Tour de France *** 2012 *** [LIVE THREAD]

Various ^ | TdF Starts June 30th!! | Varous

[Ready4Freddy]

The Tour starts next Saturday, June 30th!

Now I need to find my ping list & html templates!

[Baynative]

"I could swear I have heard that climb discussed before..."

"Colombier" is a bit like "Galibier" ...maybe?

[patriotspride]

Think Cadel can come back on Wiggins ?

[alfa6]

Re: #180:

Bwaa Haaa Haa Ha

You be a bad man R4F :-)

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Baynative]

"Think Cadel can come back on Wiggins ?"

This is potentially one of the great mountain battles. It could be like LeMond/Fignon, Indurain/Rominger or Armstrong/Ulrich. Both of these guys have good teams, but they would have to leave them behind and do battle one on one at some point. There are some big mountain stages still to come.

Fireworks may begin tomorrow with a short, but tough stage. It could even be decided here if someone summons the ability to crush the field like Lance did when he decimated Ulrich and ran away from the whole bunch by four minutes...

If a significant gap isn't achievable before next week's reast day, I look forward to a possible epic battle in stage 16 or 17 - both are pure days of torture. Christopher Froome has the talent to break a mountain stage apart, but he won't be able to use it because he'll be protecting Wiggins. So it looks like Nibali and Menchov are the only real threats to the GC at this point. But, as they say; "shifts happen".

AS always, it will come down to heart and for that reason I don't write Cadel off yet.

[luv2ski]

You’re being kind, Bay! but I appreciate it! The names do seem to sound the same though...

[luv2ski]

so bad!!

[luv2ski]

You should be ashamed of yourself but I know you are not! haha

[luv2ski]

Really glad to see Voeckler win today. You can't help but root for him. He is like the Energizer bunny of the TdF! He just won't give up. Phil said his (Voeckler’s) wife is hauling the kids and herself around France in a “camping car” for the 3 weeks of the Tour. Considering that Voeckler is a very popular rider in France and probably makes a lot of money, that is pretty funny.

[green iguana]

Now that’s funny. I keep looking for machine guns, but the picture’s too small...

[Ready4Freddy]

greeny, the weapons are kept in the team half-tracks until needed.

That is Obergruppenführer Cadel von Evans leading, the gelbes Trikot is in the peleton surrounded by his team in khaki. The entire team was banned in 1945.

And yes, luvvy, you're right - am having waaayyyy too much fun with this to be ashamed. lol!!

[Ready4Freddy]

Tour de France 2012

Stage 11 - Albertville > > > La Toussuire - Les Sybelles (148km)

Thursday, July 12, 2012

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Route

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Profile of the Stage

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Profile of Last Kilometers

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Mountain Passes & Hills

Km 40.0 - Col de la Madeleine (2000 m) 25.3 km climb at 6.2% - category HC
Km 93.0 - Col de la Croix de Fer (2067 m) 22.4 km climb at 6.9% - category HC
Km 113.0 - Col du Mollard (1638 m) 5.7 kilometre-long climb at 6.8% - category 2
Km 148.0 - LA TOUSSUIRE 18 km climb at 6.1% - category 1

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The Hills Today

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(Graphics - letour.com & cyclingnews.com)

[Ready4Freddy]

Stage 11 graphics are up! Two Hors catégorie to start, then a 2 to rest their legs, and finish at the top of a catégorie 1.

Brutal!

Tour de France 2012

Stage 11 - Albertville > > > La Toussuire - Les Sybelles (148km)

Thursday, July 12, 2012

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A tough one

"One of the shortest stages in the 99th edition. But riders beware, it is a tough one! The course is simple: after the first thirteen kilometres from Albertville, the peloton will be hard pressed to find a single inch of flat terrain! The cyclists will tackle La Madeleine, La Croix de Fer and Le Mollard one after the other before the final climb up La Toussuire. Let me tell you, the final podium will start to take shape on the finish line here! Those who falter in this stage will get no second chances. The winner will not be known yet, but the losers certainly will."

A day for the big guns

It may have become a hackneyed phrase but it’s certainly apt to describe this as a day when the Tour can’t be won but can certainly be lost. The only day in the heart of the Alps also features the first high mountain finish, at the resort where Michael Rasmussen won in 2006. It’s a stage that is cut out for specialist climbers. The Madeleine and the Croix de Fer, which is tackled via the Glandon, are both very tough 2,000-metre passes that will sap everyone’s reserves. The riders will have to take care on the descent of the Mollard, where the hairpins are tightly packed. The finish will reveal the real GC contenders.

Allan Peiper: "This is a very typical Tour de France stage and most of the climbs have been ridden before. Mountain top finishes are the only chances that the climbers who don’t time trial that well can get some gaps before the final stages."

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(Commentary - letour.com & cyclingnews.com)

[PeteB570]

A Yellow Jersey is a Yellow Jersey in Paris.

Since Wiggins and Froome are so close Sky’s DS could let Froome fly one day if Wiggins is about to crack ............

Wiggins wants to wear yellow in Paris he needs to have a good day every day.

[Ready4Freddy]

Ready4Freddy, stage 11 looks freakin’ crazy.

And here we are, Vision!

[PeteB570]

31 in the early breakaway. That ain’t going to last long - they’re about to hit the first mountain.

[patriotspride]

AS always, it will come down to heart and for that reason I don’t write Cadel off yet.

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Thanks Bay.

Agree with your assessment. I like Cadel and hope we see a real battle.

Wiggins/Froome are a great duo, so it will be tough.

But as they say , don’t count out the champ until the time bell rings.....

[patriotspride]

Thanks for your summaries.

Great prep for the days battles.

[Vision]

Hey, yes this will be a great stage, unfortunately I need to wait for the 8pm show. It's shaping up to be a wonderful Tour. It looks like the riders are settling down.

Last night the action video was not in high def...that really sucked. What is that about? There was a HC with small roads filled with people, and the images were a little blurry. Meh.

[ScaniaBoy]

Looks like the Swede Fredrik Kessiakoff has retaken the polka-dot jersey. Second and first across the two HC peaks. Well done. First time in 30 years a Swedish rider has worn one of the leader jerseys in the Tour!

[Baynative]

This is what it’s all about. Wiggins seems to have locked it up thanks to his mates. Froome deserves an extra long massage and well earned day off. Cadel seemed broken at the end. Maybe there’s more, but I doubt it. I’d like to see them turn Tejay loose to seek the glory he has earned by being a good soldier. Froome will not get that chance this year because he still has work to do. It reminded me a bit of way back when Indurain rode away from the bunch and could have won the stage, maybe even the tour only to be called back to protect Pedro Delgado.