Tour de France 2012: Stage 17
🐎January 1 - July 22, Bagnères-de-Luchon, Fra, Road - WorldTou♕r
Hello and welcome to our live coverage from stag🌌e 17 of the Tour de France, a final fling for the climbers in🔥 this year's Tour with a 143.5 km trek from Bagnères-de-Luchon to Peyragudes.
We're about 10 minutes away from today's stage with the riders busily signing on and coming off their team buses.🧔 It's be a hard Tour, full of crashes, hardship and sacrifice but the peloton will see today as the last big test in the mountains. Get through this and each rider should make it to Paris.
You can check out a video preview of today's stage with Chris Boardman, and see maps and profiles, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:right here.
In the battle for GC Wiggins still leads from Froome and Nibali. After yesterday's stage to Luchon the big change was Nibali put꧂ting time in 💎Van den Broeck but also Evans dropping out of contention all together. Here's the top ten, as it stands:
1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 74:15:32
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:02:05
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:23
4 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:05:46
5 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan 0:07:13
6 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:07:55
7 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:08:06
8 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team 0:09:09
9 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:10:10
10 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:11:43
Evans complained of illness but was dropped on the last two climbs of the stage. It will be interesting to see what BMC do next. Van Garderen is in white and climbing and time trialing better that Evans. They could use Evans to shake up the GC riders, and then see if van Garderen can move up. In all likelihood that might not happen but 5th, and even 4th, is possible fo🐼r the American with the final time trial in this race still to come.
The mountains classi🤡fication is a little tighter than the battle for yellow with Voeckler holding a slight lead over Kessiakoff.
1 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 107 pts
2 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team 103
3 Chris Anker S&oum𝓡l;rensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 77
The question is how much energy do either of those riders still have? Kessiakoff has to go on the attack so Europcar may just try and mark h🐟im out the early break, which one would assume will form on the first climb of the day which starts at 40km.
The bunch are now rolling out, overcast skies and Leipheimer is on the front as we head throu꧑gh the neutralized zone.
Prudhomme drops the flag and we're off. 🐟So much for my prediction of the break forming on the climb, we're already seeing attacks, BMC leading the way.
Cool tempeꦅratures today but there will still be some sore legs out there from yesterday. Argos are the next team to try their luck with a rider going up the road.
The bunch snake along the French highway as the lone Argos rider plugs away up ahead. S𓆏urely we'll see more riders try and come across to him.
Of the race for a moment and our tech tzar, James Huang was allowed to have a look around the Sky service course. You can see the report and huge gallery, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:right here.
Albert Timmer is the rider up the road👍, as Pineau tries and leads a counter attack but he's quickly reeled in.
Poor old Timmer, he's looking back⭕ for help but nothing has come th꧋rough so far. He's about to sit up.
🌜Argos are really going for this, sending another rider up the road.
135km remaining from 143km
This time Liquigas take up the invi💦te and join the latest🌌 Argos rider on the attack.
Tyler Farrar𒀰 at the very back of the bunch is sprinting through the corners just to keep in contention.
A more significant group have attacked, including Albasini. Still no attack or break frꦬom Ger𝓡rans in the race. Perhaps he's waiting for tomorrow.
Albasini is on his own at🌺 the head of the race, takes a look over his right shoulder a𝓡nd sees a small group coming up to him. The peloton haven't given up yet though and they're chasing everything down.
Voigt is leading the counter attack. Incrediꦉble after the ﷽efforts he made yesterday.
125km remaining from 143km
Almost 20km raced already with multiple attacks coming from the front of the bunch. The peloton have caught everyt🔯hing so far and Astana are the latest team to give it a go.
The road is rising, a gently unclassified climb. A good place for aꦬ possible attack but the bunch are still keeping everything in check.
Bert Grabsch has been dropped by the bunch, 🍷he simply can't keep up with this pace.
They're now on the slopes of♛ the first major climb, the Col de Mente, and Kessiakoff is keeping a close eye on Voeckler at the front of the bunch.
The rest of the peloton is already splitting up.
123km remaining from 143km
Cavendish isไ near the back of the bunch, Pineau has been dropped.
A number𓂃 of riders have broken clear, a rather large group: Valverde, Menchov,🍷 Cobo, Sorensen, all there.
Rolland is also in the bꦫreak as well. Leipheimer too. And Boasson Hagen has moves back to the♒ front of the bunch and begun to set the pace.
Cobo sits up ha♉ving worked for Valverde. The mist is low and there's a good chance of showers at the moment. Menchov has a rider from Katusha on the front driving the break along.
It looks like Horner and Kessiakoff a𒅌re both 𓆉in the break too. I can't see Voeckler though.
Vino has been dropped by the bunch.
The roads are wet and Sky🀅 are under a bit of pressure to bring this one back. There aren't any GಞC threats up the road but there are apparently 20 riders in the break and Sky won't like the numbers plus the strength.
Wiggins is lying in fourth wheel, ridi🍸ng through the mist with his Sky teammatওes. Riders are being dropped and passed from the main break but Menchov is still driving things on.
Voeckler is in the break, right on𝓀 Kessiakoff's whꦛeel.
Sagan has been dropped too. He's normally able to keep pace at this stage. Yury Trofimov is doing a fantastic job for Menchov on the front of the ꦦbreak and more and more rider, Bouet, next have been droppꦕed from the bunch.
Feillu was in the breakꦿ this mo💎rning but he can't hold the Katusha pace and he's been dropped, with Boasson Hagen leading Wiggins by him.
Menchov takes over on the front, will he get assistance from other riders? As Zubeldia has been dro♛pped from the bunch. That's a shock, and it could see BMC move to the front and help Sky set a furi༺ous pace.
115km remaining from 143km
And Valverde u🐻ps the pace and Rolland follows with Voeckler too.
Rolland has 1km to the summit and he🉐's got a bit of a ꦛgap.
Zubeldia has been dropped but noꦬ RadioShack riders are with him.
Fair play to Kessiakoff🍎, he really gave that a go. Rolland had a gap but the Astana rider attacked, catching the Frenchman napping. Rolland then had to wait and pace Voeckler up to Astana man. Voeckler was the stronger of the two at the summit, taking maximum points but Kessiakoff made i💞t hard for him.
This descent ꦆis going to be dangerous. The riders can only se♔e about 50 meters in front of themselves.
Wet road꧙s, mist💃 all around the rider, this is a very difficult descent for the bunch and the riders up the road.
109km remaining from 143km
After a few kms the riders clear through the mist, providing much safer cﷺondiꩵtions.
Nibali has attacked. Nibali has gone clear on the des🍬cent and he's in the break.
There's no time gap but the presence of Nibali in the break really changes the c💃omplexion of the break and intensifies the pressure 💫on Sky to try and shut this down.
The Liquigas rider has moved into the Voeckler break and Boasson Hagen is leading the peloton o💧n the descent.
The gap on race radio is 22 seconds.
Game over for Nibali. He sh🦄akes Valverde's hand and then sits up and waits for🦹 the bunch.
Here's the currentꩵ make up of the lead break. We'll add more names as we get them:
Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel), Rui Costa and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Sandy Casar (FdJ), Fredrik Kessiakoff (Astana), Jean-Cඣhristophe Peraud (AG2R)
The lead𝓀ers have 51 seconds on the Wiggins group, while Zubeldi💫a is a further 20 seconds back.
Zubeldia has made contact with the yellow jersey group. He's🧔 got🌺 some time to recover until the final two major climbs of the day.
Wiggins has dropped back to the Sky team car for a chat with the Yates, as Vino, ten Dam attack with Weಌening, Leipheimer also trying to go clear.
123km remaining from 143km
The leaders are 1:10 clear of a chase grou🌊p, with the Wiggins bunch at 1:2🐠8
Levi in an attacking group. Adorable.
Thu, 19th Jul 2012 13:17:11
The break is on the Col des Ares, Kessiakoff and Voeckler intent on watching each others every move as the counter attack continues to close up. Sorensen is in the counter attack with Vino, Leipheimer and ꦚten Dam.
The chase group: Laurens T💟en Dam (Rabobank), Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil), Biel Kadri (AG2R), Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana), Gorka Izagirre (Euskaltel), Jorge Azana (Euskaltel),🐲 Peer Weening (Orica-GreenEdge) ,Levi Leipheimer (OPQS), Simone Stortoni (Lampre) and Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank)
90km remaining from 143km
Co🌊sta is suffering in the break as Valve🔯rde increases the pace. He wont wont the chase group to come up.
Ruben Plaza (Movistar) is also in th⭕e chase group.
Liquigas are on ♈the front of the bunch and setting the pace.
Costa makes it back to the lead group, which is still lead by Valv🌺erde with Casar just sitt🐓ing on the back and keeping out of sight.
The full chase group:
Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank), Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil), ꦜBiel Kadri (AG2R), Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana), Gorka Izagirre (Euskaltel), Jorge Azana (Euskaltel), Peter Weening (Orica-GreenEdge), Levi Leipheimer (OPQS), Simone Stortoni (Lampre), Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank) and Ruben Plaza (Movistar)
89km remaining from 143km
1km to the summit of the climb.
First and last plug of Tour: my Eddy Merckx biog, The Cannibal, is now available in paperback. A mere £6.74 from Amazon //⛄t.co/qf8Rxare
Thu, 19th Jul 2012 13:30:53
Voec♏kler u൩nleashes an ugly but effective sprint to take the 5 points at the top.
W♍eenings Weeners go over th🐠e top of the climb 50 seconds back.
Voeckler now h♏as an 8 point lꦓead in the KOM competition.
Latest KOM siꦫ💃t: Tommy V 133. Kessiakoff 117, Sorensen 77
Thu, 19th Jul 2012 13:37:34
Rui Costa and Valverde have a brief chat, as the chase group catches them. That ma🧔kes three Movistar riders in the break. Making a 17 man group, with💎 a gap of 2:33
Sorensen has crashed. He's back ⛦with the bunch and rece🎃iving help from the medical car.
Nibali still has his men on the front of the peloton, indicating that he's keen on giving it another go when it comes to trying to crack Wiggins and Froome. There's also the possibility of the stag𒊎e win to take into account as well.
70km remaining from 143km
Next is the Port de Balès, where Andy Schleck dropped his chain and the race ಞin 2010, which🐻 is an ideal place to launch a long-range attack. Then comes the Peyresourde and the final, and first-ever, climb to the resort above it.
You can get the latest edition of . Itꦕ's just a 🅷click away.
The break still have to contend with the Cote de Bursꩲ, ✱ which they've just started climbing.
Kessiakoff launches the sprint but once again Voeckler is to♍o good for him and takes two more points to the Astana rider's 1. That's a ten point lead now for the KOM leader.
In other news today, Bruyneel says he's going to stand by 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Frank Schleck.
63km remaining from 143km
The gap has started to come down, it's now at 2:33, with Movistar doing most of the work on the front. The problem i🐭s, the group is too big and there are a lot of riders just sಌitting on.
Liquigas continue to set the pace on the front of the bunch: Nibali has already tried once today, on the descent o🌃f the final climb, and it's clear he's feeling strong today.
It's a similar tactic to the one Liquigas used at the Giro this year and one they rolled out yesterday on the final two climbs, very quickly they got ride of all of Sky's riders bar Wiggins and Froome. Perhaps if they can isolate the two Sky 🧸riders a bit earlier, Nibali will have more room to play with. For example, attacking on the descent of the Bales....
56km remaining from 143km
56km to go, and Katusha have also 𓃲put a man in the Liq🐼uigas train.
There's a crash and Cavendish, Porte, and both involved﷽.
Both riders are on their feet with Po🦂rte waiting for a new bike.
It's going to be hard for Porte to make it back to the main bu♌nch now. Cavendish is back chasing already, through the cars.
At the head of the break riders are being to be distanced. Our two Euskaltel riders are clear with Plaza. Valverde is trying to come across.
As Cavendish makes it back to the bunch.
We're almost at the footꦦ of the Bales and a cri🐈tical part of the race. Nibali still has his troops on the front of the main field, trying to unsettle Sky as much as possible.
Meanwౠhile Porte is com💦ing through the cars and is with the medical team right now.
47km remaining from 143km
The Bales is a 15 kilometre climb💧, ave🃏raging 7 per cent.
Porte finally makes it tꦺo the tail of the peloton.
Liquigas are continuing to set the pace. Perhaps they've looked at Wiggins and seen a slight weakness in his condition today, perhaps he's on a bad day, perhaps he's bluffling a la Armstrong and he's about to💧 win the final mountain stage in this year's Tour.
Onto the final HC climb of this year's Tour as Movistar chase the few riders that have skip🤪ped off the front. The b🌼unch are 2:30 behind.
Did Liquigas hear that Sky is holding try-outﷺs today?
Thu, 19th Jul 2012 14:38:29
Nibali's men hit the foo🍒t of the climb and straight away riders are being dropped from the bunch.
42km remaining from 143km
Sky are slowly moving up to the front of the bunch but Basso is doing a good job, positioning the Liqu🌌igas rider🎉s on Nibali's behalf.
41km remaining from 143km
Have Sky tired, is Wiggins on the ropes? Liquigas will be hoping ꦆso.
The break is splitting ⛄with Leipheimer leading a small group up to our two leaders.
Liquigas driving the🌼 pace on the Port de Balès, Poste💮 Italiene. Can Nibali deliver? Sky down to Wiggins, Froome, Rogers and Boasson Hagen.
Thu, 19th Jul 2012 14:49:45
Costa, Valverde, Kadri,🥂 Levi and Martinez lead the race now.
More fog and mist at the top of the climb, perhaps another opportunity for Nibali to go aga♋in. If he can isolate Wiggins at the top of the climb and then attack him on the descent he has a good chance of going clear.
As Rui Co💧sta goes clear at the head of the lead group. A stage winner last year of course.
Knees has blown and is dropped.
The yellow jersey g💝roup is down to less than 40 ꦚriders.
Weeni🌃ng, the last Dutch rider to win a stage in the Tour, in 2005 attacks from the chase group.
As Voeckler 🌸just glues himself to Kessiakoff's rear wheel.
Liquigas keep the pace steady but it's not super quick at the moment. The gap🗹 to Rui Costa is at 2:00.
36km remaining from 143km
Costa also won the Tour Suisse of course, he was in a decent GC position for t♐he first week of the race but has fallen back since. He's got 2:00 on the yellow jersey group, which now has Richie Porte near the front.
Nibali just has two men with him, so he's burnt a number of matches on the run in and lower parts of the climb. Basso is going to be key here, and then it's up to Nibali on the descen🐻t.
Valverde h💞as attacked from Martinez and Levi and go♓es clear. He's onto Rui Costa's wheel already.
And Valverde has gone on alone, dropping his teammate.♚ It's still a long way until the finish though༺, 35km.
This is probably the best climbing performance we've seen from Valverde since his comeback from a doping vi𒊎olation. He finished second at TDU but this is a race with harder climbs.
Further down the climb, and Voeckler is matching Kessiakoff pe♌dal stroke for pedal stroke.
33km remaining from 143km
1km to the summit for Valverde as Liquigas start to pick up riders from the brea🎉k. Nerz is doing all the work for his team, and cꦓatches Weening.
Basso will have 🍸to roll up his sleeves and take over in a minute, I'm sure.
A few boos on the road for Valverde f⛄rom the fans.
Less than 30 riders in the yellow jersey group, Valverde has pulled out a few seconds𒅌 though, and leads over the top by 2:22
Voeckler takes seco🃏nd on the climb, with Kessiakoff next.
As Van den Broeck lifts the pace and jumps out just over the top of the climb. H♕🍌e takes a bidon and then sits up.
This a technical descent but the roads are dry and there doesn't appear to be fog on 𝔍the top slope✨s as Valverde heads for a possible stage win.
🔴Voeckler has 11 points on Kessiakoff now, and the Frenchman is tearing down the descent. He can't win 😼another mountain stage, can he?
25km remaining from 143km
Voeckler is catching Rui Cost෴a i🐠t seems on the descent.
Up 💮ahead Kaꦦdri and Leipheimer are still riding together.
Liquigas are still on the front, two riders with Nibali and it looks like three riders💯 with Wiggins.
20km remaining from 143km
Just 20km left for Valverde, who has 2:30 on the bunch.⛄ He'll want at least three minutes by the foot of the last climb.
Costa is around 30-40 seconds ahead of Voeckler at this stage as Valverde♋ reaches the foot of the climb of the Peyresourde.
As Rui 🏅Costa ♉overcooks a bend and has to stop, turn around and start again. Martinez was with him but the Euskaltel rider wont wait.
As Voeckler 𓂃is caught as Valverde heads under the 15km to go banner with 2:30.
Levi has been caught a🐼nd Nerz pulls over to leave Basso taking centre stage.
13km remaining from 143km
Wiggins takes a dr𒁏ink and sits on a teammates wheel, he looks comfortable under the pre🍸ssure Liquigas are trying to put him under.
Basso catches Rui Costa, then gets out of the saddle with Nibali☂ on his whe♔el.
Boass𝓀on Hagen is still there, Porte, Froome and Wiggins. I can't see Rogers at the moment.
Rogers is there, just a bit further back. The two Lotto climbers, Van Garderen, Rollan, and Evans are 🍨all there.
Zubeldia isn't though... he's been dropped.
11km remaining from 143km
If there aren't👍 attacks from this group then Valverde will win this stage 11km to ꩲgo and the gap is at 2:26
Scarponi is hanging at the back of🌳 the♋ yellow jersey group with Kloden and Monfort.
Kloden needed a new whee🧜l and he's ..🃏. well I was about to say he's riding with Zubeldia but the German just goes by him without even looking at him.
Basso's work has now dropped Boasson Hagen. Pinot 🐭is still with the 🎃group though.
Valverde 🥀has lost a couple of seconds as he gets out of the saddle on the climb. His advantage is 2:20.
10km remaining from 143km
10km for Valverde, he had 🎀2:30 at the start of the climb, it's not at 2:18♚ as Basso continues to set the pace on the.
And Jelle Vanendert has attacked.
And Rogers is being distanced by the work done by B﷽asso.
Van den Broeck is following Nibali, then it's Froome, then Wiggins and 🐼now Janez Brajkovic has been dropped.
The gap is down to 1:49 though so the more attacks that come from that group the more the gap to Valverde will come down. Basso increases the pace again and the g🦩roup is down to less than 15 men.
Horner, Kloden, Kern, Roche, ♏Menchov🅰, are all in the Wiggins group too.
Evans is at the back now t🤪h🌳ough, he's struggling again. And he's cracking.
8km remaining from 143km
ౠ8km to go💧 , Valverde with 1:47. And Evans is about 20 bike lengths off the back.
And Van den Broeck has attacked. Rolland follows, 𓆉Pinot too and Nibali moves to the front.
Ba🍸sso has blown and the two Lotto riders, Rolland and Pinot have a small gap.
And Nibali brings them back.
Roche, Menchov have both cracked.
Wꦚiggins comes passed Froome as the GC men all line out and now ꦫPinot has attacked.
VBD sets the pace and now Nibali is starting to crack an🔯d perhaps Froome too.
Valverde has 1:14, Pinotꩵ has been caught, Everyone is suffe💧ring now.
5km for Vale🤪rde with the downhill t꧑o the final short climb.
There are 8 riders in the chase with wiggins, Froome, VDB, Niಌbali, Pinot, Rolland all there.
3km remaining from 143km
Huge crowds on the climb as Varverde cu💧ts through them and on his way to a stage win in the Tour.
And Wiggins sets the pace now.
Froome on his wheel, and the race leader is doing some major damage no♒w.
Van den Broeck attacks again but is🙈 caught as Van Garderen hangs on with 3km to go.
Horner was in the group but he'sꦜ losing ground and so is Nibali. He's being dropped.
Van Garderen on the Italian's whee🍬l as Froome and Wiggins increase the pace and put time into the Italian.
Froome rides away but then he waits for Wiggins.
Froome keeps checking on Wiggins but he's too strong, Fr🌠oome wants to catch Valverde but the race leader needs the pace to ease off slightly. Froome is now towing Wiggins, as Valverde has cracked 🔜but Froome has now dropped Wiggins again, he waits again.
Down the climb and Nibali is riಌding away from van Garderen but the Italian can't catch the o🃏thers.
Froome mu♉st have a sore neck by now, as Wiggins comes back up to him.ﷺ Valverde is there for the taking the gap is just 30 seconds.
1km remaining from 143km
1km to go for Valverde and Pinot has come up t🤡o the Sky riders. Excellent ride.
A flat section for Valverde to recover before the final kick to ♓the line.
Valverde is comi🦹ng to the line. His stage win looks a certainty. . He points to his jersey, and crosses the line as Froome leads Wiggins home and then Pinot, Rolland, VBD, Nibali a few more seconds back.
Then van Garderen.
Then Dan Martin, a Shack rider, and Roche.
Menchov is next then , Janez Brajkovic, who꧃ has lost time, Evans too.
The Shack rider was Horner .
1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling
3 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling
4 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
6 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar
7 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
8 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team
9 Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack-Nissan
10 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Sharp
GC:
1 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 78:28:02
2 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:02:05
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:41
4 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:05:53
5 Tejay Van Gardere♚n (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:08:30
Well an🎃other tense day in the Tour. Nibali and Liquigas promised much with their aggression but like in the Giro, their leader was found wanting after the team had done so much work.
Sky appeared to have a slightly off day, but in the end Froome and Wiggins were just too strong for everyo🀅ne, Froome especially, who could have put time into Wiggins but choജse to keep by his leader's side.
An⛄d Valverde, he won the stage after a long break.
Thanks for joining us today for our live coverage. We'll be back tomorrow for stage 18 of the Tour de Fran🎶ce.
Full results, report and pix for today, can be found here.
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