They’re over the first… Windy’s in the first chase group.

They’re over the first…

Not much of a spoiler TBH

😆

Goes through our nearest biggish town (i.e where the supermarket is) at about 140km, right by Grenoble airport.

Will pop down in a bit, but won’t be as entertaining as the Glandon yesterday…

Sigh..living in France is soo hard!

Sigh..living in France is soo hard!

It was when I lived over there as well….! Tres dur. 😉

What’s the feeling here? Will Nibali/Evans etc attempt a breakaway over the Col du Granier (surely that’s too early in the stage), or leave it to the final, smaller climb?

The Granier is way too early. Sky can just tap it out and draw them back in.

If anything, this stage is set for a Nibbles/Cuddles/Froome showdown on the Ardoix. Wiggo doesn’t have the explosive change of pace needed to cope with repeated attacks on a short climb.

Froome in yellow tonight. 😉

Froome in yellow tonight. 😉

Closely followed by
“Froome receives the mother of all bollockings from Dave Brailsford”
and
“Bradley Wiggins throws toys out of pram”

😉

Froome in yellow tonight

tenner says that doesn’t happen

I’m in work, so I can’t see the TV… be interesting to see how smooth Cadel’s looking given that yesterday took a lot of of him and his hope’s are fading. Is he still a serious contender, or are we saying Wiggo or Nibbles for the overall GC?

Froome get’s a call

Breakaway day today. All the top riders teams will be looking for a relatively easy day. So many broken riders yesterday!

Camo16

I reckon they’ll wait till the climbs at end. Anything could happen though. They would really need to game a bit time to hold out. Whats the chance they’ll have a bit of a rest (if its possible) and let a no threat group go out on real big break?

Nice faux filet frites in the restaurant on the col du granier. Locally sourced meat and very reasonable prices too. 8)

If anything, this stage is set for a Nibbles/Cuddles/Froome showdown on the Ardoix. Wiggo doesn’t have the explosive change of pace needed to cope with repeated attacks on a short climb.

~3 minutes on a 150m 3rd cat climb at sea level?

I agree Cuddles, Nibbles and Froomedog might breakaway in the last few km and Wiggins might not follow, but I suspect it’ll be closer to the line and a matter of seconds rather than minutes. i.e time BW can afford to lose but CF maybe can’t.

my predictions:

Nothing much to happen at the top of GC today

apart from anything they will all be glad of the rest

Breakaway could do it. Millar is in it and this kind of stage seems to be up his street. So I’m going MILLAR.

Good call Llama. Millar tweeted about the number of riders on the limit yesterday, and was thankful he wasn’t one of them. So I’m guessing he’s feeling good.

Can’t wait for 12 and itv4. Will it be as good as yesterday? Will Sky have worked out that if their rival teams have men up the road there will be a bit of action later?

Only Koren up front like he was yesterday for Leakygas. Burghardt dropped back to the peloton already for BMC.

Be boring apparently . Wiggins has no staying power and based on a couple of climbs froomes going to win the tour ……

* the above may not be nearly truthful

Is Froome struggling today? Rumour has it he’s riding at the back of the Peloton, so is he (a) just chilling out, or (b) out of gas ?

[starting rumour] could be sat at the bAck out of protest [\starting rumour]

nothing will happen [GC wise] and the last climb is too short to drop Brad..I am sure he can remember his 4 km Olympic gold as individual Pursuit and hammer it for that short a distance still. In all honesty if he really tried I would expect him to drop all of them but he wont as he does not need to

It is the Wiggo death zone he struggles with[ 1500-2000m]

(c) sulking? 🙂

[starting rumour] could be sat at the bAck out of protest [\starting rumour]

@Froome=SPLITTER!

I assume all the French riders will be saving their legs for attacks tomorrow?

No one will get away from sky as they will being them back over the long flat section.

It’ll come together and any attacks will come on the last climb. Can’t see who would win it so I’ll got for Hoogerland as he has been a bit of a let down for my team – at least Martin had a good excuse.

Kinda hoping for something from Sagan (would make up for the awful OP).

🙂

Wiggins on a non sky based break …..

agree with junkyard, nothing major is going to happen today.

Nice little dig by wiggins there, a quick reminder to his doubters and his opponents I think…

Froome at the back, Wiggins off the front, handbags at the ready!

Sagan’s on one again… love his demon descents!

Re. Froome:

or(d)he’s been ordered to the back of the class peleton to lose 10-15 minutes on wiggo and so scrub from his brain any lingering GC aspirations??

I’d love Millar to get a win

What’s happened to Gilbert? He’s not had a look in so far, even in Belgium. On previous form I’d have him in the mix at the end today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Gilbert

Compare 2011 with 2012. Dude’s got nothing this season.

RM, yeah I know, but why? (When I said ‘previous’ I meant last year).

but why?

Off the drugs this year 😉

Lovely scenery today!

Gorge-eous! 😉

Lovely scenery today

Speaking of which, whose the lovely blonde lady doing the interviews for Eurosport, she’s very n ice indeed!

FFS flashy a bit of shaved men in lycra and you start calling them gorgeous…what with a public school boy background I am starting to have doubts about you 😉

Ah bollocks I just got the gag as well 😳

😆 Do try and keep up, Junky! 🙂