Stage 16?

Pross
Pross Posts: 43,223
edited July 2010 in Pro race
What's everyone's opinion on Stage 16? Straight up a first cat climb from the gun, another 1st cat and 2 HC climbs but then 60km to the finish. Does anyone think the GC contenders will bother doing anything other than mark each other? Is there a chance that someone inside the top 10 could get away in a group on the Aubisque and then drive it on to the finish gaining a decent amount of time? My thinking is it will be a waste of the hills, a break will go who are a long way down and the others will just ride the day out. I really don't like these stages where there's such a long gap from the final climb.

Comments

  • TheStone
    TheStone Posts: 2,291
    Always funny those stages. Can suit a strong solo breakaway like Hamilton in '03?
    My betting is on a gift for Armstrong?

    Won't be a big group at the finish, but doubt much GC changes.
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  • Abdoujaparov
    Abdoujaparov Posts: 642
    If there's a decent size break up the road, the GC riders might try to bridge on the last climb. The top teams will definitely try to get some good talent up the road. Could be huge if the tactics work, but it's more likely not to have a huge impact at the very top of gc.
  • Abdoujaparov
    Abdoujaparov Posts: 642
    Imagine if contador bridged to vino near the top of the last climb...
  • avoidingmyphd
    avoidingmyphd Posts: 1,154
    Pross wrote:
    My thinking is it will be a waste of the hills
    Even if it doesn't lead to any change in the GC timings at the very top, it'll be knackering. Two HC's and a fast chase are difficult even for the very best. So the riders going up the Tourmalet on stage 17 and in the ITT will have more fatigue than without this stage.
    I dislike these stages too (I'd prefer them to be replaced by something like the last stage of the Dauphine: one short climb, multiple laps) but they do affect the outcome, just in ways that are hard to pin down.

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