Sunday, June 17 - Tour de Suisse, Stage 9: Näfels[LinthArena] - Sörenberg, 215.8km

[la.margna]

Sunday, June 17 - Tour de Suisse, Stage 9: Näfels[LinthArena] - Sörenberg, 215.8km

Sorry, 4give me, I thought as I couldn't find it, I just post here the thread for the final stage of the 2012 Tour de Suisse. Maybe a mod could make it sticky?

Stage Profile:

Stage Profile Last 100km [with steepness/grade colours]:

GC before this last stage:
1 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team 29:58:39
2 Frank Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:14
3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma - QuickStep 0:00:21
4 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:25
5 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:00:40
6 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Pro Team Astana 0:00:42
7 Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin-Barracuda 0:00:43
8 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:01
9 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:04
10 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:01:13

Two tough climbs and temperature-wise again a hot day like Saturday's stage to Arosa. However, difficult and steep climbs are far away from the not pretty difficult climb to the finish line in Sörenberg. But fatigue and heat might play a factor not 2 be underestimated. Glaubenberg features a few dangerous cow guads (I know them because I spent a few weeks of in the Swiss army up there), I hope the tour organisation takes care of them.

 

[Christian]

I spent a few weeks of in the Swiss army up there

Is it true there are secret bunkers in the mountains??

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

F.Schleck can wait till the final climb and punch away from the others.

Gesink and Leipheimer need longer climbs so they might have to attack from afar. But probably won't in light of the Tour.

So I say F.Schleck wins. Costa to drop from 1 to 5

 

[roundabout]

Good job. Don't think there was a thread opened.

40k is pretty far. And Costa was among 15 best climbers today. But ok, Glaubenberg is slightly different as it's 14km or so.

 

[roundabout]

F.Schleck can wait till the final climb and punch away from the others.

Gesink and Leipheimer need longer climbs so they might have to attack from afar. But probably won't in light of the Tour.

So I say F.Schleck wins. Costa to drop from 1 to 5

The steep bit on the final climb is not long and last 3km or so are a false flat. It will be a group finish for GC contenders.

 

[la.margna]

Is it true there are secret bunkers in the mountains??

In every mountain in Switzerland there is at least one bunker. Absolutely incredible, the holes they did dig in the 50's and 60's mostly. Bakeries, battery factories, artillery, everything. Must have spent billions on all that stuff. Every bridge with explosives, ready to be blasted in case the Russians or Germans came...
And today it's all old, too costly to mantain and they are trying to sell most bunkers

But let's not get too distracted here

 

[jens_attacks]

rabo to go ballistic on glaubenberg pass.franck to win the overall
i'd like though to see rui costa recovering well and survive tomorrow,impossible to happen i guess

also i hope astarloza will attack tomorrow from far out,we have to see something from him

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The steep bit on the final climb is not long and last 3km or so are a false flat. It will be a group finish for GC contenders.

Except if they ride like the Route du Sud and start going full out 2 climbs from the finish (or like Contador in the Giro )

But that won't happen

 

[Christian]

In every mountain in Switzerland there is at least one bunker. Absolutely incredible, the holes they did dig in the 50's and 60's mostly. Bakeries, battery factories, artillery, everything. Must have spent billions on all that stuff. Every bridge with explosives, ready to be blasted in case the Russians or Germans came...
And today it's all old, too costly to mantain and they are trying to sell most bunkers

But let's not get too distracted here

Interesting stuff though, thanks for the information!

As for the race I believe RSNT or anyone wanting to win must go full gas over the last HC and try to drop Costa. He might crack under the mental pressure if he is dropped. Even if he can get back he must spend a lot of energy. If they wait to drop him on the final Cat2 I think he will be able to resist.

 

[Mellow Velo]

The steep bit on the final climb is not long and last 3km or so are a false flat. It will be a group finish for GC contenders.

Which I don't think will include Costa.
Agree with DT, about 5th or 6th on the GC.
He will wave bye bye on the penultimate climb.
From today's events, RadioRabo will go hard from there.

We have an extra hour of live coverage, tomorrow.
Starts 14-50CET.

 

[la.margna]

Definitely gonna be very difficult for Rui again.

But Levi and Fränck might not go full gas considering LeTour is just around the corner, that might be his only hope.

Wonder if prinicipe Cunego saved himself today to Arosa for an early escape and attempt at stage win in Sörenberg.

All the guys not dropped on top of the Glaubenberg will be difficult to be dropped on the faux plat(let's be honest that's what it really is, it's not a climb) to the finish line.

 

[taiwan]

TY la.margna for the thread

A Nieve sort of stage maybe?

 

[manafana]

throwing out 3 outsiders, nordhaug, poels or izagirre.

 

[Parrulo]

Costa said that today he felt bad from the start of the stage because of the hot weather,said that it felt as if his body wasn't used to the hot weather after riding so many days in a row with rain.

i highly doubt he will have a chance but if he makes it over the HC climb without being put under a lot of pressure he may still have a chance as slim as it might be.

 

[theyoungest]

Costa said that today he felt bad from the start of the stage because of the hot weather,said that it felt as if his body wasn't used to the hot weather after riding so many days in a row with rain.

i highly doubt he will have a chance but if he makes it over the HC climb without being put under a lot of pressure he may still have a chance as slim as it might be.

If he makes it over the HC climb with the leaders he practically has this in the bag, but he'll certainly be put under pressure. They've seen today that he's vulnerable on the long climbs, and after all there's an overall win at stake here.

I expect a Rui Costa-less group of favourites to make it over the Glaubenberg, and then an interesting "sprint" up the final hill... Gesink needs just 11 seconds, Leipheimer needs 7, but Schleck has shown he's the best, most explosive climber here.

 

[Afrank]

If RNT goes real hard on the Glaubenberg then I doubt Costa can keep the lead. Schleck will probably attack on the final climb and even if Costa manages to survive the glaubenberg in the lead group I doubt he will be able to respond.

 

[greenedge]

Frank to win the stagehand the overall. Gesink to finish 10 seconds behind. Costa to end up coming 3rd.

 

[The Hitch]

Likely to be 4th year in a row jersey changes hands on the last day .

What the gts are always trying to achieve.

 

[The Hitch]

Wait, levistrong has a chance to win this?

Oh please god.make.it happen.

 

[Cancellator]

This was a pretty nice race so far, in the GC, climbing stages and TT subplots we had excitement. In the sprints... well at least Sagan has shown he still has weaknesses in the big climbs, cause otherwise many of these stage races could get pretty boring pretty fast with him.

Is there a connection between this race being so good and Wiggins not being in it? Just saying...

How do the bonus seconds work tomorrow? I can see something like F. Schleck and Bottle finishing in a similar fashion like last stage, with Levi out-"sprinting" Schleck and then winning the overall, while RSNT complete their vaast collection of second places...

 

[Dedelou]

Wait, levistrong has a chance to win this?

Oh please god.make.it happen.

on paper a few people have a chance to win this. Costas had his bad day today.. Franck had his chance .. Probably tomorrow both feel differently than then did today and one of the others could take a flyer , taking both by surprise and winning the whole thing..
(at least in my fantasy , that is how it happens )

 

[FabulousCandelabra]

If Frank wins, will this be the first RSNT win of the year??????

 

[Afrank]

Is there a connection between this race being so good and Wiggins not being in it? Just saying...

I think your onto something there.

 

[The Hitch]

If Frank wins, will this be the first RSNT win of the year??????

They won best young rider at bayern rundfahrt.

also im pretty sure a rider of Andy Schleck's quality has won a bunch of races by now.

 

[wirral]

Time bonifications for sprints are 3,2 and 1 second(s) respectively for intermediate sprints and 6, 4 and 2 seconds for the "finishing line sprint". I think that is right.

The positions of the sprints near the end may well affect the GC.