoux. I thought their would be more fireworks and their was a big bunch of riders who finished together. The pace lulled a bit which allowed for the breakaway to stay away and remnants from the breakaway to stay with the COntador group. Hopefully Prudhomme has learned from this tour that it is a 3 week event based around many stages and not just Mont Ventoux.

 

[fulcrum]

Personally, i was a bit dissapointed with Ventoux. I thought their would be more fireworks and their was a big bunch of riders who finished together. The pace lulled a bit which allowed for the breakaway to stay away and remnants from the breakaway to stay with the COntador group. Hopefully Prudhomme has learned from this tour that it is a 3 week event based around many stages and not just Mont Ventoux.

Blame it on Frank. If he would have managed to drop Armstrong and stick to his brother's wheel, it would have been balls to the wall. But Frank didn't have his day and that conditioned the entire climb. A real pitty.

 

[Green Hornet]

Blame it on Frank. If he would have managed to drop Armstrong and stick to his brother's wheel, it would have been balls to the wall. But Frank didn't have his day and that conditioned the entire climb. A real pitty.

+1

It seemed the whole stage evolved around marking Frank. His pace dictated the pace of everyone in the top 10 on GC who could stay up there.

Still interesting. Kinda nice the break away was able to stay away.

 

[rhubroma]

Exactly what was said about Ullrich in July 2007.

Yea but Alberto has allready won his second Tour +a Vuelta + a Giro + he wins in the spring too! So like I said, the comparison doesn't hold water. Wait and see...

 

[craig1985]

How do they work out there was 500,000 people on the mountain?

 

[Green Hornet]

How do they work out there was 500,000 people on the mountain?

They're French - the counted the breasts and assumed the crowd was 50% female

 

[180mmCrank]

How do they work out there was 500,000 people on the mountain?

Please don't read this it was written in a weak moment

There is an altometer on top of the tower.

As more people climb the mountain in sinks slightly under the weight. They are able to estimate the number of spactators by assumimg an avergage weight of 70 kg (it's a bit like how elevators work when the buzzer sounds because it's over loaded) - there is a small correction made because of the large number of spectators in fancy dress (the guy with the long horns has said on several occasions that they are quite heavy)

The only problem was today that the wind was so strong that the tower was crooked and the reading was off. A careful re-calulation of the result showed that there were in fact 32 people and one dog on the mountain - slightly less than the official figures. When challenged on these figures because clearly the tv pictures showed many more than 32 people an official spokes person said "Some people were watching at the bottom and then were riding their bikes up to watch again at the top" he added "If you look closely at the tv pictures they can be clearly seen in among the motor bikes - the ones in bright jerseys and numbers on their backs"

The number was later further revised based on comments from the TV commentators Phil and Paul. Phil "I have never seen so many people up here" Paul "You know some are saying there are millions - it's hard to believe I know" Phil "Yes it is especially because there don't seem to be any cars parked up here"

 

[Amsterhammer]

Please don't read this it was written in a weak moment

There is an altometer on top of the tower.

As more people climb the mountain in sinks slightly under the weight...

I liked it.