Tour de France 2015 stage 18: Gap - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

Do you think Contador could try to take the early break in the first climb? Highly unlikely, but IMO this would the only way to create something. Of course, no one would let him go (especially not the Vomistars), and then we would witness a mad battle in the first hour of the stage, with maybe 12-15 riders and an isolated Froome in the front.
Otherwise, attacking only on the Glandon will be way too late, it will turn out exactly like yesterday.

Even if dropped, which is unlikely, the Sky train would rejoin an isolated Froome.

 

[Jagartrott]

Surprise, surprise, Purito and Rolland attacking...

 

[tomorrow]

Re:

Surprise, surprise, Purito and Rolland attacking...

yeah, but there is one surprise, no Sagan

 

[Miburo]

This profile is fantastic, the first 100 km are really really good. Think we'll get nonstop action but movistar will stop any big GC battle

 

[Arredondo]

16 chasers. Should be with Sagan

 

[tomorrow]

Re:

16 chasers. Should be with Sagan

it would make much more sense today, but after 4 break attempts, I am not sure he has some fuel left.

 

[tomorrow]

if they don't show any picture, it would be nice at least the live tracker to work properly

 

[Lance Armstrong]

Re: Re:

16 chasers. Should be with Sagan

it would make much more sense today, but after 4 break attempts, I am not sure he has some fuel left.

Just wait for the first downhill. He will not go for stage win, but as a preparation for Alberto's attack.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Fuglsang in the break as well.

 

[Arredondo]

19 leaders

10 chasers

Peloton at 1.10

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Break:

Bardet, Rolland, Pinot, Bakelants, Kreuziger, Fuglsang, Rodriguez, Rogers, Martin, Gautier, Voeckler, Caruso, Anacona, De Gendt, Preidler, Dennis, Simon Yates, Arrendondo, Gene

 

[Arredondo]

Bakelants, De Gendt, Fuglsang, Bardet, Pinot, Kreuziger, Rogers, Anacona, Caruso, Dennis, Preidler, Rodriguez, S.Yates, Rolland, Gène, Voeckler, Arredondo en Martin.

Edit: HK was earlier

 

[Miburo]

Saxo has a plan again?

 

[infeXio]

Strong break

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

Bakelants, De Gendt, Fuglsang, Bardet, Pinot, Kreuziger, Rogers, Anacona, Caruso, Dennis, Preidler, Rodriguez, S.Yates, Rolland, Gène, Voeckler, Arredondo en Martin.

Edit: HK was earlier

Gotcha

 

[Hugo Koblet]

The group of 10 has caught up with the 19 escapees.

 

[DBotero]

Re: Tour de France 2015 stage 18: Gap - Saint-Jean-de-Maurie

Crazy break

 

[tomorrow]

... Kreuziger, Rogers ...
sagan to bring contador to them?

which descent is difficult enough to make that possible?

 

[snccdcno]

Jakob Fuglsang (Astana), Romain Bardet, Jan Bakelants and Christophe Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), Roman Kreuziger and Michael Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo), Jonathan Castroviejo and Winner Anacona (Movistar), Damiano Caruso and Rohan Dennis (BMC), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal), Georg Preidler (Giant), Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), Michael Matthews and Simon Yates (Orica), Pierre Rolland, Cyril Gautier, Romain Sicard and Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), Julian Arredondo and Bob Jungels (Trek), Ruben Plaza (Lampre-Merida), Andrew Talansky, Ryder Hesjedal and Dan Martin (Cannondale-Garmin), Stef Clement (IAM), Jan Barta (Bora), Serge Pauwels (MTN-Qhubeka)

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re:

... Kreuziger, Rogers ...
sagan to bring contador to them?

which descent is difficult enough to make that possible?

Froome is as good a descender as Contador so I don't think it's possible at all.

 

[Miburo]

Re:

... Kreuziger, Rogers ...
sagan to bring contador to them?

which descent is difficult enough to make that possible?

Col de la morte's descent is 20km but i doubt it will happen

 

[Lance Armstrong]

Re:

... Kreuziger, Rogers ...
sagan to bring contador to them?

which descent is difficult enough to make that possible?

None, cause Contador isn't better descender than Nibali, Quinatana, Froome and Valverde. We saw it yesterday.

 

[SeriousSam]

Re: Re:

Quintana is tired. He will try his small attacks, hoping for a Froome weakness. Otherwise not much action.

I wish he was stronger.

Has he said this is the case? Can't help but feel that he could still make it close if he just kept up an attack. The little 5 second digs don't suggest his condition one way or the other IMO.

And why exactly would he hold himself back when attacking?

Because he makes a five second effort, looks back to see Froome reeling him in, and accepts his fate. Look at Froome's trademark attacks: Skytrain until 5km to go, whittling it down to the 5 or so main GC rivals, then accelerate. There's no five second effort then look around, the plan is to accelerate and then maintain a big effort. Quintana would be able to do what Froome does if he chose to, and he could take a minute on a stage like stage 20.

He could take a minute on Valverde, yes. There is no indication he can take even 1 second on Froome if he goes all out. The last time they both went all out, he lost a minute to Froome. That is a huge gap, and Froome was not in any difficulty ever since. This is why Quintana is probably reluctant to be the one who initiates an all out MTT x km from the finish.

But I agree, if he truly wants to know whether his recovery has weaked, or even reversed, Froome's 1min over 40min edge, he'll have to be brave enough to go for it.

Credit to Froome who has been confident enough for years now to do his personal best up a climb, letting the cards fall where they may.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Talansky, Pauwels, Castroviejo, Barta, Jungels, Sicard, Hesjedal, Clement, Riblon and Matthews joins the front.

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

... Kreuziger, Rogers ...
sagan to bring contador to them?

which descent is difficult enough to make that possible?

None, cause Contador isn't better descender than Nibali, Quinatana, Froome and Valverde. We saw it yesterday.

What did we see in tour du sud?