July 7, Stage 7: Tomblaine - La Planche des Bell*Warning - contains unmasked spoilers

ednwireland

Tomblaine – La Planche des Belles Filles

Distance: 199km
Highest point: 1,035m
Category: Medium mountains

mcgratheoin

Tough finish, with Nico in 14th, he has a good chance of moving up a few places. Sagan and Cancellara should lose a bit of time at least - any others ahead of him that won't climb well?

retalivity

Not sure if i can post spoilers from todays race....

I think there will be quite a few of the top 20 GC contenders go out tomorrow with a point to prove after todays events, either to try and claw back a few seconds or go for a stage win, after losing time today. The likes of gesink, brajkovic, even dan martin

breezy1985

retalivity wrote: »

Not sure if i can post spoilers from todays race....

I think there will be quite a few of the top 20 GC contenders go out tomorrow with a point to prove after todays events, either to try and claw back a few seconds or go for a stage win, after losing time today. The likes of gesink, brajkovic, even dan martin

looks like martins tasked with protecting hesjedal from here on in but the odd breakaway would be nice.should finally see the real GC contenders to the fore tomorrow

petethedrummer

Jesus get it right.

retalivity wrote: »

The likes of your gesinks, your brajkovics, even the dan martins of this world

All top top riders.

Gipo3

Roche should definately be in top ten tomorrow on GC, maybe 7th or 8th.

retalivity

petethedrummer wrote: »

Jesus get it right.



All top top riders.

Oh yeah, but are they gonna finish in the top ten this year? I don't think so...

petethedrummer

retalivity wrote: »

Oh yeah, but are they gonna finish in the top ten this year? I don't think so...

who? the likes of your menchovs, your wiggins's, your evans's, your valverdes, your vanden brockes's, your nibalis and your roches? I think the likes of them will finish top top ten. After all they ride for the likes of your Garmins, your BMCs, your AG2Rs and your Omega Pharma Lottos.

If I was to put my Ray Houghton hat on I'd say that I can't believe Nicholas Roche hasn't just got to the finising line first on all the stages so far to end up with an aggregate time less than the others. It's all he needs to do to win the thing.

It seems pretty simple to me and Ray. For instance, why hasn't Mark Cavendish just not crashed today. Surely he knew crashing would hinder his chances on this stage. But he still did it. I think it has something to do with the modern mentality in the cycling game.

Kilkenny14

I agree with retalivity - the stage today will be very interesting to watch because of the actions of top 20 contenders.

It's great watching the race this year with two good Irish cyclists in it - hopefully they will get through this stage without any problems.

elduggo

breezy1985 wrote: »

looks like martins tasked with protecting hesjedal from here on in but the odd breakaway would be nice.should finally see the real GC contenders to the fore tomorrow

would tend to completely disagree. We won't know until later but I'd expect somewhat of a truce among the GC contenders today in light of what happened in the past few days. I'd expect a break to go the distance and would be surprised if Dan wasn't in it. Hes hardly going to be tasked with protecting Ryder who lost over 13 minutes yesterday. All they have to play for now is stage wins so in a way, despite how awful events this week were, the situation Garmin find themselves in suits Dan right down to the ground.

retalivity

Hesjedal has pulled out, along with Tom Danielson

Rovi

Oscar Freire didn't start today, apparently. Broken rib with punctured lung! :eek:

ednwireland

casualty list from yesterday

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fractures-bruises-and-bumps-a-stage-six-injury-report

AG2R

RIBLON Christophe 78ALM+00:05:04
SORENSEN Chris... 178STB+00:05:13
VELITS Martin 198OPQ+00:09:10
ALBASINI Michael 202OGE+00:09:56
GAUTIER Cyril 24EUC+00:10:40
FOFONOV Dmitriy 183AST+00:22:07
SANCHEZ Luis-Leon 155RAB+00:27:49



they have 5"25

AG2R

Anthony Delaplace has quit the race. He fractured his wrist in the crash and tried to keep on going but the Saur-Sojasun team is now down to eight men.

There are 181 riders left in the field of the Tour de France.

Darkglasses

Sagan won that far too easily, he just looks unbeatable.

Darkglasses

Carlton got up 4:30 am for a ride because he had a nightmare. The things you can miss on Eurosport!

CramCycle

3.5 minutes in 40km? Will they catch up?

ThisRegard

They've pulled back a minute in 10k so possibly. Edit, seems to have steadied, maybe even stretched out again.

Both ITV and Eurosport are thinking that Garmin are lining up Martin for a stage win.

happytramp

Yeah, reckon they'll get it back.

Garmin clearly putting their eggs in the Dan Martin basket.

CramCycle

ThisRegard wrote: »

They've pulled back a minute in 10k so possibly. Edit, seems to have steadied, maybe even stretched out again.

Both ITV and Eurosport are thinking that Garmin are lining up Martin for a stage win.

I'm watching TG4 and flicking to the eurosport counter, it'll be tight as it seems to a minute in 15 but we'll see what the climb does to it.

Dan Martin is the only man who matters on their team now, still shocked they held him up the other day.

happytramp

CramCycle wrote: »

Dan Martin is the only man who matters on their team now, still shocked they held him up the other day.

Really? It was always on the cards that he was going to have to lose time before the mountains if he was to be allowed into breakaways to challenge for the KotM Jersey (which he stated was a possible goal)

manafana

now lotto taking it up, gap falling so quickly break needed least 2mins to have chance to hold out.

ThisRegard

Kelly saying he's sure Martin has butterflies in his stomach at the moment. I have myself !

BQQ

happytramp wrote: »

Yeah, reckon they'll get it back.

Garmin clearly putting their eggs in the Dan Martin basket.

He's the only egg they have left :pac:

CramCycle

happytramp wrote: »

Really? It was always on the cards that he was going to have to lose time before the mountains if he was to be allowed into breakaways to challenge for the KotM Jersey (which he stated was a possible goal)

Is it a case that they have no reason to care about their times at all and its just the polka dot jersey and absolutely nothing else matters.

I don't think it made any difference to their plans once the crash happened, why not let him tip along steadily, not tire himself out, just spins away? I was under the impression that he had to work quite a bit when he held back in a futile attempt to help his teammates, energy that didn't need to be wasted, that is only from reports though, I didn't see it at all.

CramCycle

Garmin are doing phenomenal work there, less than 1.5 minutes now.

ROK ON

Worried for Dan. They are too far out. Lots of guys keeping powder dry:cool:

decisions

Loving what Garmin are doing, I would love to see Dan going for the win.

ThisRegard

Hoogerland must be the unluckiest guy in cycling at the moment.

happytramp

CramCycle wrote: »

Is it a case that they have no reason to care about their times at all and its just the polka dot jersey and absolutely nothing else matters.

Reckon so. Dan said as much in the indo this morning.

Too much pressure on him today though. Worried for him.

CramCycle

Favourite day so far, I love climbing, the peloton is shelling out riders like Koopa Troopa throws green shells in Super Mario Kart on the SNES

ThisRegard

Looks like Garmin are finished at the front, there's no one there now is there?

retalivity

all the garmin riders getting spat out the back..

happytramp

CramCycle wrote: »

the peloton is shelling out riders like Koopa Troopa throws green shells in Super Mario Kart on the SNES

Cycling needs more SNES related similes.

ThisRegard

Martin gone, boo.

Inquitus

BOOM! TDF comes alive.

decisions

Anyone know where Roche is?

Inquitus

Roche was in the front group 2 mins ago. Not sure now though this is ridic.

ROK ON

ThisRegard wrote: »

Martin gone, boo.

Yep. Out the back with Schleck and Basso.

Garmins tactics absolutely sucked.Do all the work 30k out and then burn yourself out.
Idiots.

ThisRegard

Sky are pretty awesome at the moment.

Inquitus

Roche still there.

Inquitus

Down to 8, this is crazy, Roche gone.

decisions

Roche just off the back, doing a good job. Sky looking the real deal.

ROK ON

Calling it.
Evans
Niball
Wiggins

Inquitus

Sky obliterates the field, Nibali, Wiggins, Froome and Evans surely decide the podium between them.

Inquitus

Boom, boom Froome.

BQQ

Knew Wiggins could hold his own in the mountains, but I really did not expect him to be this good. :eek:

ThisRegard

Not too bad by Roche. Great entertainment today.

decisions

Nico top 15 ish.

AstraMonti

This is what TDF is all about. Amazing finish, well deserved win stage by Sky.