Posted on 07/22/2008 5:30:31 AM PDT by green iguana
Almost to the top of the Col de la Lombarde. Racers are really strung out with about 45 ahead of the peleton which follows the lead by 8 1/2 minutes or so. Yellow jersey in peleton, still safely in yellow.
On the second climb now.
New virtual leader of the Tour, in a group of 28, 4 min behind the leader and 8 min ahead of the peleton.
France will be happy if he comes out in Yellow. He’s not French, but the team is...
any update for the cubicle bound?
Yellow jersey group reels in the breakaway to within 2 minutes at the top of the final climb. Vandevelde not in the group with the leaders, most of the rest of the top 10 are riding together.
Near the finish now - Hincapie is in the second group, about 20 sec behind the leaders. Vandevelde appears to be in the peloton... no idea how far behind the yellow jersey group, which is safely back in the lead (overall.)
tks much
On to the Alp D’huez tomorrow!
Fränk Schleck still in yellow, by 7 sec over Kohl and 8 sec over Evans. Vandevelde fell off the pace, falling to 6th place overall, 3:15 behind. Everything can change tomorrow:
That's just nuts...
If Evans remains that close to the top after tomorrow, it should be good for him heading into the final TT on Saturday.
John-Lee Augustyn and his bike sliding down the side of the mountain was a scary sight. He had to wait for a replacement bike; did he finish the stage?
Did not see that. Checked the LeTour site and they show him coming in 35th, about 5 1/2 minutes back.
I can't wait.
Green,
I haven’t been following the Tour this year. But does it appear that either Van DeValde (sp) or Hincapie are in the contention (realizing that we haven’t hit the mountains yet and I don’t remember if either was a great climber).
I knew Landis strengths and I knew Lances’ strengths but I don’t know these other guys e.y well since they were never #1 riders before.
Could you give me a quick analysis of the chances of an American being in yellow by Paris?
Hincapie is too far out - down by about 1/2 hour. Christian Vandevelde lost some time today, but could make it back up tomorrow with a very good ride. He’s currently sitting in 6th place overall, 3:15 out. That said, his chances of being in Yellow at the end aren’t good, but they’re probably better than Frank Schleck, the current leader who doesn’t time trial very well. With only 8 seconds separating the top 3 now, tomorrow should see lots of attacks on L’Alpe-d’Huez. Tomorrow should decide the winner, but it may come down to the final TT on Saturday.
I think Evans and Menchov are best positioned. Kohl, Schleck and/or Sastre need to come in big tomorrow to be able to hold off those two in Sat’s TT. Vandevelde and Kirchen are too far out, barring a Herculean effort tomorrow.
I’d just love to see Vandevelde on the podium... anywhere.
Bay might be able to give better insight.
Any way you slice it this is good stuff. I have been in love with the Tour since the first time I saw films of classic duels in the mountains and bunch sprints with dozens of speeders rubbing handlebar tape and trading paint.
The only insight I might add is that this is why they have the race. All the talent and training will come down to desire and tactics. This year's course is designed to decide the tour on L'Alp-D'Huez. But as they say;
In 1989 Laurent Fignon surprised everyone by beating Greg Lemonde twice in the last three days of climbing and seemed destined to win the tour with only a final day 15 mile flat time trial between him and the podium. Fignon took a 50 second lead into that final stage and saw it go up in smoke as LeMonde came in 58 seconds ahead of him and won the tour by 8 seconds.
With the polka dot jersey decided, the road stages leading to Paris are designed to determine the green jersey so the speed of the peloton will almost guarantee there will be no meaningful breakaway.
There is a long shot chance of a breakaway on the Champs d'Elysees but it is a real long shot.
Anyone with a shot at Yellow will be marked from the moment they hit the city limits.
I've always wondered why a strong team like CSC doesn't give it a go and just TT it once they start the second or third lap inside Paris. This could be the year for something strange. Especially, if the time gaps don't materialize on Alp-D'Huez.
Final day sprints can always be a surprise. This is where legends are made and men become immortalized in history.
thanks for the insight. I’ll have to catch the highlights on ESPN post-Tour this year.
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