Tour de France stage 10: Tuesday, St-Gildas-des-Bois - Saint Malo

[Ruby United]

Tuesday, 9 July, Tour de France stage 10: St-Gildas-des-Bois - Saint Malo

Sunny weather, 20 to 26 degrees Celsius with winds of 13 to 17mph.


The last time the St Malo hosted the Tour was in 2008 where Samuel Dumoulin won the stage.

Last year's stage of the Tour of Brittany that finished in St-Gildasdes-Bois. The winner was Argos-Shimano sprinter John Degenkolb who will likely be leading out for Kittel.

Can't see anything but Cav, but I said that for at least 3 stages so far.

Favorites: Kittel, Cav, Greipel.

Outsiders: Degenkolb, Sagan, EBH.

 

[Ruby United]

It looks like the winds are going to be quite mild, but by the finish next to the coast we might see some echelons.

 

[Gubby Allen]

Tuesday, 9 July, Tour de France stage 10: St-Gildas-des-Bois - Saint Malo

Sunny weather, 20 to 26 degrees Celsius with winds of 13 to 17mph.

Reminder: Rest day tommorow

The last time the St Malo hosted the Tour was in 2008 where Samuel Dumoulin won the stage.

Last year's stage of the Tour of Brittany that finished in St-Gildasdes-Bois. The winner was Argos-Shimano sprinter John Degenkolb who will likely be leading out for Kittel.

Can't see anything but Cav, but I said that for at least 3 stages so far.

Favorites: Kittel, Cav, Greipel.

Outsiders: Degenkolb, Sagan, EBH.

More a Sagan, Degenkolb, EBH, Gerrans than a Cav, Greipel, Kittel, Kristoff one for me.

Will come down to a sprint though. Gavazzi might be a decent shot for a E/W place.

 

[Gubby Allen]

This is the part of France i know the best, or at least the last 50km.

 

[Poursuivant]

Mark Cavendish.

 

[Pulpstar]

The road up to my house is harder than that 4th category.

I don't see Cav, Greipel or Kittel being put into any difficulty whatsoever by Sagan on this stage.

Basking shark to take it.

 

[Broth3r]

And the Tour will be back after these messages from our sprinters.

 

[Sasquatch]

What is the finish like in regards to corners?

Would love to see Kristoff win this, but Cav will take it.

 

[dgodave]

My predictions:
5 chateaux (1 with a moat)
2 cathedrals
4 horses spooked by helicopters
7 cattle drinking from streams
zero hilltowns

 

[Afrank]

Cav.

10char

 

[saneguy]

Cav I think should take this one.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

This will require a couple of "Cannondale style" rides to make a race out of this.

Bungle in the jungle. Kittel FTW.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

And the Tour will be back after these messages from our sprinters.

lol, I can understand 1 flat stage at this point, but 3 in a row is simple pathetic. Not a single place over the next 3 stages where a break with GC losers can make a difference. No kicker in the beginning, mid and/or end. Nothing. It will be suicidal to try and get into a break. Sprinter teams will likely not have to work for the win. Just a sprint in the end.

Please surprise me.

 

[kukiniloa]

What you people fail to realize is that this is very much a different Tour. How many have you observed anyway? Have you ever noticed that the routes are carefully tailored to produce a particular result. We've seen - this year - more technical sprint finishes, with narrow roads from 3-5 k in, making the game all about teams fighting teams. And look at the results, Cav has only one stage do his credit, as hae Sagan and Greipel, as they deserve. This is a distant contrast to the Tour in past years, with 5 straight sprinter's stages, as the thinking was that order in the peloton would be observed as the prologue would create early GC separation.

Then there's the heat. 3 days on Corsica. It's been freaking hot. It has cooked a lot of otherwise prime GC riders, and apparently worn down Sky. Valverde is in third, Contador 5th at 1:40, with Kreuziger in 4th, both Saxos...? This has the makings for a very dramatic tour, the best in memory.

Fuglsang? Kwaitkowski?

I have to question BMCs approach, which appears to be to support an inferior former GC winner. But as an American fan I consider that small stuff viewed againsted the misaligned ethics of USA Cycling's approach, which is to exploit weaker riders and keep the sport obscure, under the political radar in the USA, and out of any real money.

I'd root for Dan Martin and Talansky at this point. Who knows, maybe Talansky can crack the top 10.

The odds are to the strong team. Movistar?

 

[Cervelo77]

My predictions:
5 chateaux (1 with a moat)
2 cathedrals
4 horses spooked by helicopters
7 cattle drinking from streams
zero hilltowns

+ 2 messages written in crops / locals / rocks for the helicopters to shoot.

 

[movingtarget]

Greipel to win.

 

[search]

This is the part of France i know the best, or at least the last 50km.

can you give us any details please what makes you think that we will not see a pure sprint then?

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

My predictions:
5 chateaux (1 with a moat)
2 cathedrals
4 horses spooked by helicopters
7 cattle drinking from streams
zero hilltowns

We must be due some poppy fields tomorrow. I can't wait.

 

[search]

We must be due some poppy fields tomorrow. I can't wait.

+they are riding right through a big military camp, the Camp de Coëtquidan, hooray

 

[trevim]

The epic Mikel Nieve speaks:

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...but-for-Mikel-Nieve-off-to-a-solid-start.aspx

 

[eljimberino]

I have to question BMCs approach, which appears to be to support an inferior former GC winner. But as an American fan I consider that small stuff viewed againsted the misaligned ethics of USA Cycling's approach, which is to exploit weaker riders and keep the sport obscure, under the political radar in the USA, and out of any real money.

What you taking about Willis?

 

[Ruby United]

More a Sagan, Degenkolb, EBH, Gerrans than a Cav, Greipel, Kittel, Kristoff one for me

Why? It's not hilly or anything and Cav, Kit, Greipel are indisputably faster.

 

[Carstenbf]

FWIW I just watched a Sastre interview where he claimed that the sprinters would be out of contention for this. And that he believes it'll be among the more explosive break-away riders or possibly even some GC guys.

Sounded odd to me. We'll see soon enough I suppose. I'm done trying to predict bikeraces myself.

 

[Califootman]

I'm thinking at least 5 cathedrals. They're like fools; every town's got one.

And don't sunflowers have the trademark on the iconic "peloton through a field of flowers" television shot at the Tour? Something about the color matching the maillot jaune...

 

[Fight.The.Power]

I am quite confused.
Do we have cobbles on this stage? Bear traps ? Even crocodiles?
(Maybe such hazards could juice things up?)
On the profile it looks pan flat?
It is after a rest day.
Why would a breakaway have any more chance than usual on a flat stage (zero)and why would it be anything other than a bunch sprint with all the peloton taking part?
Can someone please explain???!!