Tour de France: Stage 17 Live Thread (Thursday, July 20, 2006) Col de Joux-Plane

VeloNews.com ^ | July 20, 2006 | VeloNews.com

[nutmeg]

Stage 17: St. Jean de Maurienne to Morzine-Avoriaz -200.5km

Course: This is almost identical to the stage in 2000 when Marco Pantani attacked on the first climb (the 15km, 6.4-percent Saisies) and forced Armstrong's U.S. Postal squad to chase for 100km over the Aravis, Colombière and Châtillon climbs to the foot of the day's main obstacle: the mighty Col de Joux-Plane (11.7km at 8.7 percent). It was partway up the Joux-Plane that Armstrong bonked and could only watch as Ullrich and others rode away from him, and he conceded almost two minutes by the finish in Morzine.

History: Morzine has seen 13 finishes of the Tour, including that one six years ago, which was the last time the ultra-steep Joux-Plane was climbed in the Tour. The only Tour winner to win a stage into Morzine was Pantani, who scored a solo victory here in 1997, the year before he won the Tour. Morzine's mountaintop neighbor, Avoriaz, has seen stage wins by two other Tour champions, Lucien Van Impe and Bernard Hinault.

Favorites: If riders are still battling for podium spots, then the Joux-Plane climb and descent suits Leipheimer and Landis. But it's more likely that a long-distance break will succeed, giving a rider like Michael Rasmussen a chance to win the stage and the King of the Mountains competition.

Graphics by CyclingNews.com

[Ready4Freddy]

Wow, good balance! I've fallen out of mine several times this AM! LOL

[gopwinsin04]

[leilani]

I am speechless I had to go outside & catch my breath again, but for a totally different reason today. Where is that guy on FR who has the smoking cigarette in his signature? Somebody tell him I need a drag! Wildest fun I've had in the morning since... well, last Saturday! :-)

[commish]

Looking ahead to tomorrow, I don't think this could have worked out any more perfect for Floyd.

he is within 30 sec of 2 guys he should easily run away from in the TT. And on top of that, since he is not in yellow, he is not responsible for chasing down any breaks tomorrow. That will fall on Perreiro and Sastre's teams. Sure floyd will undoubtably mark anyone that's a threat to him (IE Kloden), but in reality, he can hang with his team in the middle of the Peleton, and let the others do the work tomorrow.

[luv2ski]

Ha! You beat me to my question: what does tomorrow look like?!

[Ready4Freddy]

Yup. 'Oh yeah, there's a Stage between #'s 17 & 19!".

Methinks the TEAM is going to be mucho importante tomorrow. Leaders & directeurs sportif are gonna be kicking some ass tonight & tomorrow AM to make sure that the know what to do. I think Fri's stage is a bit more important than what people have been thinking...

[green iguana]

It's important, but commish nailed it in post 544.

[Ready4Freddy]

In a 'normal' Tour, I would agree with you, and I think it's certainly tru re: the maillot jaune. But there's 2nd & 3rd to think about, and I think tomorrow's gonna be hell-bent-for-leather-CRAZY, got too many folks close in the Top 10 to think otherwise.

And that's gonn a have an impact on the race for yellow....

[Ready4Freddy]

See my #348

[Ready4Freddy]

Errr, #548!

[gopwinsin04]

We could be looking at a match race to Paris on the Champs with 3 guys within 20 seconds of the lead...whoa Nelly!

[kevkrom]

I think Fri's stage is a bit more important than what people have been thinking...

Today's finish was supposed to decide the race. Instead, it made everything a race all over again...

[MotleyGirl70]

Ping

[Ready4Freddy]

If Landis has the legs left for a herculean ITT, that's not going to be possible...

[commish]

Agree. tomorrow will be very interesting. With the nice wide roads, etc -- there will be a lot of attempts at breakaways, and a lot of jostling and attacking.

Plus, you will have guys 20-30 min behind that will look back at the Perreiro breakaway and think, I still have a shot at this if they let me go.

[green iguana]

I agree w/ your 548 too! I think the 2 posts are not incompatible.

[Minuteman23]

I see that "your" Floyd has moved up from 8th to 2nd today.

I'm getting ready to maybe eat my hat but the fat lady hasn't sung yet. :-)

[Ready4Freddy]

LOL, absolutely!!! The more 'answers' we have (in the form of completed Stages), the more questions we run into!

Today's finish was supposed to decide the race...

[commish]

When everyone was clamouring around on Jul 1 trying to figure out what had just happened to Le Tour -- I bet they never thought that the statement "this tour is now wide open" would really come down to this point.

[Ready4Freddy]

It's gonna happen as commish described it, or as I described it, or yet another way!

I am CERTAIN of that!!!!! LOL!!