2009 TDF stage 7: Barcelone - Andorre Arcalis 224 km



steve

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Aug 12, 2001
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Barcelone - Andorre Arcalis 224 km

MOUNTAIN PASSES & HILLS

Km 32.0 - Côte de Montserrat - 4.1 km climb to 3.8 % - Category 4
Km 97.0 - Port de Solsona - 5.8 km climb to 4.3 % - Category 3
Km 127.0 - Col de Serra-Seca - 7.7 km climb to 7.1 % - Category 1
Km 136.5 - Port del Comte - 3.1 km climb to 5.3 % - Category 3
Km 224.0 - ANDORRE ARCALIS - 10.6 km climb to 7.1 % - Category H

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jxf_Q9lN3kE"]YouTube - Analysis of the stage 7[/ame]

General classification after stage 6 (top 30)

1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank 19:29:22
2 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
3 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 0:00:19
4 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 0:00:23
5 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 0:00:31
6 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream 0:00:38
7 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC 0:00:52
8 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Slipstream 0:01:16
9 Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:22
10 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team Columbia - HTC 0:01:29
11 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 0:01:31
12 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia - HTC 0:01:36
13 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
14 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:41
15 Haimar Zubeldia Aguirre (Spa) Astana
16 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana 0:01:45
17 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank 0:02:03
18 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia - HTC 0:02:16
19 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:02:17
20 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream 0:02:28
21 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 0:02:32
22 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Slipstream 0:02:43
23 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 0:02:44
24 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Saxo Bank 0:02:55
25 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Slipstream 0:02:56
26 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto 0:02:59
27 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
28 Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:03:03
29 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Astana 0:03:11
30 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram
 
It's a big day today, there are sure to be attacks from Sastre and Evans, I think Contador will match them. Lance is still an unknown quantity, I think, watching him that he secretly feels that he has enough under the bonnet to match Contador, especially at Arcalis, which isn't a real climber's climb, it's more of a power climb.

So I'm going for a Armstrong, Contador, Evans sprint at the top. I don't think Evans should be underestimated he had a good Stage 1 and even though his team sucked in the TTT, he looked pretty strong.
 
Should be a great stage. I'm getting up at 6am for a 10 mile run, drink some energy drinks, and bounce all over the living room during the climb.
 
I don't think there will be too many players throwing down the gauntlet this early unless they are pretty sure of themselves. There are serious contests on for each of the mountain top finishes right up until the second last day. Don't want to peak to early (excuse the pun).
 
True, but some of the riders have a fair bit of time to make up. Better to start chippin away now rather than leave it too late
 
And so the tour begins....

I shall join the ranks of living room bouncers - this is gonna be awesome!!

I'm going to go against the grain and put my money on Lieutenant Kloden for no other reason than I've been a fan since forever...

Let the bouncing begin!!!
 
Lance just twittered that uci antidoping came in this morning and tested lance, kloden, contador and levi.
 
Sastre repeat what he did at the Giro - win by about a minute, Contador and a few others come in then Armstrong with the rest of the group come in later.
 
I'm not exactly looking forward to this stage. The blue train (turquoise this time) is running again, and that fact kills my enthusiasm a bit. But I'll be watching Saxo and Schlecks very carefully. If some team can match Astana - it's Saxo, and if some one can match Contador in the mountains - it's Andy Schleck.
 
I am afraid we will hear a new term today, "the Astana train". It would be an advantage to get someone up the road before the last climb. For Astana Kloden would be great but I doubt he can get away considering his high standing.
 
What about Bradley Evans. He wont win but wot a superb ride so far.

Is Lance unable to follow Conti or was it tactics? He looked like he didn't try. Was it tactics or was it knowledge that the horse power wasn't yet there.
 
nonns said:
What about Bradley Evans. He wont win but wot a superb ride so far.

Is Lance unable to follow Conti or was it tactics? He looked like he didn't try. Was it tactics or was it knowledge that the horse power wasn't yet there.

When a team mate makes a successful break you don't want to bring back the group to him by chasing him.
Lance didn't have the legs to go with Contador either.

Lance was pulling Contador all day too...

Contador is a wheel sucker!!!!

Cadel at least tried to do something today.
 
Cadels attacks didn't look like they had much power behind them (sorry thats not to say that he wasn't putting in huge effort). He's not elegant on the bike when compared with the likes of Lance or Contador. Unfortunately I think that Astanas got this one sown up. I also think that Evans his runing out of time. He's unfortunate enought ot have been a brilliant rider at the same time as three prodigious talents each with better teams. Perhaps if he was in Astana it would be a different story.
 
When you possess the supreme ability to accelerate, whether it be on the flat (Cavendish and other sprinters) or mountains (Contador and other true climbers), you suck wheels in order to retain as much of that explosiveness as possible until you need to unleash it. A true "wheelsucker" is someone that has neither ability but gets towed to the line.

Contador is a smart "racer". No need for the derisive adjective.
 
Must confess I don't think I'd have done anything different to Contador knowing that Lance is waiting.

The old guy wont accelerate as fast and might not have the legs but he's very very very very dangerous and possibly the biggest threat to Conti (unless he cracks and he didn't look like he was inclined to crack :D)

I think this race is between Conti, Armstrong, Schleck, Martin, Lepheimer, CVdV and Kloden. I think that Sastre seems to be out of it as does Menchov and Evans. I think Evans will stay with them but wont make up the time. Astana will deal with him.

So Podium prediction - I'll go for an Astana whitewash or blue rinse.

1) Contador. (the little tinker)
2) LA. Who will be able to save face by saying he worked for Contador.
3) Lepheimer.
 

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