Professional Cycling For the Fans - Stage 11: Tarbes - Val d'Aran/Pla-de-Beret (Spain)

Stage 11: Tarbes - Val d'Aran/Pla-de-Beret (Spain), 208 km

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Rassmussen-he showed his hand in that last climb of stage 10 blowing past those guys. I'd expect Periero up front as well. A good chance for Moreau to make an impact on GC while keeping himself in position for the dots if the GC slips away. Dunno about Mayo, can't tell if he was not well for stage 10 or was holding back to take on Rassmussen in stage 11.

I don't think any possible GC contender will be allowed to break away on this stage. The GC's should finish together. Anyone not in the lead group of GC's better focus on stage wins.

Richard

gibo, watch him he is gonna try and stamp his authority on the
race tomorrow.

marty

Rassmussen-he showed his hand in that last climb of stage 10 blowing past those guys. I'd expect Periero up front as well. A good chance for Moreau to make an impact on GC while keeping himself in position for the dots if the GC slips away. Dunno about Mayo, can't tell if he was not well for stage 10 or was holding back to take on Rassmussen in stage 11.

Mayo is fini. You don't lose over 5 minutes to the peleton because you're holding back. I expect that there will be some serious attack on stage 11. With most of big Pharma out of the picture, a bold move from Rujano or Simoni would wreak havoc with the peleton.

gibo, watch him he is gonna try and stamp his authority on the
race tomorrow.

marty

GMTA

Rasmussen can only do one thing good and that is climb. He is a feather..light as a ghost. he is likely the worst time trialist on the tour. Even though he was an ex-MTB he is also a crappy at the descent.

Mayo is fini. You don't lose over 5 minutes to the peleton because you're holding back. I expect that there will be some serious attack on stage 11. With most of big Pharma out of the picture, a bold move from Rujano or Simoni would wreak havoc with the peleton.

Mayo was finished on GC after the TT. Losing 5 minutes more doesn't matter. Was he ill or holding back for a stage and polka dots tommorrow?

This is the first of only three stages in this year's Tour with mountain top finishes.

While they might let a non-threat like Rasmussen go, the real battle will be among the GC contenders. I think they all held back today (Stage 10), saving up for this stage. I think Disco, T-Mobile and Phonak are all going to drive the pace trying to shatter the others. The only question is how soon that will start. The final climb, at 5.4%, is probably not steep enough to do enough damage. I suspect they will try earlier.

Can Kloden match Floyd? We'll see..

This is the first of only three stages in this year's Tour with mountain top finishes.

While they might let a non-threat like Rasmussen go, the real battle will be among the GC contenders. I think they all held back today (Stage 10), saving up for this stage. I think Disco, T-Mobile and Phonak are all going to drive the pace trying to shatter the others. The only question is how soon that will start. The final climb, at 5.4%, is probably not steep enough to do enough damage. I suspect they will try earlier.

Can Kloden match Floyd? We'll see..
Don't forget Cadel Evans, Lotto's been resting up to pace him through the mountains. I'm hoping I get to see Horner carry him as far as possible, and then climb himself into contention.

Does the finish mean that a peloton heading in together at the start of the last time could see an interval between first and last of 3 minutes?

It will be very interesting to see who leads peloton this stage, because ag2r doesnt need to. Their guy in yellow just needs to hand with peloton... if peloton is not worried about a break, then neither should he.

It will start on the Tourmalet and only get worse as the stage goes on.
Look for some serious attacking from everyone.
Cadel Evans promises to be a major threat but my
money is on Gibo for the first big break.

Marty

Kloden says he's going to F stuff up

There will be 3-4 people eating chicken tomorrow. ;)

Kloden? I doubt he'll be within 3 minutes of the stage winner.

Can Kloden match Floyd? We'll see..

I think it's the other way around.

looks like leipheimer could be in a bit of trouble. He was put under a bit of pressure on stage 10, although he did catch the peloton back up on the descent.

He isn't going so well.

Levi Leipheimer is done. Maybe next year he will be in better form.

I'd go with Rasmussen.

It will start on the Tourmalet and only get worse as the stage goes on.
Look for some serious attacking from everyone.
Cadel Evans promises to be a major threat but my
money is on Gibo for the first big break.

Marty

Marty sorry my ignorance, who the hell is Gibo??? Simoni?

Mayo was finished on GC after the TT. Losing 5 minutes more doesn't matter. Was he ill or holding back for a stage and polka dots tommorrow?

Sorry guys, don't understand. Mayo lost 24 minutes to the winner, 17 to peloton in stage 10. Or am I wrong here?

He caught a cold, and felt weak yesterday, stating he hopes to have recovered for the Alpes for a stage win.

Mayo is fini. You don't lose over 5 minutes to the peleton because you're holding back. I expect that there will be some serious attack on stage 11. With most of big Pharma out of the picture, a bold move from Rujano or Simoni would wreak havoc with the peleton.

I saw Simoni struggling yesterday on Marie-Blanque. Don't think in Tour de France guys would bluff by letting peloton go off...it's either you're in good shape IN the peloton, or you're in a bad shape and byebye. In stage 10 a lot of riders recovered in the descent, no such chance today.

For today's stage, don't think big ones will show their noses. Selection will be made from the back:

T-Mobile looking very strong for leading the peloton again.
Landis was a bit short of men yesterday on Soudet and Marie-Blanque (only 3 arrived with first peloton)
Discovery looking very strong (7 in first peloton in stage 10), but I think they'll stay put until the Alpes, where Popovych, Hincapie, Savoldelli and Azevedo will show their cards.

So what is my guess for today? I find Dessel's AG2R very very sexy (in stage 10, 7 out of 8 riders in first peloton or better !!). And an early attack by Astarloza or Arrieta would take away the burden from the team (to have to lead the peloton). Kloeden must feel very strong to have his men leading the pack.

Rasmussen will be the killer on Tourmalet today, I guess, but only if he gets the go ahead from team boss, as his main task still is to protect Menchov in the mountain stages.

Finally big unknown is Moreau. If he can "channel" his enthusiasm, he'll stay with the others in the peloton. But if he follows Rasmussen in Tourmalet, it will hurt...

AG2R have already fulfilled their duty on this Tour, so they can take risks now. Who said this Tour is boring?

Marty sorry my ignorance, who the hell is Gibo??? Simoni?
Either that or Philippe Gilbert.

Sorry guys, don't understand. Mayo lost 24 minutes to the winner, 17 to peloton in stage 10. Or am I wrong here?

He caught a cold, and felt weak yesterday, stating he hopes to have recovered for the Alpes for a stage win.

Mayo lost so much time on stage 7 he was effectively out of GC competition then, but is such a good climber he could be Rassmussen's chief rival for the polka dots. There are a lot more polka dot points on stage 11 with an easy stage 12 to recover in the peloton if someone wants to go for the polka dots on 11. His dropping back could have been a ploy to be fully rested for a stage 11 attack.

Since you've identified his problems as an illness in the form of a cold, we now see he is effectively out of stage 11 and polka dot contention due the cold, so we'll see him attack in one or two Alp stages for a stage win.

Was he sufferring from the cold in stage 7?

Kloden says he's going to F stuff up

Could you elaborate?

And they're off!

Early breakaway reeled in, and McEwen is off to get the first intermidate sprints!

LIVE updates found here:
http://www.letour.fr/2006/TDF/LIVE/us/1100/index.html

:D

....and he gets the points!

gibo, watch him he is gonna try and stamp his authority on the
race tomorrow.

marty


You kidder you...

You just want one of those pink Scott bikes...:D

....and he gets the points!

thank goodness...the next sprint line is after an HC and two cat I's...Robbie will be in the laughing group by then.

A good Aussie friend of mine told me that a speed bump in a shopping center parking lot's a cat I climb...

Looking at the profile, that last climb at nearly 40km in length...very nice. That'll break at few legs and hearts.

Mayo ...
Was he sufferring from the cold in stage 7?

He said suffering from cold since last Monday, because of air conditioning he couldn't turn off in his hotel room. But he added that couldn't be used as an excuse for his poor performance in stage 10.

They went pretty slow up tourmalet. This is a huge stage for the dot jersey, and they seem to be letting the small group stay ahead. Rasmussen not chasing after voelkler doesn't look good for him. A contender not attacking while most of discovery was falling back on tourmalet means there is a real good chance that a surprise winner could win the whole tour, as all the contenders continue to check each other for the whole tour.

Marty sorry my ignorance, who the hell is Gibo??? Simoni?

yah, Simoni.

Mayo's gone. Gotta hurt for a Basque rider to abandon in the Pyranees

unless Hincapie rallies on the final climb, looks like Azevedo is going to be Discovery's boy, so much for the Hincapie fantasy.

Now the race director wants to inspect bikes after the stage is over. Anybody wanna bet that Landis's bike will not be legal?

Now the race director wants to inspect bikes after the stage is over. Anybody wanna bet that Landis's bike will not be legal?
I was thinking the same thing.

Good to see Levi up in the lead group.

Sorry--what would you expect to find about it to make it illegal?

Unfortunately I can't watch the TV coverage, but judging by the cyclingnews updates so far, Landis is looking the best out of all of them. Can anyone confirm? He's got to be the solid favorite now, if he wasn't before.

Sorry--what would you expect to find about it to make it illegal?
At the start of the Tour, they decided at the last minute that his TT position was not "legal", so he had to change, which cost him time. They seem to be picking on him for some reason.

At the start of the Tour, they decided at the last minute that his TT position was not "legal", so he had to change, which cost him time. They seem to be picking on him for some reason.

Thanks cydewaze.

Well, he is a yank, after all. And he walks funny.

Sorry--what would you expect to find about it to make it illegal?

the issue would be weight.

Just been following the live coverage on Cyclingnews. From today and the Daphuanie (sp), it seems like Menchov is a pansy afraid to do any work on the climbs.

Go Floyd!

And Floyd is in yellow... he becomes what, the fifth American to wear the maillot jaune?

I think it's the other way around.

...chuckling and shaking my head...

Go Phloyd! (http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=BUY_PRODUCT_STANDARD&PRODUCT.ID=3274&CATEGORY.ID=703&MODE=)

Now the race director wants to inspect bikes after the stage is over. Anybody wanna bet that Landis's bike will not be legal?

????????Where the hell are you getting that from? American coverage???

Just been following the live coverage on Cyclingnews. From today and the Daphuanie (sp), it seems like Menchov is a pansy afraid to do any work on the climbs.

Go Floyd!

Now you're going to get Laggard on your butt...Menchov's his favorite rider.

????????Where the hell are you getting that from? American coverage???
from letour.fr:



16:50 - Top Five In Stage Must Present Bikes At Finish...

The race jury has just asked the first five riders in today’s stage to bring their bikes to an area at the finish to be checked that they meet the UCI’s rules.

I saw it either on eurosport.co.uk or the letour.fr website. He wantes to inspect the top rider's bikes after the finish.

AMERICAN BACK IN YELLLLLOOOOOWWWWWWWWW! Go Landis GO!

And Floyd is in yellow... he becomes what, the fifth American to wear the maillot jaune?
In yellow with a bum hip! Gotta love that!

Now let's hope they don't find anything "wrong" with his bike. :rolleyes: