USAZorro

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diphthong

gesink.

diphthong

oops! guess it won't be gesink after all...now hoping that contador is 1-3 minutes down on the rest of the contenders and is forced to unleash an attack at the base of the alpe. now that'll be fun to watch...

Caretaker

I'm giving this one to Evans.

USAZorro

Don't. He'll need to earn it.

USAZorro

Anyone think Cav will have a lead-out to contest the sprint point?

TommyL

This is where Evans lost it to Sastre (or more accurately, lost it to Team CSC) 3 years ago. I hope he can hang on this year, it would be great vindication. Don't think he can win the stage though. It will be damage control for him.

SunSwingsLow

I heard an interesting comment on this stage that the time qualification will be more tight becuase of its short length. So the sprinters will have to make sure they put forth a solid effort to not finish outside of the time requirement.

Dolomiti

Correct me if I'm wrong, but is the Tour riding over all three 'sides' of the Galibier this year? Ascending two of them, descending one. I'm guessing that's a first!

Nachoman

This will be a good stage. Plus I'm having a pizza party at my house to watch the recap show.

OrionKhan

I think they'll make up some good time on the long descent in between. But, man, that would suck to make it this far only to get dropped out on time. Cav actually climbed pretty well the other day (16).

Kind of Blued

Does HTC have a helicopter?

Dolomiti

Frank, please attack on the Galibier. Bring along a Spaniard or two if you can. Let Evans wear himself out chasing you. Then greet your brother as he passes you for the lead of the stage with 5km to go.

luxroadie

This.

Franck and Andy have FINALLY got it right. No longing looks over their shoulders for their 'near-twin'. Andy got away and but for one brief (can't break old habits) look back he was gone. And Franck rode PERFECTLY. Didn't drag anyone up - let Cadel sit in that head wind all day (and he still lost) rode next to him to give him the "psyche ... that wasn't so hard for me ... ready for tomorrow?" feeling and still took 8 seconds out of him.

They broke Contador, roughed up Voelcker and more importantly his team (but BIG KUDOS to Europacar - Wow - what a tour for a Cont Tour team!!).

Short stage - Team Leopard needs to crush it all the way. Every man empties himself. Fabian should ride so hard he can't even start the TT. Leopard wins nothing without the Yellow in Paris. This is it. All the chips on the table.

Hit the base of AdH the same way as when Franck went in in yellow - but no deferring to Sastre. Ride the rubber off tires and send Franck off as soon as possible. Have Andy drag wheels the whole way. By the time TV and CE near the top they'll be done - the winds on Galibier today were awesome (I missed going with my friends who sat 5km from the finish) ... Evans spent the entire day alone in them (as did Andy - who won). Even if Franck stays away and Andy is left to ride with Cadel he can come around him to take some more time.

Ride like there is no tomorrow. Truth is there is a tomorrow and it is a TT ... so bury yourselves in hope that you GUT Evans.

They played their best hand today - let's hope it isn't too late ...

And for all of the "Andy never won anything" - he's a great rider. He is 26. Stop acting like he's Lefty and 'way past his due date'. They guy has been second in the Giro (to Ivan ... I mean Rudy ... I mean the admitted dope fiend) and numerous times on the podium. He may not have won but he is by no means an unproven talent.

Truth be told - I think Franck could be the one given that Andy played his cards deeply and started from more than 2 minutes out. Franck could benefit from the work Andy made Cadel do and find himself replicating today's gap in tomorrow's stage (he's familiar with the route). Give Franck 2 minutes going into the TT and things will be very very fun on Sat!!

Congrats Leopard - you have redeemed my faith (but my hope was still there!)

Kind of Blued

I think if Frank sacrifices himself here, Andy could win the tour, but if they try to get Frank on the podium too, they could both lose it, second and third at best, maybe even third and fourth.

reshp1

The million dollar question is how well AS and CE recover from their efforts today. Personally I thought AS totally emptied his tank, he looked like he was going to fall off his bike after crossing the line (not as bad as Voelcker, but close). CE rode hard but within his limits in my opinion. I'm sure CE will pay a bit tomorrow, but not as bad as Andy. I don't think FS got nearly the free ride everyone thinks he did. I think everyone in that group has jello legs right now.

DXchulo

It all depends on how Andy recovers. If he's tired from today they should reverse that and sacrifice Andy for Frank. Either way, they definitely need to work the dual threat to perfection again. If one of them can get a gap, who will help Evans chase? Nobody was willing/able to do it on Stage 18 and I don't see how that will change here.

I love the fact that this is a short stage. I think guys are more likely to attack on a short stage like this.

ultraman6970

The race is still not over and if tomorrow nobody leaves the pack and all of them finish together, CE has won the tour, I'm almost sure Voeckler wins the schreck brothers in the ITT, last year's he did liek 1 more minute than AS, but this year he is a GC. I dont see AC wining unless something happens tomorrow with him to get the darn race back from the other side of the dark, unless he can take 5 minutes outta everybody in the ITT, thing that well it could happen (that reminds me lemond). Sammy sanchez did not do that bad last year's ITT, the problem is that now he is too far back unless he can pull up something with AC tomorrow.

Well... Cheers Tommy Voeckler!!!! U have to win this thing!!!

DXchulo

BF will explode if Contador pulls a Floyd Landis tomorrow.

InReverse

I don't know specifically about this stage, but I do remember a few years ago reading that the time cut wasn't a fixed percentage. The race directors made subjective adjustments for things like this. FWIW.

luxroadie

Fixed

DXchulo

It is a fixed percentage based on the average speed of the stage. https://inrng.com/2011/07/tour-de-france-time-cut/

They do make exceptions in rare cases, though. For example, there were so many riders outside the time cut in Stage 18 that they're letting them stay in the race.

wlaxer

Apparently Cav (presumably other guys too) was docked green jersey points for missing the time cut on S18, instead of being eliminated.

TommyL

Ahhh! It's 2008 all over again!

In this years version, Frank playing the part of Carlos Sastre and Andy plays the part of Frank!

I am going to feel so sorry for Cadel if he loses that way again. Especially after what he had to do in Stage 18...

luxroadie

Lost 20 points to Rojas who lost none - 15 point gap into tomorrow ... [biting nails ... ]