tour de france rest day 2 round up

[dlwssonic]

This link doesn't say that the Galibier might be cancelled at all. It says that there was a snow storm yesterday and 200 cyclotourists had to be rescued.

The forecast for Thursday and Friday looks fine.

http://meteo.excite.fr/previsions/europe/france/col%20du%20galibier/10958

thanks for the good news! I will be really ****ed if the galibier is cancelled. Shouldnt the galibier be not too hard for cuddles as the gradients arent really steep.

 

[Duartista]

thanks for the good news! I will be really ****ed if the galibier is cancelled. Shouldnt the galibier be not too hard for cuddles as the gradients arent really steep.

The final climb isn't too steep, but the stage as a whole is very tough, with 22km of climbing at over 2000m of altitude.

 

[dlwssonic]

The final climb isn't too steep, but the stage as a whole is very tough, with 22km of climbing at over 2000m of altitude.

hmmm the shortness of the stage to alpe d huez should help cadel somewhat. Hope he can hang in there and follow wheels.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Perhaps they could go up the Col du Granon instead on stage 18. Of course it might have the same weather problems and I have no idea whether there is enough room on top.
Stage 19 would have to be over the Glandon.

Having thought about it, the simplest, most obvious solution would be to bring the finish down to the top of the Lauteret.
Would become a similar stage to Aprica/Mortirolo.
Though as Duartista points out, the weather should be a bit better by Thursday and quite good, come friday.

 

[Wigry3]

Riis and Kim Andersen talk about an (unholy) alliance between Bertie and the Schlecks in order to crack Evans.

This is the most stupid thing Schlecks can do. the main goal for Andy is to win TDF. second one is to put Frank at the second or third place in paris. This is why he didn't attack seriously on Saturday. If he want to crack Evans he also can drop Frank. I supose he (Andy) cannot beat Alberto in the mountains and in tt also.
It is a kind of stealmate - if he wants to win the Tour he can't be the brother of his brother. They have a problem cause the monment of climbing fireworks was on Saturday. In the Alps there will be no time for show - everyone has to spare his forces on tt. So where and how do they want to crack Evans?

 

[LukeSchmid]

Having thought about it, the simplest, most obvious solution would be to bring the finish down to the top of the Lauteret.
Though as Duartista points out, the weather should be a bit better by Thursday and quite good, come friday.

Yes that would be the simplest, but climbing the Granon would be excellent if it could be done.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Quick round up:

Saur-Sojasun: Who?

 

[Duartista]

Quick round up:

Saur-Sojasun: Who?

They need to do something in the last week. I read in L'Equipe a few days ago that ASO are not too happy with them. I feel kind of sorry for Coppel though, he was a bit banged up after the first week and wasn't at his best afterwards.

 

[Finn84]

Last year's Tour saw 170 riders finishing so it's likely that we get less this time.

I also made the list of teams which have finished with full line-up in past few years.

2005
Bouygues Télécom, Cofidis, Gerolsteiner
2006
none (T-Mobile and Ag2r had all their starters finishing, but they lost riders pre-race (Ullrich, Sevilla, Mancebo) due to Operacion Puerto)
2007
Gerolsteiner, Quick Step-Innergetic
2008
Team CSC Saxo Bank, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Team Milram
2009
Bbox Bouygues Telecom, Cofidis, Team Columbia-HTC, Garmin-Slipstream, Liquigas, Silence-Lotto
2010
Astana, Bbox Bouygues Télécom, Caisse d'Epargne, FDJ, Liquigas-Doimo, Team RadioShack

Interesting to note that of six teams (with two having changed sponsor) that had nine riders finishing last year only one has everyone left this year at this point.

From the point I have listings (1995), US Postal had three straight years (2002-2004), as had Telekom (1997-1999)

 

[theswordsman]

I thought the Schlecks looking to Contado for help was ridiculous, but one source today claims Riis said that Alberto needs to work with the Schlecks.

http://www.sporten.dk/cykling/contador-i-seng-med-fjenden

I'm not sure what this entails, but a guy from L'Equipe tweeted that Andy gets to visit his girlfriend today.

thomas_lequipe
L'instant gossip : Andy Schleck a droit à la visite de sa petite amie pour cette 2e journée de repos... #tdf #oncommenceleger about 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhone

https://twitter.com/thomas_lequipe/status/92864196647190528

 

[dlwssonic]

I thought the Schlecks looking to Contado for help was ridiculous, but one source today claims Riis said that Alberto needs to work with the Schlecks.

http://www.sporten.dk/cykling/contador-i-seng-med-fjenden

I'm not sure what this entails, but a guy from L'Equipe tweeted that Andy gets to visit his girlfriend today.


https://twitter.com/thomas_lequipe/status/92864196647190528

dont think alberto would want to team up with the schlecks.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

dont think alberto would want to team up with the schlecks.

It may be necessary to get rid of Evans, which is in both of their interests.

 

[auscyclefan94]

It may be necessary to get rid of Evans, which is in both of their interests.

Yes you are right but in the end they will need to get time on each other to win as negating one person from winning doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to win yourself.


Any news on HTC sponsorhip for 2012 yet?

 

[El Pistolero]

Yes you are right but in the end they will need to get time on each other to win as negating one person from winning doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to win yourself.


Any news on HTC sponsorhip for 2012 yet?

If Contador has form he can work together with Andy, distance Cuddles and drop Andy at the same time.

 

[auscyclefan94]

If Contador has form he can work together with Andy, distance Cuddles and drop Andy at the same time.

You really think AC will improve in the final week? If anything he will become more tired and the effects of the giro will be more evident.

 

[dlwssonic]

lol the schlecks and alberto do not need to team up against evans they are much better natural climbers but the schlecks are scared.

Like ACF i do not agree that contador will improve by a lot in the third week. Though his knee will get better, like many others said the fatigue from the giro will hit him hard in the 3rd week.

 

[Spaniard]

You really think AC will improve in the final week? If anything he will become more tired and the effects of the giro will be more evident.

At least before the beginning of the high mountains he said he would be ok for the Alps rather than the Pyrinees, he may improve, we don't really know but if he recovers some ryders won't have sweet dreams during the next stages.

 

[Mellow Velo]

lol the schlecks and alberto do not need to team up against evans they are much better natural climbers but the schlecks are scared.

Like ACF i do not agree that contador will improve by a lot in the third week. Though his knee will get better, like many others said the fatigue from the giro will hit him hard in the 3rd week.

Probably just a tactic to wind up Evans. He has been know to get a wee bit paranoid when under pressure.
It's not just about what you do on the bike, these days.
Besides, I thought the Aussies invented sledging.

 

[khardung la]

You really think AC will improve in the final week? If anything he will become more tired and the effects of the giro will be more evident.

Contador did next to nothing the 2 weeks after the Giro, and not much later. He may be gaining shape, at least if compared with the others. IMO he may have started the TdF way out of shape so he could peak at the end, but let´s see.

 

[El Pistolero]

You really think AC will improve in the final week? If anything he will become more tired and the effects of the giro will be more evident.

Yes, I do.

 

[The Hitch]

You really think AC will improve in the final week? If anything he will become more tired and the effects of the giro will be more evident.

The Giro Tour double has, as you know, been done before, so while it may totaly mess up Tour preperations, it doesnt mean riders will be totaly out of breath going into the Tour.

I mean Cadel last year for example seemed pretty good on the first stage of the Alpes before his crash started to effect his performance.

As far as I can tell, the best way to prepare for the Tour after the Giro, is to pretty much rest until the Tour, only taking up training after a few weeks, and come into the Tour fresh but not so much on form.

That way you ride yourself into form during the Tour, which works because there are no mountain stages for the first 11 days (+rest day) in this particular Tour.

This is what i heard Cadel did last year and Contador did this year.

But since you are riding yourself into form, surely you improve as the stages go by.

And then theres Albertos knee issue. Im no doctor so i might be wrong, but i would expect his knee pain is going to effect him less, 10 days after he hit his knee, than it did, 3 days after he hit it.

 

[Lanark]

Yes you are right but in the end they will need to get time on each other to win as negating one person from winning doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to win yourself.


Any news on HTC sponsorhip for 2012 yet?

They worked well together on the Madeleine last year. They basically killed the competition that stage, making sure it would be a two man race from that point. If they are as strong as that on the Galibier, I don't see why they wouldn't use the same tactic again, and use the Alpe and ITT to decide who wins the race.

 

[Mambo95]

Interesting to note that of six teams (with two having changed sponsor) that had nine riders finishing last year only one has everyone left this year at this point.

Liquigas are have a stunningly good record at getting all their riders finishing Grand Tours. The last Grand Tour which they failed to finish with a full team was the 2008 Vuelta - that's seven consectutive GTs. And they're looking good for making it eight.

 

[The Hitch]

This link doesn't say that the Galibier might be cancelled at all. It says that there was a snow storm yesterday and 200 cyclotourists had to be rescued.

The forecast for Thursday and Friday looks fine.

http://meteo.excite.fr/previsions/europe/france/col%20du%20galibier/10958

Thanks for the good news.

thanks for the good news! I will be really ****ed if the galibier is cancelled. Shouldnt the galibier be not too hard for cuddles as the gradients arent really steep.

Gradients are weak compared to other climbs, but i wouldnt breath a sigh of relief just yet.

The average is 5.5 and most of it is under 5%, but the last 9km are 7% so can do some damage.

The other factor to consider is the alltitude. This will be the highest stage finish in Tour de France history.

And the 2 climbs before that should be a problem.

The Iozard mixes 1.% grades in with 10% grades and also goes pretty high up, but the big problem will be the Angel if they decide to race up it.

I would say the Angel is the most diffiult climb of this years Tour even worse than the Plateau de Beille, if only becaise its finish is a full 1000m higher than Plateaus.

This being the TOur the chances are high that theyll just leave it till Alpe, but considering the altitude and difficulty of the previous climbs of the stage, thosse last 9km of Galibier might not seem so light.

 

[Dedelou]

Two weeks down and without Gilbert, Hushovd, Hoogerland, Voeckler & Vanendert, this would have been a snorefest. The favorites only stood out due to failing & falling. I miss JVDB though

Look at it this way without the 'favorites" playing cat and mouse, the other would not have had a chance to shine as they did. Samu and now Voekler have managed to entertain us and still remain a danger to the "favorites"