Tour de France Tour de France 2023, stage 14: Annemasse - Morzine, 151.8k

[Cookster15]

Tomorrow JV will have to make the race hard from Ramaz on to give Vinge a good shot on Joux Plane. But if they don't attack then Pogacar will do it on the last climb and I'm not sure if Vinge will be able to follow then. I think this could even be the decisive stage.

Until stage 17 is run and won (or lost), I don't think we can claim this of the Joux Plane stage.

 

[titan31]

With Jumbo resting guys today I expect action here, as this and Loze stages are potential Tour deciders. I expect action on Ramaz here and Jumbo to have WVA up the road to work for Vingegaard in the valley.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Until stage 17 is run and won (or lost), I don't think we can claim this of the Joux Plane stage.

Depends what happens tomorrow. If Vinge drops Pog for good (i.e. by 40-60 seconds) or vice versa then Joux Plane could be decisive indeed. Obviously Loze is looming large but then again, tomorrow is a big day.

 

[Cookster15]

One of my favourite stages ever. Aftermath obviously not great but that stage was great

Nah. Pantani 1998 stage 15 was legendary. Everybody knew 2006 was wrong. Ask Stuart O’Grady.

 

[RobertCrawley]

I actually do fondly remember the Landis raid. Legendary stuff.

Legendary in what sense?

 

[RobertCrawley]

Some random break to take it, and Kuss to destroy the last 6 km of Joux Plane. Whos strongest, I dont really know, but will be interesting.

I agree. Jumbo lays their cards on the table tomorrow.

 

[Cookster15]

As others have said Pog needs to stay with Vingegaard on the descent. I don’t think Vingegaard can drop him on the climb. Then Pog take a few more seconds at the finish. Psychological pressure on Vingegaard builds.

 

[Netserk]

Landis was wonderful and legendary. Just like Froome's raid over Finestre.

 

[RobertCrawley]

Landis was wonderful and legendary. Just like Froome's raid over Finestre.

It was a clinic on how to ride mountains in the Tour de France.

 

[titan31]

Nah. Pantani 1998 stage 15 was legendary. Everybody knew 2006 was wrong. Ask Stuart O’Grady.

Sure but eating a giant pizza is wrong, doesn't mean it's not good

 

[ashhutch1997]

Nah. Pantani 1998 stage 15 was legendary. Everybody knew 2006 was wrong. Ask Stuart O’Grady.

1998 was the definition of wrong lol

 

[SafeBet]

I think it's time for Ineos to let Pidcock do his thing.
Have somebody in the break, Pidcock attacks in the Ramaz descents and bridges, starts Joux Plane with a headstart. Even if Pog / Vingo catch him he might come back in the following descent and gain time on the other contenders for the podium.

 

[Boehmand]

Nah. Pantani 1998 stage 15 was legendary. Everybody knew 2006 was wrong. Ask Stuart O’Grady.

The notion that Pantani was a "clean" rider is absurd

 

[Gigs_98]

Way too much talk about the "horrors" of the 2006 Morzine stage and not nearly enough talk about the real horrors of the 2016 Morzine stage.

Yates going into the stage 19 seconds off the podium. Porte going into it less than a minute off the podium after consistently being the 2nd best climber all race. Froome had just started to show cracks on the previous mountain stage. Everything was set up brilliantly for an incredible showdown.

14 riders finished in the group of favorites. The only gc attacks all day came from the 10th, 11th and 12th placed riders. The sky era had peaked.

 

[Andre]

Somehow Wout gets in the break this time. Wout, well rested today, wins the stage tomorrow. Tadej to gain 2 more seconds into Vingegaard.

 

[staubsauger]

Way too much talk about the "horrors" of the 2006 Morzine stage and not nearly enough talk about the real horrors of the 2016 Morzine stage.

Yates going into the stage 19 seconds off the podium. Porte going into it less than a minute off the podium after consistently being the 2nd best climber all race. Froome had just started to show cracks on the previous mountain stage. Everything was set up brilliantly for an incredible showdown.

14 riders finished in the group of favorites. The only gc attacks all day came from the 10th, 11th and 12th placed riders. The sky era had peaked.

The most memorable thing about the 2016 Tour de France probably was that massive uphill sprint between Kittel & Coquard.


Tells a lot.

 

[Valv.Piti]

2016 was THE worst mountain stage in existence, while 2006 was THE best one. Quite funny the contrasts.

2023, probably somewhere in between.

 

[Escarabajo]

Jumbo has a plan for this stage, which will be destroyed by UAE because they have stronger team.

Tomorrow one of the podium contenders will crack! Nothing will happen between Pogacar and Vingegaard until Sunday.

 

[skippo12]

Jumbo has a plan for this stage, which will be destroyed by UAE because they have stronger team.

Tomorrow one of the podium contenders will crack! Nothing will happen between Pogacar and Vingegaard until Sunday.

UAE has more cimbing talent but when it matters Kuss is better than any UAE domestique. That´s all Vingegaard needs. One guy that stays with him on the climbs and a big engine like Van Baarle or Van Aert in the break if they need to pace inbetween the climbs.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Both Yates or one Yates? I just realised they are literally only one second apart on GC. What a twin ride so far!

Simon has five minutes to catch up still though.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

The stage profile looks like something should be happening, I'm just not sure what that something is. So I'll just go with that.

 

[Netserk]

Way too much talk about the "horrors" of the 2006 Morzine stage and not nearly enough talk about the real horrors of the 2016 Morzine stage.

Yates going into the stage 19 seconds off the podium. Porte going into it less than a minute off the podium after consistently being the 2nd best climber all race. Froome had just started to show cracks on the previous mountain stage. Everything was set up brilliantly for an incredible showdown.

14 riders finished in the group of favorites. The only gc attacks all day came from the 10th, 11th and 12th placed riders. The sky era had peaked.

"It's a short stage, sir"

 

[Sciatic]

Jumbo has a plan for this stage, which will be destroyed by UAE because they have stronger team.

Tomorrow one of the podium contenders will crack! Nothing will happen between Pogacar and Vingegaard until Sunday.

Who do you consider the podium contenders for the assumed 3rd spot on podium to be? Anyone within 3 minutes of Hindley? 4 minutes?

 

[Gigs_98]

The most memorable thing about the 2016 Tour de France probably was that massive uphill sprint between Kittel & Coquard.


Tells a lot.

I actually disagree. Oddly enough I think the 2016 was both incredibly bad and had extremely iconic moments. Froomes Peyresourde descent, the Sagan-Froome crosswind attack and Froome running up the Ventoux were all extremely memorable. The problems are:

- I can never forget that whole Peyresourde thing only happened because Quintana let a tiny gap open up, refused to close it again himself, looked around and saw that nobody even remotely cared. Credit to Froome for making that attack but that stage said as much about him as it did about the patheticness that was the 2016 gc battle.

- Froome running up the Ventoux could have been one of the most iconic cycling moments of all time but it was not. Because when you look at the results you see that it never happened. The story of that day was completely detatched from the story of that Tour. A little joke on the side which had no impact on the actual story. Enjoyable while it lasted, forgetable in the great scheme of things.

- Ok Froome and Sagan riding away from the peloton was actually great.

- Those 3 moments were somewhat memorable but that was it. There was like one more okayish mountain stage and the rest was absolutely horrible. Just three weeks of riders striding along in the Sky train.

 

[Gratemans]

Somehow Wout gets in the break this time. Wout, well rested today, wins the stage tomorrow. Tadej to gain 2 more seconds into Vingegaard.

Sure, I'd definitely would like Poels to win.