TDF stage 17 | 183km La Mure / Serre-Chevalier

neris · 19-07-2017 10:15am #1

This could be a fun day especially for sunweb with the Galibier & telegraphe on the route and a sprint at 47km. Dans prospects look over after yesterdays "illness" in the Quickstep squad and a mountain day wont suit Kittel. Skybots to control the peleton and GC to stay as is. Boring.

Christian Prudhomme's comment

Climbers battling it out for the Yellow Jersey will have two more days to express themselves, to change the outcome or comfort a decent lead and gain precious time. Heading towards Serre-Chevalier, we will give them the most prestigious of what the Alps has to offer: the Col de la Croix de Fer and then the Galibier back after a 6-year absence, going up the Télégraphe. It's now up to them.

Welcome back, Galibier!
The col du Galibier (alt. 2642m) is one of the giants in the legend of the Tour. It's the third highest in the history after La Bonnette (2802m), the Iseran (2764m) and Agnel (2744m). It's the highest stage finish in the history since Andy Schleck won up there in 2011. Interestingly, the climb that hosts the memorial of race founder Henri Desgrange hasn't been on the Tour route since 2011. Actually, it was in 2015 but it was substituted by the col de la Croix de Fer due to a pile of rubble. Six years between two passages at the Galibier is a record. The peloton has changed a lot since 2011. From the current top 10 on GC, only Rigoberto Uran was racing the Tour six years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLzT8pY1USg

1 FROOME CHRISTOPHER 1 TEAM SKY 68H 18' 36''
2 ARU FABIO 51 ASTANA PRO TEAM 68H 18' 54'' + 00' 18''
3 BARDET ROMAIN 11 AG2R LA MONDIALE 68H 18' 59'' + 00' 23''
4 URAN RIGOBERTO 188 CANNONDALE DRAPAC PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM 68H 19' 05'' + 00' 29''
5 LANDA MIKEL 6 TEAM SKY 68H 19' 53'' + 01' 17''
6 YATES SIMON 89 ORICA - SCOTT 68H 20' 38'' + 02' 02''
7 MARTIN DANIEL 105 QUICK - STEP FLOORS 68H 20' 39'' + 02' 03''
8 MEINTJES LOUIS 61 UAE TEAM EMIRATES 68H 24' 36'' + 06' 00''
9 CARUSO DAMIANO 42 BMC RACING TEAM 68H 24' 41'' + 06' 05''
10 QUINTANA NAIRO 21 MOVISTAR TEAM 68H 24' 52'' + 06' 16''

TV Times - ITV 4 11am, Eurosport 11am

JoeyJJ · 19-07-2017 10:19am

Hopefully Dan has the legs today, would love to see him at front around the 120km mark making top 5 work for their places.

Kav0777 · 19-07-2017 10:42am

Has to be Kittel - he'll breakaway for the sprint points in Allemont and stay away for the win.... or something

retalivity · 19-07-2017 10:47am

Oh baby, this could be great....

But actually, froome to attack on the last ascent/descent and take the win

MPFGLB · 19-07-2017 11:24am

Breakaway today ...SKY just need to control before the TT

el tel · 19-07-2017 11:26am

For any of the GC contenders to stand a chance of beating Froome to the 2017 title, they better get their finger out today. Bardet will have to do something big, so I expect Ag2R to rip it up. Leaving any big moves until tomorrow will be risking failure. Gone are the days of Pantani-esque rocket-assisted climbs so the average viewer will probably consider the top guys staying together as boring.

Djoucer · 19-07-2017 11:28am

Can't see the point in bringing the tour up the Galibier only to finish 28km later downhill.

Weepsie · 19-07-2017 11:40am

Dan to obliterate them all. He was faking it yesterday. Froome to crack and smash the nearest mechanic's pedal wrench over Dave B's head and spill all as he's had enough of him.

neris · 19-07-2017 11:43am

Kittles down off the bike big crash

19-07-2017 11:43am

Big crash

JoeyJJ · 19-07-2017 11:43am

Wow Kittel doesn't look happy here.

neris · 19-07-2017 11:46am

blood all down kittles right leg and his jerseys in bits on the shoulder. getting a change of shoes now and the sunweb boys are pushing on the front

19-07-2017 11:47am

Cummings took some tumble, lucky it was into a field. Looked OK bar his arse being out

robyntmorton · 19-07-2017 11:48am

I've seen bike changes, and wheel changes, but that's the first time I've seen a shoe change.

MPFGLB · 19-07-2017 11:49am

Djoucer wrote: »

Can't see the point in bringing the tour up the Galibier only to finish 28km later downhill.

GC guys will fight each other for time but not necessarily the breakaway

19-07-2017 11:51am

Kittel is back on , just off the back with the doctor.

mathie · 19-07-2017 11:52am

robyntmorton wrote: »

I've seen bike changes, and wheel changes, but that's the first time I've seen a shoe change.

You've been shoe-rt changed so.

:pac::pac::pac:

retalivity · 19-07-2017 11:54am

Roche in the front group of 30

JK.BMC · 19-07-2017 11:56am

You gotta hand it to Matthews and his team - they are superb this year in terms of tactics and race reading; Matthews on his own is an excellent all-rounder and really has the head for racing - the basics of attacking/chasing/following the right wheels. In contrast, Kittel is like a spoilt baby, great sprinter and all as he is. Give me 100 Matthews type proper road men over a robot like Kittel any day.

neris · 19-07-2017 11:58am

matthews has hid tantrums in the past when he was at orica

Weepsie · 19-07-2017 11:59am

Why one unwritten rule for the Yellow Jersey, but green jersey contenders can hammer it when the leader is crashed or having a mechanical.

Makes a mockery of it all

marvin80 · 19-07-2017 12:01pm

Weepsie wrote: »

Why one unwritten rule for the Yellow Jersey, but green jersey contenders can hammer it when the leader is crashed or having a mechanical.

Makes a mockery of it all

Just get rid of the unwritten rules

johny33 · 19-07-2017 12:04pm

Weepsie wrote: »

Why one unwritten rule for the Yellow Jersey, but green jersey contenders can hammer it when the leader is crashed or having a mechanical.

Makes a mockery of it all

according to guardian, they attacked before the crash...

JK.BMC · 19-07-2017 12:05pm

neris wrote: »

matthews has hid tantrums in the past when he was at orica

That's true - but he is tactically very astute is my main point. And very versatile in his talents, similar to Sagan in many ways.

MPFGLB · 19-07-2017 12:09pm

JK.BMC wrote: »

That's true - but he is tactically very astute is my main point. And very versatile in his talents, similar to Sagan in many ways.

Don't like Matthews at all... I mean bling for one thing...but mostly becasue he wouldn't ride for Gerrans at OBE even when Gerrans had ridden for him..and he threw tantrums...they let him go

JK.BMC · 19-07-2017 12:10pm

MPFGLB wrote: »

Don't like Matthews at all... I mean bling for one thing...but mostly becasue he wouldn't ride for Gerrans at OBE even when Gerrans had ridden for him..and he threw tantrums...they let him go

Well I'm glad that i don't have to live with him so!

el tel · 19-07-2017 12:12pm

Sprinters are prima donnas.
Dan Martin and his fellow GC mountain goats can do 98% of what sprinters do, but sprinters can do only about 60% of what these climbers can do. (% figures made up on the spot )