Professional Cycling For the Fans - TdF Stage 20 - Saturday July 25 - 167 km - Montélimar → Mont Ventoux

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Race over!

may be very similar to last year's alpe d'huez stage where the favorites marked each other for nearly
the entire race and sastre had the best legs/team that day. made for a really boring overall tour though. how many teams are going to send a rider in the inevitable breakaway to help out their gc guy on ventoux? some podium dreams & aspirations are gonna get crushed july 25th.

I think a lot will already be sorted out by the TTs and stages 16 and 17.

stages 16 & 17 have those downhill finishes that will undoubtedly help those dropped near the
last summit. they'll have time to form a chase group to catch any escapees high up on the classification.

the itt on stage 18 will be less than an hour's work for the riders; not sure it's long or difficult enough
to really separate the top riders.

one or two of the contenders will have a bad day on one of these 3 stages but most will likely remain closely
bunched up on time and finish together. really reminds me of last year with the back to back of
prato nevoso/col de bonette monster stages where essentially, there were no significant changes.
both of those stages struck me as being harder than anything offered up on #'s 16 & 17 this year.
the gc boys were biding their time till alpe d'huez; this year it's mont ventoux.

someone that had a bad first week in the pyrenees & 10 minutes down would be my pick to win either
stage 16 or 17 and possibly vault back into contention.

will be interesting to see how much of an effect the radio-free mountain stage 13 has on the top 15 riders.
if it's on a day of poor weather, this and not the ventoux stage may be the decisive point or the
oscar pereiro moment if you will.

I think that we'll have things well sorted out by this point, but someone is going to have to mount a desperate "last gasp" effort here, so it will be fun to watch.

I am going :)

I am going :)

me too,

If Contador is in control at this point or out of contention, I'm betting that Armstrong takes flight on this stage to finally win on Ventoux.

-murray

ttt

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Wow!

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Ouch! My achy legs just let out a single tear when they saw that.

This stage is where Andy Schleck gets on the podium and Lance go off. Though I will be rooting for Lance.

This stage is where Andy Schleck gets on the podium and Lance go off. Though I will be rooting for Lance.

Probably, hopefully LA will build enough of a lead in IT, and seeing as he has always gotten stronger as the race goes one, he might be able to hold on to the podium. I see Wiggins possibly blowing up on one of the remaining stages and losing his podium spot.

Taking out the first 5k of the climb i did some math on the remaing 16k's grade. 16.1km at 8.7%. yikes!

I am going to watch this, just wondering which KM wold be best to watch from?
The last 3 km's (19, 20 and 21) will be too busy either behind barriers or 3 people deep. so I was thinking at around 13. but then thats in the woods and might not be far enough up to see the splits?

165! Squeeze in there!!! And take pictures!!!!

Let the battle for 3rd place begin!

Can't wait for this stage!! There's nothing left to hold back on!

It will be interesting to see Astana's strategy.

Clearly their priority is getting Lance on the podium--I don't see how anyone can doubt this anymore.

It will be interesting to see Astana's strategy.

Clearly their priority is getting Lance on the podium--I don't see how anyone can doubt this anymore.

Can't blame them, Astana would LOVE the media coverage! Who wouldn't right? A sweep would've been unreal for the team!

Can't blame them, Astana would LOVE the media coverage! Who wouldn't right? A sweep would've been unreal for the team!

Yet strange such lofty heights were never a goal back in the Seven/Postal/Discovery days.

Bruyneel said it best himself yesterday: "If you want everything you end up with nothing".

Lance on the podium is all about 2010. We can't begin to imagine how valuable that is in pure cash money to anyone who has hitched themselves to that train.

Yet strange such lofty heights were never a goal back in the Seven/Postal/Discovery days.

Bruyneel said it best himself yesterday: "If you want everything you end up with nothing".

Lance on the podium is all about 2010. We can't begin to imagine how valuable that is in pure cash money to anyone who has hitched themselves to that train.

It's not strange when you see where they were before yesterday's stage... there was a chance. It really is like a no-hitter, perfect game, etc, it's not really what you are going for initially, but come the 7th or 8th, or whatever, inning, you see it's a possibility and you go for it!

What do they give up by getting Lance on the podium? If it were early in the race I can see not wasting the energy, but I doubt if AC is compromised in any way by trying to get Lance 3rd.

I think there is a difference here because you are talking of a 7 time winner coming back after 4 years. That generates news, creates a buzz, and loosens purse string from sponsors.

Richard


Yet strange such lofty heights were never a goal back in the Seven/Postal/Discovery days.

Bruyneel said it best himself yesterday: "If you want everything you end up with nothing".

Lance on the podium is all about 2010. We can't begin to imagine how valuable that is in pure cash money to anyone who has hitched themselves to that train.

All I know is that I'm glad this is on a Saturday so I can watch the entire thing.

I think there is a difference here because you are talking of a 7 time winner coming back after 4 years. That generates news, creates a buzz, and loosens purse string from sponsors

No doubt.

No matter how many more Grand Tours Contador wins, he'll never be as valuable as Armstrong.

So I can't blame Bruyneel, but...

But if I were Contador, yeah, I'd be a little frustrated that my team wasn't single-mindedly committed to my victory.

(Stage 14 is a good example of what happens when a team has mixed goals. Hincapie in yellow? Cavendish in green? Whoops, neither.)

Whatever tactical genius Bruyneel has to offer, I don't doubt for a second that Contador will benefit immensely from being the sole focal point of his new directeur sportif.

But if I were Contador, yeah, I'd be a little frustrated that my team wasn't single-mindedly committed to my victory.

I agree... at the beginning, #21 should've been #21, no doubt, the end.

Lance and Kloden attack and AC sits on wheels. If they can't keep up with the leader, AC goes for the stage win.

I am a Lance fan (ducks and runs from the haters), but at this point I think Kloden should get the team's support for a podium....that guy has worked hard this year (although I understand that doesn't necessarily mean anything in the final standings).

But I doubt it will work that way. I expect Contador to go for the stage win so that his resume can say "Won Stage 20 up Ventoux in 2009 TdF." And I can't say I blame him. One of the things that has made Lance's name what it is beyond winning 7 Tours, is there are some iconic images of him (The Look, crossing the field after avoiding the crash, coming from behind to surprise and beat Kloden, TT up Alpe d'Huez). I'm betting that AC still feels he has to put his stamp on this Tour.

That means that AC will pull the Schlecks up Ventoux. Question is whether Frank can make up enough time to get 3rd.

The one thing I see in Lance's favor is he has said that he timed his accelerations to bridge the gaps on Tuesday and Wednesday for steeper parts of the course where he felt the people he was riding with would not be able to keep up...and he was right in both cases. But Ventoux is long and steep the whole way.

Contador will make a lot of friends and enhance his own career if he helps Lance win on the Ventoux.

Contador will make a lot of friends and enhance his own career if he helps Lance win on the Ventoux.

See, now you're just baiting us.

Contador will make a lot of friends and enhance his own career if he helps Lance win on the Ventoux.

But then Lance plays a Pantani and said he earned the win while AC says he gifted it to him!:lol:

Contador will make a lot of friends and enhance his own career if he helps Lance win on the Ventoux.

I say, let them drag race up it and let the best man win. No gifts on Ventoux.

i say, let them drag race up it and let the best man win. No gifts on ventoux.

+1

But then Lance plays a Pantani and said he earned the win while AC says he gifted it to him!:lol:

I know. :lol: The irony is just too good not to be!

I think it'll be either one of the Schlecks brothers or Contador to the top. Maybe, just maybe Sastre will have a blinder and race up first.

While I want Wiggins to get a podium I don't think he's that good of a climber to get it up Ventoux.

Heck it can't be any worse than my other predictions.:rolleyes:

i say, let them drag race up it and let the best man win. No gifts on ventoux.

+1

i dislike when folks post tweets, but..............

Spread the word. Tomorrows versus covers the entire ventoux climb (60 mins) commercial free.


SWEET!!!!!

later.

i dislike when folks post tweets, but..............

Spread the word. Tomorrows versus covers the entire ventoux climb (60 mins) commercial free.


SWEET!!!!!

later.

move to benelux - we get anywhere from 3-5.5 hours of commerical free coverage. :D

so, which US BF'ers are going to watch this stage live? it will be tough, but i think i will get in my normal Sat group ride, avoid any all internetz, and watch the stage via DVR in the afternoon. later.

move to benelux - we get anywhere from 3-5.5 hours of commerical free coverage. :D

I am not moving anywhere near where you are!

so, which US BF'ers are going to watch this stage live? it will be tough, but i think i will get in my normal Sat group ride, avoid any all internetz, and watch the stage via DVR in the afternoon. later.

That's my plan too. Luckily my real life friends aren't into cycling so there's almost no chance of finding out by accident what happened. Just need to remember not to check my Google News feed before I watch the stage.

That's my plan too. Luckily my real life friends aren't into cycling so there's almost no chance of finding out by accident what happened. Just need to remember not to check my Google News feed before I watch the stage.


When i read the US AP wires its like the writers dont even know whats happening in the race. Its like they are reporting a football game, who won the quarter and what the the total score is, but COMPLETELY missing what the real race is.

move to benelux - we get anywhere from 3-5.5 hours of commerical free coverage. :D

is it in HD?

Armstrong takes flight on this stage to finally win on Ventoux.

It was his to win in 2000 haha.

I think Sastre or Evans (probably not after today's attack) will have a go at a stage win to gain something from this tour.

It would be good for AC to get LA on the podium, but is he team orientated enough to do it!? *ducks*

When i read the US AP wires its like the writers dont even know whats happening in the race. Its like they are reporting a football game, who won the quarter and what the the total score is, but COMPLETELY missing what the real race is.


You're right about the AP wires and usual the newspaper story.

OTOH, the Wall Street Journal does a good job today for a general-readership US paper, touching on many of the more nuanced subplots of the Tour (the race for 2nd, since AC has yellow locked up barring injury/accident, Hincapie missing yellow, Garmin's rise up the food chain, Columbia's train for Cavendish's sprint wins, etc.):

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970204886304574306690393151508.html#mod=todays_us_weekend_journal

I think Sastre or Evans

maybe Evans...but i dont see Sastre doing anything. Hes shown me nothing this TdF. Riding like a whipped dog IMO.

I will be DVR'ing and watching it later in the day. Not going to miss my sat morning group ride.

Sat group ride here also. I know you should not listen ear pieces when riding but I will be very wary of someone with a pod or phone cast.

Hope the Astana team can work together and beat up on the S Bros a bit but would be satisfied to see Astana at least stay even.

is it in HD?

who gives a gives a monkeys.