Tour de France! Mid-Mountain Madness
by Mr 60 Percent on Jun 14, 2010 5:05 PM EDT
Email
Print
All Tour stage profiles are up at letour.fr now, not just the high mountain stages. Several of these have an almost Giroesque potential to be fun. Here are just a few that caught my puncher's eye:
Stage 2: Baby Liege. The Stockeu menaces, but there's time to recover for the Rosier. The big guys should be ok, but crash or flat and you're Vino in that Autun stage in 2007. Something bad is going to happen to somebody, and hopefully that somebody will continue riding with his own blood. The Rosier looks ideal for a Haussler or EBH win.
Stage 7: Paging Richard Virenque. Mid-mountain, they say? The stage has 55.6 km, all around 5%. And a stealth summit finish. After Egoi, Amets and Moncoutie get their points, it could be fun behind even with the aces holding back for the summit above Morzine the next day. Now I know why Contador says he might just let himself lose time on the cobbles. Not the most straegic day to have, say, Fofonov or DelaFuente wasting their limited energy protecting yellow.
Stage 12: Pistolero time. Contador has to love this. He doesn't have a real #2 in the high mountains or the engines for the flats, but this stage? Apparently designed in the arboreal tundra of Kazakhstan for a certain team and rider. The last 3 km at 10.1 percent will just be fun. Always is.
Stage 19: Schleckdeath. 52 flat kilometers heading due north in a crosswind just a few km inland. Andy and Frank may get blown into the sunflower fields, never to re-emerge. But if Cancellara can win this time trial by, oh, about 35 minutes, he could make the podium.
57 comments
|
1 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
That last one
I think I see a good ten meters of climbing, which should win Andy back a few milliseconds.
Points race is going to be beyond awesome this year. In fact, I think I will ignore the overall and focus strictly on the maillot vert.
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 14, 2010 5:42 PM EDT reply actions
The nice thing about stage 7 and 12
is that there are uphills at the finish – so as you say – potentially really fun.
Stage 7 is through the Jura mountains, great cycling country
moo
that's stage 12, not 7
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
the climbs aren't that famous
but Station des Rousses at the finish is a fairly big (at least for the Juras) Jura mountain ski station. It has over 100 kms of cross-country ski trails – it’s only 45 minute drive from Geneva
The actual Croix de la Serra has a little statue of Jesus on it being crucified.
moo
I was just about to do the spiel on cross country skiing. I learnt about that during Vancouver.
They have some big race there, no? The Trans Jurassienne or something?
"A mountain is not an obstacle, it is an opportunity" - Robert Millar
Going to catch the stage 7 finish
Excited to see these new stage details. I was grousing about a meeting in Munich eating into my Tour viewing when I saw that the dog leg toward Station des Rousses would bring the bunch within 6 hours or so. Still piecing together all of the logistics, but looks like it’ll go.
Although we may make fun of all the time the Schlecks will lose in a TT like that
the point of this race is that there is only one, and not two as usual, of those long TTs this year.
Still it's aptly titled... "Schleckdeath"
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
Stage 7 is promising !
I’ve had my eye on it for a while. Could be the Montalcino of the Tour. Comes after a week of racing where some contenders will have lost time in the Ardennes or on the cobbles or on some echelons. It comes after the longest stage and before the first high mountains with la Ramaz and Morzine. Call me crazy but this is where Lance has to do something. The old man can’t gain time one on one on Schleck or Contador on the Tourmalet. What we saw today in Suisse is interesting, he seems in much better form than last year where obviously his crash hampered his preparation.
I know I know I’m getting excited hoping for a Tour as open and as thrilling as the Giro but one can only hope. With a Contador not superhuman so far, a better prepared Lance with a strong supporting shack, the Schleck enigmas and a handful of other wannabes, this will hopefully be more uncertain than last year… (PS: I don’t like Lance but I’m just thinking that he has the team and the race IQ to pull something like this).
the start
is not far south of Beaune and chalon sur saone in burgundy – then they head east towards the alps
My St Etienne
friends just contacted me about watching this stage – it’s a Saturday. We’ll probably climb something big like Col du Marchairuz to get over the Juras from geneva and watch near finish.
And Sunday we will likely watch up top at Avoriaz, or possibly on Ramaz as one of them has a chalet there and it will mean a fridge for beers ;)
You are welcome to join
moo
ok thanks mucho!
i still have almost no idea exactly what i’ll be doing this summer for vacation but in one scenario i’d be near there vaguely around that time and could make an excursion. I’m also considering just going to the pyrenees. Been off the bike for 3 weeks now – better start getting back in shape for some epic climbs later this summer. :)))))
i'll be on the avoriaz climb
hope to see you there
also going to be doing the gruyere cycling challenge again this year – remember you and yeehoo talking about it too – will you be there?
by thebongolian on Jun 16, 2010 5:30 AM EDT up reply actions
great
I’ll try and remember to wear PdC kit on avoriaz. (although might only do Ramaz if my wife joins us)
And yes, currently planning to do Gruyère on 8/29 …. I’ll be the guy with the empty beer glasses in front of me at the finish ;)
Glad to hear you are doing it, it’s such a nice event.
moo
ha ha, great,
got us a little pdc trash talking going on here! Bit far for me but i should just htfu and make the drive.
not got a jersey
and hopefully the weather will be too good for arm-warmers but will keep an eye-out
by thebongolian on Jun 16, 2010 8:51 AM EDT up reply actions
I camped in Chalon sur Saone on the way to the Alps last year. Very nice.
"A mountain is not an obstacle, it is an opportunity" - Robert Millar
Also
Bourg de peage… does this have something to do with tollbooths?
by Chris Fontecchio on Jun 14, 2010 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes it was probably a town at the entrance of a baronny...
Where the local lords who take a toll on any traveling goods…
by FrenchKheldar on Jun 14, 2010 11:55 PM EDT up reply actions
conta's not much gonna like it either
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
eh, It is still a TT and compared to other G.C. favorites, he will most likely storm the thing and could probably
gain 1.5-2 minutes on the Schlecks
Tommeke!, Tommeke!, Tommeke!, Tommeke!
by Vlaanderen90 on Jun 15, 2010 2:54 AM EDT up reply actions
wind is conta's enemy
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
That had a decent climb in it
but I think AC will do just fine here too. There’s a bigger chance that he will lose the stage to the pure specialists though.
Thanks for the bump up!
First FanPost. Lots of great stages this year. I didn’t even include the mid-mountain stage 10 to Gap or transitonal Stage 13, which has a nice 2 km @ 6% just a couple km before the line.
With the cobbles, the wind and the myriad types of climby stages and uphill finishes, this is maybe the best Tour course I’ve seen. Only complaint is no TTT. Just hope we get Contador in “Armstrong 2003” mode, so we have a close competition that suits the course.
by Mr 60 Percent on Jun 14, 2010 8:08 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Stage 19 - Cance by 35 minutes...DAMN, he better use size D batteries in the frame to do that...but,
Go Spartacus!
Thanks for the post. The saw blade stages make me excited! Makes it easier to drag myself up again from the post-Giro depression…
Oh my. Its only 3 weeks until
that annual 3 week summer event when the ::ahem:: less regulars flood the cafe & our collective cafeness is tested to its limit.
What does it take to qualify for a regular?
The island I am from demands 3 generations born and raised on the island to be a true islander ;)
by LittleOldLady on Jun 15, 2010 7:56 AM EDT up reply actions
But you're a Saxo fan and a regular...
And you live on an island off the coast of Denmark? That is very very cool… cold I suspect too ;)
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
smile, used to live on the island, now in the big city
by LittleOldLady on Jun 15, 2010 8:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Do you go back there for holidays? It must be amazing in winter...
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Have been back a few times, and it is amazing both summer and winter :)
by LittleOldLady on Jun 15, 2010 8:24 AM EDT up reply actions
It must have been amazing growing up there..
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
I have plenty of fiber in my diet - surely that makes me regular.
Is that what you mean?
by JustJoshinYa on Jun 15, 2010 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions
Nicely done
On the stage 7 terrain map you can really see how they will leave the flats and enter the Jura mountains …. with the higher mountains on their right nearing the end.
moo
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Podium Cafe
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Celebrate the Giro d'Italia at Podium Cafe!
Check our Giro Section for race updates, on-the-scene reports, and other hijinx.
Featured Stories
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recent FanShots
