The Official 102nd Tour de France, thread.

[Triggaaar]

Enjoyed that, well done Bardet, well deserved.

 

[Triggaaar]

I don't think you can look at his age as much though, he's only 100% committed to the road in the last 4 years or so

Less than that. It's less than 3 years since he won his second Olympic gold, with world records along the way.

 

[Stat Brother]

Great stage.
I was getting motion sickness watching Bardet come down off the Glandon.

Fair play to AC for having a dig, but he and Nibali look so toothless.
You'd have thought if Quintana had anything left he'd have made his move.

That said it's good to see all the little attacks, drops and come backs, it might mean nothing but it certainly feels authentic.

 

[Triggaaar]

You'd have thought if Quintana had anything left he'd have made his move.

His big attempt is tomorrow. Of course we don't think he can do much, if anything, but if he can, it will be tomorrow.

 

[Stat Brother]

Stage 18 result

1 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 5:03:40
2 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:00:33
3 Winner Anacona (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:59
4 Bob Jungels (Lux) Trek Factory Racing
5 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team
6 Serge Pauwels (Bel) MTN - Qhubeka 0:01:01
7 Cyril Gautier (Fra) Team Europcar 0:01:50
8 Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team
9 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team 0:01:55
10 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:03:02
11 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
12 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
13 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team
14 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky
15 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo
16 Mathias Frank (Swi) IAM Cycling
17 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team
18 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team

General classification after stage 18

1 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky 74:13:31
2 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 0:03:10
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 0:04:09
4 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:06:34
5 Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:06:40
6 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:07:39
7 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:08:04
8 Mathias Frank (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:08:47
9 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing 0:12:06
10 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:12:52

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

It's QUINTANA time

 

[Stat Brother]

Tour de France 2015 Stage 19: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - La Toussuire - Les Sybelles, 138 km





Stats & Facts

The Col de la Croix de Fer is the longest single climb in the 2015 Tour de France, at 22.4km.
The Croix de Fer also has the biggest height gain of any single climb, at 1,545m, although the combined height gain of the Télégraphe and Galibier in stage 20, incorporating a short descent, is 1,914m, over 35.5km.
There are more kilometres of classified climbs in this stage than any other. Today totals 61.5km while stage 12 is in second, with 47.1km.

Prognostication

The podcast chaps seem to think as it's a short lumpy stage this will be a straight shoot out for GC, as they'll be no time for a break to get up the road.
I'm not so sure, I still think a handful will get away and then it depends on whether Contador and Nibali can sustain an attack long enough to bring it all together.
I have my doubts.
So I'm going for a winner from left field, while Quintana brings in the GC'ers, and maybe even 30 seconds as well.

 

[Postman Pat]

Was interesting to see the change of tack yesterday from Sky, oh look Contador has gone off down the road, he is no threat to us so we aren't going to chase......Ooopps, and there goes Nibali..... don't care.

I think Movistar and AVV are going to have to work very hard today to keep the attacks down from 5-10 in GC and that might just open the door for Froome/Thomas to get the stage win.

I did think Valverde was cracking yesterday, but managed to get back up on the descent.

Going to be an interesting day.

 

[pb21]

The closest completion is that for the polka dot jersey; Rodriguez and Bardet tied (68 points) with Fuglsang and Froome just behind (64 and 61 respectively).

You would suspect with Rodriguez and Fuglsang so far down the GC they would be given more room to get in a break over Bardet at 12 mins down and therefore Rodriguez to take it. However it will probably depend a lot on how hard the main GC guys go and if Froome is there or there abouts over the cols...

Any other thoughts?

 

[Triggaaar]

I think Movistar and AVV are going to have to work very hard today to keep the attacks down from 5-10 in GC and that might just open the door for Froome/Thomas to get the stage win.

I can't see Thomas getting it. Movistar may have to work hard, but Quintana shouldn't have to, and if his team fade he can just sit on Froome until he's ready to attack. Could be a fun fight between the two leaders, it's now or never for Quintana.

You would suspect with Rodriguez and Fuglsang so far down the GC they would be given more room to get in a break over Bardet at 12 mins down and therefore Rodriguez to take it. However it will probably depend a lot on how hard the main GC guys go and if Froome is there or there abouts over the cols...

Any other thoughts?

It's a tough climb and surely Bardet is knackered. Fuglsang too, after being knocked over by a motorbike, and still getting to within a minute of Bardet. Rodriguez should be trying to get in a break, but if he can't I can see Froome getting the lead back.

 

[pb21]

I can't see Thomas getting it. Movistar may have to work hard, but Quintana shouldn't have to, and if his team fade he can just sit on Froome until he's ready to attack.

Thomas wont win a stage, the best he will get is enough time to get on the podium, if Valverde cracks; but Contador is only a few seconds behind Thomas...

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Not sure a big break will go today, but I reckon a lone rider may get a few minutes on the pack. I'm going for Rolland to win today, with Froome & Quintana bringing home what's left of the peloton a couple of minutes back....

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

This is the Quintana stage.. It's the day that too riders could go early and try to get away and build time. It does not suit Sky's tempo riding to stop attacks - it's about teams isolating Froome and seeing if they can break him by getting him to pull back and break attacks.

 

[Pantani]

My blue print for everyone other than Sky. Smash it from the gun, do not worry about losing riders and keeping people back, just ride as hard as you can, treat the first climb like it is the last climb. The others need to change the pattern, Sky have coped easily with what has gone before, so you have to do something different. Plus this would be extremely entertaining, especially as the stage is being shown in it's entirety on Eurosport.

I felt there were a few signs Froome's level was dropping yesterday, maybe Quintana putting a minute in to him today is just what we need.

 

[black & white seagull]

Anyone else think the choice of track at the end of the ITV highlights yesterday was genius? Methinks someone in the production team has been waiting a long time for Bardet to win a stage...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9hpeVwx1Ug

 

[Pantani]

Live coverage about to start. Bit of rain about too, this could be epic. Unfortunately, I expect Movistar to be conservative, they nearly always are, and Valverde is the king of the podium place without pushing for victory when he should. May be up to Contador and Nibali to blow the whole thing up.

 

[Pantani]

Anyone else watching? Thomas dropped on the first climb but made it back in on the descent. Sky down to Froome, Poels and Thomas in the lead group already. Although no one else looks particularly strong either.

 

[sydney]

an ex cycling tragic drinking buddy of mine is getting a semi on about some guy called richie ponte....can this be true....?

 

[Pantani]

an ex cycling tragic drinking buddy of mine is getting a semi on about some guy called richie ponte....can this be true....?

Can what be true? You know an ex cyclist? You have a drinking buddy? That he has a semi? Or that there is someone called Richie Porte?

I'm confused.

 

[Stat Brother]

I wonder how much pooh would get flung at Sky if they decided Bardet was their next GT protege?