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😆 Thought I'd get in early 😉
Terrific day ahead with an HC and a CAT1 climb. There are two sprints also but I'm guessing Cavendish will be still on the descent of the Grand Saint Bernard as Hushovd takes more points(?)
This just in from Lance
Interesting note - top 20 in this TdF separated by only 6 mins. Extremely rare with just 6 days to go. Tactically very risky 4 us.7 minutes ago from UberTwitter
where is the best live www feed(s) to keep an eye on it while (ahem) working?
C
another long day in the armchair!
very risky 4 u
wha time does the stage kick off (french time pls).
got the day off, some bacon (sort of bacon because it's german; somewhere between english bacon and that american crap), bought some rolls.
ChrisE
the 'live feed' on the offical tour site is good, but not too subtle for work I guess
tankslapper - MemberThis just in from Lance
Interesting note - top 20 in this TdF separated by only 6 mins. Extremely rare with just 6 days to go. Tactically very risky 4 us.7 minutes ago from UberTwitter
What are your thoughts; is this a good thing? It's certainly making for an exciting climax, but at the expense of a pretty dull first two weeks.
Contedor thinks that everyone will be attacking him given the opportunity. It'd be interesting to see Kloden attacking being used as a distraction.
Wiggins should have an ok chance today without a summit finish.
HP
I reckon it's a good thing - it has been relatively boring in that everyone is (barring Cavendish/Hushovd) are being too nice. Ever the optomist I still think Armstrong may take a punt at Berty yet. And Wiggo - he's a revelation. Would hate the Tour to bog down now in 'unassailable lead' fiasco today!!
Thinking about it I reckon Andy, Frank and Wiggo team tagging Contador would be very interesting - I reckon it's the only way to stop him. Early co-ordinated attacks up the first Col?!
Today is a day for punishment, sending your rivals into tomorrow with nothing left in their legs - a day to be cautious if you are defending.
Armstrong will be outside the top five after these next two days, leaving him to TT for pride alone. Its an awesome final week to the race - very well conceived I think - mountain-top finish to sort men from boys, then rest, then two days of defending like crazy and the risk of over-extending yourself in the process, then the TT, then Ventoux!
We'll see a bit later, but anybody think that the whole "Contedor is too strong" thing is a very clever ruse? Armstrong used to be a master of tactics and game play. Is he having us all on?
Dream on! Armstrong was completely shot on Sunday - Kloden paced him the entire way.
Contador looked fantastic in contrast - he pace, acceleration, quick tempo in the legs and rhythm tha just ain't possible if you're done-in.
What are your thoughts; is this a good thing? It's certainly making for an exciting climax, but at the expense of a pretty dull first two weeks
Agree with that.
I can't see Lance beating Contador though depending on the time gaps, if he's got the form he may be allowed to get a stage win.
Plenty of live feed links and info [url= http://www.cyclingfans.com/ ]here[/url].
Cavs been dropped by the pelaton
How does a big old unit like Karpets get up mountains that quick? p.s. bring back the mullet Vladimir (not a patch on Laurent Brouchards though).
Here we go!
Come on Wiggo!
Anyother cracking ride by young Roche too
Shit has hit the fan. Incredible.
Wow - this is getting good now! Great to see Armstrong fighting his way back!
Should be a good scrap for the stage win between the breakaway boys.
Well the wiggins group has lost any advantage that they had.
Silly billies.
whats the layout of the groups and leaders then?
(cant get flash on client site to see the letour.fr graphic and the europsort text update is crap!)
Im in the dark here!!! 😮
Wiggins looked as comfortable as Contador matching those accelerations! Now let's see what his descending skills are like...
I love when people say armstrong doesnt have the legs anymore,
as the same age as him i wish i had so little in my legs!!
anyway hes not going to win but come on lance. 😀
Bunch sprint at the finish, I reckon.
aha! finally some useful info on the Europsport text
15:45 - 31km - Pellizotti is first over the summit, closely followed by Van den Broeck, Astarloza and Moinard. The gap is two minutes to a group of 11 featuring Armstrong, Contador, Kloden, Wiggins, Vande Velde, Voigt, both Schlecks, Uran, Ten Deam and Nibali.
go on wiggins!
As long as no one crashes, that should be that for the GC boys today. Just a scrap for the stage win.
They have been talking about Wiggo all afternoon on the italian coverage (Rai 2)
Hold-up...jens voigt face plant owwwwww!
4 up front, 2 min ahead of contador group
which has brad lance and kloden in.
Voight has crashed on descent looked nasty.
Evans 4 min down.
Yeeks, Voigt's crash looked nasty! Did you see the sparks coming off the bike in the slo-mo?
Stayed on the road on crash. Over a bump in road.
Ouch!! hope he's ok.
Wiggo leading them all down, go on son!
18sec to lead group, contador around 1.40 behind.
Great stage so far. I've driven the descent into Bourg many times and there are some tight turns further down and some very patchy sections of road, it could get interesting here!
"Did you see the sparks coming off the bike in the slo-mo?"
I thought that was his specs 😯
19km to go 1.35 to contador
Roche v Casar in sprint?
Armstrong for the stage win.
woodey - Member"Did you see the sparks coming off the bike in the slo-mo?"
I thought that was his specs
I'm just hoping it wasn't his teeth!
Did a 37 mile road downhill from a volcano summit in Maui a few years ago on old clunker with drum brakes. Big smiles all the way down, although we didn't take those sort of risks.
I'm 'waiting for the fireworks', not dark enough if you ask me!
1.18 to brad
10km to go, 1.15 to brad.
Roche 15 seconds down, if his group gets back on the leaders he could be in with a shout
Evans far enough back after today to be 'allowed' to go for break/stage win tomorrow?
8km to go, nearly a group of 8. David zabriske is leadin the wiggins group down. 1.03 behind.
Roche group 7 seconds down
Evans does a landis!
Evans does a landis!
Steady on!
🙂
All 8 together , just!
Attacks at the ready 2.5 to go.
looks like the lanky Basque has it
Astarloza looks like he's got it.
Was that brad coming in down on lance?
3.53 loss by Evans.
Good job there wasn't a group sprint with that s bend in the last km, Nearly lost a couple in the barriers.
Any news of Jens after that crash?
No news on jens just yet, looked like it hurt tho.
Just shown the crash again on italian TV, Davide Casani reckons he wasn't concentrating. Can't imagine he got up after that, however he is pretty tough so who knows
Impressive ride by Lance. Waited for the others to tire each other out and then powered back up to them.
I don't think he can beat Contador, but maybe a podium place is more secure than I thought?
That was quite a victory celebration...
Astarloza looks pretty dam happy. Good for him.
Good move by Astarloza in the final 1.5km. That crash looked nasty though, hope Jens is OK. Must have been doing about 40mph. 🙁
[i]Wiggo leading them all down, go on son![/i]
Looked more like Vandevelde to me, I think Wiggins was sitting mid-pack.
They don't look that tired on the podium.
Podium girls are looking very pretty!
But what I really want to know is who killed Kenny?!!
Kenny van Hummel - 'Oh brother where art thou?'
He's going to have a nasty case of road rash in the morning
Ouch!
He's now listed as withdrawn 😥
ooooyah, that crash was nasty
weird, too, it did seem to come from nothing much (which I suppose is where "not concentrating" came from)
Watching the highlights now! That was one hell of a gap jump by Lance - by George I think he's still got it!
News about Jens Voigt
'BOURG ST MAURICE, France (Reuters) - Germany's Jens Voigt was flown to hospital in Grenoble after a serious crash in the 16th stage of the Tour de France and will have a scan on Tuesday evening, organizers said.
"(Voigt) will undergo a full body scan in the evening," the Tour medical communique said.
"He regained consciousness in the minutes that followed the accident but he remains shocked," the communique added.
Voigt crashed heavily during the descent of the Col du Petit St Bernard on Tuesday and hit the tarmac. Doctors said the most serious injuries were to his face and right elbow.
(Editing by Ken Ferris)'
aye - what was armstrong thinking ? why not put that effort in from the chasing group and gap contador ?
and voight...........ouch ! fingers crossed he's going to recover.....
Watched the race from la Rosiere today. Will try to get some photos up shortly. Great day, brilliant atmosphere. Awesome fight-back by Lance, loved it! Looked for a minute like he was going to power right on by them.
I'm just hoping it wasn't his teeth!
I thought you were joking but it really it does look like it could have been. I really hope not. Errgh 😕
Ouch that is some crash/slide. Hope he's ok.
Nice to hear the commentary team singing the virtues of mountain biking this afternoon.
Got to say that was massive from Lance - very impressed. Tomorrow is another killer day, much worse than today actually. Still think Kloden will beat Lance though.
Weird crash for Voigt - that's the thing about the road; no time elapses between being upright and being on the deck. Nasty fall - unlucky to land so akward.
Some photos from today up here: [url=
Photos[/url]
Contador:
[img] 
[/img]
Lance:
[img] 
[/img]
Stevo
Now officially very jealous!!
Are you just 'in town' or are you following the Tour?