Paris - Nice, Stage 4 Brioude -> Saint-Vallier 200 km, Thursday 7th March

[Netserk]

Km 176.5 - Côte de Talencieux 2.9 km at 8.1% - category 2
Km 191.0 - Côte de la Sizeranne 2.9 km at 6.6% - category 2

GC:

Final:

Remember the last time?

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Should be a very good stage. Iglinskiy ftw.

 

[Ferminal]

More importantly, wet with a light crosswind.

 

[serfla]

This one is for Chava.

 

[Unkown]

Can someone please explain to me the mountain categories? How is a 2.5 km @ 8% grade considered a category 2? Makes no sense.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

A serious break could take the win.
About 50 riders @ 10 minutes back or so.

De Gendt to go with the break and win stage.

 

[serfla]

A serious break could take the win.
About 50 riders @ 10 minutes back or so.

De Gendt to go with the break and win stage.

Yes. Looks good for De Gendt.
Wonder if Gilbert will fancy his chances. Didn't look bad so far, although not in top shape.

 

[happytramp]

Voeckler might try something here.

 

[cineteq]

GC Contenders
1 Andrew TALANSKY USA GRS 4:06:15
5 Richie PORTE AUS SKY +0
11 Lieuwe WESTRA NED VCD +7
14 Nicolas ROCHE IRL TST +7
23 Andreas KLÖDEN GER RLT +7
24 Nairo QUINTANA COL MOV +7
26 Tejay V. GARDEREN USA BMC +7
27 Robert KISERLOVSKI CRO RLT +7
28 Michele SCARPONI ITA LAM +7
34 Robert GESINK NED BLA +1:05
35 Heinrich HAUSSLER AUS IAM +1:05
36 Michael ALBASINI SUI OGE +1:05
37 Jakob FUGLSANG DEN AST +1:05
42 Maxime MONFORT BEL RLT +1:05
43 Jerome COPPEL FRA COF +1:05
45 Denis MENCHOV RUS KAT +1:05
50 Thomas VOECKLER FRA EUC +1:22

 

[Netserk]

GC Contenders
1 Andrew TALANSKY USA GRS 4:06:15
5 Richie PORTE AUS SKY +0
11 Lieuwe WESTRA NED VCD +7
14 Nicolas ROCHE IRL TST +7
23 Andreas KLÖDEN GER RLT +7
24 Nairo QUINTANA COL MOV +7
26 Tejay V. GARDEREN USA BMC +7
27 Robert KISERLOVSKI CRO RLT +7
28 Michele SCARPONI ITA LAM +7
34 Robert GESINK NED BLA +1:05
35 Heinrich HAUSSLER AUS IAM +1:05
36 Michael ALBASINI SUI OGE +1:05
37 Jakob FUGLSANG DEN AST +1:05
42 Maxime MONFORT BEL RLT +1:05
43 Jerome COPPEL FRA COF +1:05
45 Denis MENCHOV RUS KAT +1:05
50 Thomas VOECKLER FRA EUC +1:22

That is stage 3. Not the overall

And this is the stage 4 thread

 

[Gotland]

GC Contenders
1 Andrew TALANSKY USA GRS 4:06:15
5 Richie PORTE AUS SKY +0
11 Lieuwe WESTRA NED VCD +7
14 Nicolas ROCHE IRL TST +7
23 Andreas KLÖDEN GER RLT +7
24 Nairo QUINTANA COL MOV +7
26 Tejay V. GARDEREN USA BMC +7
27 Robert KISERLOVSKI CRO RLT +7
28 Michele SCARPONI ITA LAM +7
34 Robert GESINK NED BLA +1:05
35 Heinrich HAUSSLER AUS IAM +1:05
36 Michael ALBASINI SUI OGE +1:05
37 Jakob FUGLSANG DEN AST +1:05
42 Maxime MONFORT BEL RLT +1:05
43 Jerome COPPEL FRA COF +1:05
45 Denis MENCHOV RUS KAT +1:05
50 Thomas VOECKLER FRA EUC +1:22

Hussler for IAM instead of Löfkvist? :S

 

[hfer07]

This one is for Chava.

I second that.

Is this stage a carbon copy of the one in 09 when Contador cracked? cuz Chava was one of the instigator back then & rode brilliantly...

 

[serfla]

Looks like it was harder back then. Maybe that was the reason why Chava hasn't won it.
Hopefully, tomorrow will be different.

 

[gruppeto993]

GC Contenders
1 Andrew TALANSKY USA GRS 4:06:15
5 Richie PORTE AUS SKY +0
11 Lieuwe WESTRA NED VCD +7
14 Nicolas ROCHE IRL TST +7
23 Andreas KLÖDEN GER RLT +7
24 Nairo QUINTANA COL MOV +7
26 Tejay V. GARDEREN USA BMC +7
27 Robert KISERLOVSKI CRO RLT +7
28 Michele SCARPONI ITA LAM +7
34 Robert GESINK NED BLA +1:05
35 Heinrich HAUSSLER AUS IAM +1:05
36 Michael ALBASINI SUI OGE +1:05
37 Jakob FUGLSANG DEN AST +1:05
42 Maxime MONFORT BEL RLT +1:05
43 Jerome COPPEL FRA COF +1:05
45 Denis MENCHOV RUS KAT +1:05
50 Thomas VOECKLER FRA EUC +1:22

Since when was Haussler a GC contender?

 

[CraZyCaLL]

Hivert for the win

 

[GP Blanco]

Can someone please explain to me the mountain categories? How is a 2.5 km @ 8% grade considered a category 2? Makes no sense.

I was thinking the same way. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that most passes are closed and that they want some differentating in the KOM to enhance the chances of GC riders.

 

[Froome19]

Looks like it was harder back then. Maybe that was the reason why Chava hasn't won it.

Maybe

10 chars

 

[Froome19]

Can someone please explain to me the mountain categories? How is a 2.5 km @ 8% grade considered a category 2? Makes no sense.

I think it also depends on circumstance

 

[burning]

Since when was Haussler a GC contender?

And I'm pretty sure that voeckler will lose 15 minutes on Montagne de Lure to attack next day

 

[Big Gear]

Hussler for IAM instead of Löfkvist? :S

HH is not a GC man! I thought Lofkvist looked good today, lurking in the main group of contenders, putting in a couple of big pulls when needed and then when clear that the group he was in wouldn't lose many seconds falling back and letting eg BMC do the hard work.

Tomorrow will be another very interesting day. Still very open. People will be nervous tomorrow again... I think Sky and Porte looked nervous today and may have done too much trying to ensure he was up in the leader group. Maybe smarter to conserve more energy in the larger group with the majority of the favourites? Tomorrow, and to a greater extent Friday, will tell...

 

[Parrulo]

I second that.

Is this stage a carbon copy of the one in 09 when Contador cracked? cuz Chava was one of the instigator back then & rode brilliantly...

the 09 stage where contador cracked was much much harder then this one

 

[burning]

Here's the stage where Contador cracked, that was a really hard stage

 

[cineteq]

That is stage 3. Not the overall

And this is the stage 4 thread

Yup, my bad. I meant of course to post the overall.

Since when was Haussler a GC contender?

I missed editing him out.

 

[Froome19]

Quintana, Porte, Kloden, Talansky, TJVG, Roche and Westra seem to be the dangerous ones so far but that is not going on much.

I am hoping for Kiserlovski to go well here.

 

[Leonardus]

Hard stage with a bit of crosswind, could be another shake up for the GC. I hope some of the guys who lost time today will try something, so could be fun. But more likely a large break will stay clear I'm afraid.