Le Tour 2018 stage 11: Albertville > La Rosière 108,5 km

Inquitus

The stage starts in the former Winter Olympics (1992) host town Albertville, and ends at the top of La Rosiére, a new climb in the Tour de France.



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The first climb is the Montée de Bisanne, which features in the Tour for the 2nd time, the first being in 2016 in the stage towards Mont Blanc.



After Bisanne another newcomer, Col du Pré is to be climbed by the peloton.



Cormet de Roselende however, has featured in the Tour many times before, such as in the 8th stage in 2007 , where "the Chicken" Michael Rasmussen was the first over the top and went on to win in Tignes in what seemed to be another raid for the polka-dot.

That stage was just the first of many days in yellow for the Chicken, and if that hadn't happened, who knows how it would have ended!

We end this joruney on the summit finish La Rosière, which is another newcomer in the Tour de France, even though it has been used in the Tour d'Avenir.


A short stage design like this can in the best case scenario end in fireworks (as in 2011, which started the trend), since the short distance can make riders more willing to risk it. On the other hand Alpe d'Huez awaits the following day, and then the one we would call brave for attacking on the Bisanne, we might call stupid. Perhaps another stage for the break away, while the heads of state will conserve their energy to have a shot at winning on the Alpe. And as the saying goes, who ever wears yellow on top of the Alpe d'Hez, wears yellow in Paris

General classification after stage 10:
1. Greg Van AVERMAET (BMC)
2. Geraint THOMAS (SKY) + 2' 22''
3. Alejandro VALVERDE (Movistar) + 3' 10''
4. Jakob FUGLSANG (Astana) + 3' 12''
5. Bob JUNGELS (QST) + 3' 20''
6. Chris FROOME (SKY) + 3' 21''
7. Adam YATES (M. Scott) st.
8. Mikel LANDA (Movistar) st.
9. Vincenzo NIBALI (B. Merida) + 3' 27''
10. Primoz ROGLIC (Lotto-NL) + 3' 36''

Polka-dot jersey competition after stage 10:

1. Julian ALAPHILIPPE (QST) 41
2. Rein TAARAMÄE (Direct Energie) 28
3. Serge PAUWELS (DDD) 24
4. Rudy MOLARD (Gr. FDJ) 22
5. David GAUDU (Gr. FDJ) 21

Points jersey competition after stage 10:

1. Peter SAGAN (Bora) 319
2. Fernando GAVIRIA (Quickstep) 218
3. Dylan GROENEWEGEN (NL-Jumbo) 132
4. Alexander KRISTOFF (UAE) 129
5. André GREIPEL (Lotto-Soudal) 106

Weather forecast for...

...Albertville:


...La Rosière:


The Bookies take

Barguil 11/2
Quintana 10/1
Froome12/1
Martin 14/1
Valverde 14/1
Yates 17/1
Navarro 18/1
Bardet 20/1
Lana 20/1
Nibali 22/1
Caruso 25/1
Thomas 25/1

irishrover99

Short stage, long stage, it really doesn't matter.
It will all be together until the last climb because power meters and Sky have destroyed anyone who is in the GC ability to go for the long break away.

Unless some completely out of the ordinary happens, on the evidence of yesterday, they'll be all lucky to hang onto Sky.

dastardly00

I would love if Movistar went bat-sh*t crazy and attacked early.

But I think everyone is still in the frame of mind that there is too much to lose at this stage of the race

Whyner

irishrover99 wrote: »

Short stage, long stage, it really doesn't matter.
It will all be together until the last climb because power meters and Sky have destroyed anyone who is in the GC ability to go for the long break away.

Unless some completely out of the ordinary happens, on the evidence of yesterday, they'll be all lucky to hang onto Sky.

They've played the game like that for a long time now, time for the other teams to come up with something different

mloc123

Whyner wrote: »

They've played the game like that for a long time now, time for the other teams to come up with something different

It is so ****ing dull. Everyday Skybots grinding it out setting the pace and then people rave about they great tactical work from Sky. What tactics?

irishrover99

Whyner wrote: »

They've played the game like that for a long time now, time for the other teams to come up with something different

You can only play so many tactics in Cycling.
Send a man up the road in the main attack and have he wait up.
One attack Froome and then when he's caught the other goes.

Their is not really much else you can do as it all comes down to energy levels in the end and Sky know, by not taking their eyes off the Garmin, they'll be fine and reel in the rider.

Maybe a pit stop style strategy like F1 will shake it up?

retalivity

Didnt realise this was only 100k - saw the profile and thought it was longer.
Thomas came second in this stage in the dauphine, with martin 3rd behind pedro bilbao who won it.

Froomey/G 1-2 today for the lolz/meltdown (myself included)

dastardly00

mloc123 wrote: »

It is so ****ing dull. Everyday Skybots grinding it out setting the pace and then people rave about they great tactical work from Sky. What tactics?

If it wasn't Sky, it'd just be the next best team grinding it out and setting the pace.

Andy Magic

dastardly00 wrote: »

If it wasn't Sky, it'd just be the next best team grinding it out and setting the pace.

Good point.

My money is on Nibali today

Borderfox

It would be nice to see an attack from somebody from GC not just this sit on the front by the skybots

dastardly00

Borderfox wrote: »

It would be nice to see an attack from somebody from GC not just this sit on the front by the skybots

I think Dan could be the most likely actually

retalivity

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dan-martin-riders-are-scared-of-attacking-team-sky/

He's calling people out on it as well. Tbf, he appears to be in good form, hope this doesnt come back to bite him and he loses time vs the wheel suckers if he does attack

dastardly00

retalivity wrote: »

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/dan-martin-riders-are-scared-of-attacking-team-sky/

He's calling people out on it as well. Tbf, he appears to be in good form, hope this doesnt come back to bite him and he loses time vs the wheel suckers if he does attack

Losing 1'16" last Saturday to all GC rivals has really dented his chances of getting a good GC finish. He was always going to have to play catch-up after the TTT, but he's even more behind now.

I think he might as well go balls-out today. If it works out then he'll have gained time on the rest of the GC (and maybe win the stage). If he loses more time, then he will have more freedom to go stage hunting.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that if he stays hanging on to the Sky train like all other GC guys, then he's not going to move up in the overall classification by much.

fat bloke

mloc123 wrote: »

It is so ****ing dull. Everyday Skybots grinding it out setting the pace and then people rave about they great tactical work from Sky. What tactics?

If it all gets too dull at any point, just watch the La Course replay again. -Every day until the tour is over if you like

Utter heartbreak and absolute joy.

mloc123

fat bloke wrote: »

If it all gets too dull at any point, just watch the La Course replay again. -Every day until the tour is over if you like

Utter heartbreak and absolute joy.

Just finished watching it now on Eurosport Mugged on the line.

RIGOLO

I think this tour is a bit different. 
I think the pulls Sky did on the front yesterday were longer , harder and earlier in the race than normal. 
In previous tours Ive not understood why so many other teams have elected to help Sky chase down a break, yesterday there was very little help for Sky. IT was a hard day for them, particularily after the Roubaix beating most took. 
Plus its a 7 man rotation and not the 8 man they normally have to help Froome.  
Im looking forward to todays stage expecting this tour may not be as much of a procession as we had in previous years .

dahat

What is the guideline finish time?

Looks like a breakaway might stay away again today, possibly Barguil for me.

dastardly00

dahat wrote: »

What is the guideline finish time?

Looks like a breakaway might stay away again today, possibly Barguil for me.

Stage starting at 1pm GMT, and should be finished between 4.10 - 4.40pm GMT.

Chips Lovell

Sky weren't chasing the break yesterday. There was nobody up the road that was a threat to the overall. They were pulling on the climbs to put pressure on other GC contenders in the bunch and keep the pace high enough to deter them from attacking.

RIGOLO

Baron de Charlus wrote: »

Sky weren't chasing the break yesterday. There was nobody up the road that was a threat to the overall. They were pulling on the climbs to put pressure on other GC contenders in the bunch and keep the pace high enough to deter them from attacking.

What do you mean deter GC contenders.. a GC contender was never going to make an attack on the first stage in the mountains . That would be plain stupid. 
The wind resistance on the front is not much different if your pulling to chase a break or pulling to put pressure on the back. Similarily the efforts involved especially on a mountain stage. 
And the way sky domestiques fell off once they approached the last 2K  shows how hard they had pushed themselves .  They were pushing hard yesterday. 

Why would Sky ride hard to deter a GC attack on the first mountain stage that was never going to materialise. No GC rider was tageting yesterday to make their move and anyone knowing anything about cycling would know that. First day in the mountains you find your legs and see how you feel. SKY rode hard with no support to chase the break as much as anything and their expressions said how hard they were going..

dastardly00

RIGOLO wrote: »

What do you mean deter GC contenders.. a GC contender was never going to make an attack on the first stage in the mountains . That would be plain stupid.
The wind resistance on the front is not much different if your pulling to chase a break or pulling to put pressure on the back. Similarily the efforts involved especially on a mountain stage.
And the way sky domestiques fell off once they approached the last 2K shows how hard they had pushed themselves . They were pushing hard yesterday.

Why would Sky ride hard to deter a GC attack on the first mountain stage that was never going to materialise. No GC rider was tageting yesterday to make their move and anyone knowing anything about cycling would know that. First day in the mountains you find your legs and see how you feel. SKY rode hard with no support to chase the break as much as anything and their expressions said how hard they were going..

Dan attacked...

dastardly00

retalivity wrote: »

Thomas came second in this stage in the dauphine, with martin 3rd behind pedro bilbao who won it.

Here are those results from the near identical stage (Stage 6) in the Critérium du Dauphiné (riders with a red X beside their name are not in the TdF):

Macy0161

dastardly00 wrote: »

Dan attacked...

Only over the top. And I doubt the skybots consider him a threat at the moment given how far down he is. I was surprised Nibali and Bardet didnt follow though.

Whyner

And we're off

Fingers crossed it's a belter

Keeks

RIGOLO wrote: »

Why would Sky ride hard to deter a GC attack on the first mountain stage that was never going to materialise. No GC rider was tageting yesterday to make their move and anyone knowing anything about cycling would know that. First day in the mountains you find your legs and see how you feel. SKY rode hard with no support to chase the break as much as anything and their expressions said how hard they were going..

I don't think Sky were riding hard....it was more pacing for Froome, as he seems to take time to ride into a GT and also be in position to shutdown an attach if another GC contender to go for it. Tom Dumulon did say that they were looking at attacking but the headwind prevented any serious GC attack

retalivity

46(!) Riders ahead of the peloton, every team represented except sky

RIGOLO

Keeks wrote: »

RIGOLO wrote: »

Why would Sky ride hard to deter a GC attack on the first mountain stage that was never going to materialise. No GC rider was tageting yesterday to make their move and anyone knowing anything about cycling would know that. First day in the mountains you find your legs and see how you feel. SKY rode hard with no support to chase the break as much as anything and their expressions said how hard they were going..

I don't think Sky were riding hard....it was more pacing for Froome, as he seems to take time to ride into a GT and also be in position to shutdown an attach if another GC contender to go for it. Tom Dumulon did say that they were looking at attacking but the headwind prevented any serious GC attack

Hardly,  this time 2016 and 2017 Froome was already in top spot with a min on the main bunch of his rivals . 
And all day into the headwind , SKY pulling on the front from 120K to go, and people think Sky didnt push hard yesterday.
The other teams smell blood, and are stretching SKY early, they sense they can be broken this year. This stage is turning out the same.

Sal Butamol

Nobody wants to be their friend :pac:

average_runner

RIGOLO wrote: »

Hardly,  this time 2016 and 2017 Froome was already in top spot with a min on the main bunch of his rivals . 
And all day into the headwind , SKY pulling on the front from 120K to go, and people think Sky didnt push hard yesterday.
The other teams smell blood, and are stretching SKY early, they sense they can be broken this year. This stage is turning out the same.

Could Sky not be waiting like they did in giro italia?

Weepsie

RIGOLO wrote: »

Hardly,  this time 2016 and 2017 Froome was already in top spot with a min on the main bunch of his rivals . 
And all day into the headwind , SKY pulling on the front from 120K to go, and people think Sky didnt push hard yesterday.
The other teams smell blood, and are stretching SKY early, they sense they can be broken this year. This stage is turning out the same.

Plus Thomas is pretty well placed too. A show of strength and dictating their terms as is their fashion

Dcully

I'm watching the tour on Spanish tv in spain but really miss English commentary. I was using eurosport player but it's gobbling up my data.
Anywhere one could get English commentary online as it should use way less of my data?