So, who do you think will get 2nd and 3rd?
I sent a tweet out after watching the stage that said: “Final podium – Wiggins, Froome, Evans.†Maybe that’s a bit premature but I’m not so sure.
As someone who loves the Tour de France I’m disappointed that the gaps now are so large for the yellow jersey – insurmountable barring some unforeseen catastrophe for Wiggins. I keep thinking back to the 2011 Tour and there was so much drama and excitement – stage after stage with the podium not being decided until the final time trial the day before Paris. Now except for the other two spots on the podium there is nothing left to compete. Wiggins has a secure hold on the yellow with 1:53 over Evans.
Evans lost 1:43 to Wiggins in a time trial – a gargantuan amount of time to make up. I thought Wiggins would likely win, but not gain that kind of time. The yellow jersey hunt ended today.
Wiggins will not lose 1:53 to Evans in the next 2 weeks as long as he’s on the bike. The bigger question for Evans is – can he hold 2nd place on the podium.
Did Evans have a bad time trial today or did Wiggins and Froome have extraordinarily great ones? And how about this – Sylvain Chavanel beat Evans time by :19!
Besides the Sky dynamic duo, Tejay Van Garderen, Chavanel, Cancellara, Nibali and Menchov had solid performances today. Nibali and Menchov are still in the hunt, particularly Nibali. With his ability to climb and descend he could secure the 2nd place spot before the Tour leaves the mountains. Evans will continue to fight and if there is an opening to gain time he’ll take it. So will Froome, so will Nibali as they all fight for the other two spots on the final podium. Stage 11 looms large.
Stage results:
- 1. Bradley WIGGINS, Sky, in 51:24
- 2. Christopher FROOME, Sky, at :35
- 3. Fabian CANCELLARA, RadioShack-Nissan, at :57
- 4. Tejay VAN GARDEREN, BMC Racing, at 1:06
- 5. Sylvain CHAVANEL, Quick Step, at 1:24
- 6. Cadel EVANS, BMC Racing, at 1:43
- 7. Peter VELITS, Omega Quick Step, at 1:59
- 8. Vincenzo NIBALI, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 2:07
- 9. Denis MENCHOV, Katusha, at 2:08
General classification:
- 1. Bradley WIGGINS, Sky, at 39:09:20
- 2. Cadel EVANS, BMC Racing, at 1:53
- 3. Christopher FROOME, Sky, at 2:07
- 4. Vincenzo NIBALI, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 2:23
- 5. Denis MENCHOV, Katusha, at 3:02
- 6. Haimar ZUBELDIA AGIRRE, RadioShack-Nissan, at 3:19
- 7. Maxime MONFORT, RadioShack-Nissan, at 4:23
- 8. Tejay VAN GARDEREN, BMC Racing, at 5:14
- 9. Jurgen VAN DEN BROECK, Lotto-Belisol, at 5:20
- 10. Nicolas ROCHE, Ag2r La Mondiale, at 5:29
Are you sure things are quite so set in stone as they seem to be? After all, the mountains can often change fortunes quite dramatically. Also, what is the biggest time gap ever overcome? Didn’t Armstrong come back from being almost 20 minutes back at one time…or maybe he was in 20th place one year…I forget. Either way, it seems to me some pretty big deficits have been overcome in the past.
Not in recent times, to my knowledge, including LA’s tours, not at this stage of the race. I don’t know what the largest time gap ever overcome was. I searched but didn’t find anything quickly. It seems over to me given the strength of Sky and Wiggins and the nearly 2 minute gap.The guy that would be most likely to beat Wiggins if he was a leader is his own teammate Froome.
We’ll certainly know more after tomorrow but particularly Stage 11. One thing about Evans is he will not give up, he is a fighter. Nibali is determined too, Evans and Nibali, Menchov.. Vanden Broeck could work together and gain ground that way. If they could isolate Wiggins I don’t think he would handle the pressure well at all and he could end up in trouble and lose time…. who knows. Thanks for reading and commenting, Steve.