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They're over the first... Windy's in the first chase group.
They're over the first...
Not much of a spoiler TBH
😆
Goes through our nearest biggish town (i.e where the supermarket is) at about 140km, right by Grenoble airport.
Will pop down in a bit, but won't be as entertaining as the Glandon yesterday...
Sigh..living in France is soo hard!
Sigh..living in France is soo hard!
It was when I lived over there as well....! Tres dur. 😉
What's the feeling here? Will Nibali/Evans etc attempt a breakaway over the Col du Granier (surely that's too early in the stage), or leave it to the final, smaller climb?
The Granier is way too early. Sky can just tap it out and draw them back in.
If anything, this stage is set for a Nibbles/Cuddles/Froome showdown on the Ardoix. Wiggo doesn't have the explosive change of pace needed to cope with repeated attacks on a short climb.
Froome in yellow tonight. 😉
Froome in yellow tonight. 😉
Closely followed by
"Froome receives the mother of all bollockings from Dave Brailsford"
and
"Bradley Wiggins throws toys out of pram"
😉
Froome in yellow tonight
tenner says that doesn't happen
I'm in work, so I can't see the TV... be interesting to see how smooth Cadel's looking given that yesterday took a lot of of him and his hope's are fading. Is he still a serious contender, or are we saying Wiggo or Nibbles for the overall GC?
[url= http://www.cyclismas.com/2012/07/froome-receives-call-from-cameron-cease-and-desist/ ]Froome get's a call[/url]
Breakaway day today. All the top riders teams will be looking for a relatively easy day. So many broken riders yesterday!
Camo16
I reckon they'll wait till the climbs at end. Anything could happen though. They would really need to game a bit time to hold out. Whats the chance they'll have a bit of a rest (if its possible) and let a no threat group go out on real big break?
Nice faux filet frites in the restaurant on the col du granier. Locally sourced meat and very reasonable prices too. 8)
If anything, this stage is set for a Nibbles/Cuddles/Froome showdown on the Ardoix. Wiggo doesn't have the explosive change of pace needed to cope with repeated attacks on a short climb.
~3 minutes on a 150m 3rd cat climb at sea level?
I agree Cuddles, Nibbles and Froomedog might breakaway in the last few km and Wiggins might not follow, but I suspect it'll be closer to the line and a matter of seconds rather than minutes. i.e time BW can afford to lose but CF maybe can't.
my predictions:
Nothing much to happen at the top of GC today
apart from anything they will all be glad of the rest
Breakaway could do it. Millar is in it and this kind of stage seems to be up his street. So I'm going MILLAR.
Good call Llama. Millar tweeted about the number of riders on the limit yesterday, and was thankful he wasn't one of them. So I'm guessing he's feeling good.
Can't wait for 12 and itv4. Will it be as good as yesterday? Will Sky have worked out that if their rival teams have men up the road there will be a bit of action later?
Only Koren up front like he was yesterday for Leakygas. Burghardt dropped back to the peloton already for BMC.
Be boring apparently . Wiggins has no staying power and based on a couple of climbs froomes going to win the tour ......
* the above may not be nearly truthful
Is Froome struggling today? Rumour has it he's riding at the back of the Peloton, so is he (a) just chilling out, or (b) out of gas ?
[starting rumour] could be sat at the bAck out of protest [\starting rumour]
nothing will happen [GC wise] and the last climb is too short to drop Brad..I am sure he can remember his 4 km Olympic gold as individual Pursuit and hammer it for that short a distance still. In all honesty if he really tried I would expect him to drop all of them but he wont as he does not need to
It is the Wiggo death zone he struggles with[ 1500-2000m]
(c) sulking? 🙂
[starting rumour] could be sat at the bAck out of protest [\starting rumour]
@Froome=SPLITTER!
I assume all the French riders will be saving their legs for attacks tomorrow?
No one will get away from sky as they will being them back over the long flat section.
It'll come together and any attacks will come on the last climb. Can't see who would win it so I'll got for Hoogerland as he has been a bit of a let down for my team - at least Martin had a good excuse.
Kinda hoping for something from Sagan (would make up for the awful OP).
🙂
Wiggins on a non sky based break .....
agree with junkyard, nothing major is going to happen today.
Nice little dig by wiggins there, a quick reminder to his doubters and his opponents I think...
Froome at the back, Wiggins off the front, handbags at the ready!
Sagan's on one again... love his demon descents!
Re. Froome:
or(d)he's been ordered to the back of the [s]class[/s] peleton to lose 10-15 minutes on wiggo and so scrub from his brain any lingering GC aspirations??
I'd love Millar to get a win
What's happened to Gilbert? He's not had a look in so far, even in Belgium. On previous form I'd have him in the mix at the end today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Gilbert
Compare 2011 with 2012. Dude's got nothing this season.
RM, yeah I know, but why? (When I said 'previous' I meant last year).
but why?
Off the drugs this year 😉
Lovely scenery today!
Gorge-eous! 😉
Lovely scenery today
Speaking of which, whose the lovely blonde lady doing the interviews for Eurosport, she's very n ice indeed!
FFS flashy a bit of shaved men in lycra and you start calling them gorgeous...what with a public school boy background I am starting to have doubts about you 😉
Ah bollocks I just got the gag as well 😳
😆 Do try and keep up, Junky! 🙂
The 5 breakaway riders aren't much of a thread in the GC, so is/when is Sky going to cut the gap?
yawn
Not sure Sky will bother. Get the intermediate sprint out of the way, then see if one of the other teams fancy it.
This is more like it Bradley
[url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/jul/13/bradley-wiggins-dope-drugs ]wiggo talks[/url]
letour.fr feed says:
The likelihood of the escape staying away all the way to Annonay: high.
so come on millar!
millar to attack for a solo effort ..... but when?
warton, just read that and was about to post a link to it - he does make a very strong argument against doping, and he puts it very eloquently. Hopefully that will get re-printed in L'Equipe and the such-like.
I bet those flat smooth roads are a delight after yesterday!
they've just gone past my office. Millard was in front looking a bit tired and Wiggins was in the main group looking like he was having a little sunday ride with his mates.
didn't see Cav or Evans. the whole thing is over too quickly.
well now i'll be able to do some work. been excited all day about it .-)
I've just popped to our gym to booking a climbing course, and it turns out the meeting rooms on the ground floor are named after cyclists: Millar, Pendleton etc. [deletes crude joke about which i'd rather be in] Which is nice.
warton - Member
This is more like it Bradley
wiggo talks
Great interview, thanks for the link. Just wish others out there could talk in the same way.
how many can pendleton fit?
I like that Specialized ad.
From Ned Boulting on twitter:
Quite a good joke. RT @jdcarpentieri Very good article by Wiggins BUT I BET FROOME COULD WRITE A BETTER ONE IF SKY WOULD ONLY LET HIM
Are riders allowed to change their helmet during a stage? Millar might fancy one of those aero (not TT) helmets they were all wearing in the early stages now.
Are riders allowed to change their helmet during a stage?
Of course.
while moving or do they have to stop and change, since they should wear a helmet at all times?
Nah they can do it while moving. It's one of the rules that's enforced sensibly, unlike others.
The other day I think cancellara changed his jersey and the team car had his helmet as he put the new one on (I can only assume the original one was a half-length zip) so there's no problem with him not having one for a few mins.
Ah ok. Makes sense. You just never know.
Apparently Cav's just elbowed a cameraman who was filming him drafting cars while getting a telling off from the commissaire!
Eurosport and ITV4 have synchronised race video but not ad breaks, that's handy!
Here we go this could be like a 3k track sprint!
Think Millar is going to have it, he looks good.
Skills.
'ave it Millar!
Garmin, and Millar, really deserved that. Kinda boring stage, but good finish.
Get in there Millar!
4 GB winners in one tour!
Magic!
Wow.
yes!
Goss completely shut off Sagan there, Sagan would have had that easily.
Brilliant
aye cheats move IMHO and he knew it too
no need to move when 1 v 1 on an open road - should loose the points
Well Done Millar
Great result after a fairly dull day's racing. Muchos respectos to Millar!
Chapeau Millar.
Why no Cav in the sprint?
aparently goss has been docked points for that move
Why no Cav in the sprint?
No point. He's too far off the green jersey points wise for it to make the blindest bit of difference, he'll be knackered from doing team domestique duties all day and going over some massive mountains yesterday - may as well save every bit of effort possible.
fair enough, why doesn't he quit then?
fair enough, why doesn't he quit then?
He may well have his sights on a stage win in Paris, he's probably still got team duties to do - you don't just give up in the Tour, it looks a bit bad if the World Champion says "sod this for a game of soldiers" and goes home. If you pull out, you need a decent excuse cos the fines for "just pulling out cos you don't feel like it" are pretty steep.
fair enough, why doesn't he quit then?
Team Sky will be working for him in Paris, once the GC is sewn up (and Froome is second). Make it four in a row.
Good point - a Paris win would be nice and straightforward to set up too.
Dull stage indeed, but that Postman's Palace was pretty damn cool wasn't it?