Paris-Nice 2012 - Stage 6: Suze-la-Rousse - Sisteron, 178.5 km

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Over the cat 3 and the gap's gone up. Where's Levi?

Leipheimer is in the front group.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I hope some slight mayhem on the climbs so it will be a hard race

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

who are riding in the group wiggins? vacnasoleil?

 

[Thibaut Pinot]

Lagutin en Veuchelen are also in the front. That makes at least 3 Vacansoleil riders.

 

[Leonardus]

Very interesting, but is Levi in the first group? Think Valverde isn't that much of threat anymore for the overall GC.

 

[theyoungest]

The 26 riders in the lead are:
Boonen, De Weert, Leipheimer, Vandenbergh (OPQ), Kloeden, Voigt (RNT), Wiggins, Thomas, Zandio (SKY), Albasini (GEC), Luis-Leon Sanchez, Renshaw (RAB), Feillu, Lagutin, Leukemans, Veuchelen, Westra (VCD), Jorgensen, Morkov (SAX), Geslin (FDJ), Klier (GRM), Hushovd, Burghardt, Van Garderen (BMC), Degenkolb, Geschke (PRO).

Vacansoleil really own this race.

 

[hrotha]

Piti all of Wiggins, Westra and Leipheimer are up there. They may not have much of an incentive to give their all, if they all reckon they'll put time on Pity on the ITT anyway.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Piti all of Wiggins, Westra and Leipheimer are up there. They may not have much of an incentive to give their all, if they all reckon they'll put time on Pity on the ITT anyway.

of course not. in the final there is a short but steep climb. with so many riders vacansolei and westra can make wiggins and leipheimer work. I can see westra attack in the fianl if this keeps going

 

[theyoungest]

Ryo's brilliant racing insight strikes again. The gap is closing (as could be expected with so few riders with an incentive to race).

 

[BillytheKid]

Dangerous for Wiggins here if he has no teammate and has a mechanical.

 

[theyoungest]

Attack by Veuchelen, Voigt, Albasini, Luis Leon. The rest of them will get caught.

 

[will10]

Dangerous for Wiggins here if he has no teammate and has a mechanical.

He has Thomas and Zandio with him.

 

[Froome19]

Dangerous for Wiggins here if he has no teammate and has a mechanical.

But he does have team mates and he doesnt have a mechanical

 

[BillytheKid]

But he does have team mates and he doesnt have a mechanical

I said "if." It sounds like they both were covering the break. Now lets see if Voigt and crew will be let free.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Attack by Veuchelen, Voigt, Albasini, Luis Leon. The rest of them will get caught.

4 riders will never be enough to stay away

 

[theyoungest]

I don't think Luis Leon and Albasini actually made it to the back wheel, as Geschke and Cherel passed the KOM before them.

 

[BillytheKid]

The 26 riders in the lead are:
Boonen, De Weert, Leipheimer, Vandenbergh (OPQ), Kloeden, Voigt (RNT), Wiggins, Thomas, Zandio (SKY), Albasini (GEC), Luis-Leon Sanchez, Renshaw (RAB), Feillu, Lagutin, Leukemans, Veuchelen, Westra (VCD), Jorgensen, Morkov (SAX), Geslin (FDJ), Klier (GRM), Hushovd, Burghardt, Van Garderen (BMC), Degenkolb, Geschke (PRO).

Vacansoleil really own this race.

If Wiggins flatted at this point, Levi and Boonen would have added incentive to go hard??? Changes the dynamic of the break....

 

[hatcher]

If Wiggins flatted at this point, Levi and Boonen would have added incentive to go hard??? Changes the dynamic of the break....

And the same was true for the others.

Also dangerous for Levi if a giant bird swooped down and carried him away.

 

[Froome19]

I said "if." It sounds like they both were covering the break. Now lets see if Voigt and crew will be let free.

Yeh I know but my pointwas that he isnt really in that much trouble considering that he has 2 helpers and the chances of him flatting then were very low.

4 riders will never be enough to stay away

But 3 riders and Voigt may very well stay away

 

[cycladianpirate]

And the same was true for the others.

Also dangerous for Levi if a giant bird swooped down and carried him away.

If this happened in the closing stages of the race, would the 3km rule come to his aid????

 

[hrotha]

If this happened in the closing stages of the race, would the 3km rule come to his aid????

Only if the bird crossed the finish line, I think.

By the way I don't see why it would have to be a giant bird.

 

[BillytheKid]

And the same was true for the others.

Also dangerous for Levi if a giant bird swooped down and carried him away.

lol, but true enough. More true on a big climb. My gaff. It is alway better to have teammate tough. Both Boonen and Levi can put the hammer down if they chose to exploit a misfortune.

 

[Swifty's Cakes]

Only if the bird crossed the finish line, I think.

By the way I don't see why it would have to be a giant bird.

Even Levi could fight off a pigeon, you would really need something like an Emu to stop him.

 

[BillytheKid]

Only if the bird crossed the finish line, I think.

By the way I don't see why it would have to be a giant bird.

Levi's bio last year said he is 5'7", but that's with his cap pulled up high. 5'4" I would reckon, I have a really funny picture of him with Phinney on the podium from the Gila. Phinney is 6'4.

 

[Ferminal]

Even Levi could fight off a pigeon, you would really need something like an Emu to stop him.

A Chicken did well enough