July 5, Stage 4: Lorient - Mûr-de-Bretagne 172km

ednwireland

Another of Prudhomme's ploys is to attempt to put the race's major players under pressure on as many days as possible. Although of average length, this run into central Brittany could cause a surprise as the roads in the region are notoriously heavy, meandering and lumpy. That could mean splits in the bunch. More likely, though, are splits among the leaders on the 2km climb to the finish, which will be undertaken at extremely high speed. Once again, puncheurs like Gilbert and FDJ's Pierrick Fédrigo will in their element while the specialist sprinters will struggle.





gilbert !

Morrisseeee

What price Evans for a win or place tomorrow ?
That climb at the end has a kilometer @ 10%, ouch, a nice place to put some vital seconds into your GC rival !!

ROK ON

I think Gilbert could well win but would not be at all surprised to see Contador try something.

kmpuskas

yea contador will be well marked by F&A which should make for a fast finish. Might see Sylvain Chavanel having a go as well he from around that area. i think

ben.schlomo

Gilbert 4/6
Evans 10/1
Contador 14/1
Chavanel 40/1
PP's odds for today, paying a 5th for the first three.

Morrisseeee

I'd imagine all the GC contenders will like to be near the front (for the finish) today, which will make things quite hectic/tricky at the front of the peloton. So.......who else might fancy their chances of a win, Vino, Gadret, Voeckler, Cunego ?!

Maybe someone might try to go early, there's a climb 4km out.


That 800m of a drag at the end will give some riders a chance to catch up, me thinks.

Decuc500

Should be a great stage today. Hoping Evans can take it but Gilbert seems unstoppable in these types of finishes.

Sundy

Looking forward to watching this today. Hopefully lots of excitement.

I know every stage cant have hills but they make things far more interesting.

ednwireland

Morrisseeee wrote: »

I'd imagine all the GC contenders will like to be near the front (for the finish) today, which will make things quite hectic/tricky at the front of the peloton. So.......who else might fancy their chances of a win, Vino, Gadret, Voeckler, Cunego ?!

didnt gadret get dropped on that bridge yesterday

Morrisseeee

Actually looking at the goooogley street view of it, the finish is a long straight open piece of road, not like the narrow street (more steep) Mur De Huy or Amstel Gold finishes.
I wonder is there enough in the last bit of false flat (800m) for Hushovd to pull back losses on the steep bit ?!

didnt gadret get dropped on that bridge yesterday

Do you think he is out of form (after Giro) or did he just get caught out with the wind ?

ednwireland

Morrisseeee wrote: »

Do you think he is out of form (after Giro) or did he just get caught out with the wind ?

you'd hope the latter (for roches sake) but i think the former (i know deignanwas completly shot after the giro)

kilns

These finishes seem to suit Roche a bit also.

So if he can stay at the front he may put time into others

ScaldyMc

My prediction: it will be Gilbert from Evans and Contador. The Schlek's won't be able to match Evans and Contador and will try to limit losses to Contador.

BQQ

Saw Thor interviewed yesterday and he didn't seem too confident of holding onto yellow today.
could be one for the climbers rather than the puncheurs, though Gilbert is still a worthy favourite.

Contador and Sanchez will want to dig themselves out of the holes they've found themselves in, but Shleck looks good value to me.

Inquitus

ScaldyMc wrote: »

My prediction: it will be Gilbert from Evans and Contador. The Schlek's won't be able to match Evans and Contador and will try to limit losses to Contador.

Contador didn't manage to lose Schleck at all last year, be interesting to see if he can this year.

BQQ

kilns wrote: »

These finishes seem to suit Roche a bit also.

So if he can stay at the front he may put time into others

Roche said in his column in the Indo that he was just hanging on up the hill on stage 1 and that he's still not 100%.
This climb is a lot tougher.

Brian?

Inquitus wrote: »

Contador didn't manage to lose Schleck at all last year, be interesting to see if he can this year.

He didn't need to lose him last year. All he had to do was ride within himself to take the Tour, I think he could have put more time into Andy in the mountains if he really needed to.

As for this stage, Vino.

Inquitus

briankeating wrote: »

He didn't need to lose him last year. All he had to do was ride within himself to take the Tour, I think he could have put more time into Andy in the mountains if he really needed to.

As for this stage, Vino.

Considering he only won the tour by the time he made out of the chain incident, I disagree with what you say tbh. He never once looked like he had Andy under any pressure, indeed it looked like Andy was the one more likely to put some time into him.

ednwireland

Inquitus wrote: »

Considering he only won the tour by the time he made out of the chain incident, I disagree with what you say tbh. He never once looked like he had Andy under any pressure, indeed it looked like Andy was the one more likely to put some time into him.

thats just horse poo, everyone seems to forget that AS attacked on the cobbles (when contador was held up by frank not being able to stay upright) and contador broke a wheel near the end

and

AS lost 42s in the prologue as well

Inquitus

ednwireland wrote: »

thats just horse poo, everyone seems to forget that AS attacked on the cobbles (when contador was held up by frank not being able to stay upright) and contador broke a wheel near the end

and

AS lost 42s in the prologue as well

Do you think AC ever had Andy under pressure in the mountains?

BQQ

ednwireland wrote: »

thats just horse poo, everyone seems to forget that AS attacked on the cobbles (when contador was held up by frank not being able to stay upright) and contador broke a wheel near the end

and

AS lost 42s in the prologue as well

I think that's the point he was trying to make. Contador did most of the damage in the time trials. Was nothing between them in the mountains.

Inquitus

BQQ wrote: »

I think that's the point he was trying to make. Contador did most of the damage in the time trials. Was nothing between them in the mountains.

Aye but AC fell off, like he has done this year, and Schleck was in yellow come the mountains. AC may have been confident of taking back yellow in the TT, but as results panned out, but for taking 30+ seconds off AS when his chain slipped he had done no damage to AS in the mountains and indeed without those 30+ seconds he would not have won the tour. So AC had plenty of reasons to try and put time into AS in last years mountain stages and failed.

John.Icy

Was Roman Feiliu using the slipstream of that car? I couldn't tell.:p

BQQ

Inquitus wrote: »

Aye but AC fell off, like he has done this year, and Schleck was in yellow come the mountains. AC may have been confident of taking back yellow in the TT, but as results panned out, but for taking 30+ seconds off AS when his chain slipped he had done no damage to AS in the mountains and indeed without those 30+ seconds he would not have won the tour. So AC had plenty of reasons to try and put time into AS in last years mountain stages and failed.

I agree that AS looked best in the mountains last year.
i've even backed him for the stage today

Brian?

Inquitus wrote: »

Considering he only won the tour by the time he made out of the chain incident, I disagree with what you say tbh. He never once looked like he had Andy under any pressure, indeed it looked like Andy was the one more likely to put some time into him.

I think you'll find my point is that he had the time in his pocket so didn't need to attack. Why does it matter how he got that time in the first place? Not only that but he knew he could destroy Andy in the TT, not as much as usual it turned out.

Andy never looked likely to put much time into Contador in the mountains. If he could have, he would have. I am damn sure that Andy Schleck is not a better climber than Contador,when has he ever taken time from Contador in the mountains when it really mattered? The only time he took last year was on the Station des Rousses to Morzine-Avoriaz stage, 10 seconds.

Brian?

Inquitus wrote: »

Do you think AC ever had Andy under pressure in the mountains?

He had Andy under as much pressure as Andy put on him.

BQQ

Evans wins from contador in second.

gutsy ride by Thor to keep yellow

kilns

Great finish and great win for Evans!!!

Not sure where Roche finished but was a bit down, which does not bode well

Brian?

Inquitus wrote: »

Aye but AC fell off, like he has done this year, and Schleck was in yellow come the mountains. AC may have been confident of taking back yellow in the TT, but as results panned out, but for taking 30+ seconds off AS when his chain slipped he had done no damage to AS in the mountains and indeed without those 30+ seconds he would not have won the tour. So AC had plenty of reasons to try and put time into AS in last years mountain stages and failed.

But he did win the Tour! He won it because Andy Schleck could not take time off him in the mountains.

Inquitus

briankeating wrote: »

I think you'll find my point is that he had the time in his pocket so didn't need to attack. Why does it matter how he got that time in the first place? Not only that but he knew he could destroy Andy in the TT, not as much as usual it turned out.

Andy never looked likely to put much time into Contador in the mountains. If he could have, he would have. I am damn sure that Andy Schleck is not a better climber than Contador,when has he ever taken time from Contador in the mountains when it really mattered? The only time he took last year was on the Station des Rousses to Morzine-Avoriaz stage, 10 seconds.

Aye but last year AC was like 30 odd seconds down for the first 2/3 of the mountain stages and unable to make any of it up when clearly he would have wanted to.

Anyways AS hasn't looked great all year and didn't look great today.

Brian?

Inquitus wrote: »

Aye but last year AC was like 30 odd seconds down for the first 2/3 of the mountain stages and unable to make any of it up when clearly he would have wanted to.

Anyways AS hasn't looked great all year and didn't look great today.

Right I outta this thread for today, don't ruin the stage for me. I want to watch it when I get home.

Morrisseeee

Getting back on topic................go on Evans ya good thang
It matters more when there's money on it

Brian?

briankeating wrote: »

Right I outta this thread for today, don't ruin the stage for me. I want to watch it when I get home.

One refresh too many! Stage ruined . My own fault.

Might as well go look at the result now.

Columbia

I don't think the Eurosport commentators gave Thor enough credit at the end there, did great to hang in when we see Farrar and Cavendish (smaller men than Thor) flying out the back once they got within sight of the climb.

Morrisseeee

>> One refresh too many! Stage ruined . My own fault.
Ah when you play with fire you get burned

Great ride by Hushovd today aswell.

Pherekydes

kilns wrote: »

Great finish and great win for Evans!!!

Not sure where Roche finished but was a bit down, which does not bode well

He only lost 19 seconds. Not bad.

ednwireland

contador gets 8s on AS

roche 43rd at 19s

John.Icy

Roche came in around +18...he couldn't keep up with the larger group that came in behind Evans group....coming in just behind the second bunch.

Current form would see him lucky to be in the top 30 come Paris.

SomeFool

Had Cuddle at 9/1 today Great ride from him!

amjon.

Evans won? I turned the TV off in disgust once I saw Contador raise his hand.

SomeFool

amjon. wrote: »

Evans won? I turned the TV off in disgust once I saw Contador raise his hand.

Yeah, nothing in it but credit Evans for hanging on, nice to see AC caught out.

GT_TDI_150

does evans have it in him to win the TDF outright?

Bottleopener

The end of the stage was sweet! Was annoyed when I thought Contador won it, but thankfully that wasn't the case

Brian?

Fair play to Evans, I've always liked him.

Still 8 days to a proper mountain .

Inquitus

amjon. wrote: »

Evans won? I turned the TV off in disgust once I saw Contador raise his hand.

Sadly it looks like Contador is going to piss the tour like he did the Giro

ben.schlomo

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

does evans have it in him to win the TDF outright?

hope so ive him at 25s.

Brian?

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

does evans have it in him to win the TDF outright?

No. No one is beating Alberto Contador this year. Did you see the Giro?

Is everyone anti Contador this year?

Aoibheann

Delighted for Evans, especially when Harmon on Eurosport was shouting that it was Contador..

Not so great from Roche, but amusingly it does bump him up in the GC (presumably now many sprinters who had good TTTs got shelled out the back!) to 27th at 1:12 behind - still ahead of Contador! Now if only it could stay that way. :pac: I really hope that today isn't entirely indicative of Roche's form, and that he's at his peak come the mountains.

Pherekydes

Roche up to 27th at 1:12 in the GC.

GT_TDI_150

ben.schlomo wrote: »

hope so ive him at 25s.

i've him at 20s thats why I asked. tony martin e/w as an outsider @ 150/1:D

Pherekydes

Evans takes the Polka Dot with 2 whole points!