Stage 13 : Vittel - Colmar *spoiler*

iainf72

Please, for the love of all that is good, be an interesting stage.

I've not watched anything since last Friday's stage on telly which is the longest I've gone without watching a single stage since I've begun watching the Tour.

stagehopper

Andy Schleck says the category 1 is hard after checking it out a couple of times. Word of heavy storms forecast for the stage on the wires.

iainf72

Rain?

That sounds dangerous. I wonder if Lance will stop everyone racing in his role as Health and Safety rep for the peloton.

Kléber

This afternoon's forecast:


The Col de Platzerwasel is close to 9km at 7.6%, that's a decent climb and then there's a first category climb 20km from the finish.

It's up to the riders today I suppose. We could see the race blown apart but then again maybe a few lesser riders go up the road and the favourites watch each other. It will be more interesting to watch given the roads and conditions.

stagehopper

Leipheimer out with fractured wrist.

iainf72

Poor lad but it evens the Astana teams up a bit.

Kléber

Is he definitely out? Sometimes you can ride with a light fracture.

A bit of a lottery for the stage win today, it's hard to know who to pick. Even if the battle is small today, a sneaky GC contender could clip away on the final climb or even on the last descent to make up some time. I'd like to see the teams that have several GC candidates try something today, eg Saxo/Astana/Garmin/Liquigas sends Frank Schleck/Kloedi/Wiggins/Nibali up the road on the Platzerwasel to stir things up. Easier said than done.

Le Commentateur

Hmm, which rider likes the rain? Lance? Could we see another Sestrieres toady? Or will Evans have a go to try to claw back time before the Alps?

jimmythecuckoo

iainf72 wrote:

Rain?

That sounds dangerous. I wonder if Lance will stop everyone racing in his role as Health and Safety rep for the peloton.

hopefully only he will stop.


Then again if he did half of the peloton would wait to pace him back.

stagehopper

iainf72 wrote:

Poor lad but it evens the Astana teams up a bit.

The attacks on the Astana clearly started at the back end of yesterday's stage. Wonder who pushed him off?

On a more serious note, definitely weakens Armstrong. Always thought that with Levi so high in the GC, and them being such great mates, Armstrong was going to use him early in the Alps to attack Contador, forcing Bertie's hand. If the Accountant doesn't chase he loses big time and maybe the Tour, if he chases Astanastrong could legitimately ostracise him.

term1te

I can confirm the wet weather reports. There have been some cracking thunderstorms rolling up toward Colmar in the last few days, and more are predicted this afternoon. I'm about 40 km from today's finish and its raining at the moment, with heavy rain and thunder predicted to start here lunch time.

mididoctors

Kléber wrote:

Is he definitely out? Sometimes you can ride with a light fracture.

A bit of a lottery for the stage win today, it's hard to know who to pick. Even if the battle is small today, a sneaky GC contender could clip away on the final climb or even on the last descent to make up some time. I'd like to see the teams that have several GC candidates try something today, eg Saxo/Astana/Garmin/Liquigas sends Frank Schleck/Kloedi/Wiggins/Nibali up the road on the Platzerwasel to stir things up. Easier said than done.

my PTP take/guess...

contador has to stay up near the front and will want to nose his wheels across the line in front of lance/rivals.. even in a small bunch on the same time..

could well be someone else up the road... shouldn't be a big group by the finish stealing all the PTP points.. whether its LLS or not who knows?

moncoutie doesn't look to be that strong unless he is coming good in the third..which maybe his gameplan?

blazing_saddles

It will be persistently raining and the decent from the Firstplan, if they use the right road, is very technical....
Nothing to be done with the Colmar run in, it's a pretty flat city, the gateway to the Rhine basin.

At least the Plaztzerwasel has never been climbed on this road.

Surely, somebody will remember what happened to the Distana train, on the Col de la Schlucht, in 2005 and hit them hard?

I'd be surprised if this stage didn't serve up more excitment than the Verbier one.

graeme_s-2

Kléber wrote:

Is he definitely out? Sometimes you can ride with a light fracture.

http://twitpic.com/amms8

Pretty sure he's out

Kléber

Yes, Astana have confirmed it. Surprised it all happened this morning, he would have gone for an X-ray yesterday evening.

Spawn of Cabbie

Wiggins now 4th?

takethehighroad

Yup, Wiggins up to 4th.

Blazing Saddles, I remember that stage in 2005 very well, one of the most exciting finishes to a stage I've seen, as it set up the whole Tour to be close. Obviously in the ned that didn't come to fruition, but it was nice to think it for a while anyway.

As for today, I think Cadel will have a go with Schleckette and Wiggo on his wheel, I get the feeling Schleckette and Bertie are waiting to see where they are at the bottom of Ventoux, although I think Schleck needs a bit more time at either Verbier or Le Grand Bornand. But today I think they'll just sit in.

You never know, Menchov might be allowed some space if he attacks, which I know is unlikely but...

By the end of today, I think the top 20 will look more like a top 20 should as this point in the race. I mean after his break yesterday, Sorensen moved above Menchov!

Also think Bertie will be in yellow, unless Astana let someone else go up the road and nab it, AG2R looked very tired yesterday, three of their riders were in the last positions

Anyway, check back at 5 O Clock to see how mnay of those I got wrong, and how badly

mididoctors2

edit....

stagehopper

Wonder if Mick Rogers fancies a stage win? He's way out of the GC contention after finishing with the grupetto post-fall.

pedylan

Col du Platzerwasel featured in an event run a couple of years ago - Etape de Legende, recreating a famous stage from 1967.

I rode the event and had my one and only experience of the broom wagon 2km from the summit of Platzerwasel. It was very difficult and FWIW I found it harder than the Tourmalet on last years Etape.

So we might see a stage today that's going to have some influence on the GC outcome even though there's 60+km between the summit and the finish. Incentive for one of the contenders to go on the attack?

frenchfighter

Climbs:
Côte de Xertigny 2.0 km, avg. 5.3 %, Catégorie 3
Col de la Schlucht 8.9 km, avg. 4.2 %, Catégorie 2
Col du Platzerwasel 8.7 km, avg. 7.6 %, Catégorie 1
Col du Bannstein 2.1 km, avg. 5.1 %, Catégorie 3
Col du Firstplan 8.4 km, avg. 5.4 %, Catégorie 2

Here's hoping a GC contender goes for a reasonably long one. From the top of the last climb, a decent gap could be held. Maybe Wiggins will try something...

I think Andy is itchy to show himself so will go for him, Cadel is full of beans and this would suit LLS.

iainf72

stagehopper wrote:

Wonder if Mick Rogers fancies a stage win? He's way out of the GC contention after finishing with the grupetto post-fall.

Is that coz it's not far from Frieburg?

Le Commentateur

I'm hoping it will be like the Giro stage to Bergamo in 2007, when a number of GC contenders (Simoni, Garzelli, Savoldelli) attacked mid-stage and forced Di Luca and his team to chase, with Andy Schlek even having to chase the chasers because he wasn't concentrating and took a tumble on a descent.

Something like that would restablish this as a race rather than than a procession.

Pokerface

And they're off!

Small break already of seven riders, including Voigt, Chavanel, Moreau and Haussler. About 30 seconds up so far.

takethehighroad

Ahhhh Moreau, it's easy to forget he's in this race, but we're going into his neck of the woods arent' we?

Quite Frankly

Along with Levi, Wrolich of Milram also abandoned before the start of today's stage.

164 riders now left in the race.

Kléber

That's a good collection of riders but the group had a minute and it's back down to 45 seconds. It'll be interesting to see if they stay away.

Ag2r might be inclined to chase but the closest rider is Garate at almost 7mins down on Nocentini.

I think some of the teams that have missed the break won't want it to get away. So far very few teams have managed a win and with the mountains coming, chances are the smaller teams can't afford to miss out on days like today, they need to place someone in a breakaway.

blazing_saddles

Watching the Ville Depart and it's very wet!

Pokerface

The break looks doomed to failure.

frenchfighter

Not sure if you guys heard but on the Tourmalet stage, Contador wanted to attack but Bruyneel (over the radio...) told him not too. Probably wasn't a good idea to attack there really, but even so, it shows both Contador's attacking mentality and also an argument against radios (don't want to start a debate here as there is a thread on it already).



AP Photo.

President of the jury Martin Bruin of The Netherlands, right, talks to Cadel Evans of Australia, left, regarding an incident following a crash in the pack during the 12th stage prior to the start of the 13th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 200 kilometers (124.3 miles) with start in Vittel and finish in Colmar, central France, Friday July 17, 2009.

Cadel has resorted to deliberately crashing his opponents to move up the standings

moray_gub

iainf72 wrote:

Please, for the love of all that is good, be an interesting stage.

I've not watched anything since last Friday's stage on telly which is the longest I've gone without watching a single stage since I've begun watching the Tour.

Do you need to have potentially exciting stages to get you watching or is that through circumstances ? Me i will watch any pro cycling race on TV potential excitement or otherwise.