2009 TDF stage 12: Tonnerre - Vittel 211.5 km

[steve]

2009 TDF stage 12: Tonnerre - Vittel 211.5 km

MOUNTAIN PASSES & HILLS

Km 19.0: Côte de Baon - 2.2 km climb to 4.2 % - Category 4
Km 55.0: Côte de Gye-sur-Seine - 2.4 km climb to 4.4 % - Category 4
Km 64.5: Côte d'Essoyes - 2.2 km climb to 5 % - Category 4
Km 150.0: Côte des Grands-Bois - 2.3 km climb to 5 % - Category 4
Km 156.5: Côte de Morlaix - 2.1 km climb to 4.2 % - Category 4
Km 170.5: Côte de Bourmont - 0.8 km climb to 11.1 % - Category 3

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDcBDNC2G8Y"]YouTube - Analysis of the stage 12[/ame]

General classification after stage 11 ( top 25 )

1 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 43:28:59
2 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 0:00:06
3 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana 0:00:08
4 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 0:00:39
5 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream 0:00:46
6 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 0:00:54
7 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC 0:01:00
8 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Slipstream 0:01:24
9 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:49
10 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 0:01:54
11 Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:02:16
12 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team Columbia - HTC 0:02:21
13 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:02:25
14 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 0:02:40
15 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:45
16 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 0:02:52
17 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:03:02
18 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto 0:03:07
19 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia - HTC 0:03:16
20 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha 0:03:49
21 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux 0:03:58
22 Haimar Zubeldia Aguirre (Spa) Astana 0:04:14
23 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana 0:04:20
24 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram
25 Brice Feillu (Fra) Agritubel 0:04:26

 

[Cobblestones]

Cav

/thread

 

[Trev_S]

I'm hoping for something different to the standard script of small breakaway with a catch in the final few km's and Cavendish to out sprint everyone.

How about a team getting on the front and light things up over those last 3 climbs in an effort to split the peloton and shake things up.
or
a large breakaway group gets away on the first hill and at least a group of those can hold to contest a win.

 

[JAPANic]

Cav won't try as hard tonight as he has been. His eyes are now set on getting to Paris. He won't want to waste too much energy.
However, if other teams don't try something to put a bit more pressure in the last 5kms, Cav is just going to do another short song & dance at the end as usual.

The sprint stages really needed McEwen, Petacchi, and who ever else is left. O'Grady used to be a handy sprinter but looks like he has different orders.
Boonen needs to get his mind back on the job.


The race is very watered down... lots of big names (big dopers) missing.

 

[Eldron]

Anything but the standard break and catch with 10km to go and the Highroad delivery system PLEASE!

Not taking anything away from Cav - he's an awesome rider but if the flats are all about Cav and the mountains all about the turquoise train then this tour is gonna be awesome instead of totally awesome ;-)

 

[phillop]

1. Cav
2. Hushovd
3. Farrar

 

[Scotttri]

Might be a chance of a breakaway staying away today

 

[DV1976]

Well one less crappy stage to watch.
This Tour has been slightly more exciting than the Tour of Qatar so far...

 

[Chavez]

1. Cav
2. Hushovd
3. Farrar

The only question these days on stages that look like a sprint finish is "do I want Thor or Farrar 2nd?"