A look ahead
If you’ve been checking out the web pages of cycling mags (and do you really need to?) you may have read some stuff about how the contenders will be itching for a big showdown in the climbs of stage 10. Not quite. Stage 10 should be an appetizer, but the big stuff is still a few days away.
There are 9 categorized climbs on stage 10, but 6 of them are either category 3 or 4. There is one category 1 climb, and it’s 50 km from the finish. Wednesday isn’t the day that the contenders will get down & dirty, it’s the day that Richard Vinrenque and whoever else wants the King of the Mountains jersey will go out on a very long breakaway to score points.
Stage 10--Virenque's day
When the contenders get to the category 1 climb, Mayo may attack simply because it’s his visceral reaction to an incline, but the best contenders—Armstrong, Ullrich, Hamilton, won’t be attacking. They know that the remaining 50 km are just too long to hold off the stud riders. Now, we may discover a poseur among the contenders if anyone is out of form—like if Leipheimer or Mancebo or Simoni is out of shape, they might pop off the back. Most of the elite climbers should ride this one together, though we’ll see them gain time on the 5 upstarts who bolted to the top of the standings after stage 5.
That’s Wednesday. The big stages are later in the week. Just compare the profiles. On stage 10 we’ll find out if anyone is weak. In stages 12 and 13 we’ll find out who’s strong. The gloves will be off when the Col d’Aspin is in sight.
Stage 12--Friday. This is when it really starts.
Stage 13--Saturday, more pain.
If you’ve been checking out the web pages of cycling mags (and do you really need to?) you may have read some stuff about how the contenders will be itching for a big showdown in the climbs of stage 10. Not quite. Stage 10 should be an appetizer, but the big stuff is still a few days away.
There are 9 categorized climbs on stage 10, but 6 of them are either category 3 or 4. There is one category 1 climb, and it’s 50 km from the finish. Wednesday isn’t the day that the contenders will get down & dirty, it’s the day that Richard Vinrenque and whoever else wants the King of the Mountains jersey will go out on a very long breakaway to score points.
Stage 10--Virenque's day
When the contenders get to the category 1 climb, Mayo may attack simply because it’s his visceral reaction to an incline, but the best contenders—Armstrong, Ullrich, Hamilton, won’t be attacking. They know that the remaining 50 km are just too long to hold off the stud riders. Now, we may discover a poseur among the contenders if anyone is out of form—like if Leipheimer or Mancebo or Simoni is out of shape, they might pop off the back. Most of the elite climbers should ride this one together, though we’ll see them gain time on the 5 upstarts who bolted to the top of the standings after stage 5.
That’s Wednesday. The big stages are later in the week. Just compare the profiles. On stage 10 we’ll find out if anyone is weak. In stages 12 and 13 we’ll find out who’s strong. The gloves will be off when the Col d’Aspin is in sight.
Stage 12--Friday. This is when it really starts.
Stage 13--Saturday, more pain.
posted by uberschuck at 1:00 AM
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