Stage 15 - Samatan > > > Pau (158.5km)
Monday, July 16, 2012
Km 123.5 - Côte de Simacourbe 1.9 km climb at 6.3% - category 3
Km 129.0 - Côte de Monassut-Audiracq 1.5 km climb at 5.4% - category 4
(Graphics - letour.com & cyclingnews.com)
Posted on 06/24/2012 9:40:23 PM PDT by Ready4Freddy
There were lots of instances of fan violence and “fan cheating” in the early Desgrange days of the tour, but it really has cooled off. Actually, the Giro is the last race to stay ugly, with fans throwing vinegar on riders as late as the early 80s. Italians play mean.
Stage 15 - Samatan > > > Pau (158.5km)
Monday, July 16, 2012
Stage 15 - Samatan > > > Pau (158.5km)
Monday, July 16, 2012
"A tip of the hat to provincial France, the France of the Tour. Our caravan will set off from Samatan, a large town with 2,200 inhabitants which is the main town of the Gers canton. It will probably be a calm start, as the stage is not particularly tough. A sprint finish would be the logical outcome, and I actually hope it happens, because pure sprinters will not get many chances to shine in this Tour. The finish in Pau will be beautiful, like always. This is the 64th time that the Tour visits this city, which is almost a record. Let us pay homage to this city, which we see as a stronghold and a strategic place."
Calm before the storm
Rather than heading straight into the Pyrenees, this stage is flirting with them, bumping through the range’s foothills as it heads into Pau and the second rest day. There’s a string of climbs in the final third of the stage but they won’t knock all, if any, of the sprinters out of contention if the bunch is compact at that point. The teams that have failed to register any kind of success up to now will need to take advantage of days like this, especially if they don’t have an in-form climber in their ranks. Realistically, this stage and the one to come into Brive-la-Gaillarde will be their last chances to reap some kind of reward.
Allan Peiper: "The question here is how many of the top sprinters can get over the climbs? Matt Goss is a really good climber so he should be there to contend the finish. We’ll have to wait and see."
I’m disappointed in Liquigas for not putting on a chase to get Sagan another stage.
Overall individual time classification after Stage 15
1. GBR WIGGINS Bradley 101 SKY PROCYCLING 68h 33’ 21’’
2. GBR FROOME Christopher 105 SKY PROCYCLING 68h 35’ 26’’ + 02’ 05’’
3. ITA NIBALI Vincenzo 51 LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE 68h 35’ 44’’ + 02’ 23’’
4. AUS EVANS Cadel 1 BMC RACING TEAM 68h 36’ 40’’ + 03’ 19’’
5. BEL VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen 111 LOTTO-BELISOL TEAM 68h 38’ 09’’ + 04’ 48’’
6. ESP ZUBELDIA Haimar 19 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 68h 39’ 36’’ + 06’ 15’’
7. USA VAN GARDEREN Tejay 9 BMC RACING TEAM 68h 40’ 18’’ + 06’ 57’’
8. SLO BRAJKOVIC Janez 181 ASTANA PRO TEAM 68h 40’ 51’’ + 07’ 30’’
9. FRA ROLLAND Pierre 29 TEAM EUROPCAR 68h 41’ 52’’ + 08’ 31’’
10. FRA PINOT Thibaut 146 FDJ-BIGMAT 68h 42’ 12’’ + 08’ 51’’
11. GER KLÖDEN Andréas 15 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 68h 42’ 50’’ + 09’ 29’’
12. LUX SCHLECK Frank 11 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 68h 43’ 06’’ + 09’ 45’’
13. IRL ROCHE Nicolas 79 AG2R LA MONDIALE 68h 44’ 10’’ + 10’ 49’’
14. FRA COPPEL Jérôme 91 SAUR-SOJASUN 68h 44’ 48’’ + 11’ 27’’
15. USA HORNER Christopher 14 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 68h 46’ 02’’ + 12’ 41’’
16. RUS MENCHOV Denis 131 KATUSHA TEAM 68h 50’ 42’’ + 17’ 21’’
17. BEL MONFORT Maxime 16 RADIOSHACK-NISSAN 68h 51’ 02’’ + 17’ 41’’
18. ESP MARTINEZ Egoi 35 EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 68h 51’ 25’’ + 18’ 04’’
19. POR COSTA Rui Alberto 163 MOVISTAR TEAM 68h 52’ 23’’ + 19’ 02’’
20. DEN SORENSEN Chris Anker 178 TEAM SAXO BANK-TINKOFF BANK 68h 53’ 33’’ + 20’ 12’’
Results of Stage 15 - Overall individual time classification
1. FRA FEDRIGO Pierrick 142 FDJ-BIGMAT 03h 40’ 15’’
2. USA VANDE VELDE Christian 68 GARMIN-SHARP 03h 40’ 15’’ + 00’ 00’’
3. FRA VOECKLER Thomas 21 TEAM EUROPCAR 03h 40’ 27’’ + 00’ 12’’
4. DEN SORENSEN Nicki 179 TEAM SAXO BANK-TINKOFF BANK 03h 40’ 27’’ + 00’ 12’’
5. BEL DEVENYNS Dries 194 OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK STEP 03h 40’ 36’’ + 00’ 21’’
6. FRA DUMOULIN Samuel 83 COFIDIS LE CREDIT EN LIGNE 03h 41’ 23’’ + 01’ 08’’
7. GER GREIPEL André 114 LOTTO-BELISOL TEAM 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
8. USA FARRAR Tyler 63 GARMIN-SHARP 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
9. SVK SAGAN Peter 57 LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
10. BEL BOECKMANS Kris 122 VACANSOLEIL-DCM 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
11. SLO BOZIC Borut 182 ASTANA PRO TEAM 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
12. FRA HINAULT Sébastien 75 AG2R LA MONDIALE 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
13. NED DE KORT Koen 213 TEAM ARGOS-SHIMANO 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
14. AUS CANTWELL Jonathan 171 TEAM SAXO BANK-TINKOFF BANK 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
15. FRA ENGOULVENT Jimmy 93 SAUR-SOJASUN 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
16. NED CURVERS Roy 212 TEAM ARGOS-SHIMANO 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
17. BEL ROELANDTS Jurgen 117 LOTTO-BELISOL TEAM 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
18. FRA LADAGNOUS Matthieu 144 FDJ-BIGMAT 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
19. SUI SCHÄR Michael 8 BMC RACING TEAM 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
20. SLO BRAJKOVIC Janez 181 ASTANA PRO TEAM 03h 52’ 05’’ + 11’ 50’’
Highlight of the day: a bystander has a dog who lunges at the riders only to be reeled back in by its owner. Phil says “good thing that guy had control of his dog! Oh, whoops, it was a woman... well moving right along... it’s so hard to tell sometimes these days!”
LOL!!
I caught that part and had a bit of a chuckle myself.
Speaking of lunges; how about Greipel pulling from his track experience to nip Sagan at the line by 'throwing his bike' in Stage 13? It doesn't get much closer than that.
I was actually a little disappointed in almost everyone yesterday — I understand they’re exhausted, and maybe a little bit shaken by the incident with the tacks on the road, but, other than 5 or 6 guys, it was a very poor showing. Was rooting for Vande Velde at the end there, but not to be :(
Phil seemed peeved too, he tends to be a little sarcastic anyway, but he made several biting, but true, comments about the lack of initiative in the pack. I did chuckle at the “oops, it’s a woman, so hard to tell these days” incident.
Was surprised at the situation the day before with Teejay and Cadel. Teejay knows his role, and he has been performing it all along, and very well. I don’t know if he has had enough of retreating to drag “can’t keep up Cadel” back up over and over, and didn’t want to lose the white jersey doing it yet again, or if he really did not understand what was going on in the mess of flat tires and breakdowns.
Tejay is a strong rider and excellent climber, so he would not likely give up a bike or wheel at that point. So it is rational to assume that he expected someone else on the team to be close and offer up a wheel so that Cadel could catch him and he could work to take him back to the bunch.
In fairness, I think a lot of the problem was the tiny road and top of the climb.
Sigh...
Frank Schleck Fails Doping Test at Tour de France
That was crazy! He is riding flat out then at the last possible moment thrusts his handlebars forward. I watched it over and over and still couldn’t believe he pulled it off.
EPIC stage tomorrow! Coverage starts at 4:30 my time! So excited for it! Hope it lives up to the expectations!
This is gonna be good. I'm putting on the alarm and starting the coffee early!
Van Den Broeck and Menchov are threats, but they will be without team support. Pierre Rolland has been making waves in the hills, it could be his time. I think he'll come out firing.
We might also see some attacks from Basso or Klöden who have the ability to go because of their team make up. Klöden rides with Chris Horner who is 40, but can climb very well might be looking for his swan song.
Basso rides with F. Nibali who has shown he can duel with anyone in the climbs. I expect one of these pairs to cause some commotion. Basso and Nibali just might show up with their young sprinter Peter Sagan, too.
But that SKY Army will be marching strong to bring their leader home.
Stage 16 - Pau > > > Bagnères-de-Luchon (197km)
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Stage 16 - Pau > > > Bagnères-de-Luchon (197km)
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
"Pau, a stronghold? Pau, a strategic place? On today's menu, a 197 km classic succession of great Pyrenean cols: the Aubisque, Tourmalet, Col d'Aspin and Peyresourde. As Christian Prudhomme said, a mere four days from the finish, this stage will turn the thumbscrews on the peloton! Moreover, such a course is exactly my idea of a true mountain stage: not with a summit finish, which tends to lock up the race a bit, but an up-and-down course which calls for a mastery of all aspects of cycling. Two years ago, Andy Schleck vacillated somewhat on the descents..."
The classic Pyrenean stage A Tour staple in the pre-war years, the linking of the Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin and Peyresourde passes is rarely seen in modern times. There’s no summit finish but the organisers believe this is likely to make the action more intense as riders won’t be tempted to sit back and wait for the final climb before racing. The fact that the Aubisque and the Tourmalet – the ‘roof’ of this year’s race – come first won’t suit the climbers. Some of them may not appreciate the final descent of the Peyresourde either as it’s very speedy and suits daredevils. It won’t be an easy day for whoever is defending the yellow jersey.
Janez Brajkovic: "In 2010, we went over the Tourmalet and that was the most difficult stage I’ve ever done. It will be tough and a few people will lose the Tour here. If you’re dropped before the last climb then you’re going to lose a lot of time."
It’s a nasty one today. I’ve got to wait for Primetime however.
really appreciate the pings and your most excellent coverage. You put many news agencies to shame!!!! This is such a grueling but wonderful competition. My cousin & her hubby did some biking a couple years ago on a few of the areas of the TDF.. she had a new respect for the competitors
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.