Stage 11 - Vatan > Saint-Fargeau SPOILER
Another day, another stage. But we're halfway through the race now.
Today's stage looks like deja vu, it's so similar to yesterday's stage. But hopefully this time the riders will race. Indeed, the bunch has effectively had two rest days. "I can see why Bahamontes lasted so long" said Carlos Sastre, commenting on how the sedate pace yesterday was reminiscent of days gone past, taking it piano until the final moments of the stage.
It's hard to see any alternative to a sprint finish but for this reason but no doubt a break will go, including an obligatory quota of Cofidis, Bouygues, Agritubel and FDJ riders. The finish has a slight uphill kick to it:
Not that this will trouble the likes of Cavendish, Farrar or Hushovd.
One final thought: we have yet to have a real bunch sprint. Many of Cavendish's wins have happened when there's been a split or a crash. Yesterday say the Columbia lead out train take three lengths out of Hushovd in the final bend, cementing their win 500m from the finish. So far the likes of Boonen, Bennati and others have been absent.
Today's stage looks like deja vu, it's so similar to yesterday's stage. But hopefully this time the riders will race. Indeed, the bunch has effectively had two rest days. "I can see why Bahamontes lasted so long" said Carlos Sastre, commenting on how the sedate pace yesterday was reminiscent of days gone past, taking it piano until the final moments of the stage.
It's hard to see any alternative to a sprint finish but for this reason but no doubt a break will go, including an obligatory quota of Cofidis, Bouygues, Agritubel and FDJ riders. The finish has a slight uphill kick to it:
Not that this will trouble the likes of Cavendish, Farrar or Hushovd.
One final thought: we have yet to have a real bunch sprint. Many of Cavendish's wins have happened when there's been a split or a crash. Yesterday say the Columbia lead out train take three lengths out of Hushovd in the final bend, cementing their win 500m from the finish. So far the likes of Boonen, Bennati and others have been absent.
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Comments
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I just want Ag2r to get someone in the break and make Columbia and Astana work"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
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Just saying. The final half a km average gradient is 6%......."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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Uphill finish? Should see Rabobank and Cervelo putting in some work.
My Shilling's still on another Bingo victory!Remember that you are an Englishman and thus have won first prize in the lottery of life.0 -
Interesting, thanks, I'll check this out more closely. There's a sneaky chicane in the final kilometre too.Blazing Saddles wrote:Just saying. The final half a km average gradient is 6%.......0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:Just saying. The final half a km average gradient is 6%.......
hmmm interesting..
so who do you reckon?"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
The elevation is 169 masl at 500 metres to go and 199 masl at the finish. Might suit Freire or Hushovd more than Cavendish. Whoever wins will have to time their move to perfection.0
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As much as i'd like to see another Cav victory, I reckon the God Of Thunder could strike a massive hammer-blow on this stage today.Let's close our eyes and see what happens0
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mididoctors wrote:Blazing Saddles wrote:Just saying. The final half a km average gradient is 6%.......
hmmm interesting..
so who do you reckon?
I see you asked on the PTP thread.
As I said the other day, I do my picks on another forum.
VictorP's Spanish climbs thread has a little write up on this finish.
30metres in the last 500metres, uphill, so I've ben very original and gone for TH. :oops:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... 6&start=60
That if the arrival is more complicated because it is the penultimate km descent and the last spade km upward, especially the 500 m final (with a slope of 6% according to official data of the organization)"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
I want Cav to get another, but I'm gonna take a punt on Boonen. About damn time he did something other than crash in this tour.
did I see stabilisers on his spesh in the Paris-Roubaix?Not climber, not sprinter, not rouleur0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:Just saying. The final half a km average gradient is 6%.......
lads, a mountain finish... steeper finish than the pyrenees stages :-)
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A modest 30m gain could be quite a good leveller for Cav, Thor and maybe Freire. A close sprint finish would be good for once...0
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And they're off
Johannes Froehlinger - Milram
Distance: 0km, Speed: 37km/h, Power: 266watts, Cadence: 71rpm
Bert Grabsch - Columbia-HTC
Distance: 0km, Speed: 38km/h, Power: 331watts, Cadence: 68rpm
Brian Vandborg - Liquigas
Distance: 0km, Speed: 55km/h, Power: 868watts, Cadence: 91rpm
Chris Sorensen - Saxo Bank
Distance: 0km, Speed: 52km/h, Power: 822watts, Cadence: 100rpm
Nicki Sorensen - Saxo Bank
Distance: 0km, Speed: 0km/h, Power: 593watts, Cadence: 106rpmFckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
For some reason - racing has been neutralized at the 15KM mark. Awaiting confirmation why - but there was an early crash with Rosseler and VDV involved. Both riders back racing again.
EDIT: Racing resumed. Was an obstruction in the route.0 -
First intermediate sprint coming up in about 7KM. Peleton all together. Will be interesting to see if the HTC boys do anything to prevent Thor from taking points - or even if Cav goes for some points himself for a change....0
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Hasn't anyone noticed on the Tour ticker?
Jackhammer will be pleased.
Just before today's start, the commies announced that yeterday's 15" time gap is void, so the GC was unaffected and reverts to pre-stage 10.
3 man break took the points sprint."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Van Summeren and Sapa in the lead with 4.30. Sapa must be delighted to have such a big rider to follow. Both are strong riders in a breakaway but Columbia should reel them in.
Not sure about my PTP pick of Cavendish now given the slight uphill finish, it sounds like it suits Hushovd perfectly.0 -
Textbook pointless breakaway before Bingo beats Oscar and Thor in a predictable finish.
When's the next interesting stage?It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0 -
So, all is well with the French.
ES just announced that Bouygues Box Tel to continue sponsorship....."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
French tv announce that Prudhomme has decided to not ban radios on the Colmar stage."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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Kléber wrote:
One final thought: we have yet to have a real bunch sprint. Many of Cavendish's wins have happened when there's been a split or a crash. Yesterday say the Columbia lead out train take three lengths out of Hushovd in the final bend, cementing their win 500m from the finish. So far the likes of Boonen, Bennati and others have been absent.
Yes i was thinking this yesterday. Cav's win on stage 2 saw the first few riders pull away and yesterday saw the first four get a gap on the others. Looking back at yesterday's stage it looks as though it was a Cervelo rider (almost certainly Haussler) who was in fifth place in the line and then let the gap build before dropping away. Cant say for sure that this was deliberate but it would certainly be a good way of stopping anyone coming from further back and finishing ahead of Hushovd taking the stage win and/or green jersey points. Looking back at stage 2 i think that someone made a dive for a wheel going round a corner (Ciolek's lead out man?). This ended up in people having to lift off to avoid a collision and allowing a gap to build.0 -
The tedium of a Tour de France stage directly correlates to the number of chateaus the director decides to show us.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow, many-chateau stages.0 -
Could you express the degree of tedium of a Tour stage in terms of the Number of chateaux?
e.g. that stage to Besancon was a real 10 chateauxer0 -
As the daily yawn-fest continues... it's now 75KM to go and the lead pair are a whopping 2'50" in front.
Only question really for today is - can Cav beat Thor on the slightly uphill finish?0 -
What's wrong with this year?
Giro sucked. Now we've got this.
Please tell me we're not going to have to look to the Vuelta for excitement?Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
What we've got today is a classic "first week" stage, only it's in week two. I have fond memories of siesta time in the first week, this year's edition has interrupted my sleep with too much excitement.
I tell you what, if I was manager of a smaller team that's not won much so far, I'd stick five of my boys on the front and tell them to reel in the escaped pair. The TV coverage of the chase would be valuable but then I'd tell the others that as soon as the duo are caught, they have to take it in turns to counter-attack. There's still a chance to make a battle of this stage rather than lay down in front of Columbia.0 -
Well, it did seem to start off fairly exciting didn't it. Guess its just gone a bit stale at the moment. Hopefully things will get mixed up in the mountains.
Why are Columbia doing all the work on the front by the way? Obviously trying to get Cav the stage win but surely its not only them that are interested in catching the breakaway. I'd assume that the peleton will catch it anyway so why are they burying themselves so much? I thought they would be tired after their efforts in the first week so seems a bit foolhardy to take on all the work when they don't need to? Surely if they sit back other teams will take on the work?0 -
Heavymental wrote:Well, it did seem to start off fairly exciting didn't it. Guess its just gone a bit stale at the moment. Hopefully things will get mixed up in the mountains.
Why are Columbia doing all the work on the front by the way? Obviously trying to get Cav the stage win but surely its not only them that are interested in catching the breakaway. I'd assume that the peloton will catch it anyway so why are they burying themselves so much? I thought they would be tired after their efforts in the first week so seems a bit foolhardy to take on all the work when they don't need to? Surely if they sit back other teams will take on the work?
Not watching today, but are they just trying to make sure the break is caught for Cav, but close enough to the finish that there's no time for counter attacks to go away and spoil the party?0 -
This stage is so boring I think I'm starting to hallucinate. I just saw a rabbit with a hearing aid. Phonak's latest signing?0
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Is this a bike race or are we collectively watching paint dry?0
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chriskempton wrote:Heavymental wrote:Well, it did seem to start off fairly exciting didn't it. Guess its just gone a bit stale at the moment. Hopefully things will get mixed up in the mountains.
Why are Columbia doing all the work on the front by the way? Obviously trying to get Cav the stage win but surely its not only them that are interested in catching the breakaway. I'd assume that the peloton will catch it anyway so why are they burying themselves so much? I thought they would be tired after their efforts in the first week so seems a bit foolhardy to take on all the work when they don't need to? Surely if they sit back other teams will take on the work?
Not watching today, but are they just trying to make sure the break is caught for Cav, but close enough to the finish that there's no time for counter attacks to go away and spoil the party?
They still have 50 odd k to go so doesn't seem that urgent really.
It'd be nice to see some team go and have a crack at a stage like this wouldn't it. Mix it up a bit.0
