lotek 

July 17 205.5 km

don d.

.....

Laggard

The stage that will decide the TDF. 80K of climbing!!!

rygreen

Where will Voeckler crack? The first cat 1? The second cat 1? Or will he survive until the last HC? I don't know if he'll be able to hold onto yellow after this one...

lotek 

He may not hold onto yellow, but he isn't gonna crack the way that
everyone expects.

marty

hollow

I think most of the race will be together over the first Cat. 1. It will start to break up on the second one, and this is where I think Voeckler will drop off. He gave everything today and his team has given everything for a week. I think he'll finish 7 or 8 minutes back. I'd go with Mayo for the win, he looked pretty good today, but don't discount Lance with 6 teammates to take him over the climbs.

pgreene

voeckler's looked like he's about to crack on every stage so far, and yet he doesn't, at least not entirely (though he was riding switchbacks up to the line today!). i hope he hangs in there respectably. i'm geeked up about tomorrow. should be quite the showdown!

bac

He must be doping.

bac

How about Jakob Piil? Despite being on the attack nearly the entire Tour, he finished this stage ahead of some big guns like Hamilton. He is now sitting in 8th place on GC, ahead of riders like Sastre, Leipheimer, Ullrich, Hamilton, Heras, Simoni, and Mayo. It may end tomorrow (or it may NOT!), but what an impressive run thus far by the CSC rider. Eh???

pgreene

csc impresses the crap out of me. it's one of the reasons i'm thinking about a cervelo for my next bike.
with piil, sastre and basso, they look very strong at the moment.

rygreen

I'm thinking about hiring Riis as a personal coach. I bet he could help me in the "pharmaceuticals" department.

Smoothie104

Hell yeah! Mr. 56% himself!

Laggard

Postal is the team of the tour but CSC is probably the team of the year.

brent_dube

If anyone wants to see the profile of the final climb in particular, go here https://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/eta_tdf/Beille.php

gpelpel

I think the Tour will be decided tomorrow, it will be this year main stage. The hype of the Alpe d'Huez stage is just a screen, it will be great but I don't think the time difference between the top contenders will be that great there, may be 1' or 2'. Look at what happened today. Lance will go for the "coup de grace" tomorrow. As of today I only see Basso between Lance and #6. Basso looked really easy at the finish.

Iron Chef

What about the day after the Alpe d'Huez stage? How taxing will the ITT up Alpe d'Huez be on the riders. Stage 17 looks really hard too me.

geneman

that's a great link ... if only I were able to read french. How great would it be to make your life goal to climb all the famous hills of the tour since inception;

ALPES :
Col Bayard (1905)
Côte de Laffrey (1905)
Col de Porte (1907)
Col d'Allos (1911)
Col des Aravis (1911)
Col du Galibier (1911)
Col du Lautaret (1911)
Col du Télégraphe (1911)
Col d'Izoard (1922)
Col de Vars (1922)
Col de Tamié (1933)
Col de l'Iseran (1938)
Col de la Croix de Fer (1947)
Col du Cucheron (1947)
Col du Glandon (1947)
Col de Granier (1947)
Col de La Forclaz (1948)
Col du Grand St Bernard (1949)
Col du Mont-Cenis (1949)
Col de Montgenèvre (1949)
Col des Mosses (1949)
Col du Petit St Bernard (1949)
Col de la Cayolle (1950)
Col de St Nizier (1950)
Col de la Sentinelle (1950)
L'Alpe d'Huez (1952)
Sestrières (Ita) (1952)
Col de Tende (1953)
Col de Plainpalais (1954)
Col de Romeyere (1954)
Lac de Luitel (1956)
Col de Perty (1958)
Col de La Forclaz de Mont.(1958)
Col de la Colombière (1960)
Col de la Bonette (1962)
Mont Revard (1965)
Col d'Ornon (1966)
Sallanches (1968)
Col de la Madeleine (1969)
Crans-Montana (Sui) (1970)
Col du Noyer (1970)
Orcières-Merlette (1971)
Col du Grand Cucheron (1972)
Méribel (1973)
Les Orres (1973)
Mont-Salève (1973)
Mont du Chat (1974)
Avoriaz (1975)
Col des Champs (1975)
Pra-Loup (1975)
Col du Corbier (1975)
Pas de Morgins (1977)
Col de Joux-Plane (1978)
Col du Cormet de Roselend (1978)
Les Menuires (1979)
Col des Saisies (1979)
Prapoutel les Sept Laux (1980)
Col de Joux-Verte (1981)
Le Pleynet (1981)
Col du Coq (1984)
La Plagne (1984)
Col du Rousset (1984)
La Ruchère (1984)
Lans en Vercors (1985)
Col de Granon (1986)
Col de la Chau (1987)
Col de Tourniol (1987)
Villard de Lans (1988)
Le Bettex (1990)
St Gervais-Mont Blanc (1992)
Isola 2000 (1993)
Côte de Héry (1995)
Les Arcs (1996)
Val d'Isère (1996)
Col de la Sentinelle (1996)
Courchevel (1997)
Col de la Croix Fry (1997)
Les Deux Alpes (1998)
Chamrousse (2001)
Portes (2003)
Mont des Princes (2003)
La Ramaz (2003)
Les Gêts (2003)
St Appolinaire (2003)

PYRENEES :
Col des Ares (1910)
Col d'Aspin (1910)
Col d'Aubisque (1910)
Col de Peyresourde (1910)
Col de Port (1910)
Col de Portet d'Aspet (1910)
Col du Tourmalet (1910)
Col du Soulor (1912)
Col de Puymorens (1913)
Cauterets (1953)
Col de Chioula (1955)
Col de Portillon (1957)
Col de Tosas (1957)
Superbagnères (1961)
Port d'Envalira (1964)
Col de Mente (1966)
Font-Romeu (1973)
Puerto de la Bonaiga (Esp) (1974)
Puerto del Canto (Esp) (1974)
Pla d'Adet (1974)
Col des Aussières (1976)
Col de Jau (1976)
Col de Marie-Blanque (1978)
Col de la Core (1984)
Guzet-Neige (1984)
Col de Latrape (1984)
Luz-Ardiden (1985)
Col de Bagargui (1986)
Col de Burdincurucheta (1986)
Col des Bordères (1987)
Col de Soudet (1987)
Col d'Agnes (1988)
Col du Pourtalet (1991)
Col du Somport (1991)
Val-Louron (1991)
Col d'Ordino (And) (1993)
Andorra/Pal (1993)
Lourdes/Hautacam (1993)
Port de Larrau (1996)
Andorre/Arcalis (1997)
Plateau de Beille (1998)
Piau-Engaly (1999)
Plateau de Bonascre (2001)
Col de Pailheres (2003)

roadbuzz

Hamilton Abandons!

JimCR

Zubeldia too.. and we havent even reached the first cat 1 climb

spectre

Poor Tyler! Hmmm, who's going to be my backup underdog?

kerank

I'm really disappointed in/for Tyler Hamilton. From finishing the TDF with a broken collar bone, to abandoning this year when he is a new team leader on a new strong team.

Laggard

Menchov abandons. Damn! He had a good day yesterday too.

There goes my guy.

kerank

Alright, what's going on? Is the route too brutal? Is the pace, this year, killing everyone? Why are some legitimate big dogs abandoning? Could Mayo to be next. I never thought he would have problems in these mountains!

kerank

Voeckler is my new hero!! The kid has heart! I would love to see him keep the jersey today.

bac

I'm a BIG fan of Voeckler. I've never seen a rider yo-yo off the back, but ALWAYS come back into the fold like he does. Regardless as to what happens from this point forward, I'm impressed.

Tyler ..... next year, holmes.