Tour de France - Stage 15, Sun Jul 14, Givors - Mont Ventoux, **Unmasked Spoilers**

dastardly00

Stage 15, Givors - Mont Ventoux, 242.5 km

It's Bastille Day! But today will all be about the 20.8km climb up to the top of Mont Ventoux. The climb has an average gradient of 7.5 %, but the first 5km is only about 4-5 %. But from then onwards the gradient is over 10 %. What makes Mont Ventoux so tough is that it’s always very windy when the riders exit the forest and head into the alien moon landscape. And the weather forecast is predicting that the riders will face a headwind when they are climbing. The toughest part of the climb is right at the end where it kicks up to over 10%.

With an easy enough route (albeit long) until the riders reach the bottom of Mont Ventoux, Sky should have all their team intact, and will more than likely be able to set a quick tempo for the first half of the climb anyway. I think Froome is good enough to stay with any of the other riders if/when they attack, and I think he'll win the stage. Unfortunately I don't think tomorrow will be a memorable stage. Maybe Saxo-Tinkoff or Belkin will pull a few surprises out of the bag?

Hopefully Dan will launch an attack on the Ventoux







Stage betting: C Froome 13/8; N Quintana 4/1; A Valverde 12/1; A Contador 16/1.

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

Live TV coverage on Eurosport1 from 12.30pm, ITV4 from 1.30pm, and TG4 from 1.10pm.
Highlights on Eurosport1 at 9.30pm, ITV4 at 7pm, and TG4 at 11pm.

Live text-ticker will be here.

Reginald P. DuM

And we're off!! Hope tomorrow lives up to the expectation thats my first thought.. Fully expect fireworks though. GC will take on a different complexion, initial break will go, and fail. After my calcuulaations if Pierre Rolland wins the day I will eat my hat... My hat now, nobody mention Jans Bakelandts hat!!

Sinbad_NI

Travelling / Flying on Ventoux day... poor planning on my part, Sky+ better work.

Come on for any French rider on their big day.

Brian?

I am fully prepared for Froome to put a nail in the coffin of the Tour tomorrow. I really hope he doesn't though.

I'm predicting Quintana to win tomorrow.

retalivity

i was on ventoux in 2009 when the break did manage to stay away (garate won) and im gonna go for that again.
Lampre, euskaltel or a frenchman to win, so nieve/cunego/rolland/pinot/jeannesson

happytramp

Tommy Vockler will be in the break and make a solo bid for glory or I'll eat my hat.

g0g

Firstly, dastardly thanks for doing this throughout the tour. It's a great daily guide for someone like me who's still new to cycling and the length is always ideal for a quick read to get to grips with the stage!

Secondly, you might change today's title as it had me confused!

Midfield9

What time are they likely the hit the foot of Mount Ventoux

unichall

Midfield9 wrote: »

What time are they likely the hit the foot of Mount Ventoux

This is the stage timetable as per cyclingnews. Times are +1hr. Tailwind expected up to the climb so they may arrive ahead of schedule. The sprint point is about 15/20km before the climb

Stage 15 Givors / Mont Ventoux
Start 1035 CET
KoM Côte d'Eyzin-Pinet ETA 1116
KoM Côte de Primarette ETA 1125
KoM Côte de Lens-Lestang ETA 1153
KoM Côte de Bourdeaux ETA 1424
Sprint Malaucène ETA 1605
Kom/Finish - Mont Ventoux ETA 1658

corny

Even though i really don't like him i'll go for Andy Schleck.

Reginald P. DuM

Unsurprisingly the early attack is up the road. 5 Frenchmen included, with Sagan.. Rolland chases.. Epic day ahead.

IM0

sagan in the break!, good man :pac:

Darkglasses

Quintana for me

Rebel Rebel

God Dam It I want live pictures now - have to wait another 2 hrs

Reginald P. DuM

Darkglasses wrote: »

Quintana for me

Saw a photo of him taken this morning, looking very mean.. If he wins Froome will have cracked.. For me it's hard to see. Then again!

Mint Sauce

Any hopes for Cav in the intermediate sprint and closing that gap? or has Sagen got that totally sown up.

Reginald P. DuM

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Any hopes for Cav in the intermediate sprint and closing that gap? or has Sagen got that totally sown up.

All over, think the word is unassailable.

Talib Fiasco

I think Rolland is using too much energy to bridge the gap and will blow on Ventoux. Poels is looking good here though.

Reginald P. DuM

Rolland has no chance of gettng up Ventoux first, he knows it too.. There's 50 KOM points for todays winner. Gonna make that jersey hunt very interesting.

Mint Sauce

Reginald P. DuM wrote: »

All over, think the word is unassailable.

Was kinda thinking the same thing, as not enough sprint finishes left. Unless his team can get him to the intermediates, and then hopefully has enough left in the tanks for the mountain finishes, and within the cut offs.

manafana

well this has been bloody quick so far just a touch under 50km p/h so far madness.

Talib Fiasco

Rolland is gone already....

This stage is absolutely flying though. A good few cyclists are going to pay severely later on.

theSHU

TDF Ticker

Second hour: 50.4km/h!

The second hour is the fastest average announced by Radio Tour this year: 50.4km/h! (There may have been other faster hours but it's not always possible for this stat to be announced in the closing hours of some stages.)

The average for the first two hours combined: 49.3km/h.

They're really flooring the gas pedal. Europecar leading the chase to put a man in the break. I wonder if OPQ will help drive the chase to catch Sagen.

IM0

theSHU wrote: »

the bit you quoted about fastest speed ect

its a tailwind 15k/hr

Talib Fiasco

EUC are taking the piss with the speed. They're definitely punishing the break for not letting Rolland in...

IM0

theSHU wrote: »

They're really flooring the gas pedal. Europecar leading the chase to put a man in the break. I wonder if OPQ will help drive the chase to catch Sagen.

chavanel OPQ is in the break

BQQ

.

Mint Sauce

ITV4 and TG4 still showing yesterdays highlights.

Darkglasses

Mint Sauce wrote: »

ITV4 and TG4 still showing yesterdays highlights.

No live coverage on Eurosport yet either. We do get a nice review of the Tour so far though

Darkglasses

One thing I forgot to ask - How did Valverde lose so much time on that puncture? I know it would have been hard to get back on with the cross-wind, but surely the Movistar mechanics could've swapped bikes a bit quicker than that, or swapped bikes with a team-mate?

Rebel Rebel

Darkglasses wrote: »

No live coverage on Eurosport yet either. We do get a nice review of the Tour so far though

Will be live around 1:10 i think

theSHU

Darkglasses wrote: »

One thing I forgot to ask - How did Valverde lose so much time on that puncture? I know it would have been hard to get back on with the cross-wind, but surely the Movistar mechanics could've swapped bikes a bit quicker than that, or swapped bikes with a team-mate?

All the team cars were behind the echelon containing Keitel.

WinnyThePoo

Hopefully it will be an epic finish. Can't see Froome losing anytime today. You'd never know though. Igor Anton for the win?

Darkglasses

theSHU wrote: »

All the team cars were behind the echelon containing Keitel.

Ah, makes sense. Thanks

theSHU

Mint Sauce wrote: »

ITV4 and TG4 still showing yesterdays highlights.

ITV4 are now showing Police Camera Action!!

Mint Sauce

theSHU wrote: »

ITV4 are now showing Police Camera Action!!

Has started on TG4 as well. Just as Police Camera Action was getting exciting.

Darkglasses

And we're up and going on Eurosport.

theSHU

Euskaltel didn't get a man in the breakaway again today!!

IM0

ha just looked back at my training files for ventoux using the exact way up they use today, and I did this exactly 7 years ago to the exact day, it was the 14th July bastille day too

Reginald P. DuM

Apparently they are 45 mins ahead of schedule... Yikes!! Anyone giving Schleck a chance today??

mistermano

gonna be interesting

will froome make a dash for the top?

Mint Sauce

Well that was an exciting sprint.

Darkglasses

The dropping of riders is beginning in earnest now.

Russman

Can't decide whether I think Froome is going to go full gas and blow them all away or whether he'll be able to resist and just go with a km to go & take 30 sec.
We'll soon find out.......

dermabrasion

Friging ads....do TG4 have as many ads as ITV4?

BQQ

Cunego out the back already.

Either he's in really poor form or he's targetted a specific stage and is saving every ounce of energy for it.

Darkglasses

Pierre Rolland dropped already! Poor lad.

Mint Sauce

The goats are out to play.

manafana

come on rodriguez, nieve or de gendt as my bets


sky now commiting men and not got many but im sure movistar are keen to keep pace high for quintana in final 5km

dermabrasion

I like where Garmin are sitting..G'wan Dan!

Mint Sauce

GET OUT OF THE FRIGGING ROAD!!!

:mad: