Tour de France 2016, July 10, Stage 9: Val d'Aran / Andorra Arcalis *SPOILERS*

Darkglasses

Date: Sunday 10th July
Type: Mountains
Distance: 184Km
Start/Finish: Val d'Aran / Andorra Arcalis







We're into the principality of Andorra, which as you know means we're in the upsy downy bit of the race. Nestled between France and Spain, Andorra is a small country of 468 km 2 with 65 summits higher than 2,500 metres, and tomorrow's stage features 3 cat 1s, 1 cat 2, and a HC climb to round off the day with a summit finish. Should be the same contenders as the previous day, too difficult for a breakaway more than likely. Chris Froome marked himself as the man to beat in stunning fashion today, and he enters as comfortable favourite with the bookies. Nairo Quintana, Joaquin Rodriguez, Dan Martin and Fabio Aru should also feature highly again.

We are spoiled with TV coverage tomorrow, whole stage from start to finish live on TG4 and Eurosport.

Live coverage:
TG4 - 10.50am
Eurosport - 11.15am
ITV4 - 1.00pm

TheBlaaMan

In common with a lot of monster stages, and coming just before the rest day, I reckon the main contenders will mark each other closely and someone else, Nibali? Pinot? will hop of the front in the last km to take the win,.

Looks like the weather here will be fairly sh1te..... Wonder if I can get away with watching the full of the stage on the telly, Hmmmm..

afatbollix

All ready live on Eurosport. I wonder will it be all managing the situation or balls out riding.

ednwireland

Nairo Quintana

Still out on the bike wet and windy in donegal. Got the headwind now all the way home.

They better save some action for when I get home.:)

at1withmyself

Contador and valverde moving across to the break which is 1.11 ahead. Gonna be a cracker today with pinot and majka also in the break

at1withmyself

Moviestar have 3 in the break and sky being made to work hard already on the first climb

at1withmyself

at1withmyself wrote: »

Contador and valverde moving across to the break which is 1.11 ahead. Gonna be a cracker today with pinot and majka also in the break

Contador back in the peleton

g0g

Anyone else watching on Eurosport Player? Had any luck with the multicam? When I select any Motos on the side it just says "The Live Stream will start in a few moments"

Edit - Ignore, first extra pic just started to show

dastardly00

Valverde now back in the peloton.

pelevin

Dan Martin

Seems every time I look Contador seems to be out the back talking to his team car.

Weepsie

Commentators just said he's been back a lot taking to them. They wondered if he's going to pull out. Was hoping he'd stay in the break with 2 team mates up the road would've been interesting

pelevin

Dan Martin

Yeah now they've just said he's apparently a fever. I think his poor body is trying to tell him something. . . . or maybe it's his subconscious is telling his body to try to tell him something.

retalivity

cant understand why valverde dropped back from the break....had 2 teammates with him, and would have made sky's job more difficult chasing him with quintana sitting on froomes wheel all day

Eamonnator

Joaquin Rodriguez

pelevin wrote: »

Seems every time I look Contador seems to be out the back talking to his team car.

David Millar, ITV4, says that it is highly unusual, and it seems that C. is speaking to his mechanic, when he goes back and according to Millar is being ignored by his D.S.

Eamonnator

Joaquin Rodriguez

Contador is out

Weepsie

Bertie's gone. Looks genuinely upset

retalivity

Balls...

Darkglasses

Nairo Quintana

dastardly00

Sad to see him abandon but probably a wise move.

pelevin

Dan Martin

Sad sight.

Burial.

Good man Kirby make sure you mention Froome as much as possible when Contador steps off.

He hasn't be right in the tour after the first day. Didn't look broken to me there at all just as said cutting his loses.

ITV questioning what was going on before he abandoned , they spotted him taking to the mechanic in the car a few times and getting no attention from director in the front seat.

Darkglasses

Nairo Quintana

Deleted User wrote: »

He hasn't be right in the tour after the first day. Didn't look broken to me there at all just as said cutting his loses.

ITV questioning what was going on before he abandoned , they spotted him taking to the mechanic in the car a few times and getting no attention from director in the front seat.

It was pretty distinctive wasn't it? Did look like the DS wasn't speaking to him.

Darkglasses

Darkglasses wrote: »

It was pretty distinctive wasn't it? Did look like the DS wasn't speaking to him.

Yeah was a real 'cold shoulder' , no idea what was going on for sure but that didn't look good at all.

pelevin

Dan Martin

Fine sprint by De Gendt to hold off Pinot there.

velo.2010

Darkglasses wrote: »

It was pretty distinctive wasn't it? Did look like the DS wasn't speaking to him.

Yates or De Jongh? He's close with De Jongh.

Sad to see but understandable. The fever may be a cover but regardless, other riders would be struggling to stay in the time limit with his injuries.

Presumably, he rides the Olympics and the Vuelta. Who would he have to beat... Kruiswjik and Chavez?

Darkglasses

Nairo Quintana

velo.2010 wrote: »

Yates or De Jongh? He's close with De Jongh.

Don't know tbh, couldn't see who it was in the car.

StevieGriff

pelevin wrote: »

Fine sprint by De Gendt to hold off Pinot there.

Made Pinot look a bit like a fool, Pinot bouncing around on the pedals like a U12 sprint finish.

pelevin

Dan Martin

retalivity wrote: »

cant understand why valverde dropped back from the break....had 2 teammates with him, and would have made sky's job more difficult chasing him with quintana sitting on froomes wheel all day

They were down to about 40 seconds with a long flat section going on so the break was doomed if Valverde hadn't dropped out.

Darkglasses

Nairo Quintana

Pretty cool to see them cycle through the border control

retalivity

Hope the Beixalis road they are going up soon has been improved since the google maps car went through it...