TdF 2015 - Stage 4 - Seraing - Cambria ***Spoilers***
RideOnTime
Posts: 4,712
7 cobblestone sections are on the menu of stage 4 from Seraing to Cambrai.
It's a mini Paris-Roubaix on the route of the Tour de France, similar to stage 5 last year when Vincenzo Nibali showed his exceptional agility on the pavés. There are again 13.3 kilometres of cobbles divided in 7 sections but they're harder than at Paris-Roubaix, riders say, because most of them are false flat uphill. In 2014, the yellow jersey boosted Nibali's confidence.
just doing my research back in a minute...
Seraing is a Walloon municipality of Belgium in Province of Liege. The municipality of Seraing includes the old communes of Boncelles, Jemeppe-sur-Meuse, and Ougrée. With Liège, Herstal, Saint-Nicolas, Ans, and Flémalle, it forms the greater Liège agglomeration (600,000 inhabitants). To the south of Seraing are the Condroz and the Ardennes regions.
In addition to its steel factories, Seraing is home to the crystal manufacture Val Saint Lambert, which has been operating on the site of an old Cistercian abbey since 1826. The site of the Arcelor steel company, previously known as Cockerill-Sambre, is the former summer residence of the prince-bishops of Liège.
http://d2ride.co.uk/News-and-Blog.php
It's a mini Paris-Roubaix on the route of the Tour de France, similar to stage 5 last year when Vincenzo Nibali showed his exceptional agility on the pavés. There are again 13.3 kilometres of cobbles divided in 7 sections but they're harder than at Paris-Roubaix, riders say, because most of them are false flat uphill. In 2014, the yellow jersey boosted Nibali's confidence.
just doing my research back in a minute...
Seraing is a Walloon municipality of Belgium in Province of Liege. The municipality of Seraing includes the old communes of Boncelles, Jemeppe-sur-Meuse, and Ougrée. With Liège, Herstal, Saint-Nicolas, Ans, and Flémalle, it forms the greater Liège agglomeration (600,000 inhabitants). To the south of Seraing are the Condroz and the Ardennes regions.
In addition to its steel factories, Seraing is home to the crystal manufacture Val Saint Lambert, which has been operating on the site of an old Cistercian abbey since 1826. The site of the Arcelor steel company, previously known as Cockerill-Sambre, is the former summer residence of the prince-bishops of Liège.
http://d2ride.co.uk/News-and-Blog.php
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Weather!0
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Cheers, glad it won't be a wash out for the GCs, will be interesting to see the way Froome, Contador play's it. Pretty much know Nibali will go all out.0
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Cobbles are tricky.
I'm beginning to think Nibs was a lot better last year.
In which case, cobbles present a different prospect.
They get exponentially difficult as you get slower. You need to stay above the 37-40kph mark and you can really fly over that, but as soon as you can't quite hold that and you drop to 35kph, it gets so much more difficult and so the vicious cycle continues and you are dropped.
Don't see him being able to do what he did last year again.0 -
There aren't going to be many of the Roubaix specialists let off marshalling duties by the looks of things. Just Degenkolb and Styby and maybe Vanmarcke.0
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Tony is up for it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQuefooXawE
Can't wait for this.. classics guys in the top 10:
1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 7:11:37
2 Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:00:01
3 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:13
4 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal 0:00:26
5 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:28
6 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:31
7 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:00:34
8 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:36
9 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:01:03
10 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step 0:01:04
Can't see Thomas being let of the leash, and I expect Stybar will be riding for Martin. Good chance of Tony getting yellow tomorrow
Some interesting pairings with Thomas-Froome, GvA-TvG, Sagan-Contador, Stybar-Martin0 -
Gonna be an interesting battle for Gee and Yogi vs Sagan for who can keep their GC guy out of trouble. It'll be like when you have to play the VIP game at paintball...
If this isnt a day for Stybar or Sep then there never will be!We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
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Don't forget Kristoff.0
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True! Good shout
Not sure when the daily cut off is but Darrel Impey has just tweeted he's out
Broken collarbone, not time cut off - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pMcCvvgMvg0 -
Contador is the Greatest0 -
True! Good shout
Not sure when the daily cut off is but Darrel Impey has just tweeted he's out
Broken collarbone, not time cut off - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pMcCvvgMvg
Nah I meant for the stage thread
We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
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Gonna say it now so I can't be accused of bias or bitterness afterwards. These may make for 1 good stage but they have no place in a GT where the GC is the main event.
I'm still going to say you're wrong. They're a historical part of cycling - why should TTs, mountains and crosswinds be deemed a valid test to determine a worthy winner but not pave? As for the crashing / mechanical problems determining the race, it's a risk on every day as we've seen two days running already. Ultimately it's only a few kms out of a few thousand.0 -
I'm hoping my tactic of underplaying my man (see today) works. So whilst I think Sep has a great chance tomorrow I think he hasn't quite got it for tomorrow... I also hadn't realised that Gesink is actually decently positioned on GC and they might want to back him instead?
Now fingers crossed.0 -
Oh oh Tony Martin on cobbles.........“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0
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If we have half a good stage as Stg5 last year we are in for a treat.
Hope the GC boys go all out and make it hell for one another and dont mark each other into oblivion. Fancy Martin for Yellow but Sagan for the win.It's not so much about winning, I just hate losing.0 -
My man Stybar for this one tomorrow. Given he is only a minute down, he could well take yellow if the GC contenders just watch out for each other (which given recent years Grand Tours will be unlikely!).0
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Would be nice if Tony Martin falls in love with the cobbles tomorrow. Think I said the same thing before last year's stage.
Got to imagine Nibali is going to try and boss the stage again. What do we reckon, van Garderen should be okay?0 -
Dry, K8-S, will the sky guys hit the front?0 -
Director sportif Nico Verhoeven expects a different scenario compared to last year.
“Now Vanmarcke is more announced than last year. Then it felt like we were the only team that were making a goal of that stage, especially in the build-up. I’m not expecting Boom to stay with Nibali if he can win the stage. Kristoff will surely not be hanging around Rodriguez for too long. I expect more teams to have their classics specialist have a go for the victory. I don’t expect someone like Van Avermaet to await van Garderen, or Langeveld to stay with Talansky all stage long. I expect more competition among the classic specialists, and especially Kristoff,” Verhoeven said at the start of the third stage in Antwerp.Contador is the Greatest0 -
Expect Nibali and Quintana to gain a little here, but Quintana will need to abandon his team and position himself. He rode well in Dwaars Door Vlandaaren and E3."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'"
@gietvangent0 -
see 364 days ago...
What happened 364 days ago that gives you so much concern over cobbles?
The weather forecast has changed somewhat and gives light rain for the finishing kms.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
