Tour Stage 3 Preview: Marseille - La Grande-Motte

by crashdan on Jul 5, 2009 12:00 PM EDT

Stage 3 :: Monday July 6, 2009
196.5km :: Marseille - La Grande-Motte

More rolling terrain with lots a passel of 100m and 200m bergs to blunder up. It's Thursday evening and the traffic out to Redlands is choked with some mighty, mighty, Los Angeles holiday traffic (delayed publishing is a beautiful thing) so I'll endeavor to punch out this stage preview with something between lassitude and alacrity.

This is a trip along the sea coast, again. Going from Marseille in the east and heading west along the coast around the Gulfs of Fos and Beauduc to end at La Grande-Motte, which according to the Babelfish means "The Big Mound". Perhaps, one of these days, ASO will finally pay homage to something significant and end a stage in La Grande-Lebowski.

Never fear, traffic ain't so bad that I can't take a moment to ~~steal~~ ~~borrow~~ ~~purloin~~ quote directly from Gavia...

Marseille has frequently played host to the Tour de France. The most recent visit came in 2007 when Cédric Vasseur then riding for Quick Step won stage 10 after a long breakaway. After departing Marseille, the stage passes through Camargue region, an area of marshes and lakes which forms the Rhône River delta. The wetlands of the Carmargue are home to 400 species of birds, including the Flamingo. Little wonder this region is known as the "French Florida." There can be wind in this area, but generally it is not overly strong.

The stage finishes in La Grande-Motte, a resort city best known for its pair of pyramid-shaped hotels and boasting 300 days of sun each year. The Tour de France last visited La Grande-Motte in 1969. Belgian rider Guido Reybrouck, riding for the Faema team, won the stage, while Eddy Merckx wore the Yellow Jersey of race leader.

Courtesy of Gavia's Stage 3 Preview at Steephill.tv

If "Guido Reybrouck" isn't a Steven Seagal character waiting to be created, I'm off my nut. Anyway, Marseille, come on down, you're the next contestant on The Price Is Right!

From Marseilles, we head southward to Le Rove, which is French for "Turd Blossom". Then bend around and come back up to Pennes-Mirabeau, before heading out and up to the day's first traguardo volante.

Once the sprinters have had their way with La Fare-les-Oliviers, it's up the massive Côte de Calissanne, 126m. then on down to Eyguières. That's something I forgot about making stage previews for the Tour. Accents. Not so difficult a task with the Giro, but hell on the English keyboard during Lè Tôur.

The second sprint of the day is in Mouriès, followed by a jinkitty-jink up from Maussane-les-Alpilles up to the Col de la Vayède, 183m. Once over that massive summit, it's down to the place du gourmond [I'm just making this stuff up now :) ] in Paradou.

Bellies full of what I can only imagine is Chicken in Aspic with a nice Côtes du Rhône, it's off to the final intermediate in Arles, then a swift run back to the coast to end the stage in the Town of Big Mound.

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Comments

great preview

as always. Despite the flatitude, I think tomorrow the breakaway could succeed. If there is a good guys, like Voeckler, Feillu… and about 5 or more in the break, this could be succefull. Many teams like Astana, Saxo Bank, Cervelo, Rabo will want to rest for the TTT stage.

What about High Road?They will do the same work that today? I’m pretty sure…

by semprenaroda on Jul 5, 2009 4:14 PM EDT reply actions

You might be right about the break away being successfull.

But then again they probably won’t win by much if Saxo Bank wants to keep the yellow jersey. Time gaps aren’t very big.

If Jens! Voigt was a planet, he' be the "World of Hurt"

by flying dog on Jul 5, 2009 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Please, a successful breakaway, not about to happen.

Still too early, sprinters and teams too fresh, Saxo happy in yellow with Cance, some teams and sprinters missed out on today’s action, etc.

by sminer on Jul 5, 2009 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah

i forgot Saxo yellow jersey, but for a team that wants to win the GC, this isn’t to early too work.,..

by semprenaroda on Jul 5, 2009 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Any team that has a strong desire to win or not lose significant time in the TTT won't want to

burn too many matches chasing a break. Colombia might not care so much, but then again they do have the talent. If Saxo Bank were to send someone (Please let it be Jens!) then maybe they keep the jersey or other teams burn matches chasing the break down.

If Jens! Voigt was a planet, he' be the "World of Hurt"

by flying dog on Jul 5, 2009 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Bah Cavendish stage

the only interesting thing to see is the pyramid hotel in La Grand Motte.

Vamos Alberto!!!

by Phil H. on Jul 5, 2009 4:41 PM EDT reply actions

Now Cav has his own brand of hater-tots and hater-ade being served up at the Cafe.

It’s not out in full production yet, but it seems to be in the making to be a very successful brand.

Someone else brought up how boring today’s stage was because it was so predictable. I don’t get it. You love Federer’s success and the fact that he just bested the record today, no doubt. Watching his talent is a sight to behold and watching him win seems befitting to me. Personalities aside, I feel the same about Cav and the Columbia train. Seeing them do their thing is so impressive, hardly boring.

I’ll go comment on the other comment that this was more directly related to now. Btw, yea Roger, what an amazing final.

by sminer on Jul 5, 2009 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions

I can dislike whomever I want, a ECAVPMO I am

but more so for his personality, just don’t like it. I don’t dislike him for winning a lot, what else should he do? I wish he had more competition to make it more exciting but for now he doesn’t. The bah Cavendish title was just a snarky(button now!) way of saying clear sprint stage that Cav will probably win. I am bored with most sprint stages until the final km, and this one is dead flat for the final 100km or so.

Vamos Alberto!!!

by Phil H. on Jul 5, 2009 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions

lol at ECAVPMO

by sminer on Jul 5, 2009 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions

in every sports

when the tactics correspond perfectly to those who predicted, almost very time, turn the game boring.
For me and i think most of the fans sports, what they admire is the spontaneous and the mistery during the game. So when we see something he already saw like today, i can really argue against some friends who say that cycling is boring…

The sames goes to the domaine in thios year final Euroleague, when Barça beats MAn Utd for example., and one, and one,…

by semprenaroda on Jul 5, 2009 6:52 PM EDT up reply actions

I just don't bother trying to convince anyone that cycling isn't boring.

I would also never try to convince someone that having a kid would make their undying love for their pooch seem silly.

For me, no aspect of the TdF is boring. Cav may be the favorite in every sprint finish, but in this sport you never know what is going to happen in the blink of an eye.

Boring to me, or rather, stupid to me is a football game that is 42-3 with another whole quarter still to play. Why can’t they just resign like in chess I ask. But guys who love the game just sit around and watch and analyze the game until the last second runs off the clock and then they watch all the post game analysis. I scratch my head at them. But if I turned on VS to watch a stage of the TdF, they’d be scratching their heads at me. And the beat goes on.

by sminer on Jul 5, 2009 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions

prob. cause they bet on the point spread ; )

by JFS_PGH on Jul 5, 2009 9:40 PM EDT up reply actions

i was a bit disappointed

in yesterday’s finish. Seems like some other teams could at least make it more difficult. I’m not really pro or anti cav – yesterday a little anti, because it just seemed so predictable and easy for them. His MSR win – now that was exciting. I wouldn’t have minded seeing GHH win that day but man, how can you not be a fan of cav’s speed after seeing that? Well it’s the personality that some people don’t like – i guess i haven’t followed enough of his interviews to get turned off by him. I’d love to see someone manage to challenge the columbia train and at least challenge cav for his wins.

As far as the Fed goes, I’m a fan. Straight set wins are fine.

by yeehoo on Jul 6, 2009 6:03 AM EDT up reply actions