Well, this looks a like a beast of a day doesn’t it? Let’s see what’s in store.

he 104th Tour de France is often introduced as little mountainous compared to previous editions, but the contenders of stage 9 might not think so when they’ll hit the difficulties. Such a stage is unprecedented in the history of the event. Col de la Biche (doe), Grand Colombier and Mont du Chat (cat) are some of the steepest climbs to be experienced on French soil. Col de la Biche will be a first time, only 60km after the start in Nantua. Grand Colombier has been done in 2012 and 2016 but it has four versants and this one via Virieu-le-Petit is the hardest one, called the “directissime” because it has very few curves. The first four kilometers have an average gradient of 13% with sections at 22%. And the downhill is extremely technical and definitely scary. Mont du Chat has been used only once before by the Tour de France and it gave Raymond Poulidor the opportunity to drop Eddy Merckx off in 1974. Fewer people in France remember that Merckx eventually won that stage at Aix-les-Bains. The rehearsal of Mont du Chat at last month’s Critérium du Dauphiné evidenced that it’s steep enough for Fabio Aru to ride away solo on those slopes. Having reckoned it, Chris Froome declared after taking his third yellow jersey at Les Rousses that he expects the race to be blown right up. He underlined the importance of the downhill on that day. Romain Bardet knows the terrain as well. He’s highly awaited in Chambéry, the home of his AG2R-La Mondiale team. He admitted that he seldom went training up the Mont du Chat when he used to live in Chambéry because it’s too hard… This wild world of mountains at a relatively low altitude (1500 metres max) will put the peloton of the Tour de France in the unknown.

Off to the Inrng we go for the runners and riders:

The Contenders: the breakaway has a chance today. After yesterday’s mania those who managed to save some energy could go clear on the first climb and find a peloton behind only too happy to let them go. Also, as hard as this stage is, the big team leaders will want their helpers beside them for as much of the stage as possible. But the closer they get to the Mont du Chat the fiercer the pace from those helpers who are left and then the big names can have a showdown on the final climb. Remember they only need attack in the final kilometres of this climb to take a minute on rivals.

Fabio Aru looked irresistible on the way to the Planche des Belles Filles and you’ll remember he was first to the top of the Mont du Chat in the Dauphiné last month too. If he can get over the top with 20 seconds then he could be hard to pull back and he has to try a move like this, he needs to take time on the mountain stages because the Marseille time trial will cost him. But as good as he is on the climbs he like other contenders is far from a certainty in the flat finish today.

Romain Bardet is almost the local. He’s not from the finish but spent time as an amateur with Ag2r La Mondiale’s excellent feeder squad, as did Pierre Latour but this doesn’t make them any faster or motivated given the enormity of the stage ahead. Bardet packs a decent sprint too.

Faster in the sprint is Dan Martin. The Quick Stepper is in great shape and showed on the road to La Planche des Belles Filles he can climb with the best. That was a short climb but Martin should also be at ease on these steep climbs.

Simon Yates (Orica-Scott) had a great performance at La Planche des Belles Filles to make up for the lost time at Longwy. We’ll soon know more about his form and he’s a very quick finisher amid a group of climbers.

Chris Froome (Team Sky) turned himself into a potent descender. It’s not something that often happens mid-career but he’s turned it into a weapon. However it’s not elegant to watch as he shifts weight and position like a slalom skier rather than flowing down the mountain and this intense style looks scary. Still if the forecast rain appears he can put Richie Porte under huge pressure here. We’ll see what Geraint Thomas does, he’s still second on GC and can sprint fast but the mountains are likely to be too much.

Richie Porte was close to the stage win in the Dauphiné over the Mont du Chat, he should be close again but sprinting isn’t his strong point nor is descending and if the forecast rain appears he could be nervous on the descents.

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) had a relatively bad climb to the Planche des Belles Filles but if he’s in contention today’s route suits him more with the succession of steep climbs. Meanwhile if Alberto Contador is going to stir things up today’s route offers plenty but he can’t wait until the Mont du Chat, will he dare to go before?

Outside picks are Jarlinson Pantano (Trek-Segafredo) who won a stage last year on some of these roads but he could be on duty for Alberto Contador. Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data) sat out yesterday’s action, was he saving himself for today? Pierre Rolland (Cannonale-Drapac) could take a big lead in the mountains competition with three HC climbs along the way but easier said than done with the Giro in his legs, ditto Thibaut Pinot (FDJ). Fresher candidates are Lotto-Jumbo’s George Bennett and UAE Emirates’ Darwin Atapuma. Rafa? Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Rigoberto Urán (Cannonale-Drapac) both suffer from being close on GC so they’ll have little room to attack but if they can go clear maybe the others hesitate.

And to finish, a look back to yesterday.
The Sky train

The Gruppeto

No discs for Kittel yesterday.

Roche, deep in the pain cave

The victor, hell of a ride.

Skinwalls FTW!

Tommy V for the stage, Froome to gain.

Edit – Just seen the weather forecast for Cat Mountain. “Averses orageuse”

😯

Great stage yesterday, truely great.

Today, weeeellllllll…. if if IF Aru or Martin can break away from the Sky roadblock then these two could fight it out, but deep down I think it’ll be a breakaway and my call yesterday for Attapuma or Pantano or… if Rolland gets his winning head on then him.. or another call from yesterday Danny Navarro.

I really can only see today’s stage being controlled by Sky once again, anyone who punts off the front for time to piss will be ejected by Kwiack’s overbearing frown of death. It’s a dull day when a stage like today will see the GC contenders lick each other’s bottom bracket and not leave the confines of a comfy chair near the fire with Zwift on. But that’s modern TdF racing, probably why the ASO booted out Sags to create some interest in the race.

Would love to see Feillu climb like he’s done in the past, I know it’s a bit cruel but he’s sort of lost the will to win.

Anyone know why the descent from cat mountain is supposed to be a potential game changer. Is it really that difficult?

Nairo to do nothing is the only cert of the day

As per above Sky wil control the GC although in the wet crashes could be key. From OPs intro “too steep to train on” 😯

id like to see a gc escape like the vuelta up Colombier

Anyone know why the descent from cat mountain is supposed to be a potential game changer. Is it really that difficult?

The du Chat? Yes, tricky, see the Dauphine stage earlier in the year. Still quite a long run to the line after the descent though.

Nairo to do nothing is the only cert of the day

Well the really steep stuff is supposedly his playground so if he wants to win the Tour he needs to start doing it today.

Froome absolutely flew down du chat in the dauphine.

I rode ‘the chat’ 2 days ago. It’s a tough little cookie!

The decent though is amazing! It’s as near singletrack riding as you’ll find on the road, very fast as it’s steep (12%) but flowing, flicking corners. Awesome! I think the danger element comes from the fact it’s steep and not very wide so if it goes wrong, you’re off the road, it’s not got exposure though.

really hoping this is the day the tour erupts properly and hopeful for an epic day for the tour
Cheers OP good to see you keeping alive the tradition and so well…if STW had podium girls you would be quids in 😉

I rode ‘the chat’ 2 days ago. It’s a tough little cookie!

I love STW! Ask a question and you get someone who rode it a coupe of days ago. Thanks for all the replies. I missed it on the Dauphine.

I think one of the major issues on the chat descent as well, as its really twisty and you only need a small gap and you’re out of sight and away

smashed shoulder for Manuele Mori out the back, screams of pain were not great, you’d have thought they would switch feeds

Trek, BMC and Movistar all with 2 riders in the break. Curious not to see Sky put some up there. I guess it’s defence rather than attack for them today.

Betancur best placed rider on GC in the group at 3.17 down. Keep getting told he’s slimmed down and back to his best, be good to see what he can do, though probably on duty for Nairo today.

Looks like Betancur in virtual yellow thanks to Sunweb forcing the pace.

Surprised Sky have let this one get so far out. Still a long way to go, be interesting to see what the gap is and what the break looks like at the top of the Colombier. Maybe they think if Becancur gets enough of a gap he’Il not be as much help to Quintana and happy to let Movistar have pressure of yellow.

Risks mean crashes, some carnage at the front of the break there. Could be some fallers in the main field here if somebody gets it wrong

on the gap the local aussie feed went with Sky happy to let yellow go as nobody in the break is a threat long term though pace just picked up to get in the front for the descent.

they’ve gone up that with the cigars out. can’t remember such a large peloton going over a hc climb.

AG2R are off the front though, looks like some BMC following

I’ve have thought Betancur a reasonable GC threat given his form is a bit unknown.

Sky might not mind letting the yellow slip for a few days.

Stage 17 is where it’s at….

GT is down

aye looking very difficult out there lets hope they all make it home

😯 scary descent
Shame it’s not dry – bit too much of a lottery

Is it safe to stop holding my breath until the next wet descent yet?

Porte and Froome just made it onto the cameras

This is nuts.

This brilliant so far out

Looks like Contador might have been caught out. Not in the Froome group.

Just making a kick back for Bertie blood on the elbow so either been down or off for a steak

and Thomas taking the curse of my Fantasy team, in the ambulance with suspected broken collar bone

aye he is out of the tour 🙁

🙁

From the way he was sitting after the crash I was pretty sure GT had done a collarbone. Real shame.

Going to be interesting to see how this changes the lead out at the final climb today for Froome, some attrition today here

Bertie just fell off the bike on the climb, going to be a hell of a day

he was clipped from behind

yeah, lame push off from the spectator there!!

Sky being put in trouble here though??

Clipped by Quintana apparently.

for those wanting more updates (from previous threads)
http://livetracking.letour.fr/?utm_source=dimensiondata.com&utm_medium=TDF_Microsite&utm_campaign=TDF2017&utm_content=TDF_LiveTrackingSite&utm_SFDC_CampaignID=701D0000000bua0&utm_SFDC_Offer=TDF_LiveTrackingSite#/stageprofile
The dimension data full live tracking