Tour de France - Stage 14, Sat Jul 13, St. Pourçain - Lyon, **Unmasked Spoilers**

dastardly00

Stage 14, Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule - Lyon, 191 km

The route is almost like a Spring Classic with the road rolling for the entire stage and seven categorised climbs included in total. It should be too bumpy for the pure sprinters, well for Cav, Greipel and Kittel anyway. A lot of puncheurs are going to fancy this stage, and if there was ever a good time to be in a breakaway, then this is it. GC contenders are unlikely to try anything today as the big climb up Mt. Ventoux is looming in the background. But if the wind picks up..... then you never know

Who's going to win?? Ehhhhhhhh.... pick a name out of a hat? :pac:
Juan-Antonio Flecha has been very aggressive so far in the race and has featured in a good few breakaways, so he might fancy his chances. We've seen very little from the world champion Philippe Gilbert so far, so I expect him to feature. With Cav unlikely to contest for the win, Sylvain Chavanel could be let off the leash and go on the attack. Tommy Voeckler didn't have much luck with his attacks in the Pyrenees, so there's a chance that he will end up in the day's breakaway. Although he could be saving himself for Bastille Day on Sunday.

But the man with the most aces in his hand is Peter Sagan. Sagan likes to attack and he could very well get in the morning breakaway. If he doesn't, then his Cannodale team have the horsepower to not only pull back the breakaway, but to drop Cav, Kittel and Greipel along the way. And by then it'll be hard to see Sagan being beaten.






Km / To Go | Climb | Length | Grade | Cat
66.5 / 125 | Côte de Marcigny | 1.9 km | 4.9 % | 4
98.5 / 93 | Côte de la Croix Couverte | 2.6 km | 5.3 % | 4
113 / 78 | Côte de Thizy-les-Bourgs | 1.7 km | 8.2 % | 3
126.5 / 65 | Col du Pilon | 6.3 km | 4.4 % | 3
161 / 30 | Côte de Lozanne | 2.5 km | 4 % | 4
176 / 15 | Côte de la Duchère | 1.6 km | 4.1 % | 4
181.5 / 10 | Côte de la Croix Rousse | 1.8 km | 4.5 % | 4


Final 18 km:


Last kilometre:


Stage betting: P Sagan 3/1; T Voeckler 10/1; T De Gendt 14/1; S Chavanel 16/1; P Gilbert 18/1.

Here's a link to the Irish riders' diaries thread.

Live TV coverage on Eurosport1 from 12.30pm, ITV4 from 2pm, and TG4 from 1pm.
Highlights on Eurosport1 at 11.45pm, ITV4 at 7pm and 12.10am, and TG4 at 9.10pm.

Live text-ticker will be here.

Darkglasses

I'm going with the chav myself. Don't think tommy v has a hope.

Reginald P. DuM

Thought you were in the pub tonight Dastardly!

Either a break or a Cannondale show... They didn't kill themselves today it's possible they heap the misery on to set up the Sagan man...

Captain Havoc

Rode the route from the intermediate sprint to Lyon a couple of years ago, nice route. The decent off the Pilon is very nice.

BQQ

OPQ worked very hard on Friday, so I don't think Chavanel will have the legs.
Sagan is a deserved favourite, but he had a reasonably tough day too.

Classics winners like Gilbert will be targetting this (Maybe even Dan), but I'm going with Cunego.
His Lampre team have had little to shout about so far, and a stage victory is all they can hope for now.
He has classics form having won the Amstel gold and the Giro di Lombardia(x3)
He rolled in with the last group on Friday eliminating himself as a GC threat and saving his legs for a big effort today.

retalivity

ill go with lampre too, but with niemic.

Reginald P. DuM

Interesting date today on the eve of the mythical Ventoux... One of the reasons it's become so fabled is 46 years ago today, cyclist Tom Simpson died on Mont Ventoux due to a combination of amphetamine, alcohol and heat... Now that's blind sacrafice! And madness..

manafana

Captain Havoc wrote: »

Rode the route from the intermediate sprint to Lyon a couple of years ago, nice route. The decent off the Pilon is very nice.

that huge saddle bag looks lethal for downhill rather than panniers.

anyones game this, cant see movistar getting involved. Looking at westra prehaps or i have few other choices in mind

buffalo

Breakaway star Jens Voight.

IM0

talansky in the break he's 13 minutes off froome in GC, so probably wont last

Seweryn

Do ye know if there is an option to turn on subtitles in English on TG4? Tried all options in the TV, but can't work it out.

Reginald P. DuM

Seweryn wrote: »

Do ye know if there is an option to turn on subtitles in English on TG4? Tried all options in the TV, but can't work it out.

Your outta luck there I'm afraid. Too much effort for live broadcasts I'd imagine.

Seweryn

Reginald P. DuM wrote: »

Your outta luck there I'm afraid. Too much effort for live broadcasts I'd imagine.

Thanks. Optionally I still have a couple of hours to improve my Gaelic. I am a fast learner, so may succeed by the end of the stage .

Reginald P. DuM

Seweryn wrote: »

Thanks. Optionally I still have a couple of hours to improve my Gaelic. I am a fast learner, so may succeed by the end of the stage .

You'll be very familiar with the Gaelic for ad break by the end of the day (whatever that is).........

manafana

Jens Voigt in break and cunego chasing down so 2 out of 3 bets


Sky just chilling should let it go as far as they like and see if other teams want protect their top20 men

buffalo

Stephen Roche popping up again... does he have a book out soon or something?

Are all the big sprinters still in the bunch? If Sky are willing to keep the break at a certain distance, I can see the sprinters' teams trying to bring it back near the finish, but quality men in there...

mloc123

Any GC in the break or have Sky any interest in towing it back? They look to be doing all the work up front.

Reginald P. DuM

mloc123 wrote: »

Any GC in the break or have Sky any interest in towing it back? They look to be doing all the work up front.

Na sky are in no panic... The break or a least elements of it should contest the final.. Though Roche thinks its still there for Sagan.. Dunno what to say to that!!

manafana

just read that baklandts had to take a crap in a hat

Reginald P. DuM

manafana wrote: »

just read that baklandts had to take a crap in a hat

Dunno what to say to that either!!

retalivity

Tommy V at the back of the peloton

dastardly00

^^^^^
No wonder Tommy V isn't doing that well!!

Reginald P. DuM

dastardly00 wrote: »

^^^^^
No wonder Tommy V isn't doing that well!!

Tommy been coasting the last 2 days.. Tomorrow, Bastille Day up the Ventoux, expect a different approach! Looking forward to it too.

retalivity

good move by simon

corny

I think BMC will catch him.

corny

What a finish. Another masterclass from OPQS

manafana

bmc again do donkey work and it doesnt pay off, trentin was matched for small money at 1,000

retalivity

bmc made a balls of that, as did movistar with 2 men and rojas in the group

Seweryn

retalivity wrote: »

Tommy V at the back of the peloton

Is that a plastic spoke protector disc at his rear wheel? Hmm, clever...

RobFowl

Seweryn wrote: »

Is that a plastic spoke protector disc at his rear wheel? Hmm, clever...

Not a pie plate just the outline of the cabling to the rear mech....

retalivity

so onto tomorrow...

Euskaltel and Lampre really dropped the ball today with the break, expect cunego/niemic and nieve/anton to do something. If i was saxo/belkin/movistar, i would get gesink, rui costa and paulinho up the road with any breakaway to really make sky work all day before they hit ventoux.
Goodness know what garmin will try and do...talansky is back in contention for top ten now along with martin, as well as only a minute down on the white jersey. could see hesjedal going out for a long one.
Plus, its bastille day, so expect voeckler, rolland, pinot, jeanneson, peraud all to be in a breakaway. Should be fireworks!

Talib Fiasco

Everyone is saying Froome is going to go alone tomorrow and win by minutes tomorrow. Maybe so but I think he has peaked already in this tour. Honestly I can easily see him cracking tomorrow but he probably won't. He has literally no support anymore. If Movistar and Saxo attack early Froome could be in deep trouble though. If Contador, Kreuziger and the likes of Roche have the legs, this could be a very nervous one for Froome. With that, I think he'll stick with Contador unless he sees weakness....

This one is definitely up Quintana's street...especially with Valverde in support. I hope J Rod has a good day as well.

Would love to see Tommy V having a right go. By the looks of him today, he seems to be saving himself for it. Hope Andy is around there too. And of course Dan Martin, with Talansky there with him they could be dangerous.

I've a sneak feeling this stage could disappoint though. I think Bertie will stay on the defensive if he can. He doesn't like the heat and with thunderstorms forecasted in the Alps I'm sure he'd rather take Froome there.

crumliniano

Thibaut Pinot for tomorrow I reckon. He's had a poor tour so far as have FDJ. Both need to do something. He said in a recent interview that he is afraid of descending and it is ruining his tour. No descents tomorrow. And it's Bastille day.

Reginald P. DuM

crumliniano wrote: »

Thibaut Pinot for tomorrow I reckon. He's had a poor tour so far as have FDJ. Both need to do something. He said in a recent interview that he is afraid of descending and it is ruining his tour. No descents tomorrow. And it's Bastille day.

Went to doctor today with a reported flu.. Hope ya haven't struck any bet!

Brian?

TheComeUp wrote: »

I've a sneak feeling this stage could disappoint though. I think Bertie will stay on the defensive if he can. He doesn't like the heat and with thunderstorms forecasted in the Alps I'm sure he'd rather take Froome there.

Contador will only stay on the defensive if he hasn't got the legs. Since when does he not like heat? I would say it's quite the opposite.

Talib Fiasco

Brian? wrote: »

Contador will only stay on the defensive if he hasn't got the legs. Since when does he not like heat? I would say it's quite the opposite.

I guess we'll see tomorrow. I hope he does have it in him tomorrow. He always provides excitement and passion. Joy to watch him attack.

I can't remember where I read it now, but in an interview a year or two or so ago he mentioned that he likes it when it rains as it affects a lot of cyclists whereas he can cope and it gives rise for more opportunity to attack and maintain a lead. I'm sure he's well used to the heat due to his experience and his nationality but I do recall reading that he's not the biggest fan of the hot weather. Froome on the other hand loves the brutal heat.

dastardly00

Lads, I'll be along shortly with tomorrow's stage thread!!

Reginald P. DuM

dastardly00 wrote: »

Lads, I'll be along shortly with tomorrow's stage thread!!

Chop chop dude... Having said that I have it narrowed down to 6, might need a little more time!!

dastardly00

Mont Ventoux stage specific thread here lads.