Stage 8: Station des Rousses - Morzine-Avoriaz 189km

[Sasquatch]

I want Evens in yellow, just to see how BMC manage to be on the front and off the back, at the same time!

Having read this thread through, I think you guys every scenario covered.
Bit of a snoozefest, until Ramaz, then............a bit more of a snoozefest.
Then again, maybe not.

If Evans gets yellow it may spur on the BMC guys stuck in Holland to catch up.

 

[Mellow Velo]

So much for cool weather.
Already 25 degrees in Geneva.
Forecast to hit 33
Annemasse 30

More sweating ahead.

 

[Sasquatch]

So much for cool weather.
Already 25 degrees in Geneva.
Forecast to hit 33
Annemasse 30

More sweating ahead.

A break could make it but I would expect a team like Liquigas to do what they did in the Giro. Get Basso back up there amongst the top five. No one may decide to work today but I hope one team takes up a brutal chase.

 

[Cerberus]

So much for cool weather.
Already 25 degrees in Geneva.
Forecast to hit 33
Annemasse 30

More sweating ahead.

hmm, I wonder whether hot weather would give an advantage to slender riders, who have bigger surface areas compared to bodyweight. They should be better able to keep cool. Anyone knows if that's actually significant?

 

[hamperium]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamperium_espana/4759098465/
how good is Hesjedal in the high mountains
lets this stage begin

 

[auscyclefan94]

You know what I am thinking everyone?


IT'S CUDDLES TIME!!!!!

 

[Le breton]

So much for cool weather.
Already 25 degrees in Geneva.
Forecast to hit 33
Annemasse 30

More sweating ahead.

There is a stretch on the steepest part of La Ramaz with a "wall" on the LHS, exposed to the sun, where the temp. will probably exceed 40°C. Not much room for spectators there.

 

[superconfex]

Vino to go on a suicide mission to soften contenders for El Pistol boy..he rides away with cuddles sucking his wheel for dear life.
Contador stage
Evans yellow

I will mostly keeping an eye/ear on Sastre because I haven’t seen or heard his name so far this tour and wonder if he’s still “racing”

 

[Mellow Velo]

There is a stretch on the steepest part of La Ramaz with a "wall" on the LHS, exposed to the sun, where the temp. will probably exceed 40°C. Not much room for spectators there.

There is indeed.
I remember it was hot, too, in 2003. Simoni, fresh off his Giro win and having thrown down the challenge to Armstrong, died there.

 

[auscyclefan94]

There is indeed.
I remember it was hot, too, in 2003. Simoni, fresh off his Giro win and having thrown down the challenge to Armstrong, died there.

How steep is that part and why does it get so hot?

 

[xianbr]

candidates for the today's breakaway

Martinez, Moinard, Pineau, Gadret and Popo

 

[auscyclefan94]

candidates for the today's breakaway

Martinez, Moinard, Pineau, Gadret and Popo

Moinard will not be in the break aw he will be pacing cadel.

 

[Liquigas]

candidates for the today's breakaway

Martinez, Moinard, Pineau, Gadret and Popo

Moreau and Boom.

 

[eljimberino]

Where is that Feilou fella?

If he's here he's my pick.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

hmm, I wonder whether hot weather would give an advantage to slender riders, who have bigger surface areas compared to bodyweight. They should be better able to keep cool. Anyone knows if that's actually significant?

It's the primary reason Cancellara will NEVER be a GT rider. Cooling is incredibly important when putting out maximal efforts.

 

[tinga1]

It's the primary reason Cancellara will NEVER be a GT rider. Cooling is incredibly important when putting out maximal efforts.

if the skinny = cool = good GT rider if your surname is not Shleck you should get back into bed. That stick insect has the skin:bodyweight ratio covered baby.

 

[tinga1]

Ps did yuou read how the new BMC impec is so far underweight that the built in a seat cooling system - if you can keep your gonads cool it helps your whole body cool so this could be a big advantage on the hot days

 

[Mellow Velo]

How steep is that part and why does it get so hot?

It gets up to 10-11% and it gets hot, just like Ventoux: rocky and exposed, no cover.
Eurosport (Roche) thinks the Shack has to go there, not wait for the final climb, which plays into Contador's hands.

Eurosport also thought Armstrong was very "down" after yesterday's stage interview. Looks really gaunt, too. Saddle sores a possible problem.
Mind games or a reality check?

 

[superconfex]

wtf crash already

 

[theswordsman]

With the rest day tomorrow, I expect Alberto will want to go out and stretch his legs. I don't think he'll start the attack, but he'll finish it. But I'm not predicting a stage win - someone will probably attack from the break FTW.

I'm anxious to see how Cadel looks, as he's already had a hundred percent fitness peak this year. Andy is going to miss Frank today. I hope Liquigas will make the selection so we can see what they brought to the race. It would also be a good day for a couple of unexpected riders to show they're in GC form for the first time. One thing I don't expect is boredom.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Cuddles involved in the crash. ACF's heart rate goes through the roof, but it's okay, he's back in the bunch.

More importantly, Pineau was also caught up in it.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Fairly major crash that Jermone Pineau appeared one of the worst effected. Came down hard. One rider over the bars. Sorenson over the verge.
Another involved was..........Cadel Evens.
A nothing piece of road.

 

[movingtarget]

Of course there will be attacks. Schleck and Contador can't hold back when the steep stuff starts. The heat could be more decisive than the aggression as some riders handle it a lot worse than others. I see the winning group or rider being up to one minute ahead of the next group, no more. Time gaps, but maybe not decisive one's between the contenders unless Radioshack, Menchov, Wiggins, Sastre and Basso drop even more time. If that happens before the Pyrenees then they will have a hard time making up so much time later. Gesink and Sastre may have a dig or even Vino which could lead to some interesting tactics. I think Contador will get more mileage out of letting Vino ride off the front than riding beside him.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Popovych pulling a Cancellara, trying to neutralise an attack.
BMC and Shack clearly involved.
Back in the cars with Pineau.
Armstrong involved but not off the bike.

 

[python]

when it’s hot one way to look at a rider’s natural ability to cool down (to dump unused energy/heat) would be to understand their gross efficiency. there are several threads in the clinic on the subject.

say two riders are climbing side by side and generate the same watt per kilogramme. rider A efficiency is 22% and rider B efficiency is 24%.

rider A has to dump 78% of his metabolic heat into a 35 C environment and rider B has to dump 76%.

i’m not making any conclusions but wouldn‘t, intuitively speaking, rider B climbing job seem easier since he has to shed less heat relatively speaking ?