Paris-Nice Stage 5:Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise Vernoux-en-Vivarais: 193 km

[Martin]

Uran's time loss on stage 1 was thanks to a crash IIRC, so I don't think it says much about his form, just his Colombian bike handling skills.

good for him i would say. if he would try a break today, GC teams won't do the chase.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Uran was dropped on a day one. That could mean 2 things: he doesn't have form right now or he might a have a big chance to go in a break today and succeed - the GC contenders won't mind and let him go!

Uran crashed on day one. It was even on TV...

 

[Captain_Cavman]

My guess is that, given the strength of the field and that there's still a bit to go after the final col, the stage winner will be the one with the best kick from a small group at the front. A Valverde type. I'm not sure who that is from this lot though.

 

[auscyclefan94]

The VO2 testing he did at the AIS was the highest ever recorded iirc.

I don't think it was Richie.

How can a climb at that length and gradient be steep for Porte considering Porte has put up a time on Mt Wellington - which is a steeper climb that no one in Australia can beat.

And he is 58kg, so it shouldn't be too steep for him at all.

And also, he kept up with Contador, only losing 28 seconds to him on a longer, tougher climb 2 weeks ago.

And he is a climber.

1. He certainly weighs more than 58kg. More like 64kg
2. He did that Mount Wellington ride when he was 23 after two years of road racing. IF you want to compare to Evans who had the original record, he did it when he was 22 and it was one of his first races. If Evans and Porte raced up there now I am pretty sure we all know who would win and it ain't Richie.
3. Someone like Bauke Mollema (I am being serious here) who you would call a climber, climbed better than him at the giro this year who is younger and has big potential as a climber. Porte hasn't proven himself as a climber, only as a time trialler. I guess we will see how he goes in the upcoming stages.

 

[search]

I think Kiserlovski will do a good ride. the terrain ought to suit him and he has shown some good form. Probably he will have to work for Vinokourov and Kreuziger but one can always hope...

I don't think Kiserlovski has to do any work today, Kreuziger mentions him in his stage preview:

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow [today]. Me and Kiserlovski are doing very well so far and it would be nice if we could stay at the front both. I believe that at least one of us will have a good result"

 

[search]

3. Someone like Bauke Mollema (I am being serious here) who you would call a climber, climbed better than him at the giro this year who is younger and has big potential as a climber. Porte hasn't proven himself as a climber, only as a time trialler. I guess we will see how he goes in the upcoming stages.

Porte was ill when he was in pink and when he did most of the hard stages. Don't really know about his form but I doubt he'll lose any time today.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

That's bullsh*t, porte was ill every uphill stage he was in pink

you honoustly expect people to believe that crap.
and even when he was out of pink he still lost to mollema f.ex in the final mt stages
no excuses plz

 

[auscyclefan94]

Porte was ill when he was in pink and when he did most of the hard stages. Don't really know about his form but I doubt he'll lose any time today.

Yes that's true but I still feel that he had a big lead on someone like Mollema. After the day he got into pink Mollema was 16 minutes behind Porte on gc because of it and he finished around 12 minutes behind him. That's a 4 minute difference. Porte was 25 years and Mollema was 23 in his first gt. Sick, yes, but he lost a fair bit of time to him over the final few stages. This comparison between him and Mollema I think proves that he isn't a real strong climber.

 

[theyoungest]

Everyone was ill in the Giro, it seems. Including Mollema... the first stage when he reportedly felt okay again was the final mountain stage, and look how he demolished Porte there

 

[auscyclefan94]

Everyone was ill in the Giro, it seems. Including Mollema... the first stage when he reportedly felt okay again was the final mountain stage, and look how he demolished Porte there

ill is probably not the best generalisation for it but a higher lever of fatigue would better describe the feeling everyone would of had in comparison to other races.

 

[Ferminal]

Everyone was ill in the Giro

Would be strange if someone wasn't after the first two weeks...

 

[theyoungest]

ill is probably not the best generalisation for it but a higher lever of fatigue would better describe the feeling everyone would of had in comparison to other races.

Well, Mollema mentioned a kind of nausea he got after the Zoncolan stage. And he wasn't going very well in the following stages... which is too bad because they were the most important ones for the GC

Speaking of whom, I wonder how he will do today. But he's mostly been pulling on the front for Luis Leon, and getting bottles, so I don't think he'll be a factor.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Can the Dutch Mafia and their Australian counterpart go hijack the Tirreno thread, please?

Anyhow, according to climbby, the Mure isn't as tough as the ASO would have us believe.
10kms at 6.6% is their figure. Admittedly, the first km is 2%, so can be chopped, but after the following 5kms>8%, there are 3kms of just 5.1%, before a final km of 8.2%.
So, unless the serious attacks start towards the foot of the ascent, it may not be that selective.

 

[Roland Rat]

Can the Dutch Mafia and their Australian counterpart go hijack the Tirreno thread, please?

Anyhow, according to climbby, the Mure isn't as tough as the ASO would have us believe.
10kms at 6.6% is their figure. Admittedly, the first km is 2%, so can be chopped, but after the following 5kms>8%, there are 3kms of just 5.1%, before a final km of 8.2%.
So, unless the serious attacks start towards the foot of the ascent, it may not be that selective.

Depends how hard they race before then I guess.

Oh how I wish for a Chiappucci-esque suicide attack by a climber on the Chaubouret....

 

[theyoungest]

Can the Dutch Mafia and their Australian counterpart go hijack the Tirreno thread, please?

Porte and Mollema aren't in the Tirreno, I'm afraid.

 

[Ferminal]

Porte and Mollema aren't in the Tirreno, I'm afraid.

Evans and Gesink, same dif

 

[Frosty]

Maybe some of the GC guys who cant time trial that well will send their guys to the front on the 1st 1st cat to try and make the race as hard as possible, try to tire out Tony Martin as much as possible. Hopefully today will see more action than previous days (not difficult).

 

[William H]

Can the Dutch Mafia and their Australian counterpart go hijack the Tirreno thread, please?

Anyhow, according to climbby, the Mure isn't as tough as the ASO would have us believe.
10kms at 6.6% is their figure. Admittedly, the first km is 2%, so can be chopped, but after the following 5kms>8%, there are 3kms of just 5.1%, before a final km of 8.2%.
So, unless the serious attacks start towards the foot of the ascent, it may not be that selective.

Velochrono has a profile at the bottom of this page which is different from what you describe.

 

[theyoungest]

Col de la Mure:

Finishing ramp:

Sammy Sanchez FTW.

 

[search]

That's bullsh*t, porte was ill every uphill stage he was in pink

it's not about Mollema, it's about today and I just doubt that he'll lose any time. There's talk about Luis Leon Sanchez, Peter Sagan, Tony Martin etc. being favorites for the race - it's not that these guys are mountain goats.

 

[El Pistolero]

it's not about Mollema, it's about today and I just doubt that he'll lose any time. There's talk about Luis Leon Sanchez, Peter Sagan, Tony Martin etc. being favorites for the race - it's not that these guys are mountain goats.

Luis Leon not a mountain goat? Lol.

Contador would LOVE a domestique like Lulu.
Actually Lulu is just a downgraded version of Contador. Perfect for a stage race like Paris-Nice.

 

[search]

Luis Leon not a mountain goat? Lol.

Contador would LOVE a domestique like Lulu.
Actually Lulu is just a downgraded version of Contador. Perfect for a stage race like Paris-Nice.

he's a good climber, of course, and well suited for a race like Paris Nice, but just in regards of pure uphill qualities he just isn't near the top.

he's very good in focussing on single stages and in preparing to be perfect in shape for short stage races, but that's it. In his whole career he had one top 10 result on a grand tour mountain finish (Alto de Cotobello / last year's Vuelta)

 

[El Pistolero]

he's a good climber, of course, and well suited for a race like Paris Nice, but just in regards of pure uphill qualities he just isn't near the top.

he's very good in focussing on single stages and in preparing to be perfect in shape for short stage races, but that's it. In his whole career he had one top 10 result on a grand tour mountain finish (Alto de Cotobello / last year's Vuelta)

He's only 27 years old and was always in the shadow of El Imbatido.

Never said he belonged to the top, but he clearly is a mountain goat. It's the 3 weeks that do him in, not the climbs it self. For a week he can follow the best of the world on the mountains. But after that it's usually game over.

 

[Jamsque]

Lulu has already crashed today.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Lulu is not a mountain goat, every time the road goes uphill steep he drops like a stone compared to actual climbers

only on 'lopers' he does well (like f.ex the jaizkibel)

Lulu has already crashed today.

Free role for TGBM!