Tour de France Stage 8 Tomblaine - Gerardmer *Spoilers*

pottssteve

Interesting profile:


Takes 130km to rise 200m and then 3 sharp little climbs in the last 30km. A bit like stage 7 but harder at the end.

Weather forecast is overcast with chance of rain and even possible thunderstorms. Light tailwinds and up to 21 degrees C, though will be a bit colder at altitude, of course.

Gerardmer's a lovely area - nice little town with some pleasant scenery. I can recommend it for a holiday if you like walking or mountain biking especially. A few km up the road the Lac de Longemer is very nice but gets very busy in summer. Climbs are more forgiving than the Alps but still present a challenge. The final one goes straight out of town up to the ski area and is short but over 10%. It is also quite exposed.

Vosges cheese is nice.

My predictions
1. Stefano will be back in the orange trousers.
2. Cheng Ji will struggle.

takethehighroad

This is almost like a Giro stage, and JRod was ominously finishing up with the main field today (for once)

RideOnTime

Relevant to Stage 8;





Only be able to catch intermittent bits of Stage 6 and 7. At least I still have a recording of Stage 5 to enjoy again... The best stage yet in my opinion...


Less Relevant to Stage 8;



Down goes Tejay. Relevant to Stage 8 - he lost a minute;



Lets not forget poor old Cav...



Lets not forget poor old Froomey...

milton50

Think a break might get there today. It's been a really tough first week for the GC guys and I think they'll be happy to just look at each other today ahead of Monday.

RideOnTime

Milton50 wrote:

Think a break might get there today. It's been a really tough first week for the GC guys and I think they'll be happy to just look at each other today ahead of Monday.

Haven't you thought that everyday?

I can't disagree on the toughness of the first week though... What a week! So much drama...

kleinstroker

Cant imagine Contador will want to wait a single day before putting Nibali under the screw, so hope we will see him push hard and grab a few seconds today.

mooro

Should get a good view of how fast the Astana train can drill it up the mountains.

blazing_saddles

Let's add today's stage 8 climbs as they are significant:

milton50

RideOnTime wrote:

Milton50 wrote:

Think a break might get there today. It's been a really tough first week for the GC guys and I think they'll be happy to just look at each other today ahead of Monday.

Haven't you thought that everyday?

Errm, no. Unless you're using the collective "you"

RideOnTime

Some nice climbs you got there...

This is going to be a good stage... I can smell it in the wind.

Naive question but why is Nairo Quintana not here? I was looking forward to his climbing...

Macaloon

I want Nibali to ride into Paris in epic style, with a record defence of the jersey under one arm and a commemorative cobble under the other. He was robbed of a dominant 2013 Giro win by contenders crashing and shocking weather. Meanwhile, I like the intrigue of the chase. Contador teaming up with former ally Porte to take on Nibali, champion of Astana.

Best chance for Portador is for the break to be caught and chaos to happen. Doubt there are enough chasers today so it might be a more sedate GC sniffing contest.

above_the_cows

Macaloon wrote:

I want Nibali to ride into Paris in epic style, with a record defence of the jersey under one arm and a commemorative cobble under the other. He was robbed of a dominant 2013 Giro win by contenders crashing and shocking weather. Meanwhile, I like the intrigue of the chase. Contador teaming up with former ally Porte to take on Nibali, champion of Astana.

Best chance for Portador is for the break to be caught and chaos to happen. Doubt there are enough chasers today so it might be a more sedate GC sniffing contest.

I am increasingly wanting Mr Gonzo Nibbles to win this thing (if only for the PTP annihilation). But yes can Portador - that is very very good, it might stick - JVDB (the Belgian Haimar Zubeldia because he is so invisible), Little Flower, the Pitbull or Señor Hairplugs spoil the party?

Laters pataters.

RideOnTime

bless em

Actually that looks like a photoshop.... There heads look huge :shock:

Macaloon

Only God can split them.

Bonus FF angst from Alberto hitching his wagon to the Nieve/Porte train.

milton50

"Two brothers, loyal, determined, happy, cruelly torn apart by circumstance. One gradually gave in to the forces of money, science and greed. The other resisted this dark force, believing that passion and freedom would win the day. Now these two forces must join together if they are to overcome a common foe. Will alliances be rekindled? Or will bitterness and anguish tear these former brothers apart? Portador: Out the 12th July."

I've got too much time on my hands.

smithy21

Above The Cows wrote:

Macaloon wrote:

I want Nibali to ride into Paris in epic style, with a record defence of the jersey under one arm and a commemorative cobble under the other. He was robbed of a dominant 2013 Giro win by contenders crashing and shocking weather. Meanwhile, I like the intrigue of the chase. Contador teaming up with former ally Porte to take on Nibali, champion of Astana.

Best chance for Portador is for the break to be caught and chaos to happen. Doubt there are enough chasers today so it might be a more sedate GC sniffing contest.

I am increasingly wanting Mr Gonzo Nibbles to win this thing (if only for the PTP annihilation). But yes can Portador - that is very very good, it might stick - JVDB (the Belgian Haimar Zubeldia because he is so invisible), Little Flower, the Pitbull or Señor Hairplugs spoil the party?

Laters pataters.

Are you in some sort of parallel universe? Nibali, Talansky I get. Who are the others?

RichN95.

smithy21 wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

Macaloon wrote:

I want Nibali to ride into Paris in epic style, with a record defence of the jersey under one arm and a commemorative cobble under the other. He was robbed of a dominant 2013 Giro win by contenders crashing and shocking weather. Meanwhile, I like the intrigue of the chase. Contador teaming up with former ally Porte to take on Nibali, champion of Astana.

Best chance for Portador is for the break to be caught and chaos to happen. Doubt there are enough chasers today so it might be a more sedate GC sniffing contest.

I am increasingly wanting Mr Gonzo Nibbles to win this thing (if only for the PTP annihilation). But yes can Portador - that is very very good, it might stick - JVDB (the Belgian Haimar Zubeldia because he is so invisible), Little Flower, the Pitbull or Señor Hairplugs spoil the party?

Laters pataters.

Are you in some sort of parallel universe? Nibali, Talansky I get. Who are the others?

JVDB = Jurgen van den Broeck
Little Flower = Kwiatkowski (it's almost literally what his name means)
Senor Hairplugs = Valverde (he's had a hair treatment)

Macaloon

Milton50 wrote:

"Two brothers, loyal, determined, happy, cruelly torn apart by circumstance. One gradually gave in to the forces of money, science and greed. The other resisted this dark force, believing that passion and freedom would win the day. Now these two forces must join together if they are to overcome a common foe. Will alliances be rekindled? Or will bitterness and anguish tear these former brothers apart? Portador: Out the 12th July."

Sister Riisetta impressed the brothers with her ability to dish out the merciless punishment:


Alberto's Passion:

Macaloon

pottssteve wrote:

My predictions
1. Stefano will be back in the orange trousers.
2. Cheng Ji will struggle.

We put thirty spokes together and call it a wheel;
But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the wheel depends.
We turn clay to make a vessel;
But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the vessel depends.
We pierce doors and windows to make a house;
And it is on these spaces where there is nothing that the usefulness of the house depends.
Therefore just as we take advantage of what is, we should recognize the usefulness of what is not.

RichN95.

pottssteve wrote:

My predictions
1. Stefano will be back in the orange trousers.

Lime green today, I reckon.

No_Ta_Doctor

Definitely a day where the break could stick.
But It's also a day where Astana might think the best form of defence is attack.
I know I'm banging on about Fuglsang, but today would definitely be a good day (from the profile) to send him up the road for the others to chase. Though it's probably not selective enough to weed out the important domestiques unless the first climb is seriously drilled. Despite finishing on a climb this stage looks nowhere near as hard on paper as stage 2. Tomorrow's is lumpier, but with a good 20km from the bottom of the last descent to the finish, then Monday is proper mountains.

Macaloon

Dark web chatter: Fuglsang pledging less than folsom support of Lo Squalo, coveting a top 5 GC spot.

I would not be shocked if Vinobali have been sandbagging all season: the leaked "j'accuse", the invisible Dauphiné, the Fuglsang 'feud'.

pottssteve

Macaloon wrote:

pottssteve wrote:

My predictions
1. Stefano will be back in the orange trousers.
2. Cheng Ji will struggle.

We put thirty spokes together and call it a wheel;
But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the wheel depends.
We turn clay to make a vessel;
But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the vessel depends.
We pierce doors and windows to make a house;
And it is on these spaces where there is nothing that the usefulness of the house depends.
Therefore just as we take advantage of what is, we should recognize the usefulness of what is not.

Wise words indeed, Lǎoshī. Lest we forget, the space between the raindrops is not wet.


I have always valued the space between my ears most highly....

deejay

Macaloon wrote:

I would not be shocked if Vinobali have been sandbagging all season: the leaked "j'accuse", the invisible Dauphiné, the Fuglsang 'feud'.

I said that elsewhere about Nibali getting used to riding in France as all he was doing was to stay in touch of the Dauphine GC riders without any pain.
I should have PTP'd him but thank someone that I Ignored the African.
Well I did ask the Genie for a European Winner.

Nobody seems to have thought of Rodgers going up the road as his services are not really required on a stage like this.

RonB

Les Blancs planning to be in the breakaway.

Armindo Fonseca:
There's often a rider from first timers Bretagne-Séché Environnement in the breakaway. Questioned before the start by letour.fr, Armindo Fonseca said: “After seven days of racing, my legs hurt a bit. The rain has added to the difficulty but my morale is intact, as well as the motivation in our team. We're all fired up! We've got ambitions on GC with Brice [Feillu] and we want to continue target stage victories. Today, we hope to have a rider at the front and anticipate the action of the favorites. We've looked at the finale on a screen, it's not easy! I'd like to be part of the breakaway and not be caught, but I'm afraid that Cannondale will control the race like yesterday because Peter Sagan has another chance to win.”

But they are all together after 3km, no attack from the gun.

FJS

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Marc Sergeant thinks that Contador will try something on this one, the penultimate climb

ddraver

Rain at the finish do dark grey/blue...

Turfle

Talansky reportedly struggling already.

Turfle

Peloton in 3.
Chavanel, Terpstra, Cancellera part of a 6 man group in the lead.

GentlemanBear

Simon Yates (!!!!!) off the front of the peloton trying to bridge to the break

Turfle

Yates, Petit, Kadri chasing Terpstra, Chavanel.
Peloton sitting up.

This isn't far off a perfect parcours for Yates. Exciting.