TDF 2013 Stage 18 L'Alpe d'Huez *Spoilers*

RichN95.
RichN95. Posts: 27,253
edited August 2013 in Pro race
The profile:
stage_18_profile_600_1_670.jpg

The climb:
Alpe%20d'Huez%20(Bourg%20d'Oisans).gif

The hairpins:
duez_aeri.jpg

The history:
lemond-hinault-lalpe1.jpg

The fans:
contipunch.jpg

Dutch Corner:
dutch-corner.jpeg

The endangered marmots:
marmots-france-alps.jpg

Geologists on AdH:
534354796_173b645b6c_z.jpg

The cheese:
0995.jpg
Twitter: @RichN95
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Comments

  • slim_boy_fat
    slim_boy_fat Posts: 1,810
    The Descent (I wouldn't fancy it in the wet)

    http://vimeo.com/70139351
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    Now that even surpasses your Ventoux Spoiler. I was probably expecting more beard action from the geologists but that piece of Beaufort au lait cru is majestic.

    I tell you who would have really enjoyed this Tour, Soler. I miss him on the climbs. remember the way he just went for it on the climbs when he was at Barloworld?
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Right I ve been saying this all year and i'm going to put it out there...fortune favours the brave and all that (heard that somewhere)

    Other than the atmosphere, the Alpe is not that big a deal of a climb. Usually it is preceded by a significantly more challenging parcours that it will be tomorrow/today. Unless one of our heroes goes on an epic long range attack, there will be little change one to the business end of the GC. The likliehood is that Sky, Movi or Saxo will shut the race down.


    There...see you all 6 00 tonight! ;) :P
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    An impressive visual introduction.

    What's the story with the man who looks like he's in surgical wear. Is he protesting?
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    RideOnTime wrote:
    What's the story with the man who looks like he's in surgical wear. Is he protesting?
    He was dressed up as a 'doping doctor', being a knob and getting too close, so Bertie lamped him, of which I approve.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    There's something for everyone in that intro. Great job.
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    Sure there are some nasty parts in the beginning but as we all know - the most dangeous descents are not the one with big drops.

    They'll be just fine. It's a road and they have two wheels each. Let's go.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Great intro!

    The all important song, the lyrics of which you must learn before tomorrow where you will get two opportunities to sing it.

    Schatje mag ik je foto...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbSDVyBZbqM

    Chairs to the ready!

    610657_orange_chair.jpg
    Correlation is not causation.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    edited July 2013
    Right in honour of this I'm going to ask more Dutchies what the story is with this....
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Yes the descent is being overplayed - it's narrow with lots of turns but it's not that steep and the surface isn't as bad as some have made out.

    As for AdH not being that big a deal of a climb - really ? It may not be the absolute hardest climb the GTs go up but it's a genuine HC climb irrespective of what is before it - and with the Ornon, Alpe/Sarenne and two other categorised climbs before the final ascent this is about as hard as Tour stages get most years.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    No one has ever been able to tell me.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Tom - I'm ready for a flaming mate, it's a high risk, low reward* gambit!

    *bragging rights not worth much...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    There are chamois as well as marmotte's apparently

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTkccd3I0DgW8BmnnvYeCfU_Oq1qBYUdWD0oSxeSlVP5GJDiHqy

    They're worried that they're all going to end up adorning the groins of the riders.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    I have a feeling Contador is going to blow it tomorrow. He'll attack on the first ascent, pile it on down the Sarenne then blow up on the second ascent. Quintana will sit in the wheels for once and take the stage. Kreuziger will overtake Contador in GC. Rodriguez will become the 4th man challenging for the podium
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    If the weather is bad tomorrow I might cry, especially if they decide the descent is too dangerous :cry:


    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    The Descent (I wouldn't fancy it in the wet)

    http://vimeo.com/70139351

    Thanks for posting that!
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Somebody convince me that a sickie is a really good idea for the next couple of days... I have 4 hours of legal training in a room with no windows on friday afternoon also.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    BigMat wrote:
    Quintana will sit in the wheels for once and take the stage.

    Good Good call sir! Like that idea!
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    So, has Evans blown or is he saving something for the next few days?
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Great intro!

    The all important song, the lyrics of which you must learn before tomorrow where you will get two opportunities to sing it.

    Schatje mag ik je foto...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbSDVyBZbqM

    Chairs to the ready!

    610657_orange_chair.jpg

    This one is better, cos of the chicken chasing the van at the end! :D

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-VlmSXjrMY
  • welshmessenger
    welshmessenger Posts: 298
    Today's result throws up the possibility of an AC/RK tag team effort.

    Anyone think it's likely?
  • Cleat Eastwood
    Cleat Eastwood Posts: 7,508
    We really need a bocht 7 fan club. :D

    I reckon contador will send kreuziger up for a few softeners but quintana will cover them. Stage to quintana - nieve, one of my fave riders 7th.
    The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
    momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,599
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    If the weather is bad tomorrow I might cry, especially if they decide the descent is too dangerous :cry:


    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    The Descent (I wouldn't fancy it in the wet)

    http://vimeo.com/70139351

    Thanks for posting that!

    If the sarenne is too hard couldn't they put a cone at the top for the riders to ride around and descend down the alpe? Im sure that would be a first also.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    gsk82 wrote:
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    If the weather is bad tomorrow I might cry, especially if they decide the descent is too dangerous :cry:


    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    The Descent (I wouldn't fancy it in the wet)

    http://vimeo.com/70139351

    Thanks for posting that!

    If the sarenne is too hard couldn't they put a cone at the top for the riders to ride around and descend down the alpe? Im sure that would be a first also.

    I think I've done that race...
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    When you said chicken I thought it was going to be Rasmussen :D

    My Dutch teacher tells me that the whole bocht 7 crowd are heel snackbar typisch.

    As for what is going to happen tomorrow. I'm not sure Kreuziger and Contador can work Froome over. Kreuziger looks good but not that good.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    It will HAVE to be one or the other, and I'm not sure Contador will let Kreuziger be "The One"
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • mechanism
    mechanism Posts: 891
    I can't get my head around the logic of climbing the same mountain twice when there are, or so I'm led to believe, a number of other mountains nearby in the Alps.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    ddraver wrote:
    Tom - I'm ready for a flaming mate, it's a high risk, low reward* gambit!

    *bragging rights not worth much...


    What the Alpe ? Yeah maybe - too many fans on it and a bit of a gimmick. I'd rather see them climb the Sarenne twice and descend the Alpe - proper high speed descent and it'd stop them moaning about the road surface if they are climbing the Sarenne.

    Can't believe Froome has the cheek to talk about them cancelling half the stage if it's wet - in his dreams.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    Ok - nip that in the bud - ASO have no plans whatsoever to cancel any part of the stage regardless of whether or not Froome wants it or not. That is just anti-sky sh1t stirring and i suggest you pay little attention to it's sources
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    gsk82 wrote:
    ALIHISGREAT wrote:
    If the weather is bad tomorrow I might cry, especially if they decide the descent is too dangerous :cry:


    Slim Boy Fat wrote:
    The Descent (I wouldn't fancy it in the wet)

    http://vimeo.com/70139351

    Thanks for posting that!

    If the sarenne is too hard couldn't they put a cone at the top for the riders to ride around and descend down the alpe? Im sure that would be a first also.

    I think I've done that race...


    Gather round pro-racers and old grandpa goat will tell you a tale.

    Consultation of my old Polar Pro Trainer diary reveals that indeed I did ride something similar. Bourg D'Oisans up Alpe D'Huez, back down the service road and then off the Villard Reculas road and the along the valley and a finish up Vaujany.

    My notes tell me it hammered it down the whole time, that some Dutch guys wheelsucked me up the Alpe, that my leader left me at the top when I stopped to put on a gilet, that there were many crashes on the descent, my leader punctured and had to get a lift to the finish from the scribe sent by the Dauphine Liberere after no other club would give him a wheel. History doesn't record my finishing position.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Tom Butcher wrote:
    ddraver wrote:
    Tom - I'm ready for a flaming mate, it's a high risk, low reward* gambit!

    *bragging rights not worth much...


    What the Alpe ? Yeah maybe - too many fans on it and a bit of a gimmick. I'd rather see them climb the Sarenne twice and descend the Alpe - proper high speed descent and it'd stop them moaning about the road surface if they are climbing the Sarenne.

    Can't believe Froome has the cheek to talk about them cancelling half the stage if it's wet - in his dreams.

    To be fair, it worked for Bertie in the Giro.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent

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