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

[Carl0880]

My point is that we have people wanting the Ventoux stage to include 3-4 Cat 1 climbs beforehand so that we can have more of a spectacle and see everyone get shattered. How can we expect such stages and think that riders are going to ride clean? There are people complaining because we didn't get massive attacks on a stage like today (or the other mountaintop finishes in this tour) and their remedy is to include several tougher climbs before the final climb. The cyclists are human and we expect them to perform superhumanly on just bread and water. Just sayin'

As long as there is money involved, the course could include zero climbs over 21 stages and someone is bound to cheat. Its human nature for most. The problem with Ventoux is you can't have 3-4 cat ones because you don't have enough of those type of mountains nearby. I think I read somewhere that to even include 2 Cat 1 mountains in a stage of Mt Ventoux, you be looking at almost a 280 km stage. Thats why Ventoux has its reverence because of its uniqueness to its area.

Personally, I would like to see a Tour route with 4 mountain Top finishes. Lets take the Alps being first, have like a stage 6 finish up Alp D'HUez, then have a Stage 9 Finish up Ventoux. Then have a Stage 14 finish at La Mongie. Then have a Stage 19 finish on the Puy-En-Dome and maybe make this a mountain time trial. This way you have a MT finish in each area, Alps, Ventoux, Pyrennes, and the Massif Central. In fact, to add more charm have a stage 4 where 10 of the last 40 km are over the cobbled roads of Paris Roubaix.

 

[Publicus]

Not sure I can agree. Admitedly LA's preparation was put off by the collarbone but time is not on your side after age 35 (thus- masters racing). Contador and A Schleck are both young enough that they can get stronger, while LA will only get older. This may have been the self confessed "old fart" 's best and last shot.

The first part was a joke.

 

[Cobblestones]

There was a stage in N. France back in the Postal days that had a long cobbled section. Hincapie and Ekimov put the hammer down and there were some good sized gaps that day to some of the Spanish and Italian climber teams. People complained about that as well.

Never going to be able please everybody all the time.

I remember that, they used part of the PR course and I liked it. It's very tough on the peloton though. There's no way a 150+ peloton can stay together there.

 

[Cobber]

As long as there is money involved, the course could include zero climbs over 21 stages and someone is bound to cheat. Its human nature for most. The problem with Ventoux is you can't have 3-4 cat ones because you don't have enough of those type of mountains nearby. I think I read somewhere that to even include 2 Cat 1 mountains in a stage of Mt Ventoux, you be looking at almost a 280 km stage. Thats why Ventoux has its reverence because of its uniqueness to its area.

Personally, I would like to see a Tour route with 4 mountain Top finishes. Lets take the Alps being first, have like a stage 6 finish up Alp D'HUez, then have a Stage 9 Finish up Ventoux. Then have a Stage 14 finish at La Mongie. Then have a Stage 19 finish on the Puy-En-Dome and maybe make this a mountain time trial. This way you have a MT finish in each area, Alps, Ventoux, Pyrennes, and the Massif Central. In fact, to add more charm have a stage 4 where 10 of the last 40 km are over the cobbled roads of Paris Roubaix.

Maybe they could climb over Ventoux, circle around and climb it again! Ouch!!

 

[ThisFrenchGuy]

That is one thing that puzzled me this year, it seems counter productive to have a hard climb, only to have the finish be on a descent where everyone can come back together.

Descent can be a good exercice though, technical and all. The Colombiére descent this year (shorther than the climb, I'll admit) didn't mean that everyone managed to join back the leaders. Nibali actually mananged to break away from his group to join another.

However we had some stages where the top of the climb was 70km from the line and it did kinda defeat the purpose.

 

[Cobblestones]

Maybe they could climb over Ventoux, circle around and climb it again! Ouch!!

Or an ITT. I remember they did it at least once. Ah I found it. Twice actually. In 1987 and 1958.

 

[Azdak6]

Maybe they could climb over Ventoux, circle around and climb it again! Ouch!!

Here you go:

http://www.montventouxwebcam.com/masters.html

The Club des Cinglés du Mont Ventoux ( Cinglé means Screwball !!)

This is the traditional Mont Ventoux challenge. To become a member of the Cinglés Club you need to climb the mountain by the 3 traditional ways from Bedoin, Malaucene and Sault in one day. First you need to send off 13 euros to get your brevet card. You then get this stamped in the 3 villages and on the summit. When you send this back to the Cinglés organiser Monsieur Pic, you will receive a certificate. All the info you require can be found here.

Who needs a Maillot Jeune?

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Maybe they could climb over Ventoux, circle around and climb it again! Ouch!!

There are actually three ways up Ventoux, so yes, it's possible they could climb all three! The Montagne de Lure is also about 80km away. But that probably would be a bit much.

The 2004 Tour going over the cobbles ruined Mayo's chances, after he crashed at the start of them. In 1983 there were nearly twice as many cobbles, which helped Sean Kelly, but ruined Robert Millar's hopes.

Padeiro - As I mentioned, the 1986 Tour was over 4,000km long. There were plenty of rides doped, but not on the O2 carriers we have today, which give much bigger gains. And by all indication the team that got 1st, 2nd, and 4th, were completely clean.

The 1927 Tour was well over 5,000km. Back then the drug of choice to numb the pain was alcohol!

Race distance, or difficultly won't alter PED use much at all. And I don't think I was implying we needed back to back stages of 5,000m of climbing, or to literally go over Ventoux three times. I like the idea of several more uphill, or mountain top finishes, but on stages between 100km and 150km. That would likely bring GC riders out of hiding more often, and be forced to take each other on.

 

[Cobblestones]

Here you go:

http://www.montventouxwebcam.com/masters.html



Who needs a Maillot Jeune?

Jeune or jaune?

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Azdak6 beat me to it.

But that race is bogus. The riders area allowed to descend in a vehicle? What's with that? But at least they have a good club name "screwball"

However, that is a good point. It's "only" 183km to go over the mountain thrice. Amazing Rubio and Roux did it eleven times in 24 hours.

 

[Azdak6]

Jeune or jaune?

I thought that was wrong, but I was too lazy to spellcheck.

Hey, I was "virtually" riding up Ventoux all morning--I'm tired.

 

[Cobber]

The 1927 Tour was well over 5,000km. Back then the drug of choice to numb the pain was alcohol!

Now we're talking! How about a criterium where the riders have to drink a pint every lap!!

 

[535xiguy]

Fair point. He does deserve respect for his podium finish. The problem is that his podium finish is being treated (at least by Versus) is trumping Contador's overall dominance and victory. At least that's what I find the most grating.

As much as I've been lumped into the "fanboy" camp here, I completely agree with you.

+1, unfortunately, it all come down to advertising dollars. AC and AS were unbelievable this year (I really hope they are clean). While the LA story may be more interesting to the general public, AC has a chance to become one of the greats in the history of Cycling - if he isn't there already. It would be nice if AC got more press. I wouldn't be shocked to see him win the Vuelta.

One thing, I would have loved to see AS and AC really battle for the stage win. It appeared that they both had a lot left in the tank and I don't think they really affected the standings behind them.

 

[Futuroscope]

good ride by lance today, i thought frank would beat him.

lance would have been minutes behind andy and contador tho if they would have gone at full speed. too bad those guys couldnt nuke it out mano a mano.

 

[slcbiker]

Looking to the future, Liquigas could come to the Tour next year with Pelizotti, Kruez, Nibali and Basso.
If Contador and Armstrong split, and Schlecks stay together, things could be real interesting.

 

[Cobblestones]

Looking to the future, Liquigas could come to the Tour next year with Pelizotti, Kruez, Nibali and Basso.
If Contador and Armstrong split, and Schlecks stay together, things could be real interesting.

True. Leaky won today's team competition.

 

[Animal]

You could speculate beyond that. What if after going over the Tourmalet, the riders went over the Peyresourde, Aubisque, and up Luz Ardiden? Or Hautecam?

In 1992 there were over 200km of TT distance. In 1981, 254km. What if this year had been like that?

In 1986 the race was over 4,000km, with seven mountain stages, two other very difficult stages, with ten of them over 200km. What if this year were like that?

No one knows.

The trouble with that is that the DSs would just neutralize the stage until the final climb. They'd have radio control and selectively allow a break to go which contained no hopers, and then ride slowly all day.

 

[richwagmn]

Looking to the future, Liquigas could come to the Tour next year with Pelizotti, Kruez, Nibali and Basso.
If Contador and Armstrong split, and Schlecks stay together, things could be real interesting.

+1. Liquigas is gonna be real interesting next year.

Wonder if we're going to start seeing more teams with multiple leaders on them?

 

[Animal]

the cycling crown is his for many years to come.

Exactly what was said about Ullrich in July 2007.

 

[Cobber]

Exactly what was said about Ullrich in July 2007.

After he retired?! You mean 1997.

 

[frizzlefry]

Looking to the future, Liquigas could come to the Tour next year with Pelizotti, Kruez, Nibali and Basso.
If Contador and Armstrong split, and Schlecks stay together, things could be real interesting.

And then what becomes of Cadel Evans. A distant memory? With all those names looks like he could be forgotten.

 

[richwagmn]

And then what becomes of Cadel Evans. A distant memory? With all those names looks like he could be forgotten.

Cadel's a bit of a head case don't you think? I still think he could end up Radio Shack. Armstrong's hope is to have a team of contenders riding for him next year because no one fears LA on the mountains anymore. If he's isolated, he's a sitting duck.

 

[benpounder]

Todays final sprint.

Dont know if it has been mentioned, and certainly did not see it on the tely, BUT...

Anyone else notice that there looked to be a sprint today atop Ventoux? Look at the results, and you will see Cav and Hushovd (+25.42) just ahead of the autobus (+25.49), but well behind the group ahead(+22.44).

Good natured rivalry, or a preview to some nastiness tomorrow?

 

[Azdak6]

Is this a cycling term I don't know about?


Frank Schleck, discussing today's stage:

"We tried everything. We were attacking like bananas at the bottom of the climb," said Schleck.

I didn't realize that bananas were known for their attack capability.


I guess he meant "attacking like crazy", but it still sounds funny.

 

[Futuroscope]

+1. Liquigas is gonna be real interesting next year.

Wonder if we're going to start seeing more teams with multiple leaders on them?

i hope not, i'd rather see the talent more spread out and less riders per team and an increase in the number of teams.