Tour de France - Stage 8, 195km - Castres / Ax 3 Domaines, July 6th

[Miburo]

How long till Ax3 starts? If Quintana can just get to the climb he can get that advantage back.

7.8km.

10 char

 

[Broth3r]

Someone call Alain Prost.

 

[sultanofhyd]

Kennaugh leaving everyone behind

 

[roundabout]

How long till Ax3 starts? If Quintana can just get to the climb he can get that advantage back.

9k or so. slightly less

 

[Afrank]

Skyborgs dropping each other.

 

[Ferminal]

Damn Pinot ruining his GC in descents

I guess Unipublic will design the 2014 Tour route.

 

[The Hitch]

Dont think the tactic from Movistar was that good afterall. Sky just went the same pace they would have gone had he never attacked, and now hell have a 35 sec or so advantage going into the climb but be far more tired than he needed to be.

 

[Kender]

Quintana will be caught on the final climb. He's having to do a lot more work on this descent than Porte and everyone he'll be dragging up the last climb

 

[xrayvision]

Fantastic racing by all, well, except Saxo. Nice of Sky to realise the threat and respond with a strong tempo. Will be interesting to see if they can match 2005 times now.

Saxo is doing exactly what they are supposed to do, not wasting energy before a 18 km or so long descent, would be useless. And we still have to see what they gonna do on the last climb, maybe Kreuziger is having a go.

 

[Afrank]

7.8km.

10 char

Thanks. Quite a bit to go then, might have to attack again on ax3.

 

[Roude Leiw]

How long till Ax3 starts? If Quintana can just get to the climb he can get that advantage back.

There is no flat between the descent and the next climb

 

[darwin553]

Colombians have never been good at descending.

 

[martinvickers]

I tell you what, apart from Q being fantastic, Kennaugh can seriously go up and down. Always thought sky's future hopes for him were a bit fanciful, but he looks seriously useful...

Where's Danny Martin?

 

[batchuba]

Looks like Roche will be back just in time to get dropped again. Nice descending nonetheless.

 

[rainman]

certainly no Nibali

 

[Parrulo]

Dont think the tactic from Movistar was that good afterall. Sky just went the same pace they would have gone had he never attacked, and now hell have a 35 sec or so advantage going into the climb but be far more tired than he needed to be.

I think they were expecting a couple of second tier contenders to follow quintana forming a dangerous group.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Quintana descending like a sack o' spuds

 

[sultanofhyd]

Pinot should have hitched with Roche

 

[spalco]

I think 30 seconds could be enough for Quintana, but I don't know if he can save that into the climb.

 

[Broth3r]

Manolo Sainz bets on Rui Costa on the current race situation.

I dunno what to say, honestly.

 

[The Hitch]

I think they were expecting a couple of second tier contenders to follow quintana forming a dangerous group.

Unzue should have talked to Riis. Maybe Kreuziger would have agreed to go too.

 

[Gloin22]

So Quintana lost 30 secs on that descent already?

Ouch..

 

[cineteq]

Dont think the tactic from Movistar was that good afterall. Sky just went the same pace they would have gone had he never attacked, and now hell have a 35 sec or so advantage going into the climb but be far more tired than he needed to be.

I have the feeling you'd have to eat your words by the end of the stage.

 

[roundabout]

I think 30 seconds could be enough for Quintana, but I don't know if he can save that into the climb.

only if they start looking around like in 2010

 

[goggalor]

Race as in the whole tour? Or race as in this stage? He will be fine for this stage but tomorrow could be a very different proposition

I'm thinking the whole Tour. Having a guy with you at least until the foot of the last mountain is valuable even for Cadel. It's not like he'll win anyway but I'd like to see him have a good race.

Sky are pulling back Quintana. :/