Morning folks,
Well then, yesterday was good fun wasn't it? Shame it's the first stage this year I've not managed to watch live... So many questions. Has Roglic now won it? Are Bernal (Thomas looking good in Terrino...)and Yates out of the reckoning? Can Porte finish on the Podium? Who knows, and I suspect today well do almost nothing to help answer those questions.
What's in store? CyclingStages, over to you.
The 14th stage on the Tour de France travels from Clermont-Ferrand to Lyon. The rolling race concludes with a promising finale in the third-largest city of France and its outskirts. Two climbs inside the last 10 kilometres make way for the final 5 kilometres on the flat.
The culinary tradition of Lyon – Capital of Gastronomy – is dense with aromas and taste. Similarly, the menu that the Tour de France serves en route to Lyon is expected to be dense with action. Breakaway specialists will be eyeing this one, but strong sprinters could have it their way also.
The race kicks off in Clermont-Ferrand and takes in the Côte du château d’Aultiribe and Col du Béal in the early hours. The finale is played out within Lyon’s urban area. With 11 kilometres to go the riders tackle the Côte de la Duchère: 1.6 kilometres at 4.1% with the first half toughest at 6.8%. The route continues over the Côte de la Croix-Rousse – 1.8 kilometres at 4.5% – with 5 kilometres remaining.
The riders descend towards the Rhône and the last 2 kilometres along the river are flat.
The Tour de France served a similar – although not exactly the same – finale in 2013. Matteo Trentin brought the breakaway home by winning the sprint ahead of Michael Albasini and Andrew Talansky.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds.
Stage 14 of Le Tour starts at 13.05 and the race is expected to finish around 18.00 – both are local times (CEST).
Who's in the mix then? Inrng have, as always, got our backs.
The Contenders: today’s stage scales the Col du Béal but it’s a more gentle side of the climb. Still it’s a tough climb to filter the riders so today’s picks need to be able to get over this climb and then have the zip in their legs for the finale in Lyon. It’s a stage half the peloton will have picked. Greg Van Avermaet (CCC) is the archetypal rider for today even if his win rate is low. Similar riders are CCC team mate Matteo Trentin and future team mate Oliver Naesen (Ag2r La Mondiale). Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quickstep) has burned up a lot of energy over the past two days, perhaps this terrain suits more but he ought be rinsed by now so maybe Bob Jungels is a better pick?
Clément Venturini (Ag2r La Mondiale) is a local which doesn’t mean he’s any faster but if he can get in the breakaway he’s got a chance. Alberto Bettiol (EF Pro Cycling) is hunting stages and today’s terrain suits. Trek-Segafredo’s Jasper Stuyven can cope with the late climbs and win a sprint while Cofidis could try to play Simone Consonni, an Italian version of Bryan Coquard. Maybe Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), a shoe-in in previous years, now a marginal pick. Otherwise let’s through in some hanseatic riders known by their initials, Søren Kragh Andersen (Team Sunweb), Edvald Boasson Hagen (NTT) and Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) is a sweeper pick if somehow it all comes together for a bunch sprint but it’s hard to see. Finally the obvious breakaway nobility are Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) but he’s not looking incisive and Alessandro de Marchi (CCC) who’s been discreet so far but posted a great ride in the Italian TT championships so the form must be there.
And we finish as ever over at CyclingTips for some pics of the day before. Do check the full gallery out each day, there are always some stunning pics.
To begin, the French village.
Rolling hills.
Not seen to many lively fans this year.
A key moment?
And to finish, I just liked this pic.
morning lunge, and thanks again for these
yesterday was exciting but was just a threshold war really in the GC - some output though, if some of the claims are correct!
I only got the highlights but Bernal looked fragile qute early on, well before the big push, then came out & said he rode at his "best numbers" and the others were just too fast
either a spring spent on the turbo has done wonders for these guys ... or something else has
Would love to be there today!
I’m being optimistic and backing the break today, de Marchi for a solo effort.
I think Roglic landed the GC win yesterday. He's consistent and has the best team so unless there's a crash or illness then I can't see him losing much time on the last TT, if any (and he'll go last which is a benefit). Won't make the tour any less fun though 🙂 hoping Sam Bennett can hold onto green, will be interesting to watch.
I suspect the sprinters will survive the col du beal and the break will be swept up, Caleb Ewan for the stage
I suspect the sprinters will survive the col du beal and the break will be swept up, Caleb Ewan for the stage
Bora-Hansgrohe seem to have other ideas on that one...
@theotherjonv, if you’re on Twitter he also posts about bad military engineering as Dreadnought Holiday. The style is the same.
the literature interludes are wonderful (on the bike radar thread, I mean)
Wow, what a finish today.
I'm really enjoying this tour as a collection of 1 day races.
It's great, when the gc guys are less interested it turns into a bit of a classics day
Sunweb DS = MOTHER FLIPPING GENIUS!
Wow, what a finish today.I’m really enjoying this tour as a collection of 1 day races.
For the first time in years, the Green Jersey competition is actually a competition, not just a case of giving it to Sagan on Day 1 or 2 and having done with it. B-H sort of did half a job - they got rid of Sam Bennett but then couldn't get Sagan to the line first although he did cut the deficit down. That said, Trentin is only 50 points behind Sagan so if he can deliver as well, it should be a really good final week.
Sunweb have shown great tactical thought into how to make a team that is far from the strongest (on paper) actually work together, deliver results and also show some flair in doing so.
Big mountain finish tomorrow so back to being a GC race for a bit. Stage 19 is the only "flat" one left before Paris really.
Great stage today - very entertaining
What computer are sunweb using?
Sigma, apparently quite popular in Germany (according to D.C. rainmaker), it’s on the Sunweb team website if you want to buy it.
Cheers! Not interested in buying it just looked like an old windows phone!
Having done the square root of sweet FA I'm glad to see Movistar knocked off the team classification lead by a proper attacking team, EF.
Love Sunweb as well, tactical tour de force!