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Really looking forward to this stage, Ventoux twice sounds awesome.
The 11th stage of the Tour de France takes in a double ascent of the Mont Ventoux. The race amounts to 198.9 kilometers and finishes with a descent into Malaucène.
The riders clip into their pedals in Sorgues. The first 30 kilometers are flat before the Côte de Fontaine-de-Vaucluse (1.9 kilometers at 6%) and Côte de Gordes (2.5 kilometers at 5.1%) offer a gentle way to warm-up the legs.
The real uphill action begins at the foot of the Col de la Liguière, which is a 9.3 kilometers climb at 6.7%. The route then descend slightly for 12.5 kilometers to enter Sault. Perched on a rocky outcrop and amidst fields of lavender, the fortified village is the start of the sweetest route up the Beast of the Provence: 22 kilometers at 5.1%.
The riders fly down the Ventoux to move through Malaucène for the first time. Another 12.5 kilometers on rolling roads later the riders reach Bédoin, which is where the Ventoux begins for real. On this side the ascent is 15.7 kilometers long and the average gradient sits at 8.8%.
The first section through the woods is extremely tough - 3 kilometers at 10% - before it 'levels out' to 7.5% in the following 7 kilometers. After Chalet Reynard the scenery changes to a lunar landscape without any vegetation, as if climbing the moon. This section is roughly 6 kilometers long and rises at almost 8%. The last 2 kilometers go up at 9.5%.
The last Tour de France stage winner on Mont Ventoux was Thomas De Gendt. In 2016, the stage was shortened and finished at Chalet Reynard, since wind gusts reached 130 kilometers per hour on the bald section of the Bald Mountain. Meanwhile, Chris Froome crashed on the lower slopes, which inspired him to an unforgetable version of 'Run to the hills'.
The last race winner on Mont Ventoux was Miguel Ángel López. On the 8th of June, the Colombian climbed to a commanding victory in the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge .
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds. Furthermore, 8, 5 and 2 seconds are available after the second ascent of the Ventoux.
So then, who's in the mix, a GC day, pure climbers?
Tadej Pogačar (UAE) is the safe pick given he can outride the others, take 30 seconds over the top and he can stay away. But today should be for the breakaway, so many strong riders have given up on the overall classification, either by election prior to the race or because of events and this helps create a self-fulfilling prophecy where enough strong riders go clear so that the UAE team can’t chase them back.
Are Ineos riding for a safe podium? Today might help tell us more, they paced Richard Carapaz to Tignes and was this to keep Pogačar in yellow so he gets all the pre and post stage routines, or to defend Carapaz’s fifth overall? They have the team today to exploit the whole course and try to crack the UAE team before Mont Ventoux. Easier said than done and they may prefer to see if Carapaz can win the stage instead with a late move or even from a small group sprint.
The problem for the breakaway is breaking away, if it takes too long for a move to form then it might not be able to build up enough of a lead. The top-13 riders are grouped within 12 minutes and after that comes Dylan Teuns (Bahrain) at 20 minutes. He has a good chance today, as do team mates Wout Poels and Matej Mohorič. Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic) will want to be in the break for the mountains competition alone. Simon Yates and Esteban Chaves are two cards to play for Bike Exchange, normally Yates excels in picking off stages like this but hasn’t looked as sharp, normal with the Giro in his legs.
Astana are here stage hunting but haven’t been in the mix yet. Jakob Fuglsang has all the attributes for today, arguably he first made a name for himself as an ex-MTB rider with the CSC team on Ventoux.
Michael Woods (Israel) is looking strong, but not sophisticated, he if can manage his energy better he should be a strong pick. Team mate Dan Martin has the experience and craft for today but has cut a more discreet presence so far.
Finally Jumbo-Visma have had a torrid time but with the warmer weather Sep Kuss has a better chance here.
It should be a great afternoon viewing....followed by quiet roads from 1945 to 2145 for a bike ride. Happy days
I think if Pogacar wasn't such a nailed on cert for podium, this might have been quite a good stage, I guess ASO had exactly that in mind when designing the route, the hope that there might be a 5-6 GC contenders all within 5 minutes.
As it is, I can imagine it being a bit of a damp squib, the sort of stage that promises a lot on paper but then doesn't amount to much on the day.
Nice weather is forecast though which helps.
Yeah, I'm expecting a quiet day. The sprint teams don't want any dangerous time gaps that might risk losing Cav and his ilk to the time cutoff, so DQS et al might also ride to shut down breaks. I can't see a big break getting away or in fact any break being allowed much rope.
as above, I expect DQS to shut everything down which means the first hour will be chaotically fast as the "wrong" people try to get away and get shut down
Well I've set the box to record the live coverage so it'll be this evening's viewing.
No idea who'll get the win today, I just hope Cav makes it through the stage safely.
Reading the summary above, i almost forgot that Dan Martin was in the race, he has been very quiet. Would like to see him or Yates come alive.
From the Cav pov, and let's face it that's all we're interested in now 😉
Hope is that a break of no-contenders goes, gets a decent but not too big lead and then the race goes at cafe pace until the second ascent with the bunch and Cav 10 mins behind the leaders. Then even if the GC riders clip off to chase down the break and try to outpodium each other there's not enough time to get lost that elimination becomes a problem.
Worry - is that a group of podium contenders gets away, even if UAE aren't worried then all the other GC teams are still fighting and it's relentless from the gun, and Cav's on the rivet all day/DQS have to ride all day to contain it.
If I was a team with a sprinter and a podium contender still in the ranks that's what I might be trying to do - with the risk being that you might eliminate your own sprinter..... but for example Bora getting Kelderman in the break knowing that Sagan won't struggle to make the time. JV with van Aert capable of contending in sprints if the big names were cleared out......
Why is Alaphilippe pushing for a break in the first KMs? I would have thought that DQS would be looking to keep the speed down the breaks to a minimum?
Going through Pernes Les Fontaines at some point I believe where I had a lovely family hols a few years ago and used a day to get up Ventoux. Shame today's route doesn't include Gorge de la Nesque as that was absolutely stunning.
Why is Alaphilippe pushing for a break in the first KMs? I would have thought that DQS would be looking to keep the speed down the breaks to a minimum?
Because if DQS are represented in the break, they can control it a bit. Also handy to have a rider up the road and ready to drop back if required.
And it gives DQS a legitimate reason not to chase the break down - we have a rider up there, we're not doing any work on the front to pull it back.
big wide roads making this difficult to control
Tony Martin in a ditch! 🙁
And now abandoned
Panzerwagen taken away for fixing 🙁
Tony Martin in an ambulance 🙁
he's walking but he looks dazed and his leg looks bloody
Alaphillipe and Quintana off the front and pushing hard
nbt
Full Member
he’s walking but he looks dazed and his leg looks bloody
The look of "I've ****ing had it with this race"
Alaphillipe though the intermediate sprint 35 seconds ahead of the peloton on his own, being chased by a group including Dan Martin, Neilson Powless and Jaokub Fuglsang (16 seconds or so at the moment)
G out the back with Cav, seems to be moving up now or perhaps not
Alaphillipe and Quintana off the front and pushing hard
Wonder if Quintana will hang onto his KOM jersey today? Double points on the second ascent of Ventoux. Only 11 points in it between the top 3.
I do find it slightly ironic that the KOM jersey quite routinely seems to go to riders who snaffle up all the "lower" climbs and then are nowhere in the big mountains. That was always the tactic of Richard Virenque. Well, that and a load of drugs.
Cav getting back into the G group
I do find it slightly ironic that the KOM jersey quite routinely seems to go to riders who snaffle up all the “lower” climbs and then are nowhere in the big mountains. That was always the tactic of Richard Virenque. Well, that and a load of drugs.
That is a big like the Green jersey often going to someone who has one the least actual sprint stages like Sagan, both jerseys often seem about "playing the game" not actual stage wins...
Good tactics by Alaphillipe and DQS, control the break and don't let it get away, last thing they want is a stage like that won by Ben O'Connor, where breakaway riders wins by minutes and GC bunch let him, giving a great gap to the grupetto, plus him getting the intermediate sprint points, means a sprinter contesting Cav doesn't get them
Going to be almost as nail biting wishing Cav over the mountains in time, as it is watching him sprinting!
But imagine being in one of the Conti teams and getting into the breakaway to look over your shoulder and see the rainbow bands are with you......bugger...
Hope Dan Martin speaks good French - can't be easy being the lone non-Frenchie in the break!
Why are INEOS riding?
Why are INEOS riding?
Even Peter Kennaugh can't work it out!
Their tactics have been a bit of a mystery, especially the bit where they shut down the AG2R move.
It's all part of an Anglo-French charm offensive 🤔
C'mon Dan Martin!
Also confused re Ineos. Giving UAE a free ride today. Who is in the break to threaten Carapaz? G looks like he'll be out the back by the time they get to the business end of the stage. Froome also looking ropey.
especially the bit where they shut down the AG2R move
You mean today (been working) or the Ben O'Connor day?
Because if the latter, as per the preview up there was it to keep Pogacar in yellow and bugger him about doing all the pre and post stage interviews, etc.
7 mins to Cav and the sprinters now. Not a cafe ride day then.
You mean today (been working) or the Ben O’Connor day?Because if the latter, as per the preview up there was it to keep Pogacar in yellow and bugger him about doing all the pre and post stage interviews, etc.
I meant the Ben O'Connor day.
Pogacar is just sitting on their wheels like "thanks for the tow guys!"
I can’t see a big break getting away or in fact any break being allowed much rope.
LOL, 5 mins at 113km
Why are INEOS riding?
As pointed out by some on stage 9 they are keeping Pogcar and UAE under pressure. They do this by riding on the front as if they were in yellow which tires the UAE riders out......
They riding as the Intermarche Wanty Gobert of GC teams, get on the front for the TV time then get pasted by the real contenders
Boardman suggesting that if the sprinters are beyond cutoff but allowed in the rules might be interpreted as losing the points for the stage only?
No point reading the rules, ASO make them up as they go along.
Boardman suggesting that if the sprinters are beyond cutoff but allowed in the rules might be interpreted as losing the points for the stage only?
No point reading the rules, ASO make them up as they go along.
No, the rules have been discussed already. If there is a sufficiently large group outside the time limit, the race committee can decide to reinstate that group for the good of the race - it would be a pretty boring race if 70 racers went out at once and left only 2 sprinters of note to battle out the final sprint on the champs elysees. If this happens though the reinstated riders lose points in the subcompetitions like green jersey points etc. It is not likely to happen for smaller groups, e.g. 7 went out on the tignes stage for finishing outside the time limit including the french sprinter Demare and Coquard
Quintana blown.... Gaudu blown.... and this is the easy side. stepping off all over the place
Tiesj Benoot and Dan McLay have abandoned.
Dan is one of Bouhanni's leadout men so that plays into Cav's favour.
Tiesj Benoot and Dan McLay have abandoned.
and Tosh van der Sande
They really don't just make up the rules as they go along. That's just a weird meme.
It might be fair to say that when the rules give the commissaires discretion they sometimes exercise it in surprising (or seen differently wholly predictable) ways.
But the points penalty is not really written so it can be interpreted in a variety of ways. You lose all your points in the general classification for each competition. I suppose there is scope to do it by extending the time limit rather than rescuing riders outside it. That is possible in exceptional unforeseen circumstances and leaves everyone's points intact. But why would they? Cav, whatever he says, is counting stages not points. And any other points contenders who fight to get there in time would expect the rules to be applied.
Dan Martin blown.
Ineos are marketing their new car in this, apparently the new Grenadier comes with a bunch engine.....
IGMC
Not sure on Ineos tactics, does any reckon they have signed Pogacar secretly for next year in return for actually acting as his team in this Tour?? He doesn't need a UAE team, he can just sit behind Ineos..
bunch engine…..
Was just thinking that their "tactics" were very similar to the usual annoying 3rd Cat who sits on the front and tows the entire bunch back to every break before fading dramatically and finishing nowhere.
Every amateur race has one. 😉
Ventoux looking amazing in the pics.
perhaps Carapaz isn't feeling great and they didn't want him exposed ? otherwise it's an odd one. Or they don't know how to ride any other way and are just assuming Carapaz is in yellow or one Covid test from it.
risk losing Cav and his ilk to the time cutoff, so DQS et al might also ride to shut down breaks.
Educate me.
How does one shut down a break?
I can understand how the peleton might go faster in order to catch a break, which might be deemed "shutting down" but essentially this surely just results in a higher speed that is trickier for Cav to keep up. No?
Or I guess if a DQS rider was in the break then he could soft pedal when he's on the front to slow the break down. But then surely they'd just ride around him?
Did you mean either of the above, or something else?
PS. If anyone can recommend a video explaining all the nuances of stage races then I'd love to see it.
Cheers
And another thing, when people referr to the team helping Cav round the mountains... tell me what that actually entails... clearly they can get in front if him and shield him from the wind, but isn't that of negligible value on 8% uphill gradients?
Tell me.
it's nice to have a wheel to follow, and someone to pass you a gel/bottle and offer encouragement. Alone up that mountain would be soul destroying.
Especially if it is venteuse