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Stage 3 » Antwerpen › Huy (159.5k)
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The second part of the Classics Trilogy as we head to Fleche Wallonne territory. Starting in Antwerp, we head over to one of the most famous and pictureqsue climbs in cycling the Mur de Huy. Although this is very similar to the Fleche Wallonne route, there are key differences. First of all, the route is about 50km shorter than the classic, secondly there are less of the small sharp climbs the Fleche Wallonne is famous for. These two factors should ensure the group has thinned out far less than is typical of the classic. The problem here is that there are several tight corners and difficult road layouts to negotiate in the run-up. Because positioning is all important for the finale, we will see a scrap for position in an area of limited space.
Mur de Huy
Winning on the Mur de Huy depends on positioning in the run-in, and timing your acceleration. Plenty of riders have felt good on the lowers slopes and attacked, only to be swallowed up later on when the legs have gone. Alejandro Valverde has won the last two editions of La Fleche Wallonne and he is clearly in cracking form so it would be no surprise to see him win this and swap his new Spanish National road race jersey for a nice shiny maillot jaune.
Map
Profile
Last Kms
The second part of the Classics Trilogy as we head to Fleche Wallonne territory. Starting in Antwerp, we head over to one of the most famous and pictureqsue climbs in cycling the Mur de Huy. Although this is very similar to the Fleche Wallonne route, there are key differences. First of all, the route is about 50km shorter than the classic, secondly there are less of the small sharp climbs the Fleche Wallonne is famous for. These two factors should ensure the group has thinned out far less than is typical of the classic. The problem here is that there are several tight corners and difficult road layouts to negotiate in the run-up. Because positioning is all important for the finale, we will see a scrap for position in an area of limited space.
Mur de Huy
Winning on the Mur de Huy depends on positioning in the run-in, and timing your acceleration. Plenty of riders have felt good on the lowers slopes and attacked, only to be swallowed up later on when the legs have gone. Alejandro Valverde has won the last two editions of La Fleche Wallonne and he is clearly in cracking form so it would be no surprise to see him win this and swap his new Spanish National road race jersey for a nice shiny maillot jaune.
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Race neutralised?? Unless someone is seriously injured I can't see what for?
Very odd. Yellow jersey dictating the progress of the race?
For the purposes of organisation -- but I thought respect for the Yellow Jersey. Dumoulin abandoned.
Bonnet and Gerrans abandoned! Albasini will be the clear man for OGE.
This is ridiculous. Are we going to stop each time we get a crash?
Gerrans abandoned and Impey down, big blow for OGE in this and coming stages
I don't mind the stop -- shows major respect for the Yellow Jersey -- I guess what we love about this race is that which is so special about it -- you wouldn't get such respect for the Leader's Jersey in any other race.
If we are going to stop each time the yellow jersey goes down then the pack is going to be taking serious risks.
Prudhomme setting a bad precedent here the buffoon .
Riders at the front penalised for working harder to stay out of trouble .
Are we going to see this on a regular basis now?
The race should have continued , whilst anybody requiring medical attention is dealt with.
I do hope we are not going yet another slipper slope in modern sport of health & safety obsession .
Riders at the front penalised for working harder to stay out of trouble .
Are we going to see this on a regular basis now?
The race should have continued , whilst anybody requiring medical attention is dealt with.
I do hope we are not going yet another slipper slope in modern sport of health & safety obsession .
The peloton was chaotic then -- riders fighting to get to the front at high speeds.
Ridiculous situation and a terrible precedent to set here, have always felt Cancellara ahs a bit too much influence in high places at times. Don't think that would have been stopped had Froome or Contador been in yellow. Absolute sham of a stage now, and any big crash involving the yellow jersey now they are going to have to neutralize every time! Ridiculous.
Riders about restart racing, the other discussion for another time, perhaps.
Plenty of kms of racing remaining -- not a big deal in the scheme of things for stage honours.
30 riders down, only luck what side of the road you were on. The point is there were 2 crashes and all cars attending first one.
Great sportsmanship from SKY though.
Great sportsmanship from SKY though.
Jul 6, 2015 -- 9:23AM, SwingingPick wrote:
Plenty of kms of racing remaining -- not a big deal in the scheme of things for stage honours.
Spoken like someone who hasn't backed an OGE rider
3 climbs some 50 kms of road to cover -- this is still on aplenty -- lost 20 mins in neutralisation.
Not racing though are they SP, this is going to turn in to a a mad dash final 5km and that i'm afraid is a sham. Tere would have been atttacks and high pace over these first few climbs, the race has lost it's whole pattern.
Fair point HB, the dynamic has changed considerably but this might be a good tonic for those who were taking such major risks. But I accept that the wrong riders have been unusually punished in this decision.
Fair enough to Prudhomme if it was a medical situation. There'll be a lot of questions asked on that decision so he better be good with his answers.
...Although 5 kms is a bit of an exaggeration -- first signs of the pace to come back on, soon.
Couldn't decide on Gerrans or Albasini, so no bets on OGE, true.
Jul 6, 2015 -- 9:35AM, scoobeck wrote:
Please explain who has been punished by the decision.
Fans? Anyone who isn't Cancellara?
Race has gone to pot now.
Now the GC teams are definitely going to have to get their riders to the front to avoid being caught out in a crash
Echelons again. SKY missed it, can't see it going far though.
Oh Christ.. That GPS would be needed now, how many of the faves have made that split?
I don't buy the chances of Sagan here, but just can't find the confidence to pull the trigger on a lay.
MURito making an appearance towards the front
Kwiatkowski also hovering, wonder if he is just gonna pace Tony Martin up and try to get him the yellow.
Kwiatkowski also hovering, wonder if he is just gonna pace Tony Martin up and try to get him the yellow.
It's a chance, but think the Panzerwagon is going to pace the Flowerman for stage honours -- they owe him after yesterday's heroic effort for the Manx Missile.
For that to be the case, the Panzerwagon would require being ahead of the Flowerman, which appears not to be the case, at the moment -- seen this before, though.
Whatever it was it was pure fail! Not sure it was Gautier actually.
Still good value for Kwiatkowski at 23/1 -- should be trading much shorter if he gets a good position.
But he was working at the front, cant see him winning. And will probably work for Martin
Panzer into 1.30 to be in yellow. However Sagan into 5's for the stage. Can Tony finish within 20secs of Sagan if Sagan wins. I wouldn't have thought so.
I didn't think he was working, just caught out of position temporarily. Martin is not getting over the Huy with the fancied riders.
Martin has 30 seconds on Sagan? so as long as he doesn't pop he should be safely in yellow whatever now.
EQS always have a plan B, very professional, but this is for Kwiatkowski as far as I'm concerned.
Who was laying Rodriguez at 7.0 when he hit the front?
Discounted Rodriguez because of his injuries. He plays a good poker game! 
Jul 6, 2015 -- 10:31AM, CJ70 wrote:
Discounted Rodriguez because of his injuries. He plays a good poker game!
I find with the Spaniards the opposite of what they're saying is usually true
Gutted I discounted Purito because of the fall yesterday!
The early indications are that Froome is going to take some beating here, he looks super strong and in yellow already! Could be the last anyone else sees of that yellow jersey this tour!
The early indications are that Froome is going to take some beating here, he looks super strong and in yellow already! Could be the last anyone else sees of that yellow jersey this tour!
Really need to find a bookmaker for cycling betting. Vuillermoz would have earned me a few pennies there E/W.
Any decent ones for cycling that aren't the usual suspects? Limited at most of the popular ones.
Any decent ones for cycling that aren't the usual suspects? Limited at most of the popular ones.
Vuillermoz 3rd was a good ride -- fighting stuff from Dan Martin and Tony Gallopin made my short list but discounted him on the basis of his best being 16th in FW, but he nevertheless went too early, actually an amateur mistake on this climb as Is freely accepted. Looks like Kwiatkowski just didn't have the legs and was working to get the Panzerwagon into yellow -- my mistake and my apologies if anyone couldn't offload those 23s.
Couldn't believe Froome was still near 3.0 yesterday, thought he'd be closer to evens.
Good point though EB, I'm still waiting until after stage 4.
Good point though EB, I'm still waiting until after stage 4.
Jul 6, 2015 -- 10:33AM, Happybacker wrote:
Gutted I discounted Purito because of the fall yesterday!The early indications are that Froome is going to take some beating here, he looks super strong and in yellow already! Could be the last anyone else sees of that yellow jersey this tour!
Froome will not be in yellow after tomorrow
Lovely stuff from Froome, I'm not complaining, but wouldn't be getting too excited about him sewing this up already.
Gallopin 5th wow. He'll win a stage this tour.
S.Yates 8th and went down in the crash.
S.Yates 8th and went down in the crash.
That wasn't the Nibali of last year ,and Quintana too never looking comfortable.
Contador looked drained at the end of the Giro and I am not surprised he struggled.
Froome has planted a big doubt in their heads .
And Rodriguez on the type of finish is a joy to watch ,and was my favourite pre race.
Contador looked drained at the end of the Giro and I am not surprised he struggled.
Froome has planted a big doubt in their heads .
And Rodriguez on the type of finish is a joy to watch ,and was my favourite pre race.
Yeah I backed J.Rod at Fleche Wallonne this year and I swear he sat right on the front of the bunch on the Mur and didn't even try on purpose. He was 3.5 fav at Fleche and was 9.0 today so maybe he backed himself today. He probably didn't even crash yesterday, just wanted a better price. lol. MURito. Glad I was able to get on a saver live with about 30km to go.
Mollema was disappointing, was there amongst it, but was pedalling squares quite early on, and there was no launch mode whatsoever from him. The Sagan talk was crap -- I knew it -- never suited over this ground -- I should've smashed those 6s. Yes, nugget, have Gallopin penciled-in for a suitable stage already after that ride, might have fought it out if he was more patient, just by brute strength instead of finesse, I guess.
That's a good point, and a good way of looking at it 626, Froome has won a big psychological advantage there -- if he can make his rivals think they can't match him this year than that'll be half the battle won right there. Now we'll see if it has affected any of them and to what degree. And can Froome stay upright tomorrow -- it's going to be dry looks like, that'll help!
Showers for tomorrow it looks like. So hopefully the pack avoid the worst of it.
http://www.accuweather.com/en/fr/cambrai/135579/daily-weather-forecast/13557...
http://www.accuweather.com/en/fr/cambrai/135579/daily-weather-forecast/13557...
Market still likes Quintana's chances, still at 4.0. Froome at 2.3. Thought there might be more of an overreaction. Froome 1'56" up on Quintana is a nice gap. I struggle to see him making that up on MTF's alone, he's going to have to go for a long one, the Tourmalet perhaps.
Froome looks really switched on right now, he could even do well tomorrow. Fairly windy tomorrow by the looks of it and a chance of rain but not until after 6pm.
Froome looks really switched on right now, he could even do well tomorrow. Fairly windy tomorrow by the looks of it and a chance of rain but not until after 6pm.
Thomas, Stannard and Rowe for Sky are excellent cobbles riders, Froome shouldn't lose much time tomorrow but is still yet to ride across the cobbles himself in a race I believe. Quintana is going to have to be on high alert as his team looks the least suited to the cobbles and crosswinds.
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