Thomas Voeckler of France was all alone crossing the finish line to win today's Stage 16 of the Tour de France. It was Voeckler's second stage win; both have been mountain stages. When Voeckler broke free at the end, I knew we were in for a great prediction. Below is the comparison between Vockler's winning time and our prediction.
- Stage 16: 5h 35' 02" (actual), 5h 34' 01" (prediction), 01' 01" fast (-0.30% error)
Voeckler is clearly one of the world's best mountain cyclists. Check out his average speed below.
- Stage 16: 9.80 m/s (35.38 km/hr or 21.92 mph)
Ponder for a moment just how impressive that average speed is. Two category 1 climbs and two climbs that are beyond categorization over a total distance of 197.0 km (122.4 miles) -- and Voeckler averaged 9.80 m/s. Impressive!
Tomorrow's Stage 17 is the final mountain stage and picks up where Stage 16 left off, in the spa town of Bagnères-de-Luchon. Besides having to negotiate category 1, 2, and 3 climbs before reaching an hors catégorie climb, cyclists will have to finish the stage with a category 1 climb. The 143.5-km (89.17-mile) stage ends in the ski resort at Peyragudes -- a great ride in the Pyrenees! Below is our prediction.
- Stage 17: 4h 01' 29" (prediction)
Will tomorrow's winner be able to sneak under four hours? Bradley Wiggins continues to look strong while holding onto the yellow jersey. If someone wants to make a move on him, it had better be tomorrow!
Hey Eric,
ReplyDeleteGreat prediction! I'm hoping for a little quicker pace for this stage. I see a time of 3h54'36". I don't have a clue who's going to win, but let's see if Jens Voigt can win the stage. All Wiggins has to do is mark Nibali.
Bob,
ReplyDeleteWe were both a little fast on this one. Those final climbs were just too brutal. Wiggins appears to have this year's race wrapped up.
Eric