Stage 7: Innsbruck - Chiavenna (244 km)

[Leopejo]

As everybody in the tired peloton hoped for today, a breakaway formed right at the gun and it was let go.

Huzarski, Facci, Klimov and Isaichev jumped in the first kilometer and soon gained over 9 minutes on a sleepy peloton. Now it seems to have stabilized.

 

[Leopejo]

Seven and a half minutes on a Barloworld and Garmin led peloton.

Average speed after two hours 43,6 km/h, not bad as it is all (very) sligthly uphill.

EDIT: The first hour was raced at 46,1 km/h by the escapees.

 

[BroDeal]

This stage has a very interesting altitude profile. What is the descent like? How technical?

 

[Leopejo]

This stage has a very interesting altitude profile. What is the descent like? How technical?

I don't know precisely, but Gazzetta says about the stage:

the main difficulty is the descent, technical (=difficult) and long: as much as 37 km

Besides, they expect bad weather, which could complicate things quite much.

 

[ingsve]

It seems like teams are interested in bringing this breakaway in at least. It's going to be interesting though to see how the downhill effects the chase. A downhill ought to favour a chasegroup but at the same time the kilometers tick away fast at the end so they need to make sure they down leave it to late to catch them.

 

[Leopejo]

Besides, they expect bad weather, which could complicate things quite much.

I took my picks accordingly on the Columbia competition thread:

1. Savoldelli, 2. Samuel Sanchez, 3. a surprise descender.

 

[Leopejo]

And me spamming again:

I love the KOM description in the official race map:

PASSO MALOJA
Altitude: 1815 m
Length: 22,9 km
El. gain: 111 m
Av. slope: 0,5 %
Max. slope: 8 %

 

[Delicato]

The descending could be a trouble for Basso and Menchov, and it is raining now-dunno what would happen on descent.

I am surprised that nobody thinks that there would be changes in overall GC till that massive ITT(at least what I assumed when reading riders' interviews) ...isn't Cuneo- Pinerolo a hard stage? No mountaintop finish but still, huge amount of km's and a few mountains?

 

[Anonymous]

wheres my live coverage.. lol...

i still fancy one of the garmin boys in breakaway, maybe EbH to have a run out in one as well...

 

[Leopejo]

The breakaway is suffering going uphill and the peloton is quickly reducing the gap. From the seven minutes of a few minutes ago, it's 4.45 now.

 

[Jasper]

Guess we're up for a nervous and possibly chaotic bunch sprint. Is the peloton still in one piece, or could we expect it breaking up again?

 

[Mellow Velo]

Been watching RAI.
Weather at the finish seems to be clearing.
Garmin and Columbia seem to be working to close down the break.
Under 100kms to go.

Lot of chat about the Astana portest.
Interview with Bruyneel seems to suggest no new sponsorship done deal?

 

[Bala Verde]

Interview with Bruyneel seems to suggest no new sponsorship done deal?

In a dutch newspaper, de telegraaf, for which he writes column, he says that he is confident to find someone before the TdF. His arguments

1) Lance opens doors
2) Right before the TdF, the biggest and most important stage race in the world, a new team can associate himself with the team. Good publicity...
3) Right after Astana caused problems, he already received phone calls from potential investors.

 

[Bala Verde]

Hmm that's a really nasty last 500m today. I bet someone who can have a go at it for a full km and arrives at the roundabout and comes at the final turn first, will win the race. That last 90 degree turn, right before the finish, isn't really made for a bunch sprint...

 

[Cobblestones]

They're in St. Moritz. Not far from the Majolo. From there it's an all downhill wild chase.

 

[180mmCrank]

They are saying on Eurosport that they have cut the timing point to 3km outside the finish - still give the stage win at the same point

Concern about the run in combined with the weather

 

[Anonymous]

its looking like the may catch the breakaway a little early.. im not sure this is going to come down to a bunch...

the tip thread is becoming a boring repatition of the same four riders..

 

[Anonymous]

They are saying on Eurosport that they have cut the timing point to 3km outside the finish - still give the stage win at the same point

Concern about the run in combined with the weather

pretty standard.. the ones that want to the win can take the risks.. the ones that dont can sit up a 3km and protect themselves.. makes me wonder if lpr, and columbia will want to be up there contending the sprint..

 

[Cobblestones]

The universal sports commentator just said:

Lance Armstrong who has won the TdF 4, no 5 consecutive times. (Pause) Make that seven.

ETA: They're across the Majola. Holy **** the decent looks difficult with the wet roads.

 

[Anonymous]

this is horrendous...

i think if lpr and columbia got any sense they will keep well out of this sprint and save themselves for later in the race...

 

[Bala Verde]

Looks like Menchov and sastre are losing time. I didn;t see them in the group DI luca/Basso

but i could be mistaken. The camera doesn't pan far enough to the back

ah the MR group has swollen with more riders again... So I guess all GC contenders are there

 

[Cobblestones]

So from now on it's more straight until they come close to the finish.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Basso and Menchov will be bricking it.
May well be some sizeable time gaps with such a wet decent......

 

[Zoncolan]

Basso and Menchov will be bricking it.
May well be some sizeable time gaps with such a wet decent......

If Menchov does a Jausiers again, I'm gonna be super p1ssed

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I don't know what you guys are talking about, but as far as I could see, Menchov never left the front group this time.