Stage 19 TDF - (Warning Contains Spoilers)

Lumen

Anything interesting likely today?



Preview.

This stage offers the last opportunity for the breakaway artists. The bumpy terrain and three categorized climbs should hold the main field at bay, and allow a rider from the escape to celebrate victory. The general classification riders won’t want too ride especially hard, because they will have the limestone monster Mont Ventoux on their minds.

The final climb sits close enough to the finish to allow an escape to succeed, but it’s unlikely that a general classification rider will make the attempt. Of course, the attack no one expects is often the one that succeeds. Most likely, though, a breakaway of all-arounders will escape early in the stage, and from that small group, one lucky winner will enjoy the podium kisses.

"The attack no one expects is often the one that succeeds". But nobody expects the Spanish inquisition.

teufelswerk

Does anyone fancy Cav getting his chunky frame over the Col De L'escrinet today? He really needs to get himself back in the game. He proved in the Milan San Remo that you cab't write him off being in the pack at the end of a leg vreaking day. Hard to see a standout winner on this one but reckon Cerveol will push the pace to make sure Cav won't be there for the sprint

kmart6

Well considering he said he's not trying for the Green jersey, and going to try and win a sprint in Paris on Sunday, I'm sure he won't kill himself today,he'll just be looking to finish!

ednwireland

leg vreaking wtf

breakaway day defo cant imagine anyone chasing hard with whats on tomorrow

Nietzschean

should be an interesting day for people to try break into the top 10, can't see many of the higher GC contenders trying/chasing with tomorrow...

lukester

Roche in a breakaway FTW.

Should be a good few French teams in the break, last chance for a stage win. Would like to see Moncoutié or Jeremy Roy up there.

brandon_flowers

I'd be picking someone like Menchov, Luis Leon Sanchez or Kim Kirchen who have nothing left to ride for really in terms of GC but would still be fairly strong at this end of the Tour.

warrfla

brandon_flowers wrote: »

I'd be picking someone like Menchov, Luis Leon Sanchez or Kim Kirchen who have nothing left to ride for really in terms of GC but would still be fairly strong at this end of the Tour.

Providing ol' Denis can stay on his bike on the descents

Captain Havoc

And Roche is at it again, he's in a breakaway of 19!!!!!!

n-dawg

Common Roche.... He's been the man of the tour for me. Its very exciting seeing him get into so many breaks!

Hopefully with his two team mates in this one they can set him up for the win

warrfla

Fair Play to Roche again!!

only got 50 seconds though, peleton chasing hard doesnt look like they want to let this one go

DirkVoodoo

I thought I heard Evans was in the breakaway too? I know he has nothing to play for now in this year's tour, but I would still like to see him have one day of glory. I'm not normally his biggest fan, but I think he was let down by a pretty weak team. Getting into an early break with some stronger riders might pay off for him on this stage.

alibabba

Fair play Mr Roche
Typically Irish, always up for it

warrfla

Lookls like astana have come to the front to calm the peleton, gap gone to 1.15 looks like its going to stay away

Yes Evans in the Break, along with Millar and Popo

Hermy

Evans is in the breakaway.
Cadel Evans, Yaroslav Popovych, Kim Kirchen, David Millar, Luis Leon Sanchez, David Arroyo, Jose Luis Arrieta, Carlos Barredo, Leonardo Duque, Geoffroy Lequatre, Simon Spilak, Nicolas Roche, Daniele Bennati, Sylvain Chavanel, Jose Ivan Gutierrez, William Bonnet, Nikolai Trussov

warrfla

HaHa, just saw on the Tracker Roches old Friend Bennati is in the break aswell, should make the finish interesting if they stay away!!!!

kennyb3

Roche in the same break as Bennati, very interesting after the other day!!

kennyb3

warrfla wrote: »

HaHa, just saw on the Tracker Roches old Friend Bennati is in the break aswell, should make the finish interesting if they stay away!!!!

snap

alibabba

WOULDNT IT BE CLASS
they come up the straight to the finsih line, Roche looks across at benny and says bye bye, leaves him in his dust and takes the stage !

Hermy

alibabba wrote: »

WOULDNT IT BE CLASS
they come up the straight to the finsih line, Roche looks across at benny and says bye bye, leaves him in his dust and takes the stage !

No I don't want to go to work.:p

Funkyzeit

Hermy wrote: »

...in the breakaway.
Nicolas Roche, Daniele Bennati,

Captain Havoc

Hermy wrote: »

No I don't want to go to work.:p

Being able to watch the Tour is one of the few benefits of unemployment, the others are: being able to cycle as much as you want, having time to clean your bike with a toothbrush and being able to discuss cycling as much as you want on boards. Other than that it sucks

Hermy

I'm self-employed.
But I'm sure the recession will be over on Monday.:o

alibabba

anyone got linky to newspaper articles of Stephen Roche commenting on his son's performance in the tour?

n-dawg

With Astana slowing down the pack it may give Roche the chance to get into the top 20 in the GC....

I presume everybody has been reading his diary on independent.ie its a great insiders look into the tour!

Esroh

3 Agr2 riders that half of what they have left.Lets hope he not suffer to much yest.Said in Indo that he had to high a gear for the hill.

Hermy

Roche might move up another place in the Green comp too.

Captain Havoc

Hermy wrote: »

Roche might move up another place in the Green comp too.

He was second past the first sprint and second mountain check points.

alibabba

n-dawg wrote: »

With Astana slowing down the pack it may give Roche the chance to get into the top 20 in the GC....

I presume everybody has been reading his diary on independent.ie its a great insiders look into the tour!

yip, he had it tough the day before yesterday
http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/nicolas-roche-metal-soundtrack-gives-me-queen-stage-fright-1835816.html

BolBill

kennyb3 wrote: »

Roche in the same break as Bennati, very interesting after the other day!!

Pardon my ignorance but what happened the other day ?

Captain Havoc

BolBill wrote: »

Pardon my ignorance but what happened the other day ?

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/tour-de-france-they-called-me-every-name-under-the-sun-1830452.html

godihatethehils

Who is Roche's team leader...Nocentini or Efimkin?

and is he not better than both of them??

teufelswerk

Was going to put 5er each way on Roche this morning at 28/1, slightly disgusted now that I went with Arroyo at 50/1 and Voekler at 36/1. You've won this round PaddyPower, Arroyo is teasing me by being in the breakaway but will be riding for Sanchez?

Esroh

godihatethehils wrote: »

Who is Roche's team leader...Nocentini or Efimkin?

and is he not better than both of them??

Efimkin and Dessel were the leaders both gone.
Nocentini got the jersey on the break and you don't let it go

brandon_flowers

godihatethehils wrote: »

Who is Roche's team leader...Nocentini or Efimkin?

and is he not better than both of them??

Efimkin is team leader, then Cyril Dessel and then Nocentini/Roche I would think. Nocentini only got the yellow jersey by luck in the breakaway early. He is certainly not better than Efimkin at the moment, he would be close to the top ten in GC imho.

Nice to see two of my predictions are in the breakaway. Menchov must have stopped to put on a cape or something.

BolBill

Raging I haven't been on here for the whole Tour, you fellas know your stuff.

Esroh

BolBill wrote: »

Raging I haven't been on here for the whole Tour, you fellas know your stuff.

On know these things because of the joys of shift work and :Dweek holidays timed to coincide with the fireworks on TdF

goods

anyone got a good link to watch it online ?

found one !

ednwireland

roche missed the split there wonder if the 2nd group will get back on ?
online feed http://tg4.tv

PainIsTemporary

Evans for the win :pac:

petethedrummer

Radio: Starts 14:45
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/sol/newsid_4480000/newsid_4481300/4481395.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&news=1&bbcws=1

Text Feeds:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/cycling/livematch/281277.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/8167014.stm

ednwireland

PainIsTemporary wrote: »

Evans for the win :pac:

dropped already - story of his tour

joker77

goods wrote: »

anyone got a good link to watch it online ?

found one !

Enlighten?

warrfla

joker77 wrote: »

Enlighten?

http://www.atdhe.net/7528/watch-le-tour-de-france-2009

thats the versus feed with P&P Comentating

you could listen to this though

http://eurosport.yahoo.com/audioplayer.html

not really in sync though - kinda frustrating

http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=43450&part=sports

you could try any of the links on the site above

goods

joker77 wrote: »

Enlighten?

http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=43450&part=sports

using the eurosport one at the min, its in french though,
you need to download sopcast to watch,

Was using the ITV4 one last few days it opens in media player , but some police stopaction **** seems to have come on !

teufelswerk

teufelswerk wrote: »

Does anyone fancy Cav getting his chunky frame over the Col De L'escrinet today? He really needs to get himself back in the game. He proved in the Milan San Remo that you cab't write him off being in the pack at the end of a leg vreaking day. Hard to see a standout winner on this one but reckon Cerveol will push the pace to make sure Cav won't be there for the sprint

Just heard Sean Kelly liken the end of todays stage to that of the San Remo and he fancies Cav to be in the mix for the end. Watch this space

warrfla

Ballan to stay away?

beans

Possibility of some rain at the finish - could make for a sketchy sprint!

titan18

I wonder have any GC riders lost time on the descent.It's a small main group.

PainIsTemporary

Team Columbia looking strong. Cav shaping up nicely. Has he any hope of getting the Green jersey or has he lost it?

Roche looking strong...

lukester

Ah bugger.