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Le Tour de France 2015 | Stage 19: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne / La Toussuire
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| Malkael |
Posted on 23-07-2015 19:37
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Stage 19:  Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - La Toussuire
(click to enlarge)
Four categorised climbs, roughly 4000 metres of accumulated climbing and spread over just 138-kilometres, Stage 19 of the 2015 Tour de France will be fast and fierce. After nearly three weeks of racing through the Netherlands, Belgium and France attrition is beginning to affect even the best, to have an off day today could spell doom.
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The stage commences with a challenging ascent up to the summit of the first category Col du Chaussy (15.4km @ 6.3%), the first of several long endurance testing climbs. The average gradient rarely dips below six per cent and there is little respite to the riders apart from a brief one-kilometre descent over 10-kilometres from the summit.
A varied descent which mixes in technical sections containing several switchbacks then takes the peloton back down to the valley below. During this transitional phase that takes the riders to the foot of the ascent to the Col de la Croix de Fer's summit, the remnants of the pack pass through Epierre to contest the intermediate sprint.
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Climbing up the very same roads they descended down during yesterday's stage, the race heads back towards the summit of the Col du Glandon to tackle the hor categorie Col de la Croix de Fer (22.4km @ 6.9%). Turning left at the summit of the Col du Glandon the riders climb for roughly another 3-kilometres to reach the Col de la Croix de Fer's summit, figuratively rubbing further salt in to the rider's wounds after the torturous ascent up to the Col du Glandon.
On the other side of the Col de la Croix de Fer awaits a 14-kilometre descent that brings the riders to the foot of the Col du Mollard. Beginning out rather technical due to the presence of several hairpins, the rest of the descent should be relatively straight-forward and quick.
The second category Col du Mollard (5.7km @ 6.8%) is a short climb in comparison to the others but it still features some painfully high gradients for the Tour de France. The climb offers some small respite about halfway in but it otherwise 5.7-kilometres of leg-sapping torment.
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Afterwards the race descends back down towards Saint-Jean-De-Maurienne, almost completing an anti-clockwise loop, before turning left for a summit finish on the first category La Toussuire. Another marathon effort at 18-kilometres in length, the La Toussire features an average gradient of 6.1 per cent. With the first half of the climb the toughest, Nairo Quintana or Alejandro Valverde will need to at least test Chris Froome's legs within the first nine kilometres if the Kenyan-born British riders shows any signs of folding.
The final 3-kilometres of the stage are at average gradients of 5% or lower and suits a sprint finish won by Alejandro Valverde more than it does a pure-bred climber. Past the Flamme Rouge the riders complete a skewed semi-circular turn on to a long straight before taking a sharp right-hand turn, with just 170-metres remaining, on to the 5.5 metre-wide Rue des Fondeurs finishing straight.
The breakaway have been making the most of their opportunities to steal stage victories from the general classification favourites, although the pre-race favourites have been in a rather giving mode. Today could be no different depending on the composition of the breakaway and the attitude of the general classification teams.
With Cofidis, Orica - GreenEDGE, FDJ, Astana, Bretagne - Seche Environnement, Bora - Argon 18, IAM Cycling, Cannondale - Garmin, Trek Factory Racing, Europcar, LottoNL - Jumbo and Movistar all without a stage victory so far there will be plenty of candidates looking to chance their luck. However, there can be no doubt that today's stage is for the climbers, anyone else will need to produce an exceptionally gritty performance and will likely need minutes in hand up the final climb over their rivals.
Can one of the other teams notch up their first stage victory at the 2015 Tour de France?
Due to the number of points on offer the King of the Mountains competition could entice Joaquim Rodriguez, Jakob Fuglsang, Romain Bardet and others in to spending yet another day in the breakaway. While today's stage will be a tough ask to ride through after yesterday's effort there could be a juicy stage victory at the end of it all if the peloton sit back and converse their energy.
With opportunities running out watch out for climbers like Daniel Navarro, Pieter Weening, Ryder Hesjedal, Pierre Rolland, Julian Arredondo, Steven Jruijswijk, Tanel Kangert, Rafal Majka and others. Free to pursue stage victories after the retirement of team leader Tejay Van Garderen, BMC Racing's best bet for a crack at today's stage victory could be Sammy Sanchez.
Whether the likes of Vincenzo Nibali, Warren Barguil, Robert Gesink and Alberto Contador will attempt audacious long-range attacks is difficult to say. Vincenzo Nibali and Alberto Contador will certainly not go down without a fight if the opportunity presents itself but the duo might save their legs for tomorrow and the famous summit finish on Alpe d'Huez.
Edited by Malkael on 23-07-2015 20:17
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| Shonak |
Posted on 23-07-2015 20:01
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Tour de France Champion
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Can one of the other teams notch up a first stage victory and follow in the pedal strokes of Giant - Alpecin and Simon Geschke?
I know all these guys with beards look like the same Chewbacca on two wheels but you could at least recognize Hesjedal by the Cannondale jersey. 
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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| Malkael |
Posted on 23-07-2015 20:14
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Eh, well if that is how you interpret it perhaps I should have put Geschke instead. 
I meant it to be Ryder Hesjedal since he is mentioned below as a possible contender and Garmin - Cannondale are part of "Can one of the other teams notch up a first stage victory".
Changed now so never again shall anyone have to think two Ewoks look alike. 
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 23-07-2015 20:33
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Shonak wrote:
Can one of the other teams notch up a first stage victory and follow in the pedal strokes of Giant - Alpecin and Simon Geschke?
I know all these guys with beards look like the same Chewbacca on two wheels but you could at least recognize Hesjedal by the Cannondale jersey.
Not to mention Hesjedal is clean shaven at the Tour.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 25-11-2024 00:32
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| Malkael |
Posted on 23-07-2015 20:44
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If he doesn't get second on the last two stages before Paris I'd be recalling the beard for duty since it got him close at the Giro, Fabio Aru loves to spoil a party tho.
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| Movistar |
Posted on 23-07-2015 20:44
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Domestique
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I guess the tour will never be as exciting as the other tours as the climbs they choose from just are not even close to as hard as the Giro or Vuelta.
Tempo wins over explosiveness.
Lemond, Indurain, Armstrong, Ullirch, Evans, Wiggins, Froome.
It is just a different type of race I guess.
The one thing I like about the Vuelta is that they figure out ways to make the finishes of their final climbs the hardest part of the climb. The tour climbs are always rounded off garbage that limits attacks more than anything. |
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| Malkael |
Posted on 23-07-2015 21:18
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Ski Resorts I tell you, what are they good for?
As an aside, some day I hope to see someone chain the Lacets de Montvernier in to the Col du Chaussy as a climb for a race. Cut out everything before about Kilometre Five (Montvernier) on the climb profile, tack on the Lacets de Montvernier instead and bam you got yourself a climb.
For Stage 19 we're going back up the very same road we used for the descent to Hermillon yesterday.
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| FMulleague |
Posted on 23-07-2015 21:38
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Main riders to rest tomorrow(no 40km breaks) to wait for Alp d'Huez? I'd love my name on a bend and I'm sure they would too! |
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| fidjim2013 |
Posted on 23-07-2015 21:43
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I think froome might get a win in this stage if the breakaway is controlled |
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| Ybodonk |
Posted on 23-07-2015 21:45
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Domestique
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Here is the recipe for Bertie :
1) 11pm get 1500 iu of Epo
2) Corticoid to treat his "wounds"
3 some testosteron gel
All of this undetecable next morning
4) important watch Pantani stages from 97-98 and get inspiration
Now thats marginal gains.
Expect tomorrow to see the all or nothing attacks. Both from Alberto and Nibali. Quintana beats froome a bit, and when piti cracks it will be a pity. Hopefully the best racing is yet to come
Edited by Ybodonk on 23-07-2015 21:52
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| carlos_valverde |
Posted on 23-07-2015 21:57
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Tomorrow win Quintana! |
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| cactus-jack |
Posted on 23-07-2015 22:09
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My prediction for every stage from here to eternity;
Nibali/Contador attacks, Quintana counters, neutralizes and tows up Froome. Repeate until TdF is lost.
There's a fine line between "psychotherapist" and "psycho the rapist"
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 23-07-2015 22:16
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Thomas pull all of the attacks. Froome goes retard. Froome wins. |
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| FMulleague |
Posted on 23-07-2015 22:18
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cactus-jack wrote:
My prediction for every stage from here to eternity;
Nibali/Contador attacks, Quintana counters, neutralizes and tows up Froome. Repeate until TdF is lost.
Just thought about this:
138km stage with lots of mountain points up for grab. Sky control breaks so Bardeet and Rodriguez don't go. Froome gets HC climb points and finishes high in the stage allowing him to nip both the overall and the polka dot jersey. Doubt it will happen but would be a alright idea. |
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| cactus-jack |
Posted on 23-07-2015 22:30
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FMulleague wrote:
cactus-jack wrote:
My prediction for every stage from here to eternity;
Nibali/Contador attacks, Quintana counters, neutralizes and tows up Froome. Repeate until TdF is lost.
Just thought about this:
138km stage with lots of mountain points up for grab. Sky control breaks so Bardeet and Rodriguez don't go. Froome gets HC climb points and finishes high in the stage allowing him to nip both the overall and the polka dot jersey. Doubt it will happen but would be a alright idea.
Sky enlists the help of Barguil to torpedo all the riders who are ahead of Froome in the point jersey competition.
There's a fine line between "psychotherapist" and "psycho the rapist"
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| Omloop |
Posted on 23-07-2015 22:40
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Domestique
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Uran will win infornt of Quintana and Froome. |
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| FMulleague |
Posted on 23-07-2015 22:43
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Sounds just about right. I don't think Uran will take it though. Dispite the huge decent, I think it will be Pinot's day. (I hate Pinot) |
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| ryant |
Posted on 23-07-2015 23:04
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Really hope Sanchez can show himself here, but he doesnt seem to be a rider able to motivate himself to join the break aways, or me being optimistic, is that he is preparing an all assault on the alpe d'huez to take the stage which was robbed of him in 2011!
 John St Ledger in Team Bunzl-Centrica and Team U25Red Bull Driver in RFactor
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| Movistar |
Posted on 24-07-2015 00:35
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Domestique
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ryant wrote:
Really hope Sanchez can show himself here, but he doesnt seem to be a rider able to motivate himself to join the break aways, or me being optimistic, is that he is preparing an all assault on the alpe d'huez to take the stage which was robbed of him in 2011!
I love SS but he is old as shit now. He had his peak and just couldnt quite get to the top though he did win a gold medal.
He won the gold in 2008 for fuck sake.
He was a great rider who is now a very good rider but I have no idea where you are expecting him to do what you want at this point. you are 5 years to late. |
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| cactus-jack |
Posted on 24-07-2015 09:50
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I see that the driver who clipped Fuglsang yersterday has been kicked out of the Tour. I suppose it's a fair responce, but Fuglsang is in the wrong when says it's "scandalous". The driver had, as far as I know, been cleared to pass, and Fuglsang veers suddenly to the side without being aware of his surroundings.
It was a motorcycle this time, but there is no guarantee that it couldn't have been another rider who tried to attack. Had that happend then people might have criticised Fuglsang for taking him down.
There's a fine line between "psychotherapist" and "psycho the rapist"
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