Posted on 07/02/2010 11:30:15 AM PDT by Ready4Freddy
Yes, it was... :-(
G R O A N. ;-)
lots of boo-birds for Contador still yesterday, will the racing public ever forgive him?
Hope not...
So what is Riis, aka Mr 60%, saying? He wants to get rid of Schleck, or Schleck has already said he’s going elsewhere?
Whoa. What the heck?
I guess that rules out RSH unless Dirk Demol is going somewhere?
Though wiki says in re: Kim Andersen - “Since 2004, he has been a directeur sportif for Danish outfit Team Saxo Bank; he was fired in June because he has been planning to start a new cycling team.”
Epic day tomorrow. The coverage starts here at 4:30. Yikes! Needless to say, I have my DVR set...
Go Andy!
Beyond epic, to epitastic!
Good shot on the eight fiddy, btw. ;>)
Stage 17 - Pau > > > Col du Tourmalet - 174 km
Thursday, July 22, 2010
•Km 13.5 - Côte de Renoir - 2.2 km climb to 6 % - Category 4
•Km 56.5 - Col de Marie-Blanque - 9.3 km climb to 7.6 % - Category 1
•Km 117.5 - Col du Soulor (D 126-D 918) - 11.9 km climb to 7.8 % - Category 1
•Km 174.0 - COL DU TOURMALET (Souvenir Henri Desgrange) - 18.6 km climb to 7.5 % - Category HC
Click the 'To' option to go to the start of the Stage 17 posts.
The Stage starts at 12:30 local time CEST (6 hrs ahead of US EDT).
velonews.com - "After the final rest day, the Tour returns with one, final epic stage. Two Cat. 1 climbs will soften legs before the final monster: the hors category Tourmalet, this time attacked from the rugged western slope. With the finish at the top of 18.6km of climbing, averaging 7.5 percent, it should be a spectacular finale.
Both Basso and Armstrong have won stages to La Mongie, partway down the east side of the Tourmalet, in the past. The Tour has never finished up the western side.
Other Notes:
- Although the Tour has climbed Tourmalet 73 times, this is only the 2nd time that the finish has been at the peak.
- This is the second climb up Tourmalet this Tour; they will be coming from the other direction, climbing the descent from Tuesday's Stage 16.
- An interesting detail: the last three winners of a stage that started in Pau were Italian.
FReepmail me to get on or off the 2010 TdF Ping List.
12:30 - Three Pyrenean Giants A Feature Today
The final day of racing in the mountains has three climbs on the itinerary. The first is the category-one col de Marie-Blanque, a 9.3km long ascent with an average gradient of 7.6 per cent. Then comes the category-one col du Soulor - 11.9km long at 7.8 percent... and the final giant, the col du Tourmalet - 18.6km long with an average gradient of 7.5 per cent. It’s been pouring rain this morning and the temperature at the finish is about 14 degrees Celsius now.
12:25 - Prize Category Review: Part 03 – Polka-Dot Jersey
Christophe Moreau (GCE) earned 60 points for the mountains classification when he joined the escape group on Tuesday and led over both the col du Tourmalet and the col d’Aubsique. He is now ranked second with a total tally of 128 points but Anthony Charteau is still wearing the polka-dot jersey with 143pts. Another member of the escape group on the day the race took in four passes – Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet and Aubisque – is ranked third. Cunego has 99 points while Casar is 4th with 93pts.
12:21 - Prize Category Review: Part 02 – Green Jersey
The 17th stage is definitely not one for the sprinters. Thor Hushovd took back the green jersey with his 10th place in stage 16 and now leads Alessandro Petacchi by four points – 191 to 187. Mark Cavendish is third with 162 points. There are two intermediate sprints during this last day of racing in the mountains. Points were be awarded in Bidos (at 30km) and Adast (at 141.5km).
12:21 - Armstrong At Rear Of Peloton
Number 21 is near the back of the bunch as it rides through the neutral zone. Lance Armstrong was sixth in stage 16 after spending the day in an escape group on the eve of the second rest day.
12:20 - Prize Category Review: Part 01 – Yellow Jersey
The winner of the Tour in 2007 and 2009 is in the lead of the general classification by eight seconds. Alberto Contador wears the yellow jersey for the third day in the 2010 Tour de France. The former racer leader, Andy Schleck is confident that he can take back the yellow jersey, saying on Tuedays, “There’s only one chance left and that’s the Tourmalet. I think I can do it. I hope I can do it.” Samuel Sanchez is ranked third, two minutes behind, while Denis Menchov is fourth at 2’13”.
12:40 - Schleck Talking To Contador
As the escape group of seven riders continues to increase its lead, the riders in the yellow and white jerseys - Contador and Schleck - are having a discussion in the peloton that’s led by the Astana team.
12:35 - Koren On The Attack
Kristjian Koren of the Liquigas team is one of numerous who are trying to escape the peloton at the moment. We will report the other names once the numbers are confirmed.
12:33 - Sastre Wants To Attack Marie-Blanque
The winner of the 2008 Tour has said this morning that he plans to attack on the second climb of the day. Contrary to a previous newsflash that stated that there were three climbs in stage 17, there are actually four - including the category-4 cote de Renoir (at 13.5km). Carlos Sastre says he will try and breakaway on the steep, climb that starts at the 46.5km mark.
13:52 - Comments From Astana Directeur Sportif
Contacted by letour.fr before the start today, the manager of the Astana team emphasized the strategic importance of today’s stage: “Alberto is determined to make the best possible stage, because it will be decisive for the outcome of this Tour,” said Yvon Sanquer. There are two aspects to this day for Alberto. First of all, there is a strategy to defend his yellow jersey, which is the absolute priority. And then there is the aspect of winning this symbolic stage, with arrival the Tourmalet...”
13:54 - More From Yvon Sanquer
“If race conditions permit, Alberto will want to go write his name on this stage, Yvon Sanquer told LeTour.fr this morning. “It is certain that the way things are done is important, but there’s also the reality of the objective. There are many ways to win the Tour, it can be done with or without stage wins, with great difference or not… and so on. But ultimately, what is remembered is victory.”
I wonder if that means he will attack Andy. I can’t imagine he does before the stage is all but finished just to be safe. But if he wants to wear himself out from the bottom I won’t stop him.
No points for Thor or Petacchi at the initial Sprint.
One more sprint point past the descent of 2nd Cat 1 today.
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