Tour de France 2017 Stage 18: Briançon - Izoard, 179.5kms

[Armchair Cyclist]

Re: Tour de France 2017 Stage 18: Briançon - Izoard, 179.5km

What are the KOM points on offer today?

Irrelevant unless Barguil DNFs. ( on 1st hill, 10 on Col de Vars, 20 at finish)

 

[search]

Re: Tour de France 2017 Stage 18: Briançon - Izoard, 179.5km

What are the KOM points on offer today?

2+10+40

What are the KOM points on offer today?

Irrelevant unless Barguil DNFs. ( on 1st hill, 10 on Col de Vars, 20 at finish)

double points on Izoard

 

[Popchu]

Re: Tour de France 2017 Stage 18: Briançon - Izoard, 179.5km

What are the KOM points on offer today?

Irrelevant unless Barguil DNFs. ( on 1st hill, 10 on Col de Vars, 20 at finish)

Double points on Izoard.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

i've lost all the respect for Uran i had (not much anyway) but if he doesn't try to win here boldly, i'm starting to actively hate him

I'm sure he's going to be very upset because of that!

He doesn't need to attack until the last 2-3 km at all. It's up to Bardet and Aru, mainly Bardet and his AG2R team.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Tour de France 2017 Stage 18: Briançon - Izoard, 179.5km

No chance for the break today ...

Only three winning chances - Froome, Landa, Bardet.

I think Landa and Froome are the strongest and could see them finishing together alone. In which case I am not sure whether Froome would take the win for bonus seconds or let Landa have it (probably the former but I hope the latter).

Sky will have to make the pace then because every other GC rider will want the break to get away.

If I'm Lavenu I wouldn't want my riders in the break. I would go hard on Vars and go full steam on Izoard with Bardet attacking already at 10% slopes 6-7 km from the top.

 

[Avoriaz]

Froome and Landa to finish 1-2 hand in hand with Froome promising to ride for Landa next year

 

[Sestriere]

Barguil is going to win this from the Peloton. Unless Roglic gets into the break. Then he's going to win from the there.

 

[The Hegelian]

This stage could potentially be one for the ages. But potentiality and actuality are sometimes depressingly far apart - and this has all the hallmarks of terrible fizzer/draw.

It needs a Froome blow up or an epic Landa attack or a famous Astana 3rd week resurrection which sets the clinic on fire.

I would love to see Bardet take some serious time, or at the very least, Martin take the stage.

 

[movingtarget]

I don't see Uran risking a podium after so long without success and it will be big for his team as well who until recently were not winning anything much at all. Aru will probably lose more time as well as Yates. Dan Martin might make up some time but not enough to reach the podium. I don't see anyone destroying the field. If Froome was feeling that good it would have happened already. Uran needs the time bonus and could get it. The only way I see Uran attacking is if Bardet or Froome get dropped which looks unlikely at this stage. The three of them look pretty even in the mountains while Aru has been starting to show some weakness. This is the weakest Froome has looked in the mountains since before 2012.

 

[BeagRigh]

I think we should see an interesting but not wildly exiting stage. None of the GC guys are going to attack on Vars but I think AG2R, with whatever help they can beg/borrow/bribe, need to drive the pace as hard as they can to shell as many of Sky's doms as possible. If Kiri leads the group onto Izoard then its sky train all the way and game over for Bardet.

Henao and Nieve showed some weakness yesterday so it should be possible to have Froome and Landa isolated by the start of the steep section at 7km to go then to start attacking.

It is still a long shot, Froome may very well follow easily and counter with 1 or 2 km to go, but I think it is the only realistic chance of getting the time required.

 

[laurensde+]

So far, Christopher Froome has come real stealth. Today, he drops bombs on your moms.

 

[Bicycle tramp]

If he has anything left, I think Martin might make this stage interesting.

Froome, Uran & Bardet are not going to risk much. Some minor argy-bargy in the last few km.

Landa is constrained by his team role.

Martin knows he deserves better than sixth and I reckon he won't care about risking a position or two to try & prove it.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

If he has anything left, I think Martin might make this stage interesting.

Froome, Uran & Bardet are not going to risk much. Some minor argy-bargy in the last few km.

Landa is constrained by his team role.

Martin knows he deserves better than sixth and I reckon he won't care about risking a position or two to try & prove it.

He doesn't deserve, and he won't achieve it.

 

[happytramp]

Re: Re:

If he has anything left, I think Martin might make this stage interesting.

Froome, Uran & Bardet are not going to risk much. Some minor argy-bargy in the last few km.

Landa is constrained by his team role.

Martin knows he deserves better than sixth and I reckon he won't care about risking a position or two to try & prove it.

He doesn't deserve, and he won't achieve it.

He clearly deserves it.... he's killed himself trying to make up the time he lost due to Riche Porte's crash. Also the rest of the GC guys are so dull to watch in comparison.

 

[Rollthedice]

Normally nothing will happen, they will keep the break in check and go for the boni points on top of Izoard. Have no idea who will win it, some things certain, Uran to follow wheels, Bardet to try and Froome to respond to everybody and their mums.

 

[guncha]

Froome's worst days were on MTFs, he lost some time in them.
In stages with decent he did OK, especially by limiting losses in Massif Central. It seems that nowadays it is very difficult to gain time in stages with decent.
It looks there were not enough MTFs to test Froome. His rivals have to attack 10km before finish if they want to win the Tour. Froome can crack in this tour.

 

[saneguy]

Seems like a bore fest this one. Froome looks too strong! Landa should just dump all the "great teammate" and attack from the bottom of Izoard and take the Tour

 

[happytramp]

Re:

Seems like a bore fest this one. Froome looks too strong! Landa should just dump all the "great teammate" and attack from the bottom of Izoard and take the Tour

Literally that is all that would have to happen to make this one of the most memorable and most talked about stages in the history of the tour.... as it stands however it will be probably be forgotten by most by the end of the day :sad:

 

[saneguy]

Re: Re:

Seems like a bore fest this one. Froome looks too strong! Landa should just dump all the "great teammate" and attack from the bottom of Izoard and take the Tour

Literally that is all that would have to happen to make this one of the most memorable and most talked about stages in the history of the tour.... as it stands however it will be probably be forgotten by most by the end of the day :sad:

Yeah thats kinda the reality :sad:

 

[Frankschleck]

Re:

Froome and Landa to finish 1-2 hand in hand with Froome promising to ride for Landa next year

never gonna happen, sky won't ride for a non-britan, as long as a brittish rider has the chance to win.

 

[TomLPC]

This climb is horrific, they are seriously struggling here. Can't wait for froome and the gang to look like they are on a sunday ride

 

[glassmoon]

Re: Re:

i've lost all the respect for Uran i had (not much anyway) but if he doesn't try to win here boldly, i'm starting to actively hate him

I'm sure he's going to be very upset because of that!

He doesn't need to attack until the last 2-3 km at all. It's up to Bardet and Aru, mainly Bardet and his AG2R team.

i don't care much for what he needs or doesn't need. he's zero-fun to watch. even Froome/Nairo is 100 times more entertaining during the recent years.

 

[The Hegelian]

Re:

So far, Christopher Froome has come real stealth. Today, he drops bombs on your moms.

If he had bombs, he would have bombed (already)!

 

[The Hitch]

Re: Re:

Froome and Landa to finish 1-2 hand in hand with Froome promising to ride for Landa next year

never gonna happen, sky won't ride for a non-britan, as long as a brittish rider has the chance to win.

and as long as Sky exist, a british rider will always have a chance to win

 

[Frankschleck]

Re: Re:

Froome and Landa to finish 1-2 hand in hand with Froome promising to ride for Landa next year

never gonna happen, sky won't ride for a non-britan, as long as a brittish rider has the chance to win.

and as long as Sky exist, a british rider will always have a chance to win

agreed