Stage 8 - Sunday, July 11 2010, Station des Rousses - Morzine-Avoriaz

ednwireland

nowhere to hide today

Summit hitout tests the big hitters

The fact that Colombian climbing legend Lucho Herrera won a very similar stage to this back in 1985 underlines the importance of this stage to the yellow jersey contenders. As the popular old adage goes, it’ll be one of those days they can’t win the Tour but can definitely lose it.

The main difficulty is the Ramaz, the first cat one ascent of the race and one only used once before, back in 2003 when Richard Virenque led the race over it and won in Morzine. The climb to Avoriaz is not super hard, but as a high summit finish it can be counted on to split the main contenders to some extent as those with the legs and those without are sorted out.

sdigby

Not a lot of people know maybe! but you can watch the tour in glorious HD for free on the German satellite channel Das Erste (1HD) on the Astra 1 satellite.
Commentary is in German but you can use the commentary from an old analogue sat receiver tuned to German Eurosport with English selected. Sounds complicated but its working fine for me. Picture is stunning!! You need sat dish + HD sat receiver at least.

Signal_ rabbit

sdigby wrote: »

Not a lot of people know maybe! but you can watch the tour in glorious HD for free on the German satellite channel Das Erste (1HD) on the Astra 1 satellite.
Commentary is in German but you can use the commentary from an old analogue sat receiver tuned to German Eurosport with English selected. Sounds complicated but its working fine for me. Picture is stunning!! You need sat dish + HD sat receiver at least.

How?

ednwireland

Signal_ rabbit wrote: »

How?

move your dish tune in your hd receiver i guess

no point for me no HD telly

Raedwald

Cannot wait for tomorrow, think with the rest day following some of the lads will be giving it hell for leather if needs be.

With regard to the GC contenders, i feel that it could be a case of them all watching each other and sitting at the front of the peloton if anyone tries to go early.

I think that Armstrong will have to give it a bash as he is down on time to the other main contenders. and will have kloden pushing him all day long. It also might show what ideas about GC Vino has, if any.

One thing is for sure it will be very interesting.

drogdub

Think you might see the likes of Basso and Sastre who need to gain time having a go tomorrow.

petethedrummer

Evans to blast them all a new one.

jwshooter

evens , contador ,armstrong . this will be like the final shoot out in the good the bad and the ugly .

the music has stopped time for the shooting to start , schleck will have the legs but not the support ,saying that he might/will have to win today .

2smiggy

i think the main contenders will be content to finish together today. the Pyrenees stages are tough this year so they may save themselves for those.

although i am hoping for a good attacking stage today. the real fun will start about 55km from the finish.

alibabba

A fairly tame race today so far. Even the pack at the front not killing themselves. Expecting things to explode as soon as they go vertigo

ROK ON

jwshooter wrote: »

evens , contador ,armstrong . this will be like the final shoot out in the good the bad and the ugly .

the music has stopped time for the shooting to start , schleck will have the legs but not the support ,saying that he might/will have to win today .

I dont understand why.
Why would a team want to expend energy defending the yellow jersey for a week before the Pyrenees are encountered.
Evans needs to do very little IMO, just roughly maintain where he is.

If anything, Schleck or Sastre need to begin moving up the ranks, but I'd say thats about it. Finish in the 1st few groups, and hopefully allow Quick Step defend the jerseys for next few days.
Patience required I think.

mloc123

Another fall for Lance...

manafana

chavenel losing ground, should see a new yellow today, if pace does go up.

Domestiques getting dropped, but not a quick pace, just steady, why sky are doing most work i dont know

manafana

bang, astana up it, and armstrong if off the back. Will be some changes today fancy contador if he does give it a go.

titan18

Everyone's going now.Vino,Kloeden,Luis Leon Sanchez and Armstrong gone off.Wonder if it's Armstrong's falls or if he just doesn't have it today

manafana

to be honest ll sanhez is no a real climber so he wudnt be too happy with this climb, armstrongs group quiet big now their all suck the pace off radioshack riding it.

Le mevel blew very quick today

titan18

Can anyone see Basso in the main group.I saw Kreuziger.

Basso is in there.Just saw him

manafana

nah cudnt see him, but i assume hes in their if you havnt seen them pop off back its most likely still in contador group.

thereturn

Anyone know which group Roche is in?

titan18

Roche is with the main group.Think Gadret is in there with him too

manafana

well vino's back he'll give lads a gud line for the descent, basso is in their too anyway and sastre anyone else?

thereturn

titan18 wrote: »

Roche is with the main group.Think Gadret is in there with him too

Super.Saw Gadret didn't see Roche.

Esroh

He has 2 teamates with him:D

cooker3

Looks like Lance has accepted it.

titan18

Armstrong stopped again.Some amount of bad luck he has had today

mloc123

Odds on Armstrong pulling out?

manafana

well his actual crash was his own doing, horner gone up road now, leip is the new man lance has given up the ghost.

cooker3

mloc123 wrote: »

Odds on Armstrong pulling out?

Highly doubt it. He claims he is doing this for Livestrong, this will show if he is true to this word.

He can still go for stage victories.

RayJ

Esroh wrote: »

He has 2 teamates with him:D

According to letour.com Roche isn't there.

manafana

ryder herdshal of garmin just hanging on at moment.

mloc123

cooker3 wrote: »

Highly doubt it. He claims he is doing this for Livestrong, this will show if he is true to this word.

He can still go for stage victories.

I wouldn't be too suprised if he pulled out due to 'injury'... he looks to be struggling and I don't think he would be happy to finish as an 'also ran'

alibabba

Andy Schlek is stalking Contador and looks very comfortable

IM0

titan18 wrote: »

Everyone's going now.Vino,Kloeden,Luis Leon Sanchez and Armstrong gone off.Wonder if it's Armstrong's falls or if he just doesn't have it today

just to add to fuel to that...

looked like when he crashed [for the 2nd time of 3 today] he was way down the field, wrong place to be for a tour favourite coming into the final 60km of a mtn stage..

you create your own luck..good or bad that is

manafana

watch this rodriquez guy, was my little bet for kom, hes got talent and no team commitments

RayJ

RayJ wrote: »

According to letour.com Roche isn't there.

Actually I think I just saw Roche. After Riblon and Gadret dropped off, there's still a A2LM jersey!

cooker3

Jaysus Roche looks in bits.

ednwireland

roche just dropped seriously suffering

poppers

roche gone now by the looks of it

Esroh

RayJ wrote: »

According to letour.com Roche isn't there.

Just dropped with 6.3 to go

alibabba

He looked pretty feic'd

ednwireland

wiggins still there ? i think

Esroh

alibabba wrote: »

He looked pretty feic'd

Great ride though

DirkVoodoo

Great ride by Roche, that was a face of pure suffering, hopefully he won't lose too much time.

Just waiting for Alberto to make his move, hopefully.

And I actually feel pretty sorry for Lance, I don't know why but my heart went out to him, pretty unlucky all day.

andyman

Shame for Roche. Was a stunning ride to keep up with the peloton for so long.

alibabba

Looks like there are more motorbikes than bicycles

alibabba

Come on roche gobble a power bar and get the fcuk up that hill

ednwireland

wiggins gone

bbosco

Some day's work by Navarro.

cooker3

Schlek attacking. Contador can't respond!

alibabba

alibabba wrote: »

Andy Schlek is stalking Contador and looks very comfortable

Class ride andy, class

cooker3

Timewise not a huge deal but Schleck landed a massive psychological blow against Contador today.