Tour de France 2017 stage 9: Nantua > Chambéry - 181,5 km

[bob.a.feet]

Aru will attack for sure and as we saw on stage 5, he can pick his moment quite well. Porte will also try something. The break or Froome will take the stage.

 

[Tonton]

Re: Tour de France 2017 stage 9: Nantua > Chambéry - 181,5 k

The Biche / Grand Colombier combo is so hard, there needs to be action there despite the stupid flat part after it. Contador is my biggest hope, maybe Bardet. I think that Aru can defeat Froome tomorrow.

I don't get why Astana allowed Valgren, Kozhatayev and Lutsenko to waste so much energy today (same with Roche). Aru might need them tomorrow.

I flat part shouldn't deter would be attackers: it's possible (in theory) to crack most of the field, most of the Sky train in the Grand Colombier, never let them catch up. That's when contenders must get some of their boys in the BOD and have them drop. If Sky does the same, that's a smaller train...you see where I'm going with that.

The question is: who will have the guts to put it on the line? Contador or Bardet alone can't. It has to be an all-out assault. Aru has a lot to win. So does Porte. If I were them, tomorrow's objective should be to make Froome lose the Tour, and figure out the rest later.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

There must always be a flat part to separate men from boys.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

There must always be a flat part to separate men from boys.

Eddy, is that you?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Re: Re:

There must always be a flat part to separate men from boys.

Eddy, is that you?

but seriously. Take a look at callmejane's victory today. Managed to stay in front after 10kms of mostly flattish terrain. A man.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Tour de France 2017 stage 9: Nantua > Chambéry - 181,5 k

The Biche / Grand Colombier combo is so hard, there needs to be action there despite the stupid flat part after it. Contador is my biggest hope, maybe Bardet. I think that Aru can defeat Froome tomorrow.

I don't get why Astana allowed Valgren, Kozhatayev and Lutsenko to waste so much energy today (same with Roche). Aru might need them tomorrow.

I flat part shouldn't deter would be attackers: it's possible (in theory) to crack most of the field, most of the Sky train in the Grand Colombier, never let them catch up. That's when contenders must get some of their boys in the BOD and have them drop. If Sky does the same, that's a smaller train...you see where I'm going with that.

The question is: who will have the guts to put it on the line? Contador or Bardet alone can't. It has to be an all-out assault. Aru has a lot to win. So does Porte. If I were them, tomorrow's objective should be to make Froome lose the Tour, and figure out the rest later.

The only option I see is for some GC contenders to attack together. If 2 or 3 escape together and have teammates in the break, it could work, but only if the Sky train has been derailed. Still, we could then see Froome ride up Mont du Chat like a steamengine and pull them all back

 

[Pantani_lives]

Pinot or Rolland wins the stage. Not much happens in the GC, except perhaps Quintana, Contador or Thomas losing time.

 

[hazaran]

Re:

Things can get interesting if some of the other GC teams start pushing hard on Biche and try to isolate Froome. If he does get isolated by the time we cross over from Biche then thats the way it may likely stay. Kinda reminds of stage 9 of the 2013 tour. Skytrain including Porte were completely busted by Movistar - especially Valverde. Oh I so miss him on tomorrow's stage.

Yeah it worked so well on stage 9 of that Tour

 

[Walkman]

Re:

I predict it will be a total borefest with Froome as winner

This, unfortunately.
Never really understood why people were hyping Porte so much. Maybe Aru to try something, but not until the last climb. Would be cool to see Martin do something. Send a few riders in the break and then make a jump for it before the valley, like Froome did in the Dauphine.

 

[sir fly]

The stage's going to be really difficult for the riders. They'll need to be well warmed up and ready for climbing from the get go.
It means they'll be getting up earlier than usually and today's stage was fairly tiring.

Plenty of ways the stage can unfold, only certainty is the strongest will fare best.

 

[spalco]

Re:

I predict it will be a total borefest with Froome as winner

If Froome wins that would almost certainly mean a good deal of GC action beforehand, so probably not a boring stage; would make the next two weeks boring though.

 

[Blanco]

I think it will come down to Mont du Chat. GC is close, I don't see anybody of the main guys attacking earlier and risking blowing up. It will be a war of attrition and then battle on the last mountain. Sky train will not be much useful there. It's every man for himself there. There will be gaps. Good tactical move would be to have a rider or two on the last flat part, but that's easier said then done.

 

[Pantani_lives]

This stage will make clear whether it was a wise decision to put the final climb so far from the finish. It might inspire GC riders to attack 30K before the finish. More likely the main GC riders will stay together.

What I would like to see is a coalition between a GC rider and a stage hunter. E.g. Pinot or Rolland is in the break; Aru or another climber jumps on the Mont du Chat. They ride together to the finish. However this is wishful thinking.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Aru ARu Aru!!!!

 

[barmaher]

This is the best-designed Tour de France stage in years. Don't underestimate how hard the final two climbs are. The flat sections can add to the excitement.

 

[YavorD]

There will be selection. That's for sure. Mont du Chat is just too steep, 10,3 is a lot. What would be better for this stage is iif earlier this week there was a windy/coble or any kind of stage to make some of the favorites lose time and knowing that this is probably the hardest mountain stage in the entire tour he has to try something for far out. With the current gaps the stage will probably become "last mountain show" Still there is a potential for a total carnage with the climb on the start and Biche-Grand Colombiere combo witch could be very dangerous..
Some says that the last flat km's will prevent any serious GC action, but...come on if you fear 10 km flat after the hardest tour climb, you don't deserve the win....You should not win a GT just because you are the strongest uphill, but being the most complete rider.

 

[MikeTichondrius]

As has been mentioned before, today's stage was ridden at a crazy pace. There's no hiding on those slopes tomorrow. If the likes of Landa, Henao or Kwiatek are tired from today the Sky Train may lose a few carriages even as early as Biche...

If that doesn't happen at all then yeah, it's gonna be a repeat of last year's Grand Colombier borefest. I think Contador will show himself here, or he may as well write this TDF off. I figure Aru will be another prominent challenger given the form he showed on PDBF. I expect Porte to disappoint me. Wonder if we'll end up seeing the legendary Froome yo-yo tomorrow...

 

[Tonton]

Re:

This is the best-designed Tour de France stage in years. Don't underestimate how hard the final two climbs are. The flat sections can add to the excitement.

Yes, the dream comes true. How many designs, posts in cycling sites in France and elsewhere, yearning for this. And we got it.

I'll get a big ride super early tomorrow, shower and hit the couch...what a day it will be. I have high expectations for the stage and GC wise. It's too difficult a stage: some GC changes will take place. I'd love for Froome to lose time, TBH. After Il Giro, I want suspense here too.

 

[Poursuivant]

Pinot will win the stage.

GC, I have a feeling Porte won't be as good as he was in the Dauphine, and Froome and Aru can drop him, maybe even Martin and Bardet too.

Looking forward to it.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Pinot will win the stage.

GC, I have a feeling Porte won't be as good as he was in the Dauphine, and Froome and Aru can drop him, maybe even Martin and Bardet too.

Looking forward to it.

I'm not saying anything...

 

[slosada]

They got many options to shorten that valley or make it hillier. As it is right now, it's a stage to lose the race, not to win it.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

They got many options to shorten that valley or make it hillier. As it is right now, it's a stage to lose the race, not to win it.

Which is great on stage 9. No one will win the Tour, but some will lose it. Lose hope for a top-3-5-10. And will be on rest day reassessing their objectives. No doubt.

 

[Tank Engine]

Re:

There will be selection. That's for sure. Mont du Chat is just too steep, 10,3 is a lot. What would be better for this stage is iif earlier this week there was a windy/coble or any kind of stage to make some of the favorites lose time and knowing that this is probably the hardest mountain stage in the entire tour he has to try something for far out. With the current gaps the stage will probably become "last mountain show" Still there is a potential for a total carnage with the climb on the start and Biche-Grand Colombiere combo witch could be very dangerous..
Some says that the last flat km's will prevent any serious GC action, but...come on if you fear 10 km flat after the hardest tour climb, you don't deserve the win....You should not win a GT just because you are the strongest uphill, but being the most complete rider.

Welcome to the forum. I agree with your assessment. The climb at the start will give us a strong break. I'm expecting Rolland and Pinot to go chasing mountain points. The mid-stage combo is really tough. I expect that in the valley before Cat mountain the peloton will be composed more or less of the guys who were at the front at the end today, with some attackers out front. It could be a stage for an ambush, but I think attrition will be the name of the game. The gaps will start appearing fairly early on Cat mountain and the last 10km will be raced flat out (especially before a rest day).

One side of my heart says Pinot will win from a breakaway.
The other says that Martin (Danny boy) will hold on and win the sprint.
In both cases Bardet to be up there.

My head says that the Alien will impose himself.

 

[hfer07]

Re: Tour de France 2017 stage 9: Nantua > Chambéry - 181,5 k

Breakaway Hero once more

GC? they'll show up together.

 

[meat puppet]

If Aru & astana are serious about winning, they should throw the kitchen sink at the others today. Roll Giro 2015 style. Put fuglsang and a couple doms into a move on the colombiere and just go for it.

Most likely they wont, or cannot,but this would be the suitable stage.