stevesurf

THIS IS A TOUR STAGE THREAD - POSSIBLE SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!

cibai

These aren't exactly sprinters stages for the next two days. Any chance of seeing some GC attacks?

bbgobie

Hope so...
CSC didn't get enough time, the riders can make it as hard as they want. I think they need to set a high tempo through to sat, and pressure evans so he can't recover as much.
If they sit around, Evans and Sastre straight up is an easy choice.

pumpy schwartz

here's hoping vandevelde dusts everyone on the first climb and stays away

USAZorro

Three words:

Juan Antonio Flecha

dstrong 

So you're hoping he pulls a Floyd? But without the "help".

Not that they'd let him get away like Floyd...wasn't Floyd down by 8+ minutes?

aham23

i think we see nothing. it seems like "tradition" gets in the way a bit as this race ends. GC will stay put, mark each other, and fight it out at the TT. just my guess. later.

justinb

I agree. Pippo Pozzato for the win on that swanky green c-dale. He was "saving" himself today.

pumpy schwartz

there's still 2 days of fair climbs. VdV had another good day today, maybe he'll light it up. cancellara has got to be hurting.

dstrong 

Anyone within 10 minutes won't be allowed to get away in these next two stages.

interested

There probably won't be much GC action until the very last kilometers of the stage. Since the stage ends in a summit, there will be some final attacks that probably won't change much.

It would however be a cheeky move by CSC-SB if they let Andy attack on either the Parmenie or Montvieux. He is not a GC threat (+10 min. down) so he might be allowed to get away, or be strong enough on the mountainside not to need permission from the peleton. With Andy in front, the team could relax a little and let other people pull them over the top. They could perhaps even inflict some damage on Evans if Frank was able to attack a couple of times, since Evans couldn't allow even Frank to get away with his brother as a super domestique up front.
But, bah, unlikely much will happen until the final TT.
I predict a breakaway with AG2R riders since they are close to winning the team competition and perhaps Valverde as winner. (Probably eat crow on that).

--
Regards

Suzie Green

Nice going Bobke.

USAZorro

I wish I could trade places with him every July. Maybe better if I traded places with Craig Hummer.

2wheeled

plus the climbs aren't hard to break any of the top riders.

cibai

break is a relative term. Cadel "broke" on a Cat 2 mountain stage finish already this tour.

2wheeled

Which cat 2 was that?

A quick look at the grade and position of the climbs would indicate that it will be very unlikely that CSC will gain any advantage over Evans,

Km 163.0 - Croix de Montvieux - 13.7 km climb to 4.7 % - Category 2
Km 188.0 - Côte de Sorbiers - 4.3 km climb to 3.2 % - Category 4

I will also say that Evans will win the tour in the true wheelsucking way...without a stage win!

Laggard

This is the breakaway stage where someone in the leading group wins.

2wheeled

Who do you fancy?

I will go with any of these:
Cyril Dessel
George Hincapie
David Moncoutie

USAZorro

Flecha
Fofonov
Knees

Suzie Green

Vincenzo Nibali

skinny

from eurosport:

More breaking news from Reuters: French customs officers stopped and searched a car driven by Johnny Schleck, the father of riders Frank and Andy, during Thursday's 18th stage, witnesses said. Customs officers first stopped a press car with Luxemburg number plates and searched it 35km into the day's 196.5km ride from Bourg d'Oisans to St Etienne. They then stopped a second car, driven by Johnny Schleck, whose sons are riders from Luxembourg representing the CSC team on the Tour de France. We'll keep you updated when we hear more.

Pedaleur

Fränk was pretty adamant with his "I'm tired" comments this morning. I wouldn't be surprised if he attacks on the last Cat 2 to see what kind of reaction the other contenders put up. CSC has to do _something_ to try to get more time, synes jeg.

I am prepared to be wrong.

skinny

from eurosport:

Papa Schleck update from Reuters. Looks to our untrained eyes like much ado about nothing: Johnny Schleck, who drives guests around for one of the Tour sponsors, was asked to step out of the car at a roundabout and was searched by a police officer. He was then asked to drive the car towards the other side of the roundabout, where the vehicle was searched by customs officers for 30 minutes. "We will search the car," a customs officer told Reuters without giving any further details. The car later continued on the stage course behind a customs vehicle towards Grenoble.

pumpy schwartz

nobody's attacking. disappointing.

patrick07

Since CSC has spent so much time at the front today, can someone tell me why there are different team jerseys. I understand the yellow but I don't understand the two half red / half white jerseys and what they stand for.