Tour of California Stage 6: Palmdale - Big Bear Lake (217.7km)

[Moose McKnuckles]

Pretty good climbing.

They're actually descending through. Your monitor's upside down.

 

[Highlander]

Nope, definitely not as good as the Alto da Torre. That whittles the bunch down to 4 or 5 at most at the summit. I am being reminded of the stage in the Tour of Turkey when ISD and Cofidis went ballistic though - this is nothing of the MTF or TdF prep stage that Messick had been claiming, but it's been a very good race in the last 15k or so. First real time this race has delivered anything close to what it had been claiming.

How big does the peloton look at this point?

 

[kjetilraknerud]

How big does the peloton look at this point?

20-25 riders.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

How big does the peloton look at this point?

About 20ish.

 

[Francois the Postman]

Did they really just argue there (on Eurosport UK) that these mountain roads here just aren't wide enough for riders and spectators ?

 

[santacruz]

Sooo.. wilson is saying, hey lets breakaway from my team captain and take the gold jersey for yourself?? huhh

 

[The Sheep]

Did they really just argue there (on Eurosport UK) that these mountain roads here just aren't wide enough for riders and spectators ?

Don't forget how big americans are.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Did they really just argue there (on Eurosport UK) that these mountain roads here just aren't wide enough for riders and spectators ?

If you've ever seen Carlton's commentary on some of the Planet Armstrong bits and on some other events, you'll know he can be incredibly dry and sarcastic. Especially since he was covering Tirreno-Adriatico, where fans were going wild while the teams were racing through narrow alleyways.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Sooo.. wilson is saying, hey lets breakaway from my team captain and take the gold jersey for yourself?? huhh

You're suggesting that Wilson will finish 35 minutes ahead of the peloton?

Edit: Peloton is perhaps a bit exaggerating, yellow jersey group...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Sooo.. wilson is saying, hey lets breakaway from my team captain and take the gold jersey for yourself?? huhh

Wilson is 34 minutes down. I think he's a) trying to bring back de Maar, b) trying to be a carrot so that his teammates don't have to do any of the work on the front.

Unfortunately, all of the teams have been able to bring at least one teammate with their leader, so there is absolutely no issue in that respect - none of them will have to do any work.

 

[Francois the Postman]

Been pretty good racing though for the last half hour or so, and the views are fab.

As many have stated, shame that they stuck 20 kms on to see which not mountain specialist could win the mountain stage, but this stage so far towers over the rest for entertainment value.

De Maar virtual race leader

 

[jaylew]

I guess Garmin doesn't think much of de Maar's TT abiility - Wilson continuing to work

 

[santacruz]

Tony Martin is so crazy, he works and works and works and he just has a weird posessed look on his face, he is an animal

 

[hfer07]

Tony Martin is literally slaving for MRogers - damn-

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Tony Martin is so crazy, he works and works and works and he just has a weird posessed look on his face, he is an animal

Great to see ham back to his best. Rogers should buy him a truck load of champagne. They should be a nice team in the TdF together with Monfort.

 

[Francois the Postman]

If you've ever seen Carlton's commentary on some of the Planet Armstrong bits and on some other events, you'll know he can be incredibly dry and sarcastic. Especially since he was covering Tirreno-Adriatico, where fans were going wild while the teams were racing through narrow alleyways.

Aye, and I quite like the dry humour. But he also has pet peeves that he blows up out of all proportion. Running fans and road furniture, especially the last one.

Loved the bit where they were raving with the helicopter panning around mountain top spectators, and then the camera panned back to show where that pile of rock actually was. Accidental comedy gold.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Tony Martin = new Jens Voigt?

 

[jaylew]

Am I the only one who thinks the Garmin lids are hideous?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The whole Garmin kit is hideous.

 

[killswitch]

Another win for Sagan?

 

[zapata]

Am I the only one who thinks the Garmin lids are hideous?

the helmets? they're 100% awful.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Damn HTC. I hate you

 

[kjetilraknerud]

To be fair, the rest of the group should let Martin win this stage, I think he has been at the front for 99% of the climb, neutralizing every single attack.

 

[jaylew]

Another win for Sagan?

I hope not. I'd rather see something less predictable.

 

[Highlander]

So it looks like the climbing is over without any real gaps being formed. Great way to make sure that most of the race doesn't matter and whoever takes the TT wins.