caseyjones 3,009 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Stage 17 - High Mountains - Bagneres-de-Luchon~PeyragudesToday is the final mountain stage of this yeat's tour, and with that, the final opportunity for anyone to take the yellow jersey away from Team Sky's Bradley Wiggins. Yesterday saw that he is still riding strong, so it will take both big balls and powerful legs to mount a successful attack today. The weather will be far cooler than yesterday, 23°C, with cloud and the chance of some showers along the route, so that may make a difference.The stage is only 143.5km long, but with an early Cat 1 climb making for an ideal breakaway chance, the identity of the riders who go for it then will determine the way the race is run. Expect to see the usual suspects(Casar, L.L. Sanchez, Valverde) getting out early with Voeckler and Kessiakoff also battling for the polka-dot, KOM jersey. If the Stage 16 winning Frenchman doesn't have the legs, his team may kill themselves early to take the available points in order to thwart the Swede.If someone lower down in the top 10(Rolland, Zubeldia or Brajkovic) goes for a long one, various teams will attempt to chase it down to guard their own positions in the GC. This would allow Sky to take a bit of a back seat. If Nibali, Van den Broecke or Van Garderen go for it, and they need to if they have aspirations of yellow, things may well get exciting with the final 30km featuring a hors categorie and another Cat.1 to the summit finish.I'm going for a Sky victory today.....but I'm unsure if it will be Wiggins wanting to win a road stage in yellow or Wiggins letting Froome off the leash to say thanks for his hard work and loyalty. Either way, Wiggo will still be wearing the Maillot Jaune all the way to Paris. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeReadyStu 70 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Nibali will have to do something special to get the yellow of Wiggins now but I don't see it, Sky seem to have broken the will of the other teams. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeReadyStu 70 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Bit misty out there Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bakoni 28 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Some change in weather. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Nibali makes his move on the first descent. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeReadyStu 70 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Nibali using the mist to escape, clever. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 80km until the big climb of the day. Looks to have settled into that front group instead of carrying on the attack. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Still nothing coming on to the big climb?Will anybody go for more than just the stage win? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoghurto 9 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Can't stand that Vinokourov twat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Can't stand that Vinokourov twat. What's he done? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Movistar, Liquigas or Sky for the stage win, chaps? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoghurto 9 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 What's he done?Loose cannon cheat.Once got a year long suspension for doping, UCI appealed the decision as they thought it was too lenient, he said don't bother, I'm retiring anyway and then came back after the suspension was up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Loose cannon cheat.Once got a year long suspension for doping, UCI appealed the decision as they thought it was too lenient, he said don't bother, I'm retiring anyway and then came back after the suspension was up. I thought that he had done something outrageous on this stage! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoghurto 9 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Well he offered no help to Kessiakoff, he always rides for himself, doesn't give a shit about teamwork or team orders. He ended up being dropped from the leaders this time anyway. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Well he offered no help to Kessiakoff, he always rides for himself, doesn't give a shit about teamwork or team orders. He ended up being dropped from the leaders this time anyway.Agreed. Sentiment aside, I can't see any reason why Astana would even have wanted him on the team. He's finished. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Valverde getting pegged back now - slowly! Evans dropped once again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeReadyStu 70 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Rogers pops, first time in the Tour that another team's pace setting has managed to get rid one of Wiggo's mountain helpers. Only taken them till Stage 17 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Here we go.EDIT: False alarm. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Valverde is going to get caught on the line. Wiggo is looking good here. Nibali and Froome look fucked! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan 23 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Just amazing how easily Froome takes Wiggins back to attackers. Can see Valverde being caught Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoghurto 9 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Rogers pops, first time in the Tour that another team's pace setting has managed to get rid one of Wiggo's mountain helpers. Only taken them till Stage 17 That's normal, Rogers is a set-up man, always the one to drop first, then it's usually Porte with Froome and Wiggins the only ones remaining at the end. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeReadyStu 70 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Pinot is a huge talent, 22 years old is ridiculously young in cycling. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Valverde's got a second wind. Will be fine now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey_RFC 122 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Check the state of that crowd! Get them to fuck! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Wiggins starting to put the hammer down for Froome? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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