Stage 17 - Thursday, July 22 2010, Pau - Col du Tourmalet, 174 km

ednwireland

ok a whole day to talk about this one
will schleck attack -duh, can contador keep up
who will win on th e tourmalet all to be BS'ed about here

although it could just end up like ventoux last year

Morrisseeee

So.........is this the stage to kill all stages, the one stage that will decide it all (although the TT will surely have a say aswell), will it be epic ?!:o I hope so, I'm really looking foreward to it. How do ye see it panning out ? Will there be attack after attack from other riders, or will the main protagonists set a furious pace from the start ? Eitherways I'm pushing the 'rec' button and hoping that this one is a classic

Some text from today's indo: interesting:
"It is a mountain I like, a long steep climb -- 17km -- with not too many sharp bends. The side we go up is a hard climb, but I will enjoy that.

"Rain is forecast, but I don't think it will influence matters, unless there's some crashes on the downhill before then. Wind, rain or shine, the Tourmalet is still the Tourmalet. I have improved my climbing. I don't think Alberto is going any slower than last year, but I think I'm faster. I don't believe I'll be beaten on the Tourmalet."

Close study of TV footage lead Saxo Bank to believe he lost 50 seconds on simply remounting and starting again and then had to regain momentum and pick his way through the field. Nonetheless they claim Schleck rode that last 2.8km of the climb a minimum of 35 seconds faster than Contador, who also had colleagues around to support him. If Schleck could replicate that form over a longer distance on the Tourmalet this afternoon it would set up one of the greatest finishes in Tour history.

ednwireland

prob epic or a complete washout
although i think contador will be going for the stage win if he has the legs as i dont think he'll want to win a tour without an open road stage win
(or schleck and contador go at each other and menchov wins by 5 mins )

TinyExplosions

I think that Schleck has to attack this one -I don't think he's given up, or is happy at how things are, and he knows he has to put time into Contador to have any chance at the yellow (and he's probably praying for bucket loads of rain for the TT)

My predection -he'll stick Jens on the front at the foot of the Tourmalet, and get him to blow everyone other than the real contenders out of the water, then will attack as hard as he can (most likely to be drawn back by Vino), and will put a couple of seconds into Contador, but not nearly enough to win

Funkyzeit

Aside from the G.C , the Polka dot battle should be a great one - expect fireworks from Moreau and Charteau/BBOX desperately trying to defend it.

niceonetom

velopeloton wrote: »

Kelly was just on the French TV news. He was walking and pushing the bike on part of the climb. It is very cold here this morning with very heavy rain, thunder & lightning. Not a great day for Col du Tourmalet. If it stays like this there will be no TV coverage, rain is so heavy our BBC satellite is not receiving any signal.

ednwireland

niceonetom wrote: »

Bl**dy mountains - it'll clear up by lunch (eternal optimist here)

joker77

Can't watch/listen to it here in work today, out on site, so will be just following from the yahoo/eurosport page, and here - so keep the updates coming!

Chips Lovell

Cavendish FTW

velopeloton

15c, still raining & no sign of a break.

FrankGrimes

Looking forward to this big time, though I reckon Tiny's version is the most likely way it'll pan out - I hope, but can't see, Schleck putting as much time into Contador as he needs.

I turned 30 today and my 'birthday treat' to self involves taking a half-day off work and getting home in time to be all setup to do the 25km run up to the Tourmalet on my Tacx Fortius as soon as the first rider hits that point. Will set the Tacx to reduce power requirements to 80% of the real thing and then see how far behind the pros time that puts me. Widescreen Tacx Tourmalet on one screen, Eurosport live TV on the other...it don't get more boy dreamer than that!

FrankGrimes

Just heard a minute of the Eursoport audio feed and it said 'Carlos Barrera making a lone bid for glory' so he must be gone on a solo break.

DirkVoodoo

Happy Birthday Frank!

I'm going to head out for a spin, would getting home for 2pm be a good time or can I leave it a bit later?

velopeloton

FrankGrimes wrote: »

Just heard a minute of the Eursoport audio feed and it said 'Carlos Barrera making a lone bid for glory' so he must be gone on a solo break.

Tuesdays highlights. Race starts at 12:30

ednwireland

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Happy Birthday Frank!

I'm going to head out for a spin, would getting home for 2pm be a good time or can I leave it a bit later?

estimated time schedules here

http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/LIVE/us/1700/etape_par_etape.html

DirkVoodoo

Who is your man Tony on eurosport? He just said "black socks are against the law" and chastised Wiggins for wearing them, saying they "look terrible".

He is my new best friend, move over Martyn.

kennyb3

TinyExplosions wrote: »

My predection -he'll stick Jens on the front at the foot of the Tourmalet, and get him to blow everyone other than the real contenders out of the water, then will attack as hard as he can (most likely to be drawn back by Vino), and will put a couple of seconds into Contador, but not nearly enough to win

+ 1, dont think he ll do enough for an overall win. I think Saxo should really get together and make thsi one of the toughest stages ever with a ferocious pace. they have to do everything they can to get it down to the two men as early on the tourmalet. schlek needs approx 2 mins which means he has to properly break contador and go early (although not mad early), but 2-3k out today wont be enough imho

Chips Lovell

Nice break. Although none of them would be among the best climbers.

Lumen

TinyExplosions wrote: »

My predection -he'll stick Jens on the front at the foot of the Tourmalet, and get him to blow everyone other than the real contenders out of the water, then will attack as hard as he can (most likely to be drawn back by Vino), and will put a couple of seconds into Contador, but not nearly enough to win

I don't understand this. What's the disadvantage of having a Vino stuck on your rear wheel? Just ignore him.

Or do you mean Vino helping Contador bridge across?

kennyb3

Lumen wrote: »

I don't understand this. What's the disadvantage of having a Vino stuck on your rear wheel? Just ignore him.

Or do you mean Vino helping Contador bridge across?

This is something i ve always found mind boggling, i totally understand not attacking when you are dragging a whole group along = pointless, but so often you see contador and schlek stop attacks because the other responds. why not just ignore them at least for few hundred metres and make a concerted effort and see if they really have the legs. hopefully thats what schlek will do today. ignore contador, vino or whoever else and just cycle as fast as he can to the top of the climb

velopeloton

Webcams on Pic du Midi 5km from Tourmalet

http://bagn.obs-mip.fr/webcamV2/

Lumen

velopeloton wrote: »

Webcams on Pic du Midi 5km from Tourmalet

http://bagn.obs-mip.fr/webcamV2/

Temp: 5.6 °C.

Brrrr!

TinyExplosions

Lumen wrote: »

I don't understand this. What's the disadvantage of having a Vino stuck on your rear wheel? Just ignore him.

Or do you mean Vino helping Contador bridge across?

Sorry, my eengleesh spazzed out there... I mean Vino helping Contador to bridge across

DirkVoodoo

Sanchez is down and it looks bad!!!

NickDrake

Nasty weather at the top. Visabilty will be very poor.

Hopefully someone will make a move and not watch eachother like the last few stages.

Contador to take it my 40 secs

niceonetom

Now Berto is all mag-fecking-nanimous...

DirkVoodoo

Now that's being a jerk! Nasty fall and away goes Sastre!

Lumen

niceonetom wrote: »

Now Berto is all mag-fecking-nanimous...

Schleck should pretend to drop his chain, just to screw with him.

Caroline_ie

I missed that crash I was re heating my lunch. Poor Sammy

niceonetom

So we've already lost audio from the top and we're about to lose live video too. Instead of watching a ding-dong battle up the Tourmalet narrated by Kelly we're going to listen to Carlton bloody Kirby whitter on about his holidays while watching recorded images from earlier in the day... or Bulgarian ping-pong or whatever else eurosport can show us live...

I refer you to the picture I posted above.


FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

NickDrake

Ya looks like we are not going to see much of todays race with the weather and we dont have a hope of seeing the climb. Very disappointing

DirkVoodoo

Just to be 100% clear, because I don't want to cause a kerfuffle: Spoiler are ok in this thread as it's a race day thread?

Lumen

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Just to be 100% clear, because I don't want to cause a kerfuffle: Spoiler are ok in this thread as it's a race day thread?

Yes.

Inquitus

niceonetom wrote: »

So we've already lost audio from the top and we're about to lose live video too. Instead of watching a ding-dong battle up the Tourmalet narrated by Kelly we're going to listen to Carlton bloody Kirby whitter on about his holidays while watching recorded images from earlier in the day... or Bulgarian ping-pong or whatever else eurosport can show us live...

I refer you to the picture I posted above.


FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Fúcking disaster imo.

niceonetom

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Just to be 100% clear, because I don't want to cause a kerfuffle: Spoiler are ok in this thread as it's a race day thread?

I beleive that to be the arrangement.

Maybe we could have HERE BE SPOILERS or something in the thread title? - just remove all doubt/later whinging. Mods?

Lumen

niceonetom wrote: »

I beleive that to be the arrangement.

Maybe we could have HERE BE SPOILERS or something in the thread title? - just remove all doubt/later whinging. Mods?

I would have thought that after 16 consecutive stage-specific threads the protocols would be pretty clear.

niceonetom

Lumen wrote: »

I would have thought that after 16 consecutive stage-specific threads the protocols would be pretty clear.

Yes, you'd think. And yet people we're using the tags so apparently doubt lingers.

Don't blame me when the whiners appear.

TinyExplosions

Woooo! Jens moving up to the front -c'mon my son!

manafana

tyler farrar and his lenses are getting on my nerves. Does anyone find the pozatto sidi ad disturbing?

Chips Lovell

No

DirkVoodoo

I love the ads, stick in a bit of Juan Sheet and we are sorted.

You know you are watching the tour, that's what I like about it. The cheesier the ads the better.

EDIT: Lumen, thanks! Just wanted to be clearer than clear, I know this is a big stage and I wouldn't have been as worried about messing up on any of the previous ones.

at1withmyself

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I love the ads, stick in a bit of Juan Sheet and we are sorted.

You know you are watching the tour, that's what I like about it. The cheesier the ads the better.

EDIT: Lumen, thanks! Just wanted to be clearer than clear, I know this is a big stage and I wouldn't have been as worried about messing up on any of the previous ones.

Th skoda one is my favouite, always gets a chuckle out of me, although does it count as an ad! Tylar's one being the worst IMO......

Sport101

Good Eurosport UK stream anyone? The ones I have keep stalling.
Thanks

Hungrycol

manafana wrote: »

tyler farrar and his lenses are getting on my nerves.

Somebody on here once said they're starting a whiparound to get him bleedin laser eye surgery :D

DirkVoodoo

at1withmyself wrote: »

Th skoda one is my favouite, always gets a chuckle out of me, although does it count as an ad! Tylar's one being the worst IMO......

It is pretty bad, they could have made him speak a little faster and cut the ad in half.

"I'm Tylar.....Farrar.....sprinter.....for.....team......"

Argh! Hurry up, "glasses, change in light, buy them, go go go".

goods

+1 looking for a good uk eurosport stream, my adthe one is stalling

DominoDub

http://www.cyclingfans.com/node/1157

a few live links !

goods

nice one dom, eurosport working perfect

Morrisseeee

Just tuning in after an unexpected break! and............why is Eurosport showing the Tour De Irlande I presume they're on the Conor Pass
Back on topic, fairly boring so far, when will Schleck make his move ??!!

Funkyzeit

LOL @ Harmon's Irish accent...

Guybrush T

Morrisseeee wrote: »

Just tuning in after an unexpected break! and............why is Eurosport showing the Tour De Irlande I presume they're on the Conor Pass
Back on topic, fairly boring so far, when will Schleck make his move ??!!

My guess is 5-6k from the top of the Tourmalet, if Contador attacks it will be with 1 or 2 K to go.