[Closed] TdF Stage 11 - A Tough One [Spoilers]

I have a sneaky suspicion that sky will unleash some pain today

I have a sneaky suspicion that sky will unleash some pain today

so do I

Yep. Pain will be delivered today. On the Croix de Fer, I reckon.

They're only half way through so I doubt Sky will be digging too hard, no need to drop everyone when they have 2 mins in hand. After all, the Pyrenees can be pretty damn tough...

psychological reason IMHO
wiggo has only ever struggled on the later parts of 2000 m climbs it will be to show he cannot be dropped and to crush the will of his opponents.
this is the most mountains one - ell ITV just said it was

i want to see Nibali grovel like a bitch today as he tries to hang onto wiggins's wheel

Cancellara gone back home I just heard. Interesting, that means Rorschach has lost two riders..

Cancellara not at the start. He's at the maternity ward holding his wife's hand.

Cancellara not at the start. He's at the maternity ward holding his wife's hand.

Good for him! Some things are more important! 🙂

Sky don't really have to do anything really. Just sit up front. They've got 2 minutes on everyone. Its up to anyone else who's any intention of competing to attack. Then they can react.

Todays stage looks truly evil though!!! My legs hurt just looking at the profile of those climbs

The Glandon has some nasty ramps, I remember just after the river crossing which was horrible and many gradient changes too. Just looking up at the photo of me going up it that's on my home office wall.

Sky will have to keep a close watch on Evans/Nibali since if they make time on the descents since today there are no valley floors to catch up on.

Personally I'd like to see Sky dish out the pain to Nibali today. His "I've been disrespected by Wiggins" comments are laughable.

Cav got all this 'not showing enough respect' crap from the uppity continentals, when he started looking potentially unbeatable?

Hope Brad answers it in the same style, which he probably will

[img] [/img]

😆

Personally I'd like to see Sky dish out the pain to Nibali today. His "I've been disrespected by Wiggins" comments are laughable.

^This^

The only more pathetic sporting comments this week have been from Mitchell "That song" Johnson of the embarrassingly poor Aussie cricket team.

Quite. "I didn't like the way he looked at me on the stage"

MTFU Nibali!

"i want to see Nibali grovel like a bitch today as he tries to hang onto wiggins's wheel "

+1

Sole breakawy by a lowly placed climber.

Main cotenders will just be chased down.

A couple of the fellas here in work did this stage on Sunday as the Etape Act 1.

They said it was carnage. Only just over half the field finished, with the dustcart being put back by 2 hours.

One of the guys saw a chap swept up in the last Km .... Now that's harsh

One of the guys saw a chap swept up in the last Km .... Now that's harsh

I think you'll find that was because he was under the required Assos/Rapha/Strava/Carbon threshold for the event.

One of the guys saw a chap swept up in the last Km .... Now that's harsh

I think you'll find that was because he was under the required Assos/Rapha/Strava/Carbon threshold for the event.

Nibbles to fire off down the far side of col de la croix de fer to catch up with a breakaway?

One of the guys saw a chap swept up in the last Km .... Now that's harsh

A friend of a friend got swept up in the first 3km after he'd been training all year for it and was potentially going to get a very good time. But he got a puncture.

From today's [url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jul/12/tour-de-france-stage-11-live#block-10 ]Guardian[/url]

Team Europcar rider Thomas Voeckler is, apparently, one of the morst unpopular riders in the peloton. I have no idea why and he's always struck me as an honest, nails-hard cyclist who seems affable enough, if a bit of a drama queen.

Anybody able to shed any light on this? Following pro cycling only loosely, I've always quite liked him...

Where's this quote from nibali anyone got alink?

[url= http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/533850/nibali-hits-out-at-wiggins-after-tour-frustration.html ]Nibali interview[/url]

nibali said at the start that he feared evans but not Brad and it seems the trolling has worked

nibali said at the start that he feared evans but not Brad and it seems the trolling has worked

😀

[img] [/img]

Markie - I think it's because he doesn't play ball with the "lets have an easy day", "respect the peloton" etc... and likes to do his own thing too much.

TD - http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/nibali-wiggins-needs-to-respect-his-rivals

Only just over half the field finished, with the dustcart being put back by 2 hours.

A friend of a friend got swept up in the first 3km after he'd been training all year for it and was potentially going to get a very good time. But he got a puncture.

It took him 2 hours to fix a puncture?!

"I think you'll find that was because he was under the required Assos/Rapha/Strava/Carbon threshold for the event. "

Ha... I'd never thought of it like that before .... spot on.

nibali said at the start that he feared evans but not Brad

[img] http://bookofjoe.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c5dea53ef014e89f06242970d-600wi [/img]

So is Nibali

[img] [/img]
You looking at me?

Or

[img] [/img]
Who you giving evils?

I love nibbles balls out descending but what a whining prima don. Get him on the crease with Glen McGrath! I hope sky take them to bits.

It took him 2 hours to fix a puncture?!

Sorry, this was a couple of years ago.

Pot and kettle - Evans suggested Nibali was unsportsmanlike yesterday because he attacked while someone had a mechanical.

Thought so 😉

this was a couple of years ago.

Thomas Voeckler is, apparently, one of the morst unpopular riders in the peloton.

Is he unpopular because their wives talk about his tongue?

Ooooh - what an exciting start!

Thomas Voeckler is, apparently, one of the morst unpopular riders in the peloton.

From cyclingnews:
Voeckler's win once again confirms him as the darling of the French public, at least in July, but that status contrasts sharply with the reputation he holds in some quarters of the peloton. Before he took his leave, Voeckler was asked why he was such an unpopular figure among some of his fellow professionals.

"I answered this question earlier in the year and it made a lot of noise," he said. "So you have to ask the other riders, they're the only ones who can give you an answer."

So still no real clue as to why the other riders don't like him... Off to search for previous news items...

http://doctoramarthacastro.wordpress.com/category/thomas-voeckler/

Nice to see some of the riders taking their tips on humility from John Terry, who himself could still win the tour this year 🙂

From the Guardian feed:

"I'd always thought, as you did, that Thomas Voeckler seemed like a 'salt of the earth' kind of guy," writes Brad McMillan. "Then I listened to the (excellent, but way too short) ITV podcast this morning and Ned Boulting described asking Voeckler for a quick interview; a request met with snarling, almost threatening behaviour until the moment the camera rolled ... and it was suddenly all sweetness and smiles. Ned referred to it, somewhat disdainfully, as the 'Europcar Smile'."

Thanks for he link trickydisco, backs up hammerite's take on the situation for sure.

Cheers guys.

Re Tommy ... it all kind of adds up... He IS french... so was born stroppy and charismatic in equal measure

Nibbles dropped and drafting his team car doe all he's worth......

Wasn't he getting a drink from the team car?

he'd send someone to get a drink for him surely. Unless he's sent all his team up the road to leapfrog later?

Just seen a few guys taking Powerbar bottles from a Powerbar liveried motorbike. Would these just be water - aren't they all on highly specific energy drinks?

Nibali had a mechanical I think. superstar brake pads i reckon

He wouldn't send someone to get a drink if he wanted a quick talk about tactics.

I think the powerbar stuff would just be water. They were also taking drinks from a Vittel bike too.

Scarponi is looking interesting. Is he after a stage win, or after yesterday gaining a few minutes under the radar to sneak into the top 10? Or playing the long game for the Polka dot jersey?

TJ attacks....

Going ahead to be there for Cuddles later on in the stage?

Interesting...

Chess on bikes!

CUDDLES!

attack from Evans.....ride him down sky.....

go on evans, lets see some cracks in team sky

*im riding tonight, so wont see the highlights, therefore may as well follow the text updates*

Race starts here.......

Sky tapping it out slowly....

Calm? Or struggling? Faces showing nothing!

2 BMC riders with evans, this needs to be closed down

One BMC rider dropped from Cuddles.

Sky still tapping it along. Split the Peloton to pieces!

I think they bank on never losing much time by just sticking to the plan and not fluctuating the pace massively putting themselves too far into the red.

So they'll carry on riding to the same power output as they always do, so will just keep tapping out a rhythm.

They may push it a bit on the final climb if the gap keeps growing.

Cuddles has been dropped by TJ! I don't think he's got it in him today....

Coming back on to the wheel slowly.

We drove this climb last year, the Mrs hated it. Doesn't like narrowish roads with drops to the side when a campervan starts heading towards us.

I rode the way up to Croix de la Fer from Bourg d'Oisans.

Good effort, Cuddles.

No chance, though.

why am i stuck in a teleconference instead of watching the TV!!!!

why am i stuck in a teleconference instead of watching the TV!!!!

Poor diary management, I'd say.

😉

cuddles doesn't look like his legs have got it today, sky should attack him.

Is Nibali in the Sky group, or is he down the road moaning about his mechanical?

Given he doesn't rate Brad, i assume he wouldn't have needed them to wait for him?

The Sky train looks pretty ominous.

The Sky train looks pretty ominous.

Like a dark cloud looming.....

I'd say omnipotent rather than ominous.

Great crowd support and atmosphere on the big climbs

BUMP!

all the big boys together now

Cuddles to go for it on the descent, with his great bike handling skills? He used to be a mountain biker don'tcha know...

Sky should be the hammer down now after evans exertions, they don't need to but they should just for kicks.

Aye and pay back for it tomorrow .....

Nibali will have another dig i reckon

Cuddles egos bruised after that tejay was destroying his own captain .

Long stage tomorrow but not a monster climbing wise so they should kick some arse today.

I am starting to warm to cuddles.
As the holder he is showing the TdF immense respect and he is a least trying to attack rather than just moaning.
I expect him to launch again on the descent.
Cant see any change now unless Sky do as I predicted and have a pop to see who still has some legs

I reckon Nibali is going to have a go on this next short climb and try to extend a gap on the descent.

Maybe we'll see an attack from Froome to put Evans under some pressure.