Stage 19: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienn - La Toussuire-Les Sybelle

[Kwibus]

Re:

The stage will be broadcast in entirety. I'm looking forward to it.

Grrrr. The entire week I was able to watch the stage from the start, but not tomorrow!

 

[Kwibus]

This is the day that Movistar sends maybe 1 rider in the break. The others are needed to race the 2nd climb hard to isolate the favourites.

I just hope Movistar will go for the victory tomorrow. So instead of letting the break go they should hammer it hard. Quintana has a big shot at winning the stage if it's battle among GC riders so they better stick to that plan.

 

[Stilletto]

Big attacks to start off with...
Think sky will mark the break tho
Probably Portes job
Candidates for first climb !
Kangert and Scarponi maybe even birdsong ? For Astana
Sagan, Rogers and Contador to go late on the climb
Movistar ? Probably setting pace.
Pauwels, Tekkers,Cummings for MTN.
Others might be pantano, schär and sanchez!

Hoping for some epic ness a la Giro
Is the stage live from the get go ?
What time is start ?

 

[BigMac]

If Schlecket Jr. was here he'd give everybody one huge riding lesson.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

If Schlecket Jr. was here he'd give everybody one huge riding lesson.

Bit early, don't you think? He's about one-year-old.

Ya, know; if Schlecket is Andy Schleck, then Schlecket Jr. would be his son.

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

If Schlecket Jr. was here he'd give everybody one huge riding lesson.

Bit early, don't you think? He's about one-year-old.

Ya, know; if Schlecket is Andy Schleck, then Schlecket Jr. would be his son.

Meh.

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

If Schlecket Jr. was here he'd give everybody one huge riding lesson.

This race really needs a strong climber that isn't afraid to attack. Bring back Andy and the Chicken and where are Dani Diaz, Papi Horner and Rujano when you really need them?

 

[Inquitus]

Valverde looked a bit weak today, given his fixation with finishing in the minor placings and protecting them when at all possible I can't see him or Movistar dricing the pace hard from the off. Astana and Saxo will though hopefully!

 

[damian13ster]

Re:

Hard to look past Froome here. Contador would probably gift the stage to Quintana if he was in Froome's situation, but Froome doesn't seem like the guy to gift anyone anything.

Ehhh.. why? It is not like they cooperated at any point in this race?

 

[Singer01]

i have 90 mins from getting home from work to having to go out. that should allow me about 2/3 of the croix and all of the final climb on catch up right?

 

[Ricksterh1]

Re: Stage 19: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienn - La Toussuire-Les Sybe

BORRIIINNNGGG!!! What boring cycling as far as the GC is concerned! Teams riding defensively to protect 10th place and beyond!! What a farce!! BOOORRRIIINNNGGG!!!! More excitement having bikes yet again checked for motors! Really? To the average fan that is just watching, this smacks of wrestling tactics, figures skating and such. Oh, what has cycling come to? BOOORRIINNNGG!!!! LOL!!

 

[ILovecycling]

Ok in the final we have an OP battle here , nice one Ruby.

I just hope for one thing, when Valverde is dropped I hope it won't affect Nairo plans to attack or wheelsuck or whatever...

 

[Rollthedice]

Re: Re:

If Schlecket Jr. was here he'd give everybody one huge riding lesson.

This race really needs a strong climber that isn't afraid to attack. Bring back Andy and the Chicken and where are Dani Diaz, Papi Horner and Rujano when you really need them?

I kinda have the impression each of those guys plus a few more would be reeled in by the 400+ steady Watts of the atomic dom duo Thomas Porte after which Dawg with a cadence of 120 RPM would ride into the sunset.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re: Re:

Hard to look past Froome here. Contador would probably gift the stage to Quintana if he was in Froome's situation, but Froome doesn't seem like the guy to gift anyone anything.

Ehhh.. why? It is not like they cooperated at any point in this race?

Does Tourmalet 2010 ring a bell?

 

[ILovecycling]

Re:

Brutal stage, brutal start and hopefully brutal weather.
Movistar will try to do anything in their power to keep things status quo - obviously.

Hillarious, but yeah I lost all hope as you

 

[sjonnie]

Re: Re:

1 mountain stage without flat in between climbs... that's all I ask for.. gawd

Even pro bike riders are human, they need to eat, piss and drop their heart rate below 90%MAX occasionally.

 

[Anderis]

Talansky in the early break for another time in row and climbs into 11th in GC.

 

[Ruby United]

Re:

BTW - Quintana better deliver, because he's been saying this stage & tomorrow's is what he's prepared for to attempt to strip the Alien off the MJ-perhaps knowing is merely wishful thinking, but at least stage win and getting as close as possible to him is what he's rather trying to achieve... his word better counts !!!

MJ = Mountain Jersey
Like 2013

 

[Ruby United]

Re: Re:

There is 30 km flat between first climb and second climb... stupid... nobody of the GC will race hard on the first climb, or they ll bury themself in the flat to no avail

It is OK. The first climb is just to tire people up. Besides not even Merkx would make an attack two huge climbs before. Doing an attack before the Giant of the Croix de Fer is stupid.

Not even Merckx? Hope that's a joke

 

[Pantani Attacks]

Wilco Kelderman to drop everyone.

 

[del1962]

Re:

Wilco Kelderman to drop everyone.

Is he riding the tour?

 

[willbick]

Can anyone explain to me why this isnt another stage for the break?

 

[BrentonOfTheNorth]

Re:

i have 90 mins from getting home from work to having to go out. that should allow me about 2/3 of the croix and all of the final climb on catch up right?

I think the official website lists estimated times of arrival for each part of each stage.

 

[The Barb]

Re:

Can anyone explain to me why this isnt another stage for the break?

It could be, although many of the strong "second tier" guys (Rodriguez, Fuglsang, Rolland, Bardet etc) exerted themselves pretty seriously today and may not be able to go again. Also, surely Quintana and Movistar will want to leave the Tour with a stage win. The Tour will look a lot better for Quintana if he beats Froome in the final two stages and gets a stage win, as he did in 2013, even if he still loses the GC by more than two minutes.

 

[SlickMongoose]

Yeah, i'm expecting the GC guys to really go for these last two mountain stages. No point in saving energy now.