Tour de Suisse 2008: Stages 4-9

[Crankyfeet]

Two stages in a row for Bad-mouth Bobbie.


General classification after stage 4

1 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 16.36.44
2 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team High Road 0.06
3 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre 0.12
4 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 0.16
5 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 0.18
6 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 0.21
7 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step 0.22
8 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team High Road 0.25
9 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 0.40
10 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana

 

[Crankyfeet]

Is there something wrong with the Quick Step camp as a result of Boonen's exclusion? I would have thought Steegmans would place better than 22nd yesterday and 30th today... unless he's just chauffeuring Devolder to the finish line.

On second inspection... that looks like what he is doing... protecting Devolder.

 

[zlatan]

Two stages in a row for Bad-mouth Bobbie.


General classification after stage 4

1 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 16.36.44
2 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team High Road 0.06
3 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre 0.12
4 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 0.16
5 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 0.18
6 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 0.21
7 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step 0.22
8 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team High Road 0.25
9 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 0.40
10 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana

lövkvist will be dangerous if he can hang on in the front group of the stage to verbier because its is the only one diffecult stage left before klassuenpass itt stage

i will drive down do altdorf and watch the itt

i will send my report late in the next week

i also will climb gavia stelvio and mortirol cheers!!

 

[confusedfan]

Is there something wrong with the Quick Step camp as a result of Boonen's exclusion? I would have thought Steegmans would place better than 22nd yesterday and 30th today... unless he's just chauffeuring Devolder to the finish line.

On second inspection... that looks like what he is doing... protecting Devolder.

I was wondering the same thing actually and then I come here and read your post - I would have thought for Steegmans this was a chance to show his own amongst some top sprinters?

 

[Crankyfeet]

I was wondering the same thing actually and then I come here and read your post - I would have thought for Steegmans this was a chance to show his own amongst some top sprinters?

I also wonder if Quick Step are going to still place as much emphasis on the sprints in the TdF now that Bonehead is not riding. Maybe Devolder might get some more support with a new team containing some climbers? Maybe he's worth a punt for a podium spot.

 

[Jan the man]

Devloder, Kloeden and A. Schleck will be the main players in the Uphill TT.

I think it's too long a climb for Lovkvist.

It's a very tough climb. 24km uphill at over 6%.

 

[limerickman]

I'm gonna stick this thread.

I was going to create a sticky for each stage ....but I'm up to my eyeballs at present.

Thanks for the cover, Crank

 

[Anticyclone]

Lucky escape for Frank Schleck today. Thankfully he looks ok

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1RQcQhWtuTA

Bit surprised at Kloden losing time and Cunego losing almost a minute today

 

[Crankyfeet]

Updated GC after Stage 5

Cunego and Frank Schleck drop out of the top 10 (Frank having an unfortunate crash going over a guardrail while in the lead break... losing nearly 3 minutes on the leadrers, but not injuring himself) ... and Kloden loses some time to be a minute behind.



General classification after stage 5

1 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 21.25.12
2 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team High Road 0.06
3 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 0.18
4 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 0.21
5 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step 0.22
6 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team High Road 0.25
7 Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.31
8 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC 0.40
9 Sergei Ivanov (Rus) Astana 0.50
10 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana 1.00

 

[Grater]

This is Kirchen's win.

He will win tonights stage!

 

[olo]

Lucky escape for Frank Schleck today. Thankfully he looks ok

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1RQcQhWtuTA

Bit surprised at Kloden losing time and Cunego losing almost a minute today

Klöden lost some of his time because he almost crashed into the csc team car.
Here you can watch the last hour of the stage http://rtlnews.lu/sport/headlines/sport/22319.html

 

[Crankyfeet]

This is Kirchen's win.

He will win tonights stage!

Great call Grater... Kirchen takes over the GC lead. Provisional results.

 

[Jan the man]

Great call Grater... Kirchen takes over the GC lead. Provisional results.

Kirchen should have enough for the overall now.

It will be interesting to see who wins the TT.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Kirchen should have enough for the overall now.

It will be interesting to see who wins the TT.

Columbia is getting some immediate returns on investment...

 

[beached whale]

Kirchen should have enough for the overall now.

It will be interesting to see who wins the TT.

I hope Kloden can take it. He showed good form on the last stage and it should suit him. Might get him on the podium as well but i don't know if he can make up a minute on Kirchen.

 

[confusedfan]

Klöden lost some of his time because he almost crashed into the csc team car.http://rtlnews.lu/sport/headlines/sport/22319.html

I've seen a number of people who have suggested that Kloeden was actually checking on Schleck and were impressed by that ... the only bit I saw showed Kloeden on the guardrail side of the CSC team car but not particularly how he got there (ie was it intentional or not).

 

[Grater]

Great call Grater... Kirchen takes over the GC lead. Provisional results.

Thanks. It's good news! TDF winner right there!

 

[RdBiker]

I've seen a number of people who have suggested that Kloeden was actually checking on Schleck and were impressed by that ... the only bit I saw showed Kloeden on the guardrail side of the CSC team car but not particularly how he got there (ie was it intentional or not).

I got a glimpse of it too, and I was thinking "wow, is a riders actually coming to check how Schleck was doing???" but then I saw that the Astana guy (Klöden) didn't even look over the railing and just tried to get through. So I think it was just that he nearly crashed to the team car...it would have been an impressive thing to stop and check that Fränk was ok.

 

[jhuskey]

Todays stage looks like a good "sprinters finish stage" and maybe the only excitement of the stage.Tomorrow however should define the probable winner.
Kloden is in 6th palce and 58 sec. down but I will still stay with him for the win overall.
With an uphill TT I believe there may be some siginificant time gaps.

 

[poulidor]

(Too) very good performance of Kirchen ?

From cyclismag

Kim Kirchen, team High Road, has won the Verbier stage of the Tour of Switzerland. He climbed the last climb in 25 minutes at an average of 445 Watts power for a standard 78 kg with cycling.
The performance is enormous, only 15 Watts of the best climbs of Lance Armstrong on the Tour de France for a similar period.
The Spaniard Igor Anton won the first mountain stage in Flumserberg with an average power of 430 watts for a 31-minute effort.
Last week the Criterium du Dauphine, Cadel Evans, Alejandro Valverde and Robert Gesink did not exceed the 410 watts on the rise of Joux-Plane. They put 35'50 "to climb the difficult Col de Haute-Savoie, the same time as Carlos Sastre in the Tour de France 2006.
The level is higher for performances in the mountains, Switzerland and Dauphiné. However, we can not say with certainty that the next winner of the Tour de France is currently in Switzerland.
Variations potential of some professional riders have sometimes left us perplexed ... The Watts developed in June are not always those of July.