Pau -Hautacam Predictions?

TinyExplosions · 14-07-2008 9:38am #1

I'm going for Ricco to win, widcard of Cunego

fish-head · 14-07-2008 9:42am

Didja see Ricco yesterday?! He looks in flying form so I'm gonna go with him..

Funkyzeit · 14-07-2008 9:49am

Was interesting to hear the Cobra saying he would love Piepoli to win today - not sure if he was throwing people off the scent - surely he won't work for Golom considering his improved GC position ?

I'll go for one of the CSC boys as they've been dead quiet - will pick Sastre although if Valverde is really struggling Pereiro might be let loose...

Chips Lovell · 14-07-2008 9:57am

Tough one to call. It's a serious stage and one where guys with GC ambitions are likely to make a move. Valverde could try and put Evans on the rack here, especially considering Evans crashed the other day and may still be hurting. Cunego could try and pull back some of his time losses, but he hasn't looked good at all so far. Menchov will hang with whoever's in the front group and hope that some of his rivals get dropped. Ditto for Sastre. Might be a day for one of the Schlecks to attack and get a stage win. Ricco looks in amazing form, but maybe three stage wins in such a short space of time might be too much even for him. He said his ambition today would be to help Piepoli to a win. If Piepoli paces him up, he could grab another minute or two and put himself back into contention for the overall (at least until the next time trial).

TinyExplosions · 14-07-2008 10:13am

el tonto wrote: »

If Piepoli paces him up, he could grab another minute or two and put himself back into contention for the overall (at least until the next time trial).

Roche and Duffield were saying last night that the Piepoli talk could be a bluff, and that if he can pull a couple of minutes out of the yellow today, and again on Alpe D'Huez, it could give him enough in hand to not lose too much in the last TT

Caroline_ie · 14-07-2008 10:15am

Non Non Non :mad: - 14th of July means french win!
Allez la France!!!

Chips Lovell · 14-07-2008 10:18am

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Roche and Duffield were saying last night that the Piepoli talk could be a bluff, and that if he can pull a couple of minutes out of the yellow today, and again on Alpe D'Huez, it could give him enough in hand to not lose too much in the last TT

It's a well used tactic at Saunier Duval. Ricco's done the one-two with Piepoli before, as has Gibo when he was still riding for them. The stage win would be Piepoli's reward for helping him put time into his rivals.

Not sure if Ricco has the gas to win the whole thing. Remember, he's been far enough down on the GC to date that he's been let go without much fuss. Once he's moved up a bit more, you'll see more guys trying to close him down.

Bottleopener · 14-07-2008 10:18am

As it's Bastille day I will go for a French victory. Moreau to go on the attack today and take points for the mountains jersey along with the stage.

TinyExplosions · 14-07-2008 10:18am

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Non Non Non :mad: - 14th of July means french win!
Allez la France!!!

Afraid not, all the Frenchies will be drinking wine, celebrating Bastille day

Chips Lovell · 14-07-2008 10:18am

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Non Non Non :mad: - 14th of July means french win!

True. So who is your money on? I wonder if Remy Di Gregorio has the legs to go for a big one like this.

Funkyzeit · 14-07-2008 10:23am

Bottleopener wrote: »

As it's Bastille day I will go for a French victory. Moreau to go on the attack today and take points for the mountains jersey along with the stage.

I bet you he won't...and give you generous odds...

.he abandoned ealier in the tour...

Bottleopener · 14-07-2008 10:27am

Funkyzeit wrote: »

I bet you he won't...and give you generous odds... .he abandoned ealier in the tour...

Wow I missed that one completely

. A Frenchman will surely go on the attack today.. anyones guess who. If that doesn't materialise another win for Ricco then.

Caroline_ie · 14-07-2008 10:45am

Cyril Dessel, Sylvain Chavanel or Sandy Casar ...

... i could name all ... cause I don't really have a clue :P

Quigs Snr · 14-07-2008 12:15pm

Andy Schleck would be my tip assuming a break fails to stay away.

Caroline_ie · 14-07-2008 12:25pm

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Andy Schleck would be my tip assuming a break fails to stay away.

He has a white jersey on now doesn't he, he could very well be motivated enough now to try and win the stage.

Caroline_ie · 14-07-2008 2:08pm

Go Jens!!!!!

niceonetom · 14-07-2008 2:11pm

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Go Jens!!!!!

what a beast! magnificent!

Caroline_ie · 14-07-2008 2:14pm

niceonetom wrote: »

what a beast! magnificent!

Ah yeah - he better win this I have him in my Fantasy Team ... ( and not just the fantasy team)

Diarmuid · 14-07-2008 4:47pm

Schlek must be kicking himself. 1 second to miss out on the yellow, esp as he lost about 20 on the last 1.5km. Evans was interviewed on French TV afterwards and said that when he went down yesterday, he though his tour was over. Apparently all his left side is sore after the fall.

Did a reccy of the Col de la Bonette climb yesterday. It's one long climb that just goes on and on and on! A friend did the Col de la Lombarde afterwards and said it's a brutal climb. I don't fancy racing it!

Will be positioned on the route for next Tuesday week.

Chips Lovell · 15-07-2008 9:50am

What a fantastic day of racing that was yesterday. Valverde always cracks in the big mountains. I just wasn't expecting it to happen so soon.

You really have to hand it to CSC, they played their cards to perfection, although I'm sure a bit of luck was involved. Having Cancellara up the road just blew the stage apart. First Jens shatters the bunch on the Tourmalet, then he and Cancellara drill it all the way to Hautacam. Valverde and Cunego were broken men after that. I'm sure the CSC lads must be so disappointed though that they couldn't translate all that work into a stage win or the jersey. Schleck came so close.

Evans and Saunier Duval must have been delighted to have someone else do all their work for them. The Tour is really down now to Evans, Menchov and Sastre, with the latter having to do a lot of work in the Alps if he's going to survive the final TT. I'm surprised though that Evans didn't let Schleck take the jersey yesterday. It's still very early in the race to have to defend it and getting CSC to do that work might have suited him better.

I'm slightly intriged by Ricco at this stage. He's 2:30 down. If he goes nuts in the Alps he could grab a good bit more time. I still think he doesn't have it in him to win the whole thing, but he's got a great shot at the podium now, especially considering Sastre isn't the strongest time trialller.

TinyExplosions · 15-07-2008 11:59am

el tonto wrote: »

I'm slightly intriged by Ricco at this stage. He's 2:30 down. If he goes nuts in the Alps he could grab a good bit more time. I still think he doesn't have it in him to win the whole thing, but he's got a great shot at the podium now, especially considering Sastre isn't the strongest time trialller.

Yeah, he's confusing me a little too -he certainly didn't look tired yesterday, and I think he could have clawed another couple of minutes bck -particularly with the rest day today. Maybe he's just going to concentrate on the Polka Dot now, which would be good considering he wasn't going to ride the tour this year at one point!

niceonetom · 15-07-2008 12:15pm

fúck sprinters -every stage should finish on the top of a mountain :pac:

ricco looked very very comfortable yesterday just keeping in with the evans group for the last 10k. i reckon that if there hadn't a team decision to let piepolli win ricco could have kicked in the last 5k and taken some more time out of evans - but he wasn't about to do that with his own man up the road. pity really. i don't think there's anyone who can stay with him on the serious climbs. i doubt there's any chance of him seriously competing for GC now, but KOM looks pretty likely.

would really have liked schlek to have gotten the yellow.

Caroline_ie · 15-07-2008 12:20pm

niceonetom wrote: »

would really have liked schlek to have gotten the yellow.

Well I guess they'll all be working for him now sso he gets it. 1 Sec away ... Poor Frank... 2nd best.

Beached · 15-07-2008 12:24pm

el tonto wrote: »

True. So who is your money on? I wonder if Remy Di Gregorio has the legs to go for a big one like this.

I was well impressed with this prediction when he went out on his own on the Tourmalet. He was never really gonna last the final 20 K though

DirkVoodoo · 15-07-2008 12:43pm

Was there any mention of what became of the crashed motorbike riders on the descent from the tourmalet?

Caroline_ie · 15-07-2008 12:48pm

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Was there any mention of what became of the crashed motorbike riders on the descent from the tourmalet?

... mmm you never know with gravel ... (joke )

What happened i missed that bit on TV, just heard it on the radio, sounded pretty bad.

DirkVoodoo · 15-07-2008 12:53pm

Just coming down the descent, he seemed to have hit the wall to his left. One of the motorbike riders was up and waving his arms, the other rider/camera man seemed to be unconscious on the ground.

Caroline_ie · 15-07-2008 12:57pm

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Just coming down the descent, he seemed to have hit the wall to his left. One of the motorbike riders was up and waving his arms, the other rider/camera man seemed to be unconscious on the ground.

This is the Finish anyway http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x644hd_tour-de-france-2008-etape-9_sport

bunnygreen · 15-07-2008 1:19pm

You have to stand back in amazement at Jens Voight,i remember seeing him in the flesh last year and he is a big lad,what he did going up the Tourmalet probably with a 25 or less on the back defies believe,he really was the super domestic,then himself and Cancellera hammering it to the foot of the last climb.Personally i don't think Sastre has it it in him for the Alps,i'd say Ricco will give it a good go there.All in all its a great TDF long may it last.

Chips Lovell · 15-07-2008 1:41pm

TinyExplosions wrote: »

...he certainly didn't look tired yesterday, and I think he could have clawed another couple of minutes bck -particularly with the rest day today. Maybe he's just going to concentrate on the Polka Dot now...

niceonetom wrote: »

...ricco looked very very comfortable yesterday just keeping in with the evans group for the last 10k. i reckon that if there hadn't a team decision to let piepolli win ricco could have kicked in the last 5k and taken some more time out of evans ...

I don't know. Even if he wasn't showing it, he has to be feeling the last few days in his legs. He's a marked man now, so if he were to kick, you'd see the others follow. The danger was kicking, blowing and getting dropped. He's got a chance to recover now and go again in the Alps. And yes, he's looking good for the Polka Dots. Podium and KOM would be a great return for him.

Beached wrote: »

I was well impressed with this prediction when he went out on his own on the Tourmalet. He was never really gonna last the final 20 K though

I've been watching him since last year's Paris Nice and he looks like a great prospect. He was out in front too soon yesterday though and was never going to last. If CSC hadn't attacked on the Tourmalet he might have hung on longer.

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Well I guess they'll all be working for him now so he gets it. 1 Sec away ... Poor Frank... 2nd best.

They'll still work for Sastre if they've any sense. Schleck has no track record at keeping it together in a grand tour. Carlos has. He's still their best shot at a podium.

Pau -Hautacam Predictions?

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