2008 TDF Stage 6 : Aigurande - Super-Besse Sancy



Crankyfeet said:
One thing that intrigues me about cycling is how cyclists often broadcast that they are going to attack before they do so... almost to get an implicit deal that they will be let go, but watched. I remember accounts of Landis going round at breakfast before that infamous stage that he tested positive on, telling everybody exactly where he was going to attack. It just seemed weird to me to take away the element of surprise.
Really though, how much of an element of surprise is there. Especially on an uphill section, you either have the legs to attack (or respond to an attack) or you do not. If you are not being marked for GC, it is not really a big deal...
 
Powerful Pete said:
Really though, how much of an element of surprise is there. Especially on an uphill section, you either have the legs to attack (or respond to an attack) or you do not. If you are not being marked for GC, it is not really a big deal...
I appreciate your point.. I just thought it would be easier for the other teams to plan team tactics if they knew, or had a good idea, what the others were going to throw at them.

I'm looking more for the reason as to why it's an advantage to blab your intentions before the race starts. I assume in the Landis case... it was to test the water perhaps... though he really had no choice anyway... whatever the response.
 
Kirchen to win if it is a sprint from a select group - if its a breakaway then it could be anyone. If Hincapie or Lovkvist is put in the break as a policeman then they Gerolsteiner wont be able to count on any support from Team Colombia and one of those two could be in yellow. If Ricco makes the break then they wont be allowed too much of a lead and it may well come back. How about Txurruka as a member of the breakaway? I cant find any info on him really apart from doing well last year at a young age. Could he look at today as a chance to gain some time to allow him to place higher later on?

Weather looks generally good - sunny and reaching 27C on low ground. A few isolated thunderstorms are likely to kick off across the northern Massif Central later on but these should avoid the race,.
 
It seems that Piti is riding at the very back of the Peloton all covered in bandages (he crashed yesterday). Certainly jinxes the calculations and expectations in this thread to some extent.
 
There is an escape group comprising of Vaugrenard, Bichot and Chavanel, with Goubert trying to bridge the gap between the peloton and the escape group.
 
TheDarkLord said:
There is an escape group comprising of Vaugrenard, Bichot and Chavanel, with Goubert trying to bridge the gap between the peloton and the escape group.

D@mn I was hoping one of the Saffas in Barloworld would take a flyer today given that Soler is out...

I think the breakaway will stay clear today - the GC contenders will be playing leg checking poker - nobody wants to reveal too much this early in the Tour. I hope I'm wrong though - I'm keen to see merciless racing from the start!
 
The thing I like about this year is the fact that there is no clear cut favorite and that leaves possibilities open every day.
An underdog might put in some big time on a stage and make it hard on the GC's to gain back the time over several stages, but who knows.
 
TheDarkLord said:
It seems that Piti is riding at the very back of the Peloton all covered in bandages (he crashed yesterday). Certainly jinxes the calculations and expectations in this thread to some extent.
:confused: I was not aware of that. Was it a bad crash?
 
Powerful Pete said:
:confused: I was not aware of that. Was it a bad crash?
Yesterday, they were saying that it didn't look bad and that he just seemed to have lost some skin. But they also said that he was hanging in the back yesterday since the crash. I didn't watch the stage until the last 10 km, and so didn't see the footage.
 
I noticed that he seems to hang out at the back of the pack quite often - the Italian commentators were mentioning this during his day in yellow - he was always one of the last two-three riders for quite some time during the stage.
 
Powerful Pete said:
I noticed that he seems to hang out at the back of the pack quite often - the Italian commentators were mentioning this during his day in yellow - he was always one of the last two-three riders for quite some time during the stage.
Hopefully this is normal for him, whilst I dont want him to win the tour, i dont want a tour favourite out of the running because of a crash
 
From the official site:

LeTour.fr contacted Eusebio Unzue, the directeur sportif of Caisse d’Epargne at the start of the stage to get an update on the team’s leader Alejandro Valverde. “At the moment, our goal is to see how Alejandro copes,” said the Spaniard. “We’ll see how he’s recovering. The level of the injuries isn’t severe so it should be no problem but he does have grazes on his arms and wasn’t able to rest too well last night. He’s in pain but that is typical in the days following a fall. It’s a normal situation after a crash and hopefully it’s not too serious. Within the next two or three days, when the race arrives in the Pyrenees, we hope he has fully recovered.
“Today we will try not to waste energy and if he progresses, then we can consider our plans for the coming stages.”
 
TheDarkLord said:
From the official site:

LeTour.fr contacted Eusebio Unzue, the directeur sportif of Caisse d’Epargne at the start of the stage to get an update on the team’s leader Alejandro Valverde. “At the moment, our goal is to see how Alejandro copes,” said the Spaniard. “We’ll see how he’s recovering. The level of the injuries isn’t severe so it should be no problem but he does have grazes on his arms and wasn’t able to rest too well last night. He’s in pain but that is typical in the days following a fall. It’s a normal situation after a crash and hopefully it’s not too serious. Within the next two or three days, when the race arrives in the Pyrenees, we hope he has fully recovered.
“Today we will try not to waste energy and if he progresses, then we can consider our plans for the coming stages.”
Hopefully he doesn't lose to much time in the finish
 
TheDarkLord said:
Chavanel is now just 2 points behind Voeckler in his quest of the polka dots.
4 and a half minute gap, not long enough but not to bad for the break away
 
Powerful Pete said:
While riding? :eek: That would make me puke.
Yup, while riding.

Meanwhile, Pauriol has attacked when the climb up Morand becomes serious. Hold on, there is another attack comprising of about 5 riders...
 
Caisse d'Epargne riders are in the front of the peloton, while many riders including Cavendish drop off the back of the peloton. One of the riders in the break (Vaugrenard) has been dropped by the other two and has been caught by the peloton. 1:20 to the break. I guess the question is whether Chavanel can keep the pace up to the top of the climb to grab the KOM jersey.