Tour de France Stage 18 – July 24th, Pau - Hautacam **Unmasked Spoilers**

Darkglasses

An excellent video previewing the stage by GCN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgdD9TpQOyg

We all know this one, it's the queen stage of the Tour de France. Everybody wants it, but it'll take the absolute best climber in the race to win it. That most certainly includes Nibali, who is looking imperious against a weakened field. However, I do regard both Pinot and Peraud as realistic challenges, and for fun's sake, I'm backing Pinot as my choice. There are other options in Valverde, Majka, Rodriguez, Bardet and even Nieve, but hand on heart it's hard to look past Nibali beating the breakaway and those around him.

Oddschecker: Nibali 7/4, Majka 5/1, Peraud 7/1, Pinot 12/1, Nieve 18/1, Rolland 18/1

Rules reminder - no spoilers outside this thread before midnight of the 24th, and no doping speculation. Doping speculation will result in you getting banned for the rest of the race.

Darkglasses

Nieve

Ok for fun, I've left Nibali off, he's too obvious. Who can pick the winner besides him?

MPFG

Trofimov

I am going for Nicolas Roche

Of course he will be wrecked after yesterday and will also have to work for Majka if both in break or in main field

But if in the break without Majka and the break is strong...who knows ...showing a bit of Irish solidarity anyways

Majka just needs to finish in top 6 if Nibali wins to retain KOM jersey providing break soaks up Tourmalet KOM points ...and if break wins and he is not there then finish just behind Niabli will do .......providing Purito not in break
However if Majka is first over Tourmalet then he has it sown up...I believe
But imagine Purito will not give up and try and be first over Tourmalet

For me KOM is best race at moment
Fight for podium 2nd/3rd could be good if Pinot can attack ...will need to do something before top of Tourmalet as AG2r will but him ot the test on descent

Love to see JC Peraud & Pinot snatch podium from Valverde but can't see it as Pinot not as good on TT

Maybe TJ will give it a go to gain some time before TT

velopeloton

Nieve

I can't see any of the GC riders attacking on Tourmalet, it's too far to the bottom of Hautacam, 35km. Pinot and Bardet will attack Valverde early. The last 2 km of Pla d'Adet are easy which allowed him get back on. Hautacam is a climb that will suite Pinot more, he rode it 3 times in May this year so he must have been planning to give it a go today.

The last time they did this stage Valverde was dropped on Col du Tourmalet. Hopefully it will be the same today. Unrepentant doper.

neris

Wonder will kiryienka try and go again. hard to predict this one. rodriguez and valverde and dont seem to be able to go, europcar seem to head off a wing and prayer and hope they dont get caught, tinkoff look on form with 3 riders but all 3 put in big efforts over last 2 days. after the ITV interview yesterday I,ll go for Tinkoff. Oleg 1st coz its all about Oleg (or as itv had him Olaf).

ZiabR

Nieve

I will go with Pinot.

Decuc500

Pinot

Old man Peraud for me, to continue the recent trend of veterans performing well in Grand Tours.

pelevin

Horner

Any chance Horner's been saving all his loving for this one? It surely can't keep happening but I've gone for Rogers from a breakaway. Can't see anyone beating Nibali man-to-man though Peraud did stay with him yday.

letape

Pinot

Peraud for me too and hopefully we'll see him second overall by Sunday

death1234567

I can't see a breakaway making it today which means Nibali is surely going to win the stage. 7/4 isn't actually too bad a price...

del_boy13

Peraud

Went with Majka he looked very comfortable yesterday at the finish. Still think Nibali will win this one though.

Hermy

Roughly what time will they start climbing Tourmalet? Thanks.

daramike

Rogers

If a break doesn't stay away Nibali wins simple as with Peraud and Majka the next 2. There are certain mountain climbers that we haven't seen at all in the Tour, surely they will turn up today e.g Horner, Trofimov, Feillu, Zubeldia. I think Nieve has a big chance outside of the breakaway riders and the GC men he was next home yesterday so he must be over his sickness. He is my 1st pick for the win.

funnights74

The stage begins @ 12 mid-day and it's roughly 60 Km's to the base of the Tourmalet so i reckon 1.30 - 1.45, of course depending on average speeds.

Inquitus

Horner

Rogers turn today!

retalivity

Voeckler

the climb to the tourmalet pretty much starts from the intermediate sprint, so is 34k long with the easy bits at the start.

Darkglasses

Nieve

Big break again - Mikel Nieve (Sky), Jesus Herrada and Jon Izaguirre (Movistar), Yuriy Trofimov (Katusha), Alessandro De Marchi and Marco Marcato (Cannondale), Lars Boom (Belkin), Jan Bakelants (OPQS), Blel Kadri (AG2R), Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJ), Daniel Oss (BMC), Bryan Coquard, Kévin Reza and Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), Julien Simon (Cofidis), Sylvain Chavanel and Marcel Wyss (IAM), Bartosz Huzarski and Tiago Machado (NetApp) and Florian Guillou (Bretagne)

dastardly00

Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling) has abandoned early in the stage due to stomach/digestive system problems.

lennymc

dastardly00 wrote: »

Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling) has abandoned early in the stage due to stomach/digestive system problems.[/QUO

He was s***ing himself when he saw the profile?

GetWithIt

Who's pushing the pelaton? Gap seems stuck at a level that isn't going anywhere.

Captain Havoc

I don't remember any ramps on the Tourmalet but fack me it goes on.

lennymc

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I don't remember any ramps on the Tourmalet but fack me it goes on.

Sure does go on. Did you stop for ice cream? Are they going up the same side as us today? The descent was lovely.

Captain Havoc

lennymc wrote: »

Sure does go on. Did you stop for ice cream? Are they going up the same side as us today? The descent was lovely.

I had to peg it down as it was starting to get dark. Stopped a few times for ice tea.

Darkglasses

Nieve

Breakaway is now on the Tourmalet proper

ThisRegard

Nibalis personal trainer could do with a personal trainer.

Darkglasses

Nieve

Rodriguez is dropped

Paddigol

Porte out the back again?? What a disaster this Tour has been for him.

Zyzz

Paddigol wrote: »

Porte out the back again?? What a disaster this Tour has been for him.

Considering all of Sky's training prep for this tour was focused on riding for Froome..

Darkglasses

Nieve

Plenty of Irish flags on the tourmalet

Darkglasses

Nieve

Think Nico Roche is being dropped out the back just now.

Pudsy33

Darkglasses wrote: »

Think Nico Roche is being dropped out the back just now.

Saw that too but it was right at the summit so he will get back on on the descent.