STAGE 17 - Bourg-Saint-Maurice > > Le Grand-Bornand - 169.5 km
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
(Stage Preview - versus.com; All else - letour.com)
Posted on 07/04/2009 8:09:14 AM PDT by Mom MD
Today is day one! Armstrong riding. Astana is back! Predictions? Other comments? Does someone have the ping list from last year?
Possible. I like everything about the race. I think Contador plans on riding for the new Spanish team being formed. As I said before I wouldn’t mind seeing Bradley Wiggins being the team leader of Livestrong-Nike-TBD. I would love for the team to be primarily American in makeup, but if Wiggins finishes strong in this week he would only get stronger being mentored by LA and Bruyneel.
From LA:
Just heard from Frank Schleck that Jens is doing ok. Good news.
29 minutes ago from UberTwitter
Dunno what ‘OK’ means, however.
OK means he’s alive.
He took a nasty, hard slide down the pavement on the right side of his face.
Some grusome pictures are out on the web already. The pictures show his eyes open but they looked to be spining in oposite directions.
Another of those “Oh, Cra...” BANG moments of the tour.
Yup, I see them now. Won’t post any out of respect for the guy.
hahahahahahahaha!
Someone should give you a mike and a stage! haha!
“I’ll be here all week! Don’t forget to tip your waiter!”
Tell your friends. Try the veal.
It was great to see LA successfully bridge today, wasn’t it? Hella race all around (except for Cadel).
Or something w/ ‘tofu’ in the name.
I believe the estimate is 20-25 million to run a team for a year. They already have one non-profit sponsor I can’t imagine they will go with another. I try to think of cool companies. Maybe it is Apple.
“Need a Tour de France title? There’s a team for that”
You would fit well into my family! :-D
It wasn't until tonight that I actually got to see the rest of the coverage. Geez! 5+ hours? Wow. I had watched the last climb live before I had to run out to an appt so I knew that Lance bridged the gap. Tonight I watched it with my husband and one of my sons but didn't say anything. When Lance started moving across that gap it was so cool! It was the old Lance! Yeah, baby!! I am psyched for tomorrow! The Schleck boys will be attacking again. You can count on that. Hope Jens is OK. Seeing that crash again was just sickening.
Day 17: Up the second hill of the day.
Hushovdt in the lead (Go Norway!!) 1:05 in front of a group of 21.
The main group with LA, Contador, Wiggins etc another 4 minutes back.
On virtual classification Sandy Casar has made it to second place 1’20”” behind Contador.
One reason the main group is so far behind may be that Contador had a puncture and Astana had problems getting his gear to work. So they reduced the tempo up front to help C catch up.
YIKES! I saw that crash late last night on the recap so I checked first thing this morning. There's a twitter from Lance that he'll be ok. Elsewhere I read that he had lost consciousness for a few minutes so they'll be required to put him through all the usual scans, but it looks like he'll be ok. There are pictures of him right after & it was bloody - his face was torn up terribly, for sure.
And just as I am typing this post, his TM Bjarne Riis is being interviewed on Versus & says he'll be fine, thank heavens. Phil Liggett elaborates that Jen's now sitting up in bed in hospital in Grenoble but will remain under observation. He's out of the tour though, obviously.
STAGE 17 - Bourg-Saint-Maurice > > Le Grand-Bornand - 169.5 km
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
High Mountains - A sporting perspective
This is the Tour’s densest mountain stage with five passes that count towards the best-climber classification. The challenges will rise with the terrain and the relatively short distance promises a decisive struggle between the front-runners. The climb to Romme Pass, a Tour first, will make the ascent to Colombière Pass, which starts at Reposoir, even more gruelling.
After an Alpine journey through three countries, the 17th stage of the Tour is completely in France...and in the Alps....all day. It is the most difficult day of the race this year and it is guaranteed to see changes to the overall classification.
Five major passes will be stormed by the 161 survivors , starting with the daunting ascent of the Cormet de Roselend. It was on this climb in 2007 when Australians Michael Rogers and Stuart O'Grady crashed as they raced the course from the Grand Bornand to Tignes.
On this occasion,( both riders are still in the event this year) they will race the opposite way from Bourg Saint Maurice to the Grand Bornand on a course that will end with the tough climb of the Col de la Colombiere before dropping in the finish.
The first time climb of the Col de Romme, like the Colombiere is very steep, and comes just before the latter. It is likely that the moves will happen within the first 10 miles on the Roselend, leaving the contenders to fight an epic battle over a most beautiful route through the Alps.
The Romme, ridden by Lance Armstrong in training, is, says Lance, a very hard climb indeed.
Let battle begin.
(Stage Preview - versus.com; All else - letour.com)
whah? they started without me?
Wiggins will be able to keep some people up tonight if he just sticks with them. Especially if he does so without much difficulty like he has so far. By the sound of it the Schlecks are far more worried about Wiggins than Contador at this point.
STAGE 17 - Bourg-Saint-Maurice > > Le Grand-Bornand - 169.5 km
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
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