Posted on 07/12/2006 9:40:51 PM PDT by nutmeg
Stage 11: Tarbes to Val d'Aran/Pla-de-Beret - 206.5km
Course: Any Pyrenean stage that goes over the mighty mountain passes of Tourmalet, Aspin, Peyresourde and Portillon merits the greatest attention from the race favorites - even though this one then continues into Spain for another 40km to finish on the long, but gently graded climb to the Pla-de-Beret summit. If this Tour is going to be a free-for-all, then climbers who want to shoot for the polkadot jersey or a high GC placing must attack on this challenging day. So look for likely KOM candidates to infiltrate the breaks that are bound to form on the narrow, winding roads that precede the Tourmalet. If GC contenders wait until the final climb (13.5km at 5.4 percent) before making a move, they will end up gaining (or losing) very little time.
History: This is the first time that a Tour stage will finish at Pla-de-Beret, but stage 8 of the 2003 Vuelta a España completed a similar course (except for the Tourmalet). At the Tour, the Tourmalet stage in this more difficult west-to-east direction (18.4km at 7.7 percent) has almost always caused major upsets.
Favorites: A stage finishing in Spain has to motivate the Spanish riders. Should a breakaway succeed, look for the Euskaltel team's Iban Mayo, Gerolsteiner's Georg Totschnig or Rabobank's Rasmussen, whereas a larger group arriving at the foot of the Pla-de-Beret will favor Valverde.
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Alright.
I have been looking forward to this stage since I saw the stage profiles before the tour started.
TV coverage in Europe starts in 20 minutes. Now, they are showing a recap of yesterday.
The race is already on though, and Robbie McEwen just won the first sprint.
Cheers.
From Velonews:-
12:24 PM Good day and welcome ...
to VeloNews.com's Live Coverage of the 11th stage of the 93rd edition of the Tour de France. Today's stage - with a profile that resembles a rip saw - takes the peloton over the mighty mountain passes of Tourmalet, Aspin, Peyresourde and Portillon merits the greatest attention from the race favorites — even though this one then continues into Spain for another 40km to finish on the long, but gently graded climb to the Pla-de-Beret summit.
12:32 PM Racing began early today
With 168 riders leaving Tarbes at 11:12 this morning. After several initial attacks, the day's break formed and we have four riders - Iker Camano (Euskaltel) [51st on GC, at 10:09], Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner) [91st, at 17:02], Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank) [123rd, at 30:07] and David de la Fuente (Saunier Duval) [157, at 42:25] - comfortably ahead of the peloton as they begin to work their way up the lower slopes of the hors categorie Col du Tourmalet... well "comfortable" is a relative term, since not much is comfortable on the Tourmalet, is it? This is an 18.3km climb that averages 7.7 percent. The four leaders - now at the 56km mark - are 7:20 ahead of the peloton, which contains all of the big players, including the new yellow jersey Cyril Dessel (AG2R) and Juan Miguel Mercado, who says he wants the jersey as early as today.
12:35 PM Landis predicts a decisive stage
Speaking with VeloNews's John Wilcockson, “This will be the most difficult stage ahead of the Alps,” said Floyd Landis, who’s now in fifth overall, 4:45 behind new race leader Cyril Dessel (AG2R) after Wednesday’s “no hope” breakaway succeeded. “The Col du Tourmalet has a category HC and then there are four category ones. The final climb is not so steep but very long. I think only a small group will be fighting for the win.”
This assessment by Phonak’s big hope to win this Tour is probably right on the money. Stage 11 is 206.5km long, which equates to a about six and a half hours of racing, and the total amount of climbing is a daunting 17,473 feet.
12:39 PM At 60km
...and 15km from the summit of the Tourmalet, the four escapees remain together some 8:11 ahead of the peloton.
12:43 PM The Tourmalet
The Tourmalet was one of the first major mountain climbs to be included in the Tour, in 1910, when it was climbed from the opposite direction. Climbing it west-to-east, as is being done Thursday, is longer and more spectacular. It’s a taxing 18.3km long, averaging 7.7 percent with long sections at 10 percent — first on the early slopes up a steep valley and through the village of Barèges, and then across an open mountainside in a series of bold curves.
12:45 PM Contest Reminder
Any idea who is going to win this one? You get a shot at a prize if you're right. Go ahead and hit the Daily Contest button atop our page.
12:48 PM At 62km
and 13km from the top of the Tourmalet, the four leaders are 7:40 ahead of the peloton, which remains relatively intact, including all four jersey leaders.
And now we're into the Haute Pyrenees: 
Day-ham! When you put it that way...
... and the total amount of climbing is a daunting 17,473 feet
Bah... That's pretty much what I do for my pre-breakfast cardio :-P
Savoldelli dropping early...
Yeah, I saw that Savoldelli was dropped, been wondering how DSC was going to do in support of Hincapie's climbs - I remember LA being left out on his own on occasion...
Voeckler and Rasmussen going for the climbing points.
of the Tourmalet. The peloton, meanwhile, is being shredded. Ag2r is setting a strong pace. Landis is right there with them. He has Robbie Hunter with him.
1:29 PM Zabriskie
has been dropped. There is a big group of Discovery riders trailing off the back.
Stage 11 - July 13: Tarbes - Val d'Aran/Pla-de-Beret (Spain), 208 km
Km 76 Col du Tourmalet 2,115 m 18.4 km at 7.7 percent
Km 106 Col d'Aspin 1,489 m 12.3 km at 5.2 percent
Km 137 Col de Peyresourde 1,569 m 9.5 km at 7.1 percent
Km 162 Col du Portillon 1,320 m 7.9 km at 8.4 percent
Km 205 Pla-de-Beret 1,860 m 13.5 km at 5.4 percent
Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner), Juan Antonio Flecha (Rabobank), David De La Fuente (Saunier Duval)
Iker Camano (Euskaltel-Euskadi - best placed on GC at 10'09)
Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues) at 3'57
Peloton at ?
Not sure where the peloton's at. They seem to take it a bit easy down the descent.
Peloton is ~4' behind the leaders on the way down, 22km descent. That's not bad, giving up only 4' on the HC climb, shows how closely they're marking any escapes.
Make that 5'35" now, leaders starting up Col d'Aspin. Reports indicate that the road surfaces are in much better shape than in years past, and that the descent from Tourmalet was very fast.
They probably didn't get the memo that the darn stage started so early today, like me.Darn! I really wanted to see today from start to finish and they're already over Tourmalet.
N/T
Good news!
2:01 PM Ag2r
Is still setting tempo at the front, as the peloton reaches the base of the Col d'Aspin, 3:55 behind the leaders. Cyril Dessel is tucked in comfortably... as are Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer and George Hincapie
Good morning, leilani!! ;>)
hehe.
At least you are watching now. Any action up the Tourmalet was probably a bit limited due to it being the first climb today.
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