At 145.5 km, this stage is also quite short. Compared with the previous one, riders will probably see it as an opportunity to catch their breath. True, the elimination time will be more generous. Yet they would do well not to underestimate the stage. First of all, they will have to climb the Col du Tourmalet, always a challenge. Next up, the final climb up Hautacam, which has earned a hallowed place in the history of the Tour. We hope the Tourmalet is used as a launch pad for attacks and does not go to waste. If so, pretenders to a podium spot or even the overall win could use it to claw back some time.

Great riding from all, especially Pinot, Majka, and of course, Nibali. Fantastic racing, was quite interesting to see Valverde yoyo off the back and then finish ahead of Pinot.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjJ6heif33M[/video]

What a rider for the future.

Photos from stage 17.

Well today’s the day for Peraud – can he continue to perform so well? If so, it will be a good day for him. The final really important stage for Nibali, once he’s through today, he just has to stay on his bike (and not suck horrendously in the TT). I’d personally like to see Nibali and Majka hit the climb together, drop everyone else, and battle it out for the stage win.

A few useful links

Live Cycling News Text Updates
Steephill
Official Tour Live Feed App
Classifications
Withdrawals
Fantasy League Standings
Loser League Standings

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/brailsford-hints-that-froome-could-ride-the-vuelta-a-espana

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/nibali-in-a-race-of-his-own-at-the-tour-de-france – can say that again

http://road.cc/content/news/124730-michael-albasini-insists-he%E2%80%99s-not-racist-apologises-europcar%E2%80%99s-k%C3%A9vin-r%C3%A9za – really hoping this isn’t true

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcvgGnMFcT8[/video]

P.S. sorry it was a bit late today!

P.S. sorry it was a bit late today!

Don’t worry. These threads are ace, so a big thanks for going through the effort to post them 😀

What is the crack with the guy bringing the OGE rider down?! wtf is he doing in the middle of the bunch ffs!

What is the crack with the guy bringing the OGE rider down?! wtf is he doing in the middle of the bunch ffs!

Handing bottles to movistar, couldn’t get out of the way in time I guess? Handing out bottles is actually a pretty tricky job, just made a mistake I guess. The OGE rider talks about it in backstage pass video up there ^.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cycling/28445685

This article deserves a read too, Bradley Wiggins on wishing he’d never won the tour.

I forgot Orica had re-hired Matt White. Oh, and Julian Dean the man who didn’t see any doping at US Postal. Makes me think a little less of them. Interesting how the MPCC doesn’t have any stipulations on suspending team staff involved in doping. I guess that’d eliminate some of their teams.

gotta be my two favourite climbs, the ones that really mean the TdF to me.
i would even be tempted into lycra to ride them myself one day.

best skive off early today to watch some.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOcu-mN3mCE[/video]

^^^seat belt under the arm-pit…Cav did not look too comfortable…been there…
These are great updates – thks RealMan

I do like the way Rui Costa says aerodynamics. Makes me smile every time I hear it 🙂

The UCI works in mysterious ways: After Majka’s moto slingshot and several winks, UCI bans all winking inside final 10km of mountain stages.

😉

Valverde is flying!

Potentially a very very good move..

That descent off the Tourmalet looks good, Valverde is properly caning it!

I won a place on this year’s Etape du Tour which used that stage – unfortunately work commitments and the very short notice meant I couldn’t take it. 🙁 However I cheered up a lot when I discovered that the Etape was run off in mostly heavy rain and people were having to stop on the descent as they couldn’t feel their hands in the cold…

I do like the way Rui Costa says aerodynamics.

More steeefness 🙂

Can anyone deny Nibali if he wants the stage win? Looks like he wants it.

Etape was run off in mostly heavy rain and people were having to stop on the descent as they couldn’t feel their hands in the cold…

Bloody wimps – did the same etape back in 08 – 4 degrees on the top, wondered if people had looked at the weather forecast – me in my winter kit nice and toast warm, 98% of the rest in shirt and shorts & bloody cold.

2 most impressive things were the guy who rode 150K with no seat as it broke and the frenchman with a bottle of wine and baguette in his back pocket.

oh go on vincenzo, let someone else have a go

he actually looks like he is putting in some effort there

He’s flying ! Bye bye Nieve 😥

the speed he went past nieve!

it’s like watching lance.

Bloody wimps

Odd comment. Maybe they didn’t plan properly – though I’m told the forecast was for it to be a lot warmer than it was.

it’s like watching lance.

Hard to avoid those thoughts creeping in really 😥

TV isn’t even showing Nibali, they’ve decided GC doesn’t matter as it’s a done deal.

I’m avoiding them.

Go Pinot go…

Does look that way but the rest of the GC group are busy marking each other so a good time for Nibali to go.

No idea how to make this work but phone idiot gif here;

https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/BtUWAJXCcAAn__4.mp4

Good to see Tejay back on form.

Back in the day, Bjarne Riis would have crossed the finish line by now 😆

Really hope they’re about to ride Valverde off the podium. It’s unlikely but maybe they can get him off the 2nd step at least

C’mon Pinot

EDIT: Nice. Well done to Pinot great race

Congrats to Nibali.

I think he had a bad day on the Porte de Bales (as Lemond said) but he was flying today. Never seen him looking so thin.

The best GC rider in the race since stage 1.

I hope he wins Worlds.

Well definitely sets it up nicely for the time trial. 15 seconds covering second, third and fourth. Wouldn’t discount Tejay or Mollema either if the other three get it wrong. Unfortunately I suspect Valverde will grab second, Peraud probably third, with Pinot missing out.

Stage tomorrow looks interesting. Probably one for the sprinters but it would be nice to see someone go on a raid on that last cat 4 with a nice run to the finish. Or could Cannondale blow the big sprinters out the back enough for Sagan to finally have his day?

That’s a much better looking podium!

Imagine if Nibali had of been taken down by that daft bitch on her phone 😯 Seriously, why even bother going to the race.

I’m praying for wind tomorrow, some tasty crosswinds to mix it up before Paris!!

Everyone looked like it was hard work on the last climb. Everyone except Nibali. Does make you wonder, which is a shame ‘cos his ride over the cobbles was superb.

His performances just make me think that he’s a man on top of his game. Well prepared and has peaked at exactly the right time. Together with his team, who have done an outstanding job for him on this tour, they are clearly, IMHO, head and shoulders above the rest with the exception of Saxo. Sky have crumbled and have been disappointing, their plan B was shakey at best, Porte always seems to have at least one bad day…

head and shoulders above the rest with the exception of Saxo.

Saxo brought a couple of super domestiques with them who have done a great job. The rest of the team weren’t so sparkly partially down to earlier problems admittedly

Porte always seems to have at least one bad day…

He’s fifty minutes down, nearly an hour 🙁 all the talk of Sky’s number 2 man defending a podium place