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20Jul 11
Thursday's stage is expected to be pivotal in deciding the overall winner of this year's Tour de France. Stage 18 will include three HC climbs, or "hors categorie". These are climbs that are "beyond categorization", even tougher than Category 1 climbs. The highest climb of the day rises up to 2,774 meters. The stage will end with a climb up to 2,645 meters on the Galibier pass.
Among the contenders are Cadel Evans, defending champion Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck and his brother Frank Schleck. Olympic gold medalist Sammy Sanchez is also in contention. The current yellow jersey-wearer, Thomas Voeckler of France, is doing far better than expected, but he is not considered one of the favorites to win. It would be a major upset for him to hold on and maintain his lead through the incredibly difficult Alpine stage tomorrow.
The climbs are extremely steep, requiring massive power output from the cyclists. The descents are equally steep, requiring top bike handling skills and fearlessness. Some of the top descenders can reach speeds of nearly 70 mph! Thor Hushovd was clocked on an earlier stage at 69 mph.
Friday's stage will be another Alpine climbing stage. On Saturday, the riders compete in an individual time trial, with each cyclist riding alone against the clock. The final stage on Sunday is a largely ceremonial ride into Paris. By tradition, the leaders do not race hard that day (unless the race were somehow tied going into that day). But there are other side competitions. The sprinters compete for the green jersey, which is based on winning stages and intermediate sprints. They will probably compete for the stage win on Sunday. The King of the Mountains competition is associated with the polka dot jersey. The best young rider earns the white jersey.
In the U.S., the Versus channel broadcasts each stage, first with a live broadcast in the morning, then with repeats in the afternoon, in primetime and in the overnight hours. Since Comcast now owns NBC as well as Versus, the online coverage can be found on the NBC Sports website: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/42363489/ns/sports-cycling/
Among the contenders are Cadel Evans, defending champion Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck and his brother Frank Schleck. Olympic gold medalist Sammy Sanchez is also in contention. The current yellow jersey-wearer, Thomas Voeckler of France, is doing far better than expected, but he is not considered one of the favorites to win. It would be a major upset for him to hold on and maintain his lead through the incredibly difficult Alpine stage tomorrow.
The climbs are extremely steep, requiring massive power output from the cyclists. The descents are equally steep, requiring top bike handling skills and fearlessness. Some of the top descenders can reach speeds of nearly 70 mph! Thor Hushovd was clocked on an earlier stage at 69 mph.
Friday's stage will be another Alpine climbing stage. On Saturday, the riders compete in an individual time trial, with each cyclist riding alone against the clock. The final stage on Sunday is a largely ceremonial ride into Paris. By tradition, the leaders do not race hard that day (unless the race were somehow tied going into that day). But there are other side competitions. The sprinters compete for the green jersey, which is based on winning stages and intermediate sprints. They will probably compete for the stage win on Sunday. The King of the Mountains competition is associated with the polka dot jersey. The best young rider earns the white jersey.
In the U.S., the Versus channel broadcasts each stage, first with a live broadcast in the morning, then with repeats in the afternoon, in primetime and in the overnight hours. Since Comcast now owns NBC as well as Versus, the online coverage can be found on the NBC Sports website: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/42363489/ns/sports-cycling/
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