TDF Stage 11*Warning-contains unmasked spoilers

ednwireland

Albertville – La Toussuire-Les Sybelles

Distance: 148km
Highest point: 2,067m
Category: High mountains

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-11

buffalo

Two HCs and a first cat finish?

/me rubs hands together in glee

niceonetom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPzf1kaBBZ4

Hermy

We'll find out tomorrow how good Wiggo really is at defying gravity!

TheBlaaMan

Col de la Madeleine - check
Col du Glandon - check
Col de la Croix de Fer - check
Finish at La Toussuire - check
5000m + vertical gain - check

Oh yes. This is going to be a world of pain..............!

Can't wait

Rovi

Jens' prediction for this stage:
"And hey- you folks know what my objective is for tomorrow?! Will try to never hit the top 100position in the peleton.I am sooo gonna hide!!"

Brian?

If I want to see them climb the Col de la Madeleine I need to get up at 3am I reckon. Disaster.

Voeckler to make it 2 in a row tomorrow .

On a serious note though, the attacks need to come thick and fast tomorrow and break Sky early.

Darkglasses

Very excited for tomorrow's stage, don't know what'll happen but I'm sure it'll be fantastic viewing. Have tomorrow off, so quick spin early in the morning and then home for lunch and the TDF, perfect

In other news, I just realized that the last man over all, Romain Feillu, is in my Fantasy TDF team. Flip.

Mint Sauce

And I'm off work to watch (most of) it.

<rubs hands>

Sarz91

Days like this you really start to miss Andy and Contador. Not because I like them but because you know if they'd give Wiggins a proper fight for that jersey.

corny

Don't think it will be that exciting. 3K from the end someone (Evans-Nibali) might attack but sky will run their own tempo up every mountain and keep the damage to a minimum.

Its a shame BMC can't 'manufacture' super climbers like Porte, Froome and Rogers. It would a different race if Evans had someone to take Wiggins out of the comfort zone. Only hope is that Szmyd and Basso take on Sky but can't see it i'm afraid.

Russman

corny wrote: »

Don't think it will be that exciting. 3K from the end someone (Evans-Nibali) might attack but sky will run their own tempo up every mountain and keep the damage to a minimum.

Its a shame BMC can't 'manufacture' super climbers like Porte, Froome and Rogers. It would a different race if Evans had someone to take Wiggins out of the comfort zone. Only hope is that Szmyd and Basso take on Sky but can't see it i'm afraid.

+1
has anti-climax written all over it IMO.

TheBlaaMan

Russman wrote: »

+1
has anti-climax written all over it IMO.

You may well be right, the way this thing is going.....................but if this stage doesnt ignite, then none will this year, IMO, and its already over

buffalo

corny wrote: »

Don't think it will be that exciting. 3K from the end someone (Evans-Nibali) might attack but sky will run their own tempo up every mountain and keep the damage to a minimum.

Its a shame BMC can't 'manufacture' super climbers like Porte, Froome and Rogers. It would a different race if Evans had someone to take Wiggins out of the comfort zone. Only hope is that Szmyd and Basso take on Sky but can't see it i'm afraid.

Haven't seen Szmyd climbing in the Tour yet - thought he was amazing in Trentino.

buffalo

Dan's daily diary: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0712/1224319860814.html

Going for the polka dot today, via an early breakaway.

Colonialboy

I thought Sky looked nervous on the descent yesterday, an early break by Cadel whos a good descender and scare the pants off Brad on the descent.

Good tour so far , really impressed by Sagans dig for Nibali yesterday to try and get away.

Chips Lovell

My money's on Juan José Cobo coming out of nowhere and putting 40 minutes into the field.

RobFowl

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

My money's on Juan José Cobo coming out of nowhere and putting 40 minutes into the field.

Seriously how did that guy win a Grand Tour (rhetorical questions btw!!!)

AG2R

flying11

It would be great to see Dan Martin do something today. I know he has been sick for the last few days but hopefully he can get into the breakaway. Looks like a day tailor made for him.

monkeyslayer

Cancellara has gone home. im sure he has plenty of reaons but i'd like to think he probably took one look at the mountains and just said 'nah'

titan18

monkeyslayer wrote: »

Cancellara has gone home. im sure he has plenty of reaons but i'd like to think he probably took one look at the mountains and just said 'nah'

Or just that his wife is pregnant, and he wants to be with her

Kilkenny14

It will be interesting to see how Dan Martin gets on in the contest for the King of the Mountains. It may be the best contest both today and for the rest of the tour.

Darkglasses

The break is on...Includes Gesink, Riblon, Morkov. 28 in the breakaway

JRant

VDB for the stage win, he looks to have the legs and knows it's probably now or never.

buffalo

Darkglasses wrote: »

The break is on...Includes Gesink, Riblon, Morkov. 28 in the breakaway

And Dan Martin! \o/

JoeyJJ

Anyone know what time we are looking at for the finish, might try to get out of a meeting

Schelck any chance today?

DDC1990

Roche part of that trio trying to move away from the peleton?

dastardly00

It's pretty hectic at the moment. Just about everyone except the GC contenders are trying to get in the breakaway at the moment.

Darkglasses

Program is over at 5:00, so maybe 4:30? Frank didn't do too well at the last summit finish in this tour, i can't quite see it.

buffalo

DDC1990 wrote: »

Roche part of that trio trying to move away from the peleton?

That's Biel Kadri.

flying11

Dan Martin in the break according to eurosport!

Darkglasses

He certainly is, right up front with an Astana rider who's name i won't try to spell.

dastardly00

Dan Martin is really trying to put the hammer down to establish a small breakaway group.

dastardly00

Tommy V is out the back already. Must be fooked from yesterday.

Colonialboy

Dan certainly looks focused and set on doing something today, tempo looks good and there seems to be some agression there. Great to see him get some footage, lots of mentions from the French commentators ...

The sky lads have dropped the yellow hats, I wonder why. They look pretty grumpy to me, another day dragging wiggins over the mountain...
and one sky rider was pulling Cavendish along too... hes probably the guy who has to clean the toilets on the bus too...

buffalo

buffalo wrote: »

Wouldn't be surprised if Voeckler gets dropped or abandons, considering he nearly didn't start. Today must've killed him. But he has the polka dots to ride for now...

dastardly00 wrote: »

Tommy V is out the back already. Must be fooked from yesterday.

Is it possible to bet on the lantern rouge?

paddyh117

Were the yellow helmets not for the leading team?

Chips Lovell

Radioshack are leading the team classification now.

The yellow helmets are optional and they've decided not to wear them.

flying11

Colonialboy wrote: »

The sky lads have dropped the yellow hats, I wonder why.

Yellow helmets are for the team classification leaders. Radioshack-Nissan Trek are leading that now but they have chosen not to wear the yellow helmets. They have a yellow background on their numbers on the jersey to illustrate that they are leading the team classification.

dastardly00

Colonialboy wrote: »

.................The sky lads have dropped the yellow hats, I wonder why. They look pretty grumpy to me, another day dragging wiggins over the mountain...
and one sky rider was pulling Cavendish along too... hes probably the guy who has to clean the toilets on the bus too...

paddyh117 wrote: »

Were the yellow helmets not for the leading team?

Yellow helmets are for leading team. But it is an optional choice. Radioshack-Nissan are the leading team, but they've choose not to wear yellow helmets. They have yellow numbers instead.

dastardly00

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

Radioshack are leading the team classification now.

The yellow helmets are optional and they've decided not to wear them.

flying11 wrote: »

Yellow helmets are for the team classification leaders. Radioshack-Nissan Trek are leading that now but they have chosen not to wear the yellow helmets. They have a yellow background on their numbers on the jersey to illustrate that they are leading the team classification.

dastardly00 wrote: »

Yellow helmets are for leading team. But it is an optional choice. Radioshack-Nissan are the leading team, but they've choose not to wear yellow helmets. They have yellow numbers instead.

Snap! (sort of)

Lumen

dastardly00 wrote: »

Yellow helmets are for leading team. But it is an optional choice. Radioshack-Nissan are the leading team, but they've choose not to wear yellow helmets. They have yellow numbers instead.

Good. Yellow helmets is on the same slippery-slope-of-dumbing-down as having riders names on their kit.

Oh wait, Sky do that already...

Brian?

When did Kelly switch from "classement" to "general classification"? I miss that.

I don't think I've heard him say "bonifcations" either this year.

Chips Lovell

There's no bonifcations any more in the Tour, which means we don't get to hear Sean talk about them.

I wish "Henrick Hustler" was riding. I like hear him talking about Hustler.

dastardly00

no sign of any mousse de vache either :pac:

Mint Sauce

The chasing supporters are so funny.



Would have been funnier if one of the riders moved over and gave him a little shove.

death1234567

briankeating wrote: »

When did Kelly switch from "classement" to "general classification"? I miss that.

I don't think I've heard him say "bonifcations" either this year.

He mentioned bonifications during the prologue, presumably having forgotten that they aren't in the tour anymore. Its not a tour without a good sprinkling of "bonifications", "classement" and "big favourites".

ednwireland

from jens voights blog

We’ve really tried to put a mark on this race and I think we really have. And for a little bonus, we are now in the lead of the team classification.

That said, I can tell you that we will not be wearing those yellow helmets. And personally I am really against that. Yellow is for the yellow jersey and that is it in the Tour, so I am happy to say that we don’t have a bunch of yellow helmets stashed away in the team bus. At least not that I know of.

http://bicycling.com/blogs/hardlyserious/2012/07/08/walking-the-walk/

Speak Now

Did Martin not go for the points at the top?

Brian?

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

There's no bonifcations any more in the Tour, which means we don't get to hear Sean talk about them.

True.

I wish "Henrick Hustler" was riding. I like hear him talking about Hustler.

That's a strange but understandable dream.