Tour de France: Stage 16 Live Thread (Wed, July 19, 2006) Galibier, Croix de Fer, La Toussuire

VeloNews.com ^ | July 19, 2006 | VeloNews.com

[nutmeg]

Stage 16: Bourg d'Oisans to La Toussuire -182km

Course: If L'Alpe d'Huez does not decide the Tour's likely outcome, then this even tougher day in the Alps should do the job. The survivors first ride the 34km back to the top of the Lautaret, where a left turn takes them another 8.6km at 6.7 percent to the top of the Galibier - the Tour's highest point at 8681 feet above sea level.

After the 35km descent of the Galibier and intermediate Col du Télégraphe, the next 23km is down the Maurienne Valley. Of the remaining 79km, some 47km are uphill, in three separate climbs: the 23km Col de la Croix de Fer, the 6km Col du Mollard and the 18km grind to the finish at La Toussuire. ...) At 4km longer than L'Alpe d'Huez, and at the end of a grueling menu of 17,000 feet of climbing, La Toussuire could well be the "new" Alpe.

History: A stage has never finished at La Toussuire.

Favorites: Given its length, intensity and critical positioning, this stage is almost certain to designate the final podium, so Landis, Evans and Leipheimer will again be vying for ascendancy with Menchov, Sastre, Andreas Klöden and Michael Rogers. It should be spectacular!

Graphics by CyclingNews.com

[commish]

Cunego in at 4:21

[BaBaStooey]

Phonak had a great strategy yesterday with Axel in the break. What was their strategy today???

[green iguana]

I'd cut the real GC off at about 3 minutes... Floyd won't be in that group.

[Steve_Seattle]

Leipheimer might have passed up Floyd; Floyd might not even be in the top 10. Or maybe right near the bottom of it . . .

[kevkrom]

Phonak had a great strategy yesterday with Axel in the break. What was their strategy today???

Apparently, give up the Yellow jersey and beaucoup time.

[green iguana]

Boogard in at 6:33

[commish]

Landis in at 10:05 :-(

[BaBaStooey]

Pos. N° Name Surname Team Nat. Gaps
1 058 RASMUSSEN Mickael RAB DEN
2 014 SASTRE Carlos CSC ESP 01' 41"
3 097 PEREIRO SIO Oscar CEI ESP 01' 54"
4 061 EVANS Cadel DVL AUS 01' 56"
5 021 KLÖDEN Andréas TMO GER 01' 56"
6 031 MOREAU Christophe A2R FRA 02' 37"
7 111 CAUCCHIOLI Pietro C.A ITA 02' 37"
8 035 DESSEL Cyril A2R FRA 02' 37"
9 041 LEIPHEIMER Levi GST USA 03' 24"
10 129 ZUBELDIA Haimar EUS ESP 03' 42"
11 051 MENCHOV Denis RAB RUS 03' 42"
12 026 ROGERS Michael TMO AUS 03' 42"
13 025 MAZZOLENI Eddy TMO ITA 03' 42"
14 081 CUNEGO Damiano LAM ITA 04' 21"
15 052 BOOGERD Michael RAB NED 06' 33"
16 001 AZEVEDO José DSC POR 07' 55"
17 042 FOTHEN Marcus GST GER 08' 37"
18 015 SCHLECK Frank CSC LUX 08' 37"
19 088 VALJAVEC Tadej LAM SLO 09' 14"
20 096 KARPETS Vladimir CEI RUS 09' 40"
21 089 VILA ERRANDONEA Patxi LAM ESP 09' 40"
22 076 MERCKX Axel PHO BEL 10' 04"
23 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA 10' 04"
24 092 ARROYO David CEI ESP 10' 04"

I'll have the new overall GC up in a minute or two.

[kevkrom]

Official site says 10'04", puts him 8'08" back.

[BaBaStooey]

Pos. N° Nom Prénom Équipe Nat. Écart
1 097 PEREIRO SIO Oscar CEI ESP
2 014 SASTRE Carlos CSC ESP 01' 50"
3 021 KLÖDEN Andréas TMO GER 02' 29"
4 035 DESSEL Cyril A2R FRA 02' 43"
5 061 EVANS Cadel DVL AUS 02' 56"
6 051 MENCHOV Denis RAB RUS 03' 58"
7 026 ROGERS Michael TMO AUS 06' 47"
8 031 MOREAU Christophe A2R FRA 07' 03"
9 041 LEIPHEIMER Levi GST USA 07' 46"
10 129 ZUBELDIA Haimar EUS ESP 08' 06"
11 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA 08' 08"
12 111 CAUCCHIOLI Pietro C.A ITA 13' 27"
13 015 SCHLECK Frank CSC LUX 13' 48"
14 052 BOOGERD Michael RAB NED 13' 52"
15 042 FOTHEN Marcus GST GER 15' 04"

[Republicain]

What happened to Landis ? Maybe a "fringale" as we say in french...

[leilani]

General classification?:
1. Pereiro
2. Sastre +1.50
3. Klöden +2.29
4. Dessel +2.43
5. Evans +2.56
6. Menchov +3.58

[leilani]

ok Baba got it.

[commish]

Looks like this is Kloden's Tour barring a complete shocker of a breakaway tomorrow. He will easily put 2 minutes into Sastre and Pereiro in the TT. Floyd is done, no way he puts 6 minutes into Kloden in the TT.

[leilani]

Yeah. It really is looking like it's Kloden's tour.

[gopwinsin04]

Would Menchov be able to duel Kloden in the TT?

[BaBaStooey]

On a different note, its officially time for Le Poulet de Vol to bust out the pois rouge helmet, gloves, shorts, socks, shoes, and bike!

[green iguana]

The first TT:

Pos. N° Name Surname Team Nat. Gaps
1 023 HONCHAR Serhiy TMO UKR
2 071 LANDIS Floyd PHO USA 01' 01"
3 044 LANG Sebastian GST GER 01' 04"
4 026 ROGERS Michael TMO AUS 01' 24"
5 156 LARSSON Gustav FDJ SWE 01' 34"
6 027 SINKEWITZ Patrik TMO GER 01' 39"
7 042 FOTHEN Marcus GST GER 01' 42"
8 021 KLÖDEN Andréas TMO GER 01' 43"
9 051 MENCHOV Denis RAB RUS 01' 44"
10 057 POSTHUMA Joost RAB NED 01' 45"
11 061 EVANS Cadel DVL AUS 01' 49"
12 096 KARPETS Vladimir CEI RUS 01' 52"
13 018 ZABRISKIE David CSC USA 01' 57"
14 024 KESSLER Matthias TMO GER 02' 03"
15 031 MOREAU Christophe A2R FRA 02' 04"
16 025 MAZZOLENI Eddy TMO ITA 02' 05"
17 079 PENA Victor Hugo PHO COL 02' 09"
18 014 SASTRE Carlos CSC ESP 02' 11"

[gopwinsin04]

I turned away and started getting dressed for work when Phil Ligget said 'Its sad to see the suffering of the yellow jersey up the Iron Cross.' It was all over then

Did the lack of team support (besides Eddie M) finally catch up to Landis?

[commish]

Today's Stage reminds me of the heartbreak I felt when Lemond cracked on the climb trying for his 4th win.