2008 Tour de France :Stage 11 - Wednesday, July 16: Lannemezan - Foix, 167.5km

[TheDarkLord]

The weird thing Cranky is that the official site has no newsflashes related to Steegmans or Acosta. It just shows the 12 riders in the front who are almost 13 minutes ahead of the peloton.

Eurosport just commented on the major climb today. It is supposed to be very steep in places, and a very narrow road - maybe just sufficient for two or three riders abreast. In contrast, the descent is supposed to be extremely fast and a wide road.

 

[limerickman]

Kurt Asle Arvesen.
Love to see this man win a stage in the TDF.
Big Arvesen fan.

 

[jhuskey]

Kurt Asle Arvesen.
Love to see this man win a stage in the TDF.
Big Arvesen fan.

There are some very talented riders in this break but I will go with Wegmann if they can hold the gap on the peloton.

 

[Wayne666]

What's Steegmans doing? Surely they (the guys in the break) won't want him catching up to them. Mind you... Pozzato is up there.

Steegmans was in the break but dropped on the first climb.

Eurosport guys are making it sound like the main climb is quite difficult.

Looks like a good day for the break to succeed and maybe someone who has already lost a high GC place to try to go off on the climb and recover their chances?

 

[Crankyfeet]

There are some very talented riders in this break but I will go with Wegmann if they can hold the gap on the peloton.

There's too many teams in the break it seems... I can't see the peloton being motivated to lift a finger in a chase.

Maybe Columbia (Kirchen mainly assuming Cav conserves himself in the climb)... CA (Hushovd) maybe? Freire would like to get up there but he's got two team mates in the break. What's the gradient on the Col de Portel? It's a "no way" for even the sprinters who can climb like Hushovd and Freire isn't it?

I make it like 8.5% for 10 km (if you take out the relatively flat bit just before the peak). That's got to make it tough for the sprinters to hang on. And they won't catch the break.

Pozzato for the win anyway.


I apologize for this stream of consciousness cranky ****.

 

[TheDarkLord]

Moinard has attacked in the front group and has a lead of almost 30 sec over the other 11 riders.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Moinard has attacked in the front group and has a lead of almost 30 sec over the other 11 riders.

He's got about 30km from the bottom of the descent if he wants to solo it in so I think he needs about a 8-10 minute lead over the other 11 by the bottom of the descent of Portel. No chance me thinks.

 

[TheDarkLord]

He's got about 30km from the bottom of the descent if he wants to solo it in so I think he needs about a 8-10 minute lead over the other 11 by the bottom of the descent of Portel. No chance me thinks.

Yes, it is a long descent, and a long way to the finish; not the best placed hill for a successful solo attack.

Meanwhile, Pereiro has attacked from the peloton.

 

[Wayne666]

Moinard has attacked in the front group and has a lead of almost 30 sec over the other 11 riders.

Here goes Peirero, trying to salvage his Tour?

 

[b1_]

So why aren't they attacking on this last climb? Seems to me that Silence Lotto can't climb so race contenders could isolate Evans for the last 50km on th flat.

Oscar Perero goes...

 

[Crankyfeet]

Here goes Peirero, trying to salvage his Tour?

He won 2006 but no one even rates him much as a threat. Granted he is not the Caisse leader... but still.

 

[TheDarkLord]

Moinard has a lead of 1:30 over the other 11, while Pereiro has a lead of 1:40 over the peleton. Is the fact that Lotto is leading the chase the reason for the huge 16 minute gap to the front??

 

[TheDarkLord]

"The Devil" is there among the spectators. He just ran along with Moinard for a while.

 

[b1_]

Here we go. Team CSC goes...

 

[TheDarkLord]

Here we go. Team CSC goes...

Looks like they have had enough of the incompetence of the Lotto riders.

 

[Wayne666]

Looks like they have had enough of the incompetence of the Lotto riders.

Well no one up the road is a concern?

Maybe they have seen weakness in one of the protagonists and are looking to exploit it?

 

[TheDarkLord]

Well no one up the road is a concern?

Maybe they have seen weakness in one of the protagonists and are looking to exploit it?

Or they don't want Pereiro to get too far ahead.

 

[Wayne666]

Or they don't want Pereiro to get too far ahead.

Why work now to chase a guy who only has a minute or two advantage and is 15+ minutes down?

Peloton is quickly shrinking, probably less than 100 riders now?

 

[b1_]

Looks like they have had enough of the incompetence of the Lotto riders.

Incompetence is Floyd Landis's team in 2006 that let Pereiro get 20 minutes back on his lead, which eventually gifted him the win.

Pereiro is a threat if they give him a free 20mins otherwise he won't be a threat to the overall standings I think.

 

[TheDarkLord]

Incompetence is Floyd Landis's team in 2006 that let Pereiro get 20 minutes back on his lead, which eventually gifted him the win.

Just to be clear, it was a sarcastic comment - don't take it literally.

Both Moinard and Pereiro have an almost 2 minute lead over the group of 11 riders/peloton.