stage

Andre schreef:

Quoted message said:

This one looks tough!
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=stages/tour079

A big climb right from the start doesn't bode well for an exciting
stage. In effect, the Telegraphe/Galibier will be the only climb that
matters. And because of the long descent into the finish, the decisive
attack won't come before halfway up the Galibier, probably.

It could be made tougher by riders looking for revenge/comeback after
the first mountain stage from the day before. Otherwise, stage 15 looks
to be the toughest, maybe even 16.

Ah well, it's not the course but the race that makes it tough.

--
E. Dronkert

in message <[email hidden]>, Ewoud Dronkert

(') said:

Andre schreef:

Quoted message said:

This one looks tough!
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=stages/tour079

A big climb right from the start doesn't bode well for an exciting
stage. In effect, the Telegraphe/Galibier will be the only climb that
matters. And because of the long descent into the finish, the decisive
attack won't come before halfway up the Galibier, probably.

A break group of good climbers making good distance either on the climb
(likely) or the descent (less likely but still possible) of the Iseran
could easily stay away all day.

The peloton is going to be nowhere. It will be all one big bus after Col de
l'Iseran. The GC contenders and the KotM contenders and their
super-domestiques will form a group, because none of them will want to let
the others out of their sight. So any break-away group will have to be
good climbers who aren't in contention.

Some of the Columbians, perhaps? Mayo?

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Human history becomes more and more a race between
;; education and catastrophe.
H.G. Wells, "The Outline of History"

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Ewoud Dronkert

(') said:

Andre schreef:

Quoted message said:

This one looks tough!
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=stages/tour079

Quoted message said:

A big climb right from the start doesn't bode well for an exciting
stage. In effect, the Telegraphe/Galibier will be the only climb that
matters. And because of the long descent into the finish, the decisive
attack won't come before halfway up the Galibier, probably.

A break group of good climbers making good distance either on the climb
(likely) or the descent (less likely but still possible) of the Iseran
could easily stay away all day.

The peloton is going to be nowhere. It will be all one big bus after Col de
l'Iseran. The GC contenders and the KotM contenders and their
super-domestiques will form a group, because none of them will want to let
the others out of their sight. So any break-away group will have to be
good climbers who aren't in contention.

Some of the Columbians, perhaps? Mayo?

That long ride down to Briançon is murder for the climbers. All you
need is one GC guy to hang in there and the climbers will all crash
out trying to keep up.