Homebrew01

Tour de France 2014 - Stage 13 Mountain, Friday, July 18th Saint-Étienne > Chamrousse

Leinster

De Marchi doing a good ride. It'll never last though.

Hope we see some GC action up the final climb.

Sailor73 

15km to finish: here's where things are shaping up!

Homebrew01

Porte cracked .. bummer

lsberrios1 

Most interesting stage since the cobbles. Still, something tells me nibali is going to rip a new one to everybody else with 1km to go.

lsberrios1 

Im sorry, 5km earlier than expected.

lsberrios1 

I saw borat!!!

Also, anybody who thinks that this tour is better since now more people have a chance at it is completely insane. They should retire nibali give him the prize and the jersey and let the rest of the field compete.

TejanoTrackie 

C'est finis.

dm83

Yep, by far the worse of the 25 or so TDF I've seen in my lifetime.

cincipeddler

The GC ended the moment Contador crashed out, we all knew it though some of us tried to cling to a little hope.

Other than crashing out, Nibali is 2014 TDF champion

AdrianFly

Dave Brailsford's ridiculous dolt-driven orangutan-hooting baffoonery by leaving Wiggins behind ruined Team Sky.

I sincerely apologize for being harsh on this decision but I'm unhappy with the result.

lsberrios1 

It sucks having to wait another year to get excited about the tour again. I guess te Giro was pretty good.

DLBroox

I was was admittedly clinging to that little hope but I do now believe it's Nibali's unless he's grabbed off the mountain by a large bird and flown away.

That said, I'm still enjoying the whole Tour. I think the fight for second and third is still fun. And watching Porte ride backwards down the road was a bit amusing.

asharx

Yeah, its pretty tough to be interested in this years edition. Nobody is showing any signs of competition.

busygizmo

Don't like Sky in general so seeing them implode doesn't break my heart.

I don't think Wiggins would be able to hang with Nibali but top ten might have been possible.

As well as Nibali is climbing right now there are only half a dozen riders that would be in the same class and the only one left in th race, Rodriguez, isn't in top form.

Still an interesting race for the final two podium spots, TJ, Valverde and the two young Frenchman seem to all be in with a chance.

Was hoping that Horner would come good but it may he is riding into shape for what could be a great Vuelta.

seypat

I will watch the replay tonight. I have to ask. If Froome and Contador were still in with no injuries, and Wiggins was riding as well, and the outcome was exactly the same, would it suddenly be a great tour? The only difference would be that you know Nibali is beating the best. The same comments about the GC race being over would still be coming out. But the Nibali doping comments would be coming out as well.

Sailor73 

I loved today's stage for the fact that there was some drama and excitement. The tour may be over with regards to who's racing but I like stages such as today's where there's excitement on the final climb. I think it's possible TJ could bump up another spot or two.

busygizmo

Been following the Tour since 1983 and with a few exceptions the races have been somewhat boring as "races". There always dramatic moments and exciting days but the reality is usually one rider emerges as strongest and it becomes a fight for placing. Only truly great Tours IMO were '87 & '89 when you really didn't know until very late who was going to win and it wasn't because of crashes, riders getting thrown out or riders cracking but because you had two or more really strong riders fighting to the finish.

busygizmo

I haven't watched today but am looking forward to it. Any time the road turns upward, or there are cobbles, it's exciting to me. Seeing two young Frenchmen emerging is exciting. Could one of them be the one to end the drought for France. Watching TJ rebound from all his earlier crashes is exciting too.

paperbackwriter

As for the Tour being more open, it was always only wishful thinking.
The problem is, the Tour is the biggest event of the year and for the racing, it doesn't always mean positive things. In La Vueta when someone sniffs the chance, he tends to go for it 100% and it can be an absolute outsider like Cobo or Mosquera; also teams are often less organised and not so focused on things like staying in the top 10 which gives more space for less conventional moves. In the Tour no one is going to risk his podium place or being best young rider because it means too much (for the sponsors, future contracts and so on). On one hand it may be the only chance to win with Contador and Froome out, but on the other it might be also the only chance to podium since in 2015 they'll be riding against Nibali, Quintana plus Contador and Froome who'll both be seeking revenge.
So, there's no open racing in the Tour de France. The only guys who are willing to risk high placings in GC because all they care about is winning are possibly those who won in the past (see Contador on Alpe d'Huez stage in 2011). Not that it matters this year because even if someone was willing to risk, I doubt he would be able to challenge Nibali. They're all in the position Nibali was two years ago with Wiggo or three years ago with Contador in the Giro - he was always willing to try but what could he do?

And another problem is, this Tour was going to be pretty open compared to last two editions and it was going to be open not because there were mostly 2nd-tier riders left but because the best GC riders in the world were going to start in top shape; this was going to give us the best freaking racing we've seen in a long time.
Now we have a boring domination all over again and we aren't even sure if Contador and Froome wouldn't have been a minute ahead of Nibbles on today's climb. Especially since he was far behind them this season. He stayed on his bike, he'll be a legit winner but it was all going to be so much more exciting. Contador and Kreuziger vs Froome and Porte vs Nibali and Fulgsang... also Talansky and Cav vs Kittel in the sprints. But well, next year can be superb.

Still, young Frenchies are fun to watch, Konig was awesome today and many amazing things happened this year. Nibali on the cobbles, Contador riding 20 kms with a broken leg, Talansky fighting to stay in the race... And Vuelta should see a good GC battle.

cincipeddler

The Vuelta should see a coming together of several riders with a point to prove.

Contador(assuming leg break is minor), Froome, Quintana, Talansky, Rodriguez

dm83

Nibali is faster than Armstrong was...

thechemist

you had to know it was coming. Not a GC contender but a great domestique in my book.

Leinster

I think Saxo have already ruled Contador out of the Vuelta. No way he'd be fully fit even if he did ride it.

Andy_K 

Nibali should just focus on stage wins from here on out. He's obviously not in a battle for the yellow jersey. Also, he just caught Greipel in the green jersey standings, so that could be a goal to keep his mind in the race.

Seriously though, I was very happy with today's stage. Nibali could have just sat in the pack with everyone else and let Rafal Majka (!!) take the win, but he went on the offense and showed what he's got. Also, I think Teejay has a great shot at third, maybe even second. I was frustrated with him for a bit today while he was spending so much time trying to get the Frank Schleck group to stay with him to chase Nibali, Valverde and Pinot, but in the end he made a good showing.