OT - Tour de France stage 10
Interesting stage design. The first half is a sprinter's stage and then it becomes a climber's/descender's battle, with the first hors catégorie mountain of the Tour this year:
Always interesting to see how the riders come out after a rest day. It's a chance for someone to cut into Wiggins's lead, if they're able to have a good day.
What's the protocol for spoilers in these threads?
No real protocol - it's just best to avoid them if you haven't found out what's happened. I try to avoid any in the OPs.
This year's course leaves a little (a lot) to be desired and this stage is a perfect example. The hard climbs are coming onesy twosy and far away from the finishes. The three uphill finishes just aren't that hard. There's really very little to separate the top climbers, any attacks will get dragged back by the pack because the steepness just isn't there to negate the advantage of the group over individuals, or there are long descents/flats after the steep sections which again favor the aero advantage of the chasing group over the escapees. I know they were trying to shift the focus this year to time trials, but it's a shame to have a three week race essentially nullified with very little shake-up at the top of the GC except the two TT stages. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see the time gaps changing much until the penultimate stage (TT).
This year's course has fewer uphill finishes, but is otherwise fairly conventional. There are always stages where there are cliimbs in the middle of the stage but descents and even some flat later--see last year's thrilling stage on the Col D'Aubisque, for example.
The recent trend of having more uphill finishes and fewer time trials has been the exception rather than the rule for the Tour over its history; ten years ago having only one long time trial was unthinkable. Now it's the norm, except for this year.
The excitement or lack of excitement of a Tour is usually a function of the riders in it. Last year's Giro D'Italia probably had the most savage collection of climbing ever attempted in a Grand Tour; it was over after the first big summit finish when Alberto Contador crushed the field on Mount Etna, leaving the rest of the Giro as a brutally challenging victory parade.
The fact is, the best climbers, the only ones who could hope to drop Wiggins and Evans, are hurt or not racing. We're left with Evans, who is willing to attack but unable to gain time, and Nibali, who can pressure descents but is not a superior climber to other all-rounders.
I agree big summits far from the finish is normal, but as you pointed out I think my disappointment is with the lack of any hors category finishes. I think Nibali getting clawed back today may have been a function of just not being that good, but on the other hand the Sky train could have pacelined even Alberto Contador back pretty easily with that much descent and flat. Even on tomorrow's finish, I think the 6% incline just isn't enough to allow much seperation. A strong team or group of chasers just has too much advantage still over a lone escapee. I hope I'm wrong and will watch and see as always, but I just don't have the excitement as I do going into the Alp Duez or Luz Ardiden type finish days.
Keep in mind that the course was designed when they expected Andy Schleck and (probably) Alberto Contador to ride, a pair of elite climbers that have dominated the tour in the last four years. This is a course that levels the playing field against them--it just happens that they aren't here.
If Contador were racing this would be a very different Tour.
Great race from two of my favorite riders - Voigt and Voeckler. Voigt winning a stage at his age would have been amazing. I'm happy for Voeckler too though - he did the most work in the breakaway.
Tommy Voeckler somehow always manages to get himself in the spotlight at the tour. Good stage for him, he will be on the podium three times: stage winner, most aggressive rider, and king of the mountains.
Interesting strategy today by Liquigas with Sagan getting into the break to get sprint points then helping Nibali attack at the end. It almost worked, Nibali was virtual second place at one point I think. Tomorrow will be decisive, hopefully we get more animated action
I enjoyed the slo-mo "sprint" at the finish. Good for Voeckler, he's had a tough Tour with his lingering knee injury.
I don't quite get what Evans is trying to do with these little 100m sprints at the end of the stage. I thought he possibly had a chance to take back a little time today - Wiggins seemed to be laboring a bit - but he waited way too long.
Nibali's attack was well-planned and executed, but he was single-handedly clawed back by the tempo of Richie Porte, which is not a glowing endorsement of his climbing ability. Still, it provided a good amount of excitement for a half hour or so and really was a smart move, the kind that he needs to gain time this year. There will be another stage or two where he might be able to gain time on a descent, including the drop off of the Peyresourde where the course descends straight to the line. At this point, though, he's racing for second.
The end of the stage was enjoyable, watching five guys with nothing left in the tank desperately lunge for the line. Rare that you see all participants so exhausted together. Voeckler has made his Tour, and now can either go for another stage or try for Polka Dots. He's good enough to take them to Paris, too, if he wants to.