Professional Cycling For the Fans - Stage 16 Bourg d'Oisans - Alpe d'Huez ITT

July 21 15.5 km
l'Alpe d'Huez ITT

.....

i know it a week away. but how exciting is it that the tour pick L'ALPE D'HUEZ for a time trial. man i am almost thinking about calling in sick that day if my buddy would let me watch it at his house. think Mayo can gain any time he loss. he won the stage last year climbing up this mountain. ullrich, i heard spent the last year training in the Alps can he win. or is lance going to pull it off.

Does anyone know when was the last time that it rained at l'Alpe d'Huez on a Tour stage?

Here are the start times of the last riders, in case anyone wants to know:

029 SEVILLA Oscar (ESP, PHO) 16:16:00
144 GOUBERT Stephane (FRA, A2R) 16:18:00
075 KARPETS Vladimir (RUS, IBB) 16:20:00
162 CASAR Sandy (FRA, FDJ) 16:22:00
141 BROCHARD Laurent (FRA, A2R) 16:24:00
009 RUBIERA José Luis (ESP, USP) 16:26:00
101 VIRENQUE Richard (FRA, QSD) 16:28:00
051 MOREAU Christophe (FRA, C.A) 16:30:00
158 RASMUSSEN Mickael (DEN, RAB) 16:32:00
027 PEREIRO SIO Oscar (ESP, PHO) 16:34:00
171 SIMONI Gilberto (ITA, SAE) 16:36:00
067 SASTRE Carlos (ESP, CSC) 16:38:00
151 LEIPHEIMER Levi (USA, RAB) 16:40:00
134 CAUCCHIOLI Pietro (ITA, ALB) 16:42:00
129 VOECKLER Thomas (FRA, BLB) 16:44:00
081 TOTSCHNIG Georg (AUT, GST) 16:46:00
002 AZEVEDO José (POR, USP) 16:48:00
011 ULLRICH Jan (GER, TMO) 16:50:00
071 MANCEBO Francisco (ESP, IBB) 16:52:00
017 KLÖDEN Andréas (GER, TMO) 16:54:00
061 BASSO Ivan (ITA, CSC) 16:56:00
001 ARMSTRONG Lance (USA, USP) 16:58:00

So the last starters will go just before 11AM Eastern, I'm pretty sure.

I enjoy watching time trials, but when it gets right down to it I prefer getting to see Lance go mano a mano with someone in the mountains, especially Alpe de Huez. It will be super if he picks up time, which I am sure he will, but it's just not as exciting.

Any bets on how long into the race before Azevedo passes Voeckler? (4 minutes lead)

Any bets on how long into the race before Azevedo passes Voeckler? (4 minutes lead)

The entire stage is only 9.6 miles long, not much longer than a prologue. I suspect the gaps aren't going to be huge tomorrow, especially amongst the leaders. A rider can blow himself out in a 15k effort and still expect to recover ok for the next day. Voeckler will be trying not to lose any time to his White Jersey competitors, so he will try to go pretty hard.

Is OLNTV showing all of the time trials?

I'm pretty sure it'll be on OLN tomorrow morning.

Edit: they start coverage at 8:30am EST, so we'll see however many fit into that time slot I'm sure.

Yeah Tweht it was a mistake, was looking in the TV guide and looked at the wrong times

Will Basso lead if he wins this stahe 16 ?

I wonder....


Corsaire

what is going on with the team cars? does anyone know?

They must be starting the first 100+ riders at only 1:00 intervals, right? I noticed that the start time for this stage is 2 hrs later than for the flat TT, but the finish times are scheduled to be the same...

What!? Only one intermediate time check?

http://www.gsoto.easynet.co.uk/fr_ride1.htm


This guy rode his bike up the A'lpe....

Great read Smoothie.

what is going on with the team cars? does anyone know?

I think that I remember that during ITT riders are not alowed to receive any help from their cars or other riders.

I think that I remember that during ITT riders are not alowed to receive any help from their cars or other riders.

The team car is right behind the rider and can provide all the same assistance it normally would - drinks, wheels, new bike, etc.

He is wondering where they are going to go, as there is only one road up. Thats why the climb always comes at the end of the stage. I have read that there is an unimproved road, like a cattle path down the other side, but that is all.

maybe they will just have neutral support motorcycles? but one for each rider, there will be 30 on the course at one time.

Interesting to see how this plays out, I actually started a thread about this problem when the route was announced.

They must be starting the first 100+ riders at only 1:00 intervals, right? I noticed that the start time for this stage is 2 hrs later than for the flat TT, but the finish times are scheduled to be the same...

What!? Only one intermediate time check?

Yes, the first 140 riders or so (check on the official site) have 1min intervals.
One time check because its only 15km...

Hopefully this won't be a mess, possibly for reasons that Smoothie104 pointed out

I'm calling in sick.

The team car is right behind the rider and can provide all the same assistance it normally would - drinks, wheels, new bike, etc.


UCI rule 2.3.027 also known as the 20K rule.

"There shall be no refreshments on hill climbs or descents, or during the first 50 or last 20km."

I know the 20k rule is standard, but the hill climb/descent means a race that is nothing but a hill climb correct? I swear I've seen guys get handups during a climb, as long as its not within the last 20K


The section under time trials doesnt specify, but this is technically a hill climb and less than 20K, but then again, I doubt anyone will need food or drink, at least not more than the bottle on the bike, if they choose to start with one.

Lance bonked on the Joux Plane in 2000 because he skipped a feed zone, and was not allowed to recieve any hand-ups from the team car in the last 20K.

Same reason he dehydrated himself so badly in the TT last year, I believe

I also read that you can crash out of the prolouge, and not finish, yet start the race the next day, and be given the slowest riders time.

It should be noted that during the World Championships, Rule 2.3.028 states that all food and drink must be handed out in the feed zone only, no passing from cars to riders at all.

Fascinating stuff.

UCI rule 2.3.027 also known as the 20K rule.

"There shall be no refreshments on hill climbs or descents, or during the first 50 or last 20km."

I know the 20k rule is standard, but the hill climb/descent means a race that is nothing but a hill climb correct? I swear I've seen guys get handups during a climb, as long as its not within the last 20K


The section under time trials doesnt specify, but this is technically a hill climb and less than 20K, but then again, I doubt anyone will need food or drink, at least not more than the bottle on the bike, if they choose to start with one.

Lance bonked on the Joux Plane in 2000 because he skipped a feed zone, and was not allowed to recieve any hand-ups from the team car in the last 20K.

Same reason he dehydrated himself so badly in the TT last year, I believe

I also read that you can crash out of the prolouge, and not finish, yet start the race the next day, and be given the slowest riders time.

It should be noted that during the World Championships, Rule 2.3.028 states that all food and drink must be handed out in the feed zone only, no passing from cars to riders at all.

Fascinating stuff.

Are we going to see small front wheels tommorrow?

For some reason, this ITT doesnt seem that exciting to me now that there is only one person close to Lance. I was hoping Mayo would still be in it and be within 45sec of Lance, that would have been great to see.

For some reason, this ITT doesnt seem that exciting to me now that there is only one person close to Lance. I was hoping Mayo would still be in it and be within 45sec of Lance, that would have been great to see.


Me too!

There is always next year!!

For some reason, this ITT doesnt seem that exciting to me now that there is only one person close to Lance. I was hoping Mayo would still be in it and be within 45sec of Lance, that would have been great to see.

Unfortunately, Mayo would have been fortunate to have been within 45 minutes of Lance.

They're speculating that they may have one million people on the slopes of l'Alpe d'Huez today. Is there even room for that many folks around the 21 switchbacks? Space looks kinda tight.

I too am feeling a little under the weather.

I wish I was sick after 5 hrs sleep from watching last night I am dragging. Wondeing how Basso will and Jan will do today. Jan looked good yesterday, but expended alot of energy on that ride. I heard Davis Phinney's comments and he makes a good point on this.

Boring? excuse me?
Just because Mayo is out it's suddenly boring?
ya'll need to find a new sport to watch.

My question, how many riders are gonna be beyond the time
limit? and will they be eliminated if more than 25% can't get up
the hill in less than 45 minutes (I think its gonna be a fast climb).

Marty

UCI rule 2.3.027 also known as the 20K rule.

"There shall be no refreshments on hill climbs or descents, or during the first 50 or last 20km."

I know the 20k rule is standard, but the hill climb/descent means a race that is nothing but a hill climb correct? I swear I've seen guys get handups during a climb, as long as its not within the last 20K


The section under time trials doesnt specify, but this is technically a hill climb and less than 20K, but then again, I doubt anyone will need food or drink, at least not more than the bottle on the bike, if they choose to start with one.

Lance bonked on the Joux Plane in 2000 because he skipped a feed zone, and was not allowed to recieve any hand-ups from the team car in the last 20K.

Same reason he dehydrated himself so badly in the TT last year, I believe

I also read that you can crash out of the prolouge, and not finish, yet start the race the next day, and be given the slowest riders time.

It should be noted that during the World Championships, Rule 2.3.028 states that all food and drink must be handed out in the feed zone only, no passing from cars to riders at all.

Fascinating stuff.

I don't know the rules, but dang... the speed they have to ride, plus given the fact the climb is less than 20 k, plus, it's a time trial... I would think the rules would apply differently. I could see some serious bonk coming on if they weren't given something halfway to the top! This mountain is a killer, and the organizers know it. I would hope they would have drafted up some special rules for this time trial.

Koffee

P.S. I was so excited I couldn't even ride this morning, and I couldn't sleep either, so I just laid on my couch in front of the television and waited for the Tour to come on. Those early morning shows on OLN are terrifying. Thank God for BBC America...

Koffee

you guys are making me hate myself for having to be at work...

Don't hate the player, hate the game, dude.

:D

Koffee

This was just sweet. :D

P.S. I was so excited I couldn't even ride this morning, and I couldn't sleep either, so I just laid on my couch in front of the television and waited for the Tour to come on. Those early morning shows on OLN are terrifying. Thank God for BBC America...

Koffee


it's on BBCA? When?

Sorry- I got sick of the OLN pseudo sports, so I watched BBC America news instead.

Koffee

Lance is a beast

Lance says: "RESPECT MAH AUTHORITAH!!!" :roflmao:

Wow, Lance dominated. It wasn't even close.

That's not possible. It can't be. I think Lance is an alien.

Great day for:

LA
USPS

Good day for:

Jan Ullrich
T-Mobile

Bad day for:

Levi Leipheimer
CSC
Basso

I think this may knock CSC out of the teams competition unless they come up with something big tomorrow. Levi should still be able to finish 8th or 9th in Paris if he can hang with the leaders tomorrow.

wow......lance is truly in a league of his own......period!!!

did y'all see that part on the road where it read "Rip their balls of Lance!" +)

lance sounded quite perturbed about the drunken maniacal fans getting in his face. i think his point is that the awkward location leads to overzealous week-long campouts where ppl are getting a bit wild by the end and then have trouble controlling themselves.

what a ride though.

Lance did it YET AGAIN !!!

He's DA MAN, p-e-r-i-o-d !

What happened to all those "youngies", for those concern with "he's already 32 and OLD", ha!

Corsaire

Lance did it YET AGAIN !!!

He's DA MAN, p-e-r-i-o-d !

What happened to all those "youngies", for those concern with "he's already 32 and OLD", ha!

Corsaire

Hey now! What is with this 32 and OLD stuff.

I was referring to those who claim he's 32 therefore OLD (where all those younger riders were today, Lance dusted them).. dude, Lance is from a total different league, one which doesn't exist yet in the bike world, he's the FORCE. And when you got it, you g-o-t IT, he's got it, period.

Corsaire

If I had fallen asleep the day after the Dauphine TT, and woken up at noon ET today, I'd have been pretty confused. Where's Mayo? Where's Hamilton? Didn't even start. Amazing. Just goes to show how much can change in a month.

I was nervous for all of the top riders on this stage.
I think Armstrong is right in this TT being a bad idea.
I can't stand all that flag waving. We saw what that does in April this year. (Flags are fine, but why the hell do they wave them at the rider's face to the point that they have to dodge?) I can't stand those that run along the riders either.
Riders getting liquids tossed on them and the like... ahhh
I'm pretty sure that Armstrong was spat on at least once.

But I think it should be OK from here, in concerns of Armstrong's biggest threat (the spectators). The Croix-Fry should be a bit safer.

To the Lance questioners I am reminded of Matt Damon's line in "Good Will Hunting":

Do you like apples?

When the Tour organizers lay out the course for next year, they'll probably take the TTT rules and apply them to all the ITTs, in another vain attempt to prevent another Armstrong win... ;)

what a ride by lance today.....wish i could do that...haha

he said after that it was too dangerous and he thought it was bad idea to have a tt there