Professional Cycling For the Fans - Stage 12: Montpellier - Castres

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I bet some GC hopeful gets caught with his pants down, and loses 20 seconds or so.

Richard

This stage suits a breakaway. I wonder if Disco will send Popo and Gusev again. They still want a stage victory.

After the past 2 days of ripping and the heat...I think some very tired legs will be heading into this stage. Teams will want to conserve the GC guys for the TT. A few non GC guys could really get away with teams wanting to protect their big guns.

All Hincapie talks about is how he wants a stage. Tomorrow would suit him decently.

The only problem is everyone wants to win a stage.

Richard


All Hincapie talks about is how he wants a stage. Tomorrow would suit him decently.

Vino.

The only problem is everyone wants to win a stage.

Richard

This is true, but for these types of stages we're mostly just throwing darts anyways.

I bet some GC hopeful gets caught with his pants down, and loses 20 seconds or so. Which GC contender? :p

I don't know. I just expect there to be a few small time gaps tomorrow.

Richard


Which GC contender? :p

Vino.

Vino is probably still placed just a tad to high on GC to be allowed to go clear over the Cat 2 climb.

If there's a successful break, its more likely by riders a little further down on GC.

but vino could maybe get away if people are allowing it or not.. if he has his legs back.
I dunno.. we'll see how it goes.. I'll be near the top of the last climb :) :) :) :)

my bet is a break of 5-10 stays clear to the finish with the gc men strung out a few minutes behind.

The way Cancellara has been gunning at at the sprints, i wouldn't rule him out. As long as the big sprinters aren't on hand (and i doubt they will be with the climb), he seems to do pretty well sprinting against everyone else.

i would give big tom a better chance of getting over that cat 2 in position to wni the cancellara.

I think Boonen (and BW, and Milram) will want a hand in the early sprints, reeling in any early breaks.

I think any breaks that stick, as well as big GC action will happen before/on the last climb, maybe there'll be a big split of the field again?

With the TT tomorrow will GC contenders burn themselves over the Cat 2 to try to put time in on their opponents? Hmmm... Maybe Rasmussen? :)

I'm wondering if Astana's antics today signal that Kloden and Vino are maybe feeling better?

Vino, Vino, Vino ... His knee is oozing pus now, he has NO chance at the GC.

I hope his little spurt near the finish of Stage 11 was meant as a curtain call, and that Astana now intends to support Kloden, who is their only chance at the podium at this point in the race.

i don't think chicken will attack. there's almost 50k after the cat 2, and he'll prolly look for hc's and cat 1's to gain time anyways.

With the TT tomorrow will GC contenders burn themselves over the Cat 2 to try to put time in on their opponents?

No. Unless Vino crashes and Moreau wants revenge...

Philippe Gilbert

No. Unless Vino crashes and Moreau wants revenge...

Or Moreau crashes and Vino waits until Moreau is getting treatment to launch the attack...

Well, I sure was wrong about a break lasting over the first sprints. I still see those riders getting reeled in by the big climb though.

Being at work sucks, just reading the updates on letour.fr and elsewhere. Bleuh.

Or not... ok, looks like another bunch sprint.

Boonen?

w00t! Got something right!

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Nice shots.....and you snuck one of the stage winner.

Must be nice.

Michael