Stage 15 TdF 2015 Mende - Valence *SPOILERS*

FJS
FJS Posts: 4,820
edited July 2015 in Pro race
Stage 15 is categorised as 'flat', which means maximum points at the finish for the green jersey. Still, there's this tricky 2nd cat climb with about 50 km to go. Plus, a hilly start which will be difficult to control. Breakaway? Cavendish v Greipel? Sagan v Degenkolb? Who knows. Will be interesting to see which teams try to control the first kilometers, Lotto and QuickStep, or Saxo and Giant.

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Comments

  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,195
    Good to see epicureans catered for in the spoiler start, nice work FJS.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,503
    Inner Ring states that Greipel is suffering from heat stroke. If Sagan had his own team then he might try to drop the sprinters, but I don't think that is now likely. So possibly Cav vs Sagan sprint
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    We need a horse:

    ploughing-the-vineyard-with-a-horse-domaine-m-sorrel-hermitage-rhone-BAK4Y2.jpg
    Correlation is not causation.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    I quite like the sound of the town 'Charmes-sur-Rhone' at km 166. Oozes la douce France, n'est pas?

    I'm sure in reality it'll be something of a collection of concrete towerblocks by one of Le Corbusier's less talented appprentices, industrial estates, businessparks, hypermarches, and a nuclear powerplant
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Can't imagine anything other than some kind of bunch sprint because this is the sprinters' only opportunity until Paris.

    You'll probably see Greipel and Cav dropped after the first climb because the pace will be really high to try and get in the break. But after that there'll be an organised chase.
  • slim_boy_fat
    slim_boy_fat Posts: 1,810
    Got to be a bunch sprint as the sprinters have not had many opportunities this year.
  • I shall have my fingers crossed for 'My Man' - Mark 'The Manx Missile' Cavendish today. He can get over that climb and hopefully go on to take the win.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    We need a horse:

    ploughing-the-vineyard-with-a-horse-domaine-m-sorrel-hermitage-rhone-BAK4Y2.jpg

    And a butcher by the loos of things...
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    One of those stages where we miss 50 of the most exciting km. Could be an exciting chase for some of the sprinters to get back on after the final climb though. Come on, Cav.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Inner Ring states that Greipel is suffering from heat stroke.


    Well why wouldn't he? It's not like I've picked him as my PTP pick or anything.

    :angry face emoji:
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • Inner Ring states that Greipel is suffering from heat stroke.


    Well why wouldn't he? It's not like I've picked him as my PTP pick or anything.

    :angry face emoji:

    You might show some consideration for your rider, rather than bemoan the impact of his condition on a meaningless competition.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Inner Ring states that Greipel is suffering from heat stroke.


    Well why wouldn't he? It's not like I've picked him as my PTP pick or anything.

    :angry face emoji:

    You might show some consideration for your rider, rather than bemoan the impact of his condition on a meaningless competition.

    Yes. Because that's what was happening in that post.
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    One of those days where there's a chance of cheating the sprinters with a late attack. Tired sprinters and tired teammates.


    .. which means we'll get a sprint..
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Would love to see Cav win today, but I'm not so sure he will. Giant, Katusha and Etixx will probably control the peloton and chase the break down.
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Sky warm up surrounded by six gendarmes. via @a_thomas_commin

    CKRVJmkWgAA6VbJ.jpg
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Speaking to letour.com this morning, Etixx-Quick Step's directeur sportif Davide Bramati said: "Of course this stage suits Mark Cavendish but it's going to be difficult to control the race today. The early part is tricky. There's a hill in the first ten kilometers. It can favor a long lasting breakaway. If they're twenty at the front like yesterday, it'll be mission impossible. If they're five or six, we'll cooperate with the other sprinters teams with the hope for Mark to win another stage. Everyone is tired. Greipel crashed yesterday. But Sagan showed he's still in good form with the fifth place in Mende. Mark Renshaw had been disqualified at Bourg-lès-Valence in 2010 but he's not there for revenge. We just hope he'll be there to lead Mark out as well as he did in Fougères."
  • slim_boy_fat
    slim_boy_fat Posts: 1,810
    Sky warm up surrounded by six gendarmes. via @a_thomas_commin

    CKRVJmkWgAA6VbJ.jpg
    Has it really come to that. Crazy times!
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Sky warm up surrounded by six gendarmes. via @a_thomas_commin

    CKRVJmkWgAA6VbJ.jpg
    Has it really come to that. Crazy times!

    Burn the witch!

    Sad. Sad. Sad.
  • bflk
    bflk Posts: 240
    Thought I'd watch from the start today with the dimension data tracker but it seems I can't :-(

    "Our live tracking broadcast will be available shortly after the commencement of television coverage.
    In the meantime, please take a look at the official Tour website."

    Not sure what time that means though, do all the networks start coverage at the same time?
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    edited July 2015
    Earliest live feeds should start in around 35 mins.

    Break has reached the top of the côte de Badaroux. 24 riders including Pinot, JC Péraud, Sagan, Talansky, Pauwels, A.Yates, Kwiatkowski, Hesjedal, Jungels... but no-one from the Team BSE!
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Sagan in the early break with 15 others including Kwia. Cav dropped already.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    edited July 2015
    24 in the BOTD including Pinot, Vuillermoz, Sagan, Westra, Hesjedal, A Yates, Talansky, Rogers, Peraud, Kruijswijk, Jungels, Herrada, Durasek, Plaza, Quemeneur, Trentin, Edet, Van Baarle, Pauwels, Anacona, Voss, Geschke, Gautier.

    EDIT: And Purito, Uran and Bak
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Thought I'd watch from the start today with the dimension data tracker but it seems I can't :-(

    "Our live tracking broadcast will be available shortly after the commencement of television coverage.
    In the meantime, please take a look at the official Tour website."

    Not sure what time that means though, do all the networks start coverage at the same time?

    By and large, though eurosport player *might* have the live feed from the motos up earlier.
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    24 in the BOTD including Pinot, Vuillermoz, Sagan, Westra, Hesjedal, A Yates, Talansky, Rogers, Peraud, Kruijswijk, Jungels, Herrada, Durasek, Plaza, Quemeneur, Trentin, Edet, Van Baarle, Pauwels, Anacona, Voss, Geschke, Gautier.

    EDIT: And Purito, Uran and Bak

    Strong break, though some odd names in there. Pinot in particular is obviously coming back into something approaching his expected level. Would have thought he'd save himself for a mountain stage.

    Kruijswijk too, come to think of it.
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Katusha having to do the work at the front of the peloton, no doubt for Kristoff later on. Did they miss out on the break?

    Gap is holding at around 45". Ticker news is that JC Péraud is getting dropped by the main field.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Quick Step, Lotto and Giant have riders in the break, Sagan's there. Can Katusha pull back a group of 27 on their own. Interesting that they're working when J-Rod's in the break...
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    edited July 2015
    Superfluous
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Quick Step, Lotto and Giant have riders in the break, Sagan's there. Can Katusha pull back a group of 27 on their own. Interesting that they're working when J-Rod's in the break...

    They said that this is a stage they are targeting for Kristoff a couple of days ago. Not sure why Purito is in the break to be honest.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Only 25" now
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Quick Step, Lotto and Giant have riders in the break, Sagan's there. Can Katusha pull back a group of 27 on their own. Interesting that they're working when J-Rod's in the break...

    They said that this is a stage they are targeting for Kristoff a couple of days ago. Not sure why Purito is in the break to be honest.

    Very odd.
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy