2008 Tour de France Stage 16 - Tuesday, July 22: Cuneo - Jausiers, 157 km

[Rolfrae]

ARe any of you people going to talk about the stage.

The Restefond is a friggin MONSTER. Remember Robert Millers epic up the climb in the 93 Tour? The chase group was Indurain, Rominger, Jaskula, Meija IIRC, with Rominger taking the win. There were blokes spread out across the Alps from ******** to breakfast.

I've ridden the climb, but the way they'll be descending, (I rode from Jausiers up and then rode back down the same way) and it is a monster. Due to the length and the height it reaches it should provide a real opportunity to create a hefty gap that a decent descender could hold to the line.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Are any of you people going to talk about the stage? I reckon there will be bodies everywhere and the stage will open up the race.

The Restefond is a friggin MONSTER. Remember Robert Millars epic up the climb in the 93 Tour? The chase group was Indurain, Rominger, Jaskula, Meija IIRC, with Rominger taking the win. There were blokes spread out across the Alps from ******** to breakfast.

BTW, Millar dropped Delgado on the Restefond IIRC. He also beat him in stage in the 89 Tour and held him off in a stage in the 83 Tour after Delgado made a kamakazi descent. But the 85 Vuelta made up for it all for Delgado.

******** to breakfast? Never heard that one before. Funny.

It is a big climb. But the main teeth of it after St.-Etienne de-Tinee averages 6.2% for 26.5 miles. Obviously there must be some steeper sections.


The 22.5 km climb of the Col de la Lombarde has an average gradient of 6.5% according to the profile.

 

[classic1]

What I remember about it from the tv was that it went up and up an up, no hairpins. Just straight up the edge of the valley to the top of the col. Hard to get a true indication though as it was only the TV highlights package and was 15 years ago. I have it on video somewhere.

 

[jhuskey]

The peloton will be scattered to hell and back before the end.Depending on the control at the front this could be a very painful ride.

 

[Anticyclone]

Not sure why but Zubeldia is miles back on overall. Didnt do well in the first tt and lost a huge chunk of time on the way to hautacam. Could be a stage for him to try and get in a breakaway and go for the stage win?

Also, with Cunego not coming up with the goods maybe one of his team-mates will be allowed to attack on this stage rather than shepherding him up the slopes. The two best climbers seem to be Bruseghin and Szmyd. Szmyd did well on Sunday and is furthest back (30 minutes) so he would be a natural one to attack. Bruseghin may want to excite the remaining Italian fans with an attack but then it's only the first pass that is in Italy.

 

[TheDarkLord]

What I remember about it from the tv was that it went up and up an up, no hairpins. Just straight up the edge of the valley to the top of the col. Hard to get a true indication though as it was only the TV highlights package and was 15 years ago. I have it on video somewhere.

I took a look at the google map. Assuming that the peak is at the Italy-France border, then you're right - there are a couple of hairpin bends at the start, but then almost nothing until the summit. The descent OTOH seems to be full of hairpin bends. But I may be confusing the climbs. It is the first climb that leads to the border, right?

 

[Anticyclone]

I took a look at the google map. Assuming that the peak is at the Italy-France border, then you're right - there are a couple of hairpin bends at the start, but then almost nothing until the summit. The descent OTOH seems to be full of hairpin bends. But I may be confusing the climbs. It is the first climb that leads to the border, right?

According to cyclkingnews the border is just over the top of the first climb

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/tour08/?id=stages/tour0816

 

[Bikeridindude]

I'm not all that optomistic about it being an exciting stage. With the absence of Floyd and Ricco, there's nobody that's willing to take a chance! (sarcasm!)

With the mother of all stages on Wednesday, I think they'll be holding hands and smiling all the way to the end while Bjorne McGivney or some other unknown Czechazakhstonian rider takes the win. I'm hoping all Hell breaks loose though.

 

[ad9898]

With it being a short stage, I expect CSC to hit the Lombarde at full speed, if they can shed Evans here, he will be history. Menchov may take a little more work though. Riis should remember Festina in '97, blowing Telekom's team apart on the Glandon, which was the first climb of the day.

 

[classic1]

Useless bit of info. Pra-Loup, where Merckx cracked in the 75 Tour, is just up the valley from the finish in Jausiers.

 

[Grater]

1. Siutsou in a breakaway

2. Moncoutie in a breakaway

3. Someone else in a breakaway

Columbia be agressive and send someone in the break so that if it gets caught, they can launch Kirchen up the last climb so he can descend fast and try and peg back 30 - 50 seconds or he can kiss his top 5 ambitions goodbye.

 

[earth_dweller]

Sammy Sanchez or Valverde

 

[phillop]

grater siutsou wont be in a break away, columbia wont be aggressive.

 

[TheDarkLord]

grater siutsou wont be in a break away, columbia wont be aggressive.

Just ignore Grater. He has Columbia-sickness --- nah, I should say Columbia-madness.

 

[TheDarkLord]

The weather is absolutely gorgeous. So, slippery roads will not be a problem in roundabouts and descents. There have been a few attempts to break away, many featuring Sylvian Chavanel, but nothing has stuck so far.

 

[Bro Deal]

LOL. Sherwin said that Moncoutie has done nothing but ride in the pack and the team manager told him if he doesn't get out of the pack, he'll be sacked.

 

[TheDarkLord]

What is Moncoutie thinking going off on his own?? Maybe there is some credence to Bro's story.

The peloton seems determined to not let any breaks succeed. Maybe they realized something from the fiasco on Sunday.

 

[TheDarkLord]

A group of five including Dumoulin, Voeckler and potato head (!!!) is trying to get away, and have a small lead over the peloton. Will potato head help Kohl later in the stage if this group does get away, or is he having dreams of grandeur on his own?

 

[Scotttri]

A group of five including Dumoulin, Voeckler and potato head (!!!) is trying to get away, and have a small lead over the peloton. Will potato head help Kohl later in the stage if this group does get away, or is he having dreams of grandeur on his own?

That big group in fr4ont has some helpfull riders for the GC guys later in the race, not sure how many of them can really climb though CSC and Silence lotto should get help later in the race

 

[limerickman]

What is Moncoutie thinking going off on his own?? Maybe there is some credence to Bro's story.

The peloton seems determined to not let any breaks succeed. Maybe they realized something from the fiasco on Sunday.

Curious : Kelly said on stage 14 (when Moncoutie was prominent for a few kms) "next weeks stages on Tuesday and Wednesday are more suitable for a rider like Moncoutie".
Interesting.