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Finally, we're back into the hills. After 2 days of flat lands and sprints, we're off into the hills and I for one can't wait. Lets see what's in store.
Following sprint finishes won by Marcel Kittel in the south west of France, the Tour hits the Pyrenees with a so-called “marathon stage” that includes four major climbs in a 214.5km long race finishing uphill at Peyragudes. Col des Ares, col de Menté, Port de Balès and col de Peyresourde are on the menu in the last 100km. Peyragudes hosted a stage finish for the first time five years ago. Alejandro Valverde won up there, so did Alexandre Geniez at the 2013 Vuelta a España, but it's a different finale this time around. The winner will be crowned at the altiport of the French Pyrenees. The movie Tomorrow Never Dies in the James Bond series was filmed in this location before going on screen twenty years ago. The last kilometer has sections with a gradient of 16%.
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The finish? Hard, in a word.
The Finish: a final climb of 2.4km at 8.4%. Normally that would be hard enough to separate riders but instead there’s a sting in the tail. The ski station of Peyragudes has featured in the Tour in 2012 but this time it’s very different. Instead of taking the road into the ski station they use the “altiport” airport runway which has been resurfaced earlier this year and the slope hits 20% with the final 200m averaging 16% just before the road levels out to the line. This promises a slow motion end.
Who to back? Well, for the first time in a while the answer is "not kittel", so who? Inrng have got you covered.
The Contenders: this is a good day for the breakaway to stay away. If today is hard, tomorrow’s 100km sprint across the Pyrenees will have the GC riders and their teams wanting to stay as fresh as possible. But all the more reason for some teams to send outsiders up the road and put pressure on.When the breakaway goes clear only a strong climber can hope to win the stage. It’ll be the usual lottery to go clear, it needs the right riders going away at the right time. Warren Barguil is 14 minutes down and in the hunt for more polka dot points. He’s climbing very well and at ease on any kind of slope, from long climbs to sharp walls which means he’s good for the finishing straight. Pierre Rolland could show but can he go in the break now that team mate Uran has a shot at the podium? This and the Giro in his legs makes him a low pick. Fellow girino Thibaut Pinot is still looking a little short of form but should try today as his chances are higher than tomorrow. Stephen Cummings was many people’s pick for Stage 8, perhaps he’ll try today, he can climb very well but today could still be a tall order. Now they’re without their leader BMC Racing will attack and Alessandro De Marchi is a good mountain raider but it’s been a long time since he’s won, maybe because he’s been riding for others while Damiano Caruso rode for himself to take second place in the Tour de Suisse so he looks a better pick.
Back to the GC contenders and if they and their teams keep the race tight then like last Sunday they could have the breakaway brought back. All the top GC contenders seem to be climbing at a very similar rate. Chris Froome looked strong on the Mont du Chat and is an obvious contender for the stage win, does he track his rivals and try to snipe the win in the finishing straight and pocket the time bonus or launch a longer range move on the Peyresourde to land knock-out punch he’s still to deliver to his rivals? Fabio Aru can try another attack, we can debate the etiquette of his opportunist move on the Mont du Chat but tactically it was a bad idea, a sudden acceleration on such a steep climb required a huge increase in power and he paid for it, now he can try to pick his moment more carefully but can he count on Jacob Fuglsang? The Dane has two broken bones after a crash yesterday. Dan Martin could have won in Chambéry were it not for Richie Porte crashing in front of him and we’ll see how sore he still is but otherwise he’s in top form and keeps coming close in Flèche Wallonne atop the Mur de Huy so the steep finish is perfect for him. Rigoberto Urán is in the form of his life and even Chris Froome needs to worry about the Colombian, especially as he’s got a punchy finish and if a win still seems unlikely but so did him hanging in the front group so he could be close. Romain Bardet could be close but he’s an infrequent winner and all of his five career wins have come solo when he’s jumped away and used a descent before the finish but this time he’s unlikely to get much space nor does the Peyresourde descent or even the Balès descent suit.
Couple of pics to finish? Of course.
The break
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The sunflowers
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Power!!!!!!
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Dog in a Direct Energie top? Lovely.
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I'm going to be most curious to see what the GC contenders do. Lets face it, it's between Aru and Froome unless something massive happens in the next 2 weeks, none of the others have the beating of Froome on a regular basis, so we could end up with a snoozefest for the Yellow, but there's going to be some attacking going on that's for sure, whether it's someone like a Bardet or one of the other 1 day climbing gods who pop up, tough to say...
Will Aru make a go for it today... Hmmmm.
Breakaway, God let there be a breakaway !!
I'm punting for a couple, don't care who but I really don't think the GC will contest this.
Steve Cummings
Danny Navarro
Warren Barguil or Laurans Ten Dam or Ramon Sinkeldam
Alessandro DeMarchi
Jan Bakelants
Michael Valgren
Fabio Felline
Pierre Rolland or Andrew Tellansky
Primoz Roglic
You may think I've just grabbed anyone left that's been soft peddling, but no. Warren and Lauren's have been really active but I could see Lauren's taking this. He's a superb long distance punt off the front ride till your legs fall off kinda guy. Tellansky has been really quiet, sandbagging. Bakelants and Felline have yet to be let loose, so they could be forgotten when they break free and then Roglic another "who? Oh yeah I remember him from the Vuelta"
The climb up and out of Pau is surprising, it might just catch out those who are still half asleep, which could let a break go.. could...
Good shout Bikebouy, but I think Rolland and Talansky will be with Uran as he has a shout of the podium. The rest could well be in with a shot. I really, REALLY want Cummings to have a crack.
Could Pinot please wake up, I put him in my team expecting him to go for stages, not GC but so far he has done nothing!
Hoping to have the coverage of the start running in the background, I used to live in Pau when I did my Uni placement.
hoping for a breakway to stick but I reckon they'd need 15 minutes by Col d'Ares to have a chance
Sunweb to try and get off the front again to pick up intermediate sprint points and set things up for a long break for Barguil KOM points, or has Mathews given up on green with Kittels dominance in the flat finishes?
Difficult to predict today, not ideal for a big break as the profile doesn't really suit with flat-ish first half then steep second half. Don't think it's one for Cummings but hope I'm wrong. Will depend how lumpy the first half is. Maybe a stage for someone like Thomas De Gendt if he's given enough room.
Hoping we don't see any of the GC contenders implode, already looking a bit short on challengers and we're only halfway through.
Pinot, and most of the French, reckon they'll be keeping their power dry for a big Bastile day charge tomorrow.
lunge, thanks for doing these 😀
Going to be interesting to see the composition of the break, and see who tries to attack and where.. even if it's a Sky smother-fest until the final 3kms..
Oh yeah - Contador to attack and then fade on one of the two big climbs, small group of big hitters to be together at the end, with a few unconvincing attacks reeled in slowly by Froome. It'll be great.
I'd love to see Aru or Bardet (preferably Bardet) take a solid chunk of time out of Froome just to liven things up - can't see it though. So far the organisers haven't done a great job with their route designed to reduce team skys stranglehold on the GC.
I think today being longer is going to be a GC snorefest with tomorrow being short it has been shown to not suit Froome as much. I think today will be a whittling down with maybe a Martin style break in the last km but tomorrow will see lots of teams giving it a lash
So far the organisers haven't done a great job with their route designed to reduce team skys stranglehold on the GC
First two weeks haven't been that great. All quite predictable other than crashes and disqualifications. Most of the remaining stages look at lot more interesting though.
Don't mind who wins the stage, hope there's a bit of an attempt to shake up the GC..
Boulting is expecting "some big hitters" to be in the break. I didn't realise binners was riding the TDF this year 😀
Certainly an active start while the break tries to get established.
Contador looks to be suffering a bit at the back, wonder if he's feeling the effects of that crash with his teammate yesterday.
Cummings on the move through the Peloton already. Long long straight though down the D817, I can't see a break really getting away on roads this size without any major hills or towns to break up the peloton
Re Contador...
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-this-tour-de-france-is-pushing-me-to-the-limit/
Tough day yesterday for Astana too with Cataldo out and Fuglsang broken.
We know who's in the break yet? Looks like Cummings, Kung, Bennatti, Diego Ulissi, Jack Bauer, Nils Pollit, Thomas De Gendt, Kittel and Mathews. Surprised Barguil didn't make it in.
That's a strong break. Shame if Barguil hasn't made it
BBC confirms that there are 12 riders in the breakaway group that has gone away.
They are:
Cyril Gautier (AG2R)
Imanol Erviti (Movistar)
Koen de Kort (Trek)
Stefan Kung (BMC)
Diego Ulissi (Team UAE Emirates)
Steve Cummings (Dimension Data)
Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step)
Jack Bauer (Quick-Step)
Nils Politt (Katuhsa)
Thomas de Gendt (Lotto Soudal)
Michael Matthews (Sunweb)
Julien Simon (Cofidis)
Sky are on the front, working hard to keep the gap steady
Phillipa is now live in the London studio and providing insight
Stevo on the break? Excellent news.
and Pippa on the mic, too 😀Stevo on the break? Excellent news.
Slightly OT: I remember seeing some Youtube footage of Phillipa (in her past life) attacking another rider in a Grand Tour Mountain Stage (either TDF or Vuelta) with an acceleration that more resembled motorbike speed and absolutely destroying them.. never been able to find it again.. anyone have any idea?
Phillipa is now live in the London studio and providing insight
A welcome change from Brian Smith on Eurosport.
Cummins and De Gendt in the break. GAME ON!
they (i.e. Pippa) seem insistent on the bunch pulling the break in today
Hope that's wrong
Slightly OT: I remember seeing some Youtube footage of Phillipa (in her past life) attacking another rider in a Grand Tour Mountain Stage (either TDF or Vuelta) with an acceleration that more resembled motorbike speed and absolutely destroying them.. never been able to find it again.. anyone have any idea?Could be his attack on the Peyresourde for the stage win at Luchon? Was a sight to behold.
Liking Porte's coffee setup...
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Luke Rowe apparently saying this morning that Sky would be happy to see the break go. They do seem to be the team pegging them back though. Maybe Froome fancies the finish today.
Come on Steve.
Yep. It's been a bit 'rinse and repeat' on these stages so far. It's 50 years since Tom Simpson's passing today. Good on you Stevo, if that's what's prompted the break today.
So no pressure today Steve! 😉
Strange break composition. Kittel and Matthews obvs trying to get points, but Kung, Politt, de Kort - what are they getting out of it? Hoping not to miss the time cut? I can't see they would be any use to a teammate unless Contador attacks on the Coll de Mente and de Kort can tow in the valley before the Bales.
Why is it that the route preview gives distances from the start, and the live coverage distance to the finish so you have to get out a calculator?
(for everybody else wondering when Kittel will peel off, the sprint is 115.5km from the finish I think)
Blimey did Matthews beat Kittel there?
Piss for Froome; who's going to attack here?
Ah been on a call and was wondering why the time gap just jumped out, assumed it was the feed stop.
Could be his attack on the Peyresourde for the stage win at Luchon? Was a sight to behold.
Thanks.. Not hugely familiar with his riding as was a youngster then.. could be this though, can't find the original video, was probably the most impressive attack I've ever seen..
Well I ain't done too bad on my prediction for the break.
I see Politts in there and De Kort.. two tough blokes. This could be interesting.
The Kittel/Mathews thing will only last until the points have been hoovered up, 130 is a lot to make up but Mathews has been known to punt off like Cummings. Innnnnteresting.
De Ghent (fabulous) Ullisi and Kung have worked together in the past, if...if De Ghent is feeling on form he would be a worry to the Mathews/Cummings duo.
Good so far, Sky using thier roadblock mentality so all calm heading for the clouds,
Time gap still going out with 90k to go. Could be game on for the break.
And these wet roads could make for a sketchy finale. People need to take more than a second or two off Froome on the run up to the altiport, so they need to go on the earlier climbs. That could mean we have people really pushing the descents.
Still not that big. All going to depend on how quick the peloton go up the next couple of climbs. If they're happy to just let Rowe and Knees tap out a tempo and leave it for the Peyresourde then it'll be day for the break. As it is now it's still looking like a GC day.
Worth a reminder of the finish today, up the runway...
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Bit of googling shows Froome checking out the altiport finish back in May. Fancies a stage win maybe?
Was just visiting (possibly final visit of the afternoon) to post the pic from the other end
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one more - Kittel out of the break as they head up Col de Mente. the other 11 still going, for the moment
hell of a pic NBT!
pretty scary landing strip!
Jeez that's a brutal finish. Are we going to be treated to pros weaving all over the road like us mortals?
An interesting conundrum for Aru: If he takes the jersey today, Astana have lost their no.1 domestique and possibly Fuglsang will be struggling. He could put himself in a worse position that he was in 2nd.
Jeez that's a brutal finish
Apparently some of it is 20%. Some could be going backwards by the top.
There's some take-off/landing footage from the airfield here if you're interested:
It's properly steep.