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.
Meatgrinder kicking in bigtime on the mince cycle. YIKES! My thighs are aching just watching this.
by "two escapees," I meant the two from yesterday who are currently in yellow and polka dots.
Cyclingnews says Sinkewitz is among the leaders, presumably letting others set the table for him and Kloden.
Hmmm, Kloden & Sinkewitz...., TMO moving to the front...
15:44 - Kessler Leading Now...
Kessler is now driving the peloton. He is followed by Rogers and Kloden of T-Mobile. The yellow jersey is out of this group now... we’ll post the names of the riders in the 2nd group soon.
15:43 - The Action Hots Up...
The control of the peloton has been taken over by T-Mobile. The efforts of Sinkewitz has oblitorated the big group. The yellow jersey has just been dropped.
Seems like Kessler is doing the brunt of the work.
Kessler, Kloden, Rogers, Landis, Evans, Boogerd, Leipheimer, Rasmussen, Sastre, Hincapie, Sinkewitz, Simoni, Fothen, Zubeldia, Cunego
Only Wegmann and de la Fuente are ahead.
George has lost all his helpers.
Thanks.
Honestly, I doubt Hincapie can withstand a lot of pace changes. He seems like the typs who can motor up a mountain at a steady pace, but can't keep up with attacks when they go. So I doubt he'll last if Kloden/Landis/Evans really up the pace.
3 others in that group, letour.fr says there are 18 riders in "Kloden's group"
I'm suurprised Azevado couldn't keep up. He did so well for Lance.
Hincapie dropping.
Sinkewitz led the charge that split the peloton, looks to me that Sinkewitz is riding to support Kessler / Kloden, expending his energy to help them break loose.
letour.fr is now reporting that Azevedo is still in "Kloden's group"
And that they have now caught Wegmann.
Kessler dropping.
They are dropping like flies now.
THe final ascent should be interesting :-)
That's okay... they'll all come back together on the descent. The Puerto de Beret should be exciting. Wish I had a TV...
Hincapie has lost all his helpers, but one has to wonder if he might just be able to do it alone after that amazing ride in front of Lance last year.
I guess they are so near to the top, so some of the dropped riders could fight their way back into the group on the way down.
The leader: de la Fuente
The chase group: Azevedo, Sastre, Schleck, Kloden, Kessler, Rogers, Moreau, Leipheimer, Totschnig, Fothen, Boogerd, Menchov, Rasmussen, Evans, Landis, Arroyo, Zubeldia, Parra and Simoni
is George saving his energy for the last climb? Is he hanging off the back of this group?
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