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With so few mountain top finishes, this is the key day for the King of the Mountains, which should encourage the breakaway riders even more. If Pinot has any form at all this should be his day, although if it gets wet as predicted then i might worry about him on the descent.
I'm with the many pessimists predicting a Sky python strangling the race good and proper. Was very surprised they didn't give up the jersey yesterday - it's clear they want it from beginning to end. And they have serious firepower in seriously good form.
Their biggest challenge was always going to be Movistar's duel pronged attack - but with one prong out early and the other clearly off his best, that challenge was over before it even began.
BMC's tactics have been really questionable - drilling it all day on stage 5 (for what?), then having Roche bury himself for the stage yesterday. I think there has been more than a touch of panic about them, ever since they lost the Dauphine.....Porte is still a threat, but even if he is close to Froome, don't think he's not good enough to overcome Sky.
Which leaves two hopes: Aru and Bardet. Both have the quality, attacking nature and x-factor to maybe upset the Sky machine. But it's also easy to imagine them being two of a mere handful clinging on to the train....and learning that a podium is as much they can realistically dream about.
Their biggest challenge was always going to be Movistar's duel pronged attack - but with one prong out early and the other clearly off his best, that challenge was over before it even began.
BMC's tactics have been really questionable - drilling it all day on stage 5 (for what?), then having Roche bury himself for the stage yesterday. I think there has been more than a touch of panic about them, ever since they lost the Dauphine.....Porte is still a threat, but even if he is close to Froome, don't think he's not good enough to overcome Sky.
Which leaves two hopes: Aru and Bardet. Both have the quality, attacking nature and x-factor to maybe upset the Sky machine. But it's also easy to imagine them being two of a mere handful clinging on to the train....and learning that a podium is as much they can realistically dream about.
Re watched the +/-10min downhill from Criterium.. if it's gonna be wet it'll be a wild ride, so many change of direction at crazy speed..,,
Re: Tour de France 2017 stage 9: Nantua > Chambéry - 181,5 k
Froome, Bardet, and Contador, Porte probably a bad day.
Froome, Bardet, and Contador, Porte probably a bad day.
Re:
If it is going to be wet I am afraid that Porte, Contador and Quintana are definitely going to lose time on the descent. Porte is a bad descender, Quintana is just average and Contador doesn't take risks anymore. They definitely have to do something before the descent.
Jungle Cycle said:
If it is going to be wet I am afraid that Porte, Contador and Quintana are definitely going to lose time on the descent. Porte is a bad descender, Quintana is just average and Contador doesn't take risks anymore. They definitely have to do something before the descent.
If any of Porte, Aru, Bardet, Contador attack before the final climb, it'll be because in their minds they've already lost.
Re:
Disagree. Thus far, Aru has every reason to think he's the strongest climber over there which gives not a bad chance to make up yet 1 or 1.30 on Froome in the remaining mountain stages. As of now it seems reachable even without big attacks on penultimate climbs. The other question is that PdBF dynamics is highly likely to change today.silvergrenade said:
Re:
This scenario has some possibilities but am not sure that either Chaves or Kreuziger would be allowed up the road. Whilst Kreuziger's form certainly seems good, I'm just not sure that Chaves' form/legs are quite "there" to the extent to make a longer range move by him viable.
What I could see Orica looking to achieve is to get Howson into the break as an "up the road" ally ala Vuelta 2016 stg20. I strongly suspect that they will play this card at some point as they've been letting him tail off and lose time on the flat stages ... whether it will be today I'm not sure
Sestriere said:
This scenario has some possibilities but am not sure that either Chaves or Kreuziger would be allowed up the road. Whilst Kreuziger's form certainly seems good, I'm just not sure that Chaves' form/legs are quite "there" to the extent to make a longer range move by him viable.
What I could see Orica looking to achieve is to get Howson into the break as an "up the road" ally ala Vuelta 2016 stg20. I strongly suspect that they will play this card at some point as they've been letting him tail off and lose time on the flat stages ... whether it will be today I'm not sure
Re: Re:
All stages are available on YouTube and Daily motion
https://youtu.be/DM2XOOKrVNwspalco said:
All stages are available on YouTube and Daily motion
Re: Tour de France 2017 stage 9: Nantua > Chambéry - 181,5 k
Weather forecast - scattered thunderstorms & 50% chance of rain. Could be fun on the summits!
Weather forecast - scattered thunderstorms & 50% chance of rain. Could be fun on the summits!
Re: Re:
I didn't remember it to be that technical of a descent. It will be absolute chaos with rain, if Bardet or Froome are smashing it downhill, with poor descenders holding on for dear life.
bassano said:
I didn't remember it to be that technical of a descent. It will be absolute chaos with rain, if Bardet or Froome are smashing it downhill, with poor descenders holding on for dear life.
Impossible for a boring day today, the wet descent from the Mont du Chat will itself create action, just hopefully not of the wrong kind
Re: Re:
Seriously dangerous descent on wet, it is special kind of technical descent, not typical but very interesting indeed
hopefully UCI will not do any kind of interference in case of rain
rune1107 said:bassano said:
I didn't remember it to be that technical of a descent. It will be absolute chaos with rain, if Bardet or Froome are smashing it downhill, with poor descenders holding on for dear life.
Seriously dangerous descent on wet, it is special kind of technical descent, not typical but very interesting indeed
hopefully UCI will not do any kind of interference in case of rain
If there's rain on the descent I highly doubt that Froome finishes this Tour! He looked vulnerable yesterday already and Bardet might try to kill him.
Given that it is still early for desperate moves, yesterday was harder than expected and Sky has the team capable to control, I think nothing extraordinary for the GC will happen until Mont du Chat. There Froome will be defensive, Contador can't attack, Quintana won't attack because he's Quintana, Richie if he's still there won't attack because he admires Froome too much, Bardet will mark all so it'll be up to the Astana boys. Looking forward to a showdown between Dawg and Aru.
Re:
By doing what? Putting a stick through his wheel?
Froome is among top 3 descenders if you count only GC contenders. He is not the one who should be worried. Quintana, Porte, Contador, et al could be screwed if Froome and Bardet decide to push it on descent
staubsauger said:
By doing what? Putting a stick through his wheel?
Froome is among top 3 descenders if you count only GC contenders. He is not the one who should be worried. Quintana, Porte, Contador, et al could be screwed if Froome and Bardet decide to push it on descent
I have yet to see Aru breathe through his mouth this Tour, if he can keep this up he will lay waste to the field on the climbs.
Re: Re:
He has a reason to think he's one of the strongest, and who's the strongest will become much clearer today.
dacooley said:
He has a reason to think he's one of the strongest, and who's the strongest will become much clearer today.
Re: Re:
The risk is that Froome doesn't know his limits and goes too far. He does seem to have a fearless attitude at the moment, it could cost him although in all likelihood it won't.damian13ster said:
Re: Re:
Maybe. But he is great bike handler and we haven't seen him make a fatal mistake on descent yet. Maybe he knows his limits very well, his level is just that high that he appears to be fearless. If I was Sky I would do everything to put Kwiatkowski in the break. He is a MONSTER on descent and on flat so if he is guiding Froome down Mont Chat..... Game over
Ramon Koran said:
Maybe. But he is great bike handler and we haven't seen him make a fatal mistake on descent yet. Maybe he knows his limits very well, his level is just that high that he appears to be fearless. If I was Sky I would do everything to put Kwiatkowski in the break. He is a MONSTER on descent and on flat so if he is guiding Froome down Mont Chat..... Game over
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