Stage Profiles Tour de France 2013

[Miburo]

So you consider Tony a GC contender?

no but you were talking about GC-contenders and I bet you consider him one.

He almost was able to follow Gilbert on la redoute, so why not?

 

[Bavarianrider]

no but you were talking about GC-contenders and I bet you consider him one.

He almost was able to follow Gilbert on la redoute, so why not?

If Tony wears the yellow jersey into the Pyrennes, a lot can happen.

 

[Miburo]

If Tony wears the yellow jersey into the Pyrennes, a lot can happen.

Between contador and froome? Yea i agree

 

[Zvezdarac]

no but you were talking about GC-contenders and I bet you consider him one.

He almost was able to follow Gilbert on la redoute, so why not?

It looks like you don't like Tony very much.
I wonder if Valkenburg overtaking has something to do with that contempt.

 

[Christian]

What do people think about stage 8? The Jensie said on twitter, after reconnoitering the stage, that after that stage one "can pretty much say who will be on podium in Paris. There is no hiding or holding back here!!".

First Col de Poulhières at 2000m, then Ax 3 Domanes MTF

 

[rghysens]

What do people think about stage 8? The Jensie said on twitter, after reconnoitering the stage, that after that stage one "can pretty much say who will be on podium in Paris. There is no hiding or holding back here!!".

First Col de Poulhières at 2000m, then Ax 3 Domanes MTF

I think this stage will be raced quite conservative. I expect the big showdown at the Mont Ventoux.

 

[Netserk]

I think this stage will be raced quite conservative. I expect the big showdown at the Mont Ventoux.

I agree.

I don't expect any real differences to be made in the Pyrenees.

 

[masking_agent]

Alpe D'Huez twice ? really ? they couldn't have found another summit ? < snorefest> ZZzzzzz...

 

[Netserk]

Alpe D'Huez twice ? really ? they couldn't have found another summit ? < snorefest> ZZzzzzz...

The sad thing is how well it links to Les Deux Alpes

 

[melkemugg]

Alpe D'Huez twice ? really ? they couldn't have found another summit ? < snorefest> ZZzzzzz...

Easy, spectator friendly and cheap.

 

[jens_attacks]

I think this stage will be raced quite conservative. I expect the big showdown at the Mont Ventoux.

andy wins with a long range attack on pailheres
froomey attacks with 4 to go , only alberto can follow but not for long. last km, froomey starts the turbo. alberto cracks
the 4rd in the stage comes more than at a minute after froomey...

froomey must show who's the boss from day one. there won't be no mercy

 

[Netserk]

Froome to attack in the TTT and arrive a minute before the rest of the team

 

[Aerodynamic95]

I think stage 2 is perfect for Edvald Boasson Hagen! If he make a good place in the first stage the yellow jersey can be his!

 

[denjo17]

Wiggins will loose in two stages

is it me or am i the only one who thinks, that Wiggins will loose the chance for a good result in the classification on the 8 and 16 stage?. and the Time trial is very hard and tecnical and should favor the likes of contador and minimize the timeloss for people lige Purito

 

[qwerty16]

They could conceivably get to bickering, but as long as Griepel retains sufficient ego to lend a Lotto rider to the chase, it's going to be a very odd day when a break is allowed to win a flat stage.

Argos will chase too.

 

[qwerty16]

I don't know the exact OPQS team but they can put together a monster team for the TTT.

Let's say: Martin, Kwiatkowski, Chavanel, Terpstra, Velits, Cavendish, Steegmans, Stybar, Vandewalle

Against: Wiggins, Froome, Porte, EBH, Thomas, Kiryienka, Stannard, Lopez, Eisel.

Imo, there will only be 5-10 seconds difference.

Is Kwiatkowski going to ride the Tour? And Stybar who hasn't raced since his surgery?

They will probably bring Grabsch to lead the peloton all day. Maybe Keisse since he seems to be Cav's new Eisel.

BMC could list a decent team as well if all their big guys will ride (Evans, Van Garderen, Hushovd, Gilbert, Pinotti, Bookwalter, Quinziato).

 

[ILovecycling]

I think stage 2 is perfect for Edvald Boasson Hagen! If he make a good place in the first stage the yellow jersey can be his!

Have you ever heard of guy called Sagan?

 

[Poursuivant]

Be interesting if Wiggins takes yellow at any stage. I don't think any team orders will stop Froome this time.

 

[Viking]

Almost every time a breakway wins it is because the peleton let them or a crash. It is not because of working hard. I can walk down the street and drop dollar bills. You can follow me and pick them up. But you only get those dollars if I refuse to pick them up. The same goes for a breakway they only win because no one else cares enough to pull them in.

You're kind of right. In most stages that the winner comes from a breakaway it's because the peloton let the break go. Those guys in the break still work hard, though. There's not much soft-pedaling involved for them. Anyway, it usually happens on the transitional stages - hard enough that the sprinters' teams don't think their man can handle the pace on the climbs, yet not hard enough to have an effect on GC.

I'm not sure if the evidence supports what I'm about to say, but I think time bonuses can have a big effect on such stages. The stage may not be tough enough for any real GC change on pure time, but a 20/12/8 second time bonus gives a team/rider a real incentive to chase down a break and go for the extra seconds. My memory is kinda short, but time bonuses played a pretty big part of last year's Giro and Vuelta.

 

[StyrbjornSterki]

You're kind of right. In most stages that the winner comes from a breakaway it's because the peloton let the break go. Those guys in the break still work hard, though....

The guys in the cars know where EVERYONE on the road is. They have a map of the route. They have a laptop PC. They know how fast the peloton proper can go at full chat. They know how fast a breakaway can go. And they tot up the numbers and tell their teams how long to sit in and when to start chasing in earnest.

Which is why no breakaway can succeed without either the peloton screws up or is complicit.

Which is why rider radios should be banned or communications should be strictly limited to clear-cut safety issues. The guys in the cars should not be in charge of who wins races.

 

[Afrank]

Easy, spectator friendly and cheap.

And most of all, it sounds good.

 

[airstream]

Does anyone really think that Sky are so myopic to bet on Wiggins?

 

[BroDeal]

I thought it would be easier to see the suck when all stages are visible at once.

 

[42x16ss]

The more I look at this the more I'm disappointed. No real queen stage, Corsica wasted, too much descent at the end of stage 9, Too much flat at the end of 14 and 16 would really be better as a MTF.

 

[saneguy]

After looking at the Giro - am totally disappointed with TdF route. Hardly any challenging finishes for the climbers. Way too many flat stages...Where will the successful attacks come from?

This one should surely suit the Sky Train...my only takeaway from this one for Evans. Going by his build-up before the Giro, he did exceptionally well to finish 3rd. Now when he has a look at this year's TdF route surely he should be more confident. The route is really less challenging than Giro. He should be confident to give Sky a big fight...whether or not he will succeed is different case though.

Skyborg all the way