After a brief rest day, we're back amoungst things with a lumpy day at the Tour.
The Tour de France serves a race through the heart of the Alps. At 164 kilometres, stage 16 travels over four intermediate climbs from La Tour-du-Pin to a punchy finish in Villard-de-Lans.
Cycling history galore in the Villard-de-Lans ski station just southeast of Grenoble. Erik Vanderaerden won a time trial in 1985, Pedro Delgado was victorious in 1987 and 1988, Laurent Fignon took the spoils in 1989 and Erik Breukink in 1990, while Lance Armstrong crossed the line first in 2004. Obviously, the American was later stripped of all of his victories after his doping confessions. No Villard-de-Lance.
The 16th stage commences uphill and after a short drop the Côte de Revel will undoubtedly inspire breakaway specialists. It is a very short climb though and following a lumpy section the Col de Porte appears. The 7 kilometres ascent at 7% is crested after 66.5 kilometres.
A 20 kilometres drop takes the riders back to the valley to tackle the Côte de Revel. The route then continues to La Montée de Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte, which is a steady climb of 14.6 kilometres at 6.5%. The first three riders at the summit gain time bonuses of 8, 5 and 2 seconds.
After cresting La Montée de Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte the riders have roughly 20 kilometres on a slightly downhill plateau ahead of them before the last 2.3 kilometres climb at 6.6% to the line in Villard-de-Lans, Côte 2000.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds. Furthermore, as mentioned, the first three riders over the Montée de Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte are awarded 8, 5 and 2 seconds.
Stage 16 of Le Tour starts at 13.05 and the race is expected to finish around 17.40 – both are local times (CEST).
Lovely. Who should we be watching out for?
The Contenders: a breakaway day? Normally yes but the early moves are having trouble sticking. Today should work because Jumbo-Visma will be only too happy to see riders go up the road and mop up all the time bonuses while UAE Emirates don’t have the strength to lock the race down so that Pogačar could try to take the bonuses.
Bora-Hansgrohe and Team Sunweb collectively offer the obvious picks today. EF Pro would have been the third equal pick but having lost Sergio Higuita and needing resources to shepherd Rigo Uràn they’re a step below, maybe Dani Martinez is freed today. Tiesj Benoot gets a stage to suit and if he’s been nursing a back injury he’s looking better, Marc Hirschi no longer needs an introduction but for all his solo attacking he’s good at uphill sprints. Max Schachmann is Bora’s best shot and having been beaten two days running last week he’s had a bit of time to rest while Lennard Kämna is active but might need to go solo to win as his sprint’s not so strong. Still Dani Martinez (EF Pro Cycling) finds terrain to suit.
What of Ineos? The wheels have come off their bid this year so they’re all free to attack and it’s easier to name the riders who won’t be winning today: Luke Rowe and Egan Bernal. Bernal probably just needs a steady day and he’s not low enough on GC to get a free pass for the day; while Rowe was towing the peloton uphill in years past but pulled on the parking brake the moment the first climb started on Sunday.
Barring a Lazarus-style intervention, the CCC team looks to be folding soon but the riders are admirably cooperating and today Alessandro De Marchi and Greg Van Avermaet look like the best picks.
A trio of French picks. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quickstep) is obvious but he’s not got the magic of last year, still this is an ideal course. Nans Peters (Ag2r La Mondiale) is a local, the finish isn’t far from home but more importantly he’s suited for a course like this. Still, if he is a strong rider he’s not a strong pick for two stages. Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) has looked strong lately but almost too much.
And a few pics to finish, back to stage 15 we go.
big breakaway with the usual suspects plus a couple of ineos
If INEOS go in the break, you'd say this could be a good stage for Kwaito, well, the Kwaito version that won the worlds rather than the slightly dulled mountain domestique version.
Dani Martinez would love this terrain but I think, particularly with Bernal out of things, Uran will fancy a podium so EF will be all in to look after him.
We've not seen much of de Gendt, so maybe it's his day today.
Oh, and the current BC if anyone is interested.
No negative tests reported so all good to go.
What are the chances the Paris parade day gets cancelled ?
What are the chances the Paris parade day gets cancelled ?
Are they doing another mass test before then?
Chances are it will go to the end IMO
Thank you for doing this, Lunge. I love reading it each day.
If they do run the paris staage I suspect it will be strictly no spectators
Nothing to do with the TdF but I was once driving down that Cat 1 climb towards Grenoble in my old Datsun 120Y when the gearbox shat itself. You could say it was raining Datsun cogs 🙂 Luckily, I was then able to freewheel all the way into the industrial zone of the city and only had to pay for a tow-truck to a workshop for a few kms. 🙂
Blimey, just realised that was 33 years ago! Where has the time gone?
Nice, big group up the road and the GC guys all in the main bunch. This could be a relatively easy day for most of the bunch.
Carapaz trying to salvage something for Ineos...
Lemmy seems to be riding an absolute Bomber
... perhaps spesh could get him a silver machine
Really pleased for Kamna, he's worked so hard this year, mostly for no reward up until now
"Is it just me or is it a bit boring this year?". Mrs Anagallis just now, I agreed
“Is it just me or is it a bit boring this year?”
Yeah, even the Inneos/Sky train had the grace to not have a sprinter leading out the whole of the rest of the team over the final climb, thus completely neutralising any other attempts.
Few sub plots in the rest of the top ten maybe, and the points jersey has at least some interest this year but overall JV have completely monopolised it and frankly put a bit of a dampner on it.
Not over yet. For all the excitement last year there was a crap ending. Plenty of talent emerging this year too with Hirschi and today's stage winner not to mention wunderkid.
#prayforwind. Dull is the word. Pogecar sparking it up, but please remove the time bonuses.
Nice interview with Ritchie was more interesting than the race. Surely a future Ineos DS. Back in the fold.