TdF '17 - stage 5: Vittel>La Planche des Belles Filles 160km

[TommyGun]

Re: Re:

TJVG said this is Pinot's home climb.....

Didn't help him in 2012.

Back then Pinot didn't know he was riding for GC.

Of course, he uses this climb quite a lot when training, but he says he does not like it (too short and too steep, not the type of long drag he is good at). And this year, he has made clear that he will not try much until the Pyrenees or even the Alps, when his shape (hopefully) picks up.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

There's nothing quite like the first MTF of the Tour. Probably my favourite cycling day each year.

I agree, the First mtf of the tour very often is a great indicator for how the race will be

Ps: great op btw

 

[uconnryan]

Jakob Fuglsang will win this bike stage race.

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

TJVG said this is Pinot's home climb.....

Didn't help him in 2012.

Back then Pinot didn't know he was riding for GC.

In '12, Tibopino finished 15th iirc, but started the climb way too far. In '14, he finished 2nd. It's in his backyard. He knows that climb inside and out. Without Chevreres before PDBF, he loses a little bit of his advantage, i.e. reducing the size of the field, being better placed at the bottom...not sure if he goes for it, although it's too tempting. But is he 100%? I doubt it. Still, he can be a factor.

Important fact as well, the road was built in '11 for the '12 Tour.

 

[TommyGun]

Re: Re:

There's nothing quite like the first MTF of the Tour. Probably my favourite cycling day each year.

And the day the Tour that took away all tension for 4 years straight between 2012 and 2015.

Exactly, I kinda loathe this climb, which I will always associate with the beginning of Sky's reign
And to say that Prudhomme already calls it 'legendary': it is not even an actual road (they had to re-pave the last part on purpose in 2012, destroying many trees and ruining a stunning landscape in the process).
La Planche des Belles Filles screams 'marketed product' all the way.

 

[Valv.Piti]

The 2013 and 2015 MTFs were very enjoyable in isolation. I especially liked Ax-3-Domaines for some reason.

 

[deValtos]

Re:

The 2013 and 2015 MTFs were very enjoyable in isolation. I especially liked Ax-3-Domaines for some reason.

I think it's because in the past we've been used to big let downs on the first mountain stage. Usually what happens is 1 or 2 "contenders" get dropped but the rest finish together and we continue to wait.

 

[Walkman]

Re: Re:

There's nothing quite like the first MTF of the Tour. Probably my favourite cycling day each year.

And the day the Tour that took away all tension for 4 years straight between 2012 and 2015.

Exactly, I kinda loathe this climb, which I will always associate with the beginning of Sky's reign
And to say that Prudhomme already calls it 'legendary': it is not even an actual road (they had to re-pave the last part on purpose in 2012, destroying many trees and ruining a stunning landscape in the process).
La Planche des Belles Filles screams 'marketed product' all the way.

Why the hate?
The climb if tough and short, meaning we will hopefully get some nice racing. If this was a 15 km climb a lá Saint-Martin I would agree, but this seems fine to me.

 

[klintE]

Porte
Froome +10
Aru +30
Majka
Quintana
Contador +45

 

[TommyGun]

Re: Re:

There's nothing quite like the first MTF of the Tour. Probably my favourite cycling day each year.

And the day the Tour that took away all tension for 4 years straight between 2012 and 2015.

Exactly, I kinda loathe this climb, which I will always associate with the beginning of Sky's reign
And to say that Prudhomme already calls it 'legendary': it is not even an actual road (they had to re-pave the last part on purpose in 2012, destroying many trees and ruining a stunning landscape in the process).
La Planche des Belles Filles screams 'marketed product' all the way.

Why the hate?
The climb if tough and short, meaning we will hopefully get some nice racing. If this was a 15 km climb a lá Saint-Martin I would agree, but this seems fine to me.

OK to summarize:
- the climb is fake (merely a modern artefact);
- its creation ruined the environment;
- it is synonym with Sky's domination (OK, I give you this one - this is my subjective feelings towards Sky clouding my judgement).
- there are way more interesting climbs up North in the Vosges (give a multi-climb stage with the Ballons every year, I don't mind).

 

[MovistarRider]

Re: TdF '17 - stage 5: Vittel>La Planche des Belles Filles 1

Porte will win the stage with Froome some seconds behind him and Nairo & Aru some 20 secs behind Froome.

Voted for Nairo though

 

[jens_attacks]

Porte wins
Contador better than froome.

 

[TheYouyou7]

Re:

Porte wins
Contador better than froome.

Bold :razz:

 

[klintE]

Re: Re:

Porte wins
Contador better than froome.

Bold :razz:

And the Beautiful

 

[BigShoes]

Buchmann is let go by the GC favs and wins

 

[del1962]

Re:

There's nothing quite like the first MTF of the Tour. Probably my favourite cycling day each year.

Better than last few K of Fleche?

 

[Poursuivant]

Good op.

Porte or Froome with a Froome yoyo somewhere in there.
Aru/Martin/Bardet/Quintana/Majka/Thomas/Fuglsang all to be within 15," Contador/Buchmann/Meintjes a further 5/10" back.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I voted for Alberto Contador Velasco
#believe

 

[movingtarget]

Froome and Porte might fight this one out. Be interested to see what Quintana and Aru do and Thomas.

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

- the climb is fake (merely a modern artefact);
- its creation ruined the environment;
- it is synonym with Sky's domination (OK, I give you this one - this is my subjective feelings towards Sky clouding my judgement).
- there are way more interesting climbs up North in the Vosges (give a multi-climb stage with the Ballons every year, I don't mind).

I see where you're coming from. At the time, I was against the building of a road, destruction of nature and animal habitat.

Call me a Benedict Arnold on the 4th of July , I have changed my mind. But without at least the Col des Chevreres before the PDBF, it's not the same. A bonified Murito...I'm tough here .

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Richie. With dark horse Pinot (if he jumps away at some point).

 

[Carols]

Re:

I voted for Alberto Contador Velasco
#believe

I did also I just can't vote against him!

 

[ferryman]

Just go mental wee man and see how much you can take out of Froome. As for the rest, take your pick out of 10,15,20,30,40. Not going to be pretty!! I fear for Contador on this stage.

 

[Jungle Cycle]

Porte ftw..
Hopping for Contador to be up there or keep within range....

 

[Summoned]

For what it is worth, and the route as well as circumstances were rather different between the two previous finishes on PdBF, but in both 2012 and 2014 the gap to the tenth-place finisher was a little under a minute to a minute for both.