Paris- Nice Stage 5: Pernes-les-Fontaines - Aix-en-Provence - 157 km

[franciep10]

Can we get a sticky

Hopefully we get some attacks, lets see how Astana controls the peloton

 

[dolophonic]

looks painful ..

 

[Kingsley A]

Looks like a good sort of stage for someone to get away and stay away on. Maybe someone who has been quiet so far like Cunego or Gerrans?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I think an early break will do.

 

[Ninety5rpm]

Jens

 

[BroDeal]

Looks like a good sort of stage for someone to get away and stay away on. Maybe someone who has been quiet so far like Cunego or Gerrans?

Yup. Miserable conditions increase the chance of the break. Astana tries to get a team with hopes for a sprint win, like Sky, to shoulder part of the chase effort.

 

[Sasquatch]

Breakaway will take it. Astana won't want to work today.

Vande Velde declared his intentions on winning a stage. He is 15 minutes behind.

We have the Skil riders wanting to get a win. Veelers or Huguet will be their man. Huguet tried the other day, he can try agaain today.

Gilbert could even go on the attack and get in a break.

This stage has breakaway written all over it. Sprinters are tired. Not many sprinters left so really the two big teams would be Columbia and Sky trying to get the sprint finish but if Greipel isn't feeling alright, they'll probably send someone like Hansen up the road.

I just feel a break will take this stage.

 

[Jamsque]

That profile does seem to have breakaway written all over it, the early cat 2 climb could well be a launching point.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Looks like a good sort of stage for someone to get away and stay away on. Maybe someone who has been quiet so far like Cunego or Gerrans?

Unlikely for Cunego - he suffers the cold more - not being artificially heated in any way.
When he excelled in the Vuelta 2009 it wasn't so chilly - was it?

 

[theswordsman]

None of the GC guys will be allowed in a breakaway. By mid-race the peloton should see temps in the high 40's (F) with clear skies. Laurent Mangel is wearing the polka dot jersey and starts at 5'50" back. I could see him and ten or eleven of his best over six minutes behind friends, maybe Machado and Macato, given a long leash and a selection out of those and maybe one or two late arrivals allowed to take all the bonus seconds for the stage, with the peloton a couple of minutes behind.

 

[craig1985]

If it does come back together, EBH for the win?

 

[BroDeal]

If it does come back together, EBH for the win?

He's in Italy.

 

[Sasquatch]

Wrong race, Craig.

Popovych could go in a break today. 14 mins down. RadioShack need a saviour.

 

[craig1985]

He's in Italy.

Fail.

Will throw out my one thousandth Gilbert prediction then

 

[Sasquatch]

Not a bad prediction on a day like today. Again, he is over 10 minutes down so a possible break?

 

[luckyboy]

Can someone quote this in the prediction thread when it is posted please? I won't be online then. Thanks

Breakaway:
Ladagnous
Leukemans
Spezialetti

Would post Chavanel but he's only 1.27 down

 

[Mellow Velo]

Wrong race, Craig.

Popovych could go in a break today. 14 mins down. RadioShack need a saviour.

Traditional breakaway day and these parcours are very similar to 2007.
That year, the day after the Mende climb, won by Alberto Contador, the stage winner was........Yaroslav Popovych.

 

[Anonymous]

If it does come back together, EBH for the win?

This looks more like one for Flandis to me.

 

[Anonymous]

Wrong race, Craig.

Popovych could go in a break today. 14 mins down. RadioShack need a saviour.

Could be. Could be a day where Greydioshack test Astana's strength by launching one after the other. But that would assume they have more than one rider capable of launching an attack.

 

[craig1985]

Traditional breakaway day and these parcours are very similar to 2007.
That year, the day after the Mende climb, won by Alberto Contador, the stage winner was........Yaroslav Popovych.

Popo very nearly took the yellow jersey, but Gerolsteiner chased so hard to keep Rebellin in yellow. They chased that hard that come the last day, Rebellin was the only Gerolsteiner rider left in the peloton. Discovery Channel really did have Gerolsteiner for breakfast in that race. IIRC, Sean Yates was in the car?

 

[BroDeal]

Fail.

Will throw out my one thousandth Gilbert prediction then

I made a worse mistake thinking BMC was in P-N.

 

[craig1985]

I made a worse mistake thinking BMC was in P-N.

Happens to the best of us

 

[auscyclefan94]

yesterday...
18 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:00:53

Bit dissapointing personally and I think he will go in the break today and win!

Impressed by Thommy Voeckler!

 

[coconnor]

Brice Filleu to make it into todays break anyway. Not sure he'll stick around for the win to. He tried a couple of days ago and the team needs someone up the road.

 

[Sasquatch]

Nah

Romain will be in the break.

Probably with Gilbert too. And either Veelers or Huguet from Skil. plus whoever else tries. But Skil's representative will be Veelers or Huguet. I favour Huguet.