Stage 5 Châteauneuf-du-Pape -> La Montagne de Lure 176 km, Friday 8th March

[Lanark]

Am I the only one who thinks this stage could have been much better by replacing all the little climbs before Lure by Notre Dame des Abeilles (from Villes-sur-Auzon: 11.9 km @ 5.9% - 1000m high) and Lagarde d'Apt (from Rustrel: 11 km @ 7.1% - 1105m high)?

And the stage would have been also shortened by 10 km. That's what I would call a defining stage.

Not really. In either stage, nobody would do anything before Montagne de Lure. And sure, your stage design is harder, and would probably result in larger time gaps in Montagne de Lure, but I don´t think that is necessary at this point of the race.

It´s Paris-Nice, you don´t need to have a full mountain stage. This way guys like Westra and Chavanel have a shot as well.

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

Quintana will win this.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I lolled. You know he will. probably top 3 tomorrow.

i doubt that. he didn't look good at all yesterday I thought and said on his twitter he struggled on the climbs.

go westra

 

[cineteq]

Quintana will win this.

I beg to differ. Gesink to destroy the field including Quintana.

 

[SafeBet]

I rewatched the final 20kms of today's stage. Quintana really didn't look good on the final climb. I don't know for how long he had been chasing before the climb started, but my feeling is that he's not in such a good shape

Scarponi looked great, although to be honest he attacked only 50 metres before the top. Either he didn't know the climb or he was not feeling that comfortable.

Hard to predict someone for tomorrow. There are at least 7 or 8 names that spring to mind. Should be fun.

 

[manafana]

Tomorrow Klodi will win!

if kloden wins tommorow I wil make him my avatar.

 

[gregrowlerson]

if kloden wins tommorow I wil make him my avatar.

It would be a magical day for all Klodists

 

[cineteq]

GC (Favorites)
Andrew TALANSKY
Lieuwe WESTRA +6
Richie PORTE +7
Jean-Christophe PERAUD +13
Tejay VAN GARDEREN +16
Andreas KLÖDEN +17
Robert GESINK +1:09
Nairo QUINTANA +2:17

 

[Moviefan1203]

Van Garderen has a chance to show that his climbing as improved, we'll see how he does. I think Talansky will fend off all attacks by the contenders though, he's a very smart racer destined for greatness.

 

[The Barb]

GC (Favorites)
Andrew TALANSKY
Lieuwe WESTRA +6
Richie PORTE +7
Jean-Christophe PERAUD +13
Tejay VAN GARDEREN +16
Andreas KLÖDEN +17
Robert GESINK +1:09
Nairo QUINTANA +2:17

Also gotta have Michele Scarponi in there at +18.

Could be on the way back to his 2011 early season form.

 

[Ferminal]

Don't want to say Westra as it may curse him, gonna go Kiserlovski.

 

[xrayvision]

ok i am not cheering for any1 anymore. . . . i was cheering for costa and he crashed, then moved on to gesink and the same happened and now with quintana <_<

worst PN eva for the riders i am cheering

then cheer on Roche

 

[xrayvision]

GC (Favorites)
Andrew TALANSKY
Lieuwe WESTRA +6
Richie PORTE +7
Jean-Christophe PERAUD +13
Tejay VAN GARDEREN +16
Andreas KLÖDEN +17
Robert GESINK +1:09
Nairo QUINTANA +2:17

Roche missing there so do Scarponi.

 

[xrayvision]

Vernoux-en-Vivarais = Montagne-de-Lure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0YmrXTC1b0 just a reminder, great race.

 

[greenedge]

I am hoping Porte can win.
Hoping for a nice stage too.

 

[The Barb]

Really looking forward to this stage.

Quality climber
+
Paris Nice stage winner in the last two years
+
14 minutes down on GC
+
Dropped 8 minutes yesterday
=
Thomas De Gendt for the stage win.

 

[manafana]

yeah scarponis been very good, should see on suprise who is in great shape finish top 10

 

[HiCadence]

Ulisse has been in pretty decent form so far possible top 5?

 

[movingtarget]

Can't see Talansky being dropped by his closest rivals. Expect too see someone further down the GC win the stage.

 

[Miburo]

Does someone know know how fast Contador went on montagne de lure?

Would be interesting to compare his time with today's time.

 

[search]

Does someone know know how fast Contador went on montagne de lure?

34:20 according to wikipedia

Edit: that's the original source I think:

Puissances : Contador à 5 watts de sa meilleure forme

Alberto Contador a gravi la montagne de Lure en 34'20" depuis Saint-Etienne les Orgues. Sa puissance moyenne (78 kg avec vélo) est de 425 watts (14,15 km à 6,27%). Fränk Schleck et Luis Leon Sanchez se situent à 410 watts, David Moncoutié et Cadel Evans à 400 watts, Christophe Moreau et Sylvain Chavanel à 395 watts.
La performance de Contador est équivalente à celle de Gesink et d'Evans sur les pentes du Mont Ventoux l'année dernière sur Paris-Nice. La montée de Lure est un peu plus courte mais la dépense énergétique était plus élevée cette année avec un début d'étape très vallonné.
Cadel Evans apparait moins en forme qu'il y a un an. Alberto Contador, lui, est déjà dans une condition très avancée pour un mois de mars. Sans être à son meilleur niveau (430 watts au Plateau de Beille lors du Tour de France 2007, ou de l'Angliru sur la Vuelta en 2008), il creuse déjà des écarts importants sur une seule ascension. Avec ses progrès enregistrés en contre-la-montre, qui pourra le battre au mois de juillet ?

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Wow, Contador rode on a 16 kilo bike that day?

 

[Leadbelly]

"Km 14 - Jens Voigt attacks"

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

wait, what: La performance de Contador est équivalente à celle de Gesink et d'Evans sur les pentes du Mont Ventoux l'année dernière sur Paris-Nice. La montée de Lure est un peu plus courte mais la dépense énergétique était plus élevée cette année avec un début d'étape très vallonné.

So Gesink/Evans year before was the same

 

[Miburo]

wait, what: La performance de Contador est équivalente à celle de Gesink et d'Evans sur les pentes du Mont Ventoux l'année dernière sur Paris-Nice. La montée de Lure est un peu plus courte mais la dépense énergétique était plus élevée cette année avec un début d'étape très vallonné.

So Gesink/Evans year before was the same

No way that's possible. It says though that Contador's stage was a bit more tough but i don't believe that Evans or Gesink were on the same level.

Even airstream will agree with that