Tour de France Stage 5 - Vittel › La Planche des Belles Filles 160km
(http://upl.stack.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/The-Hardest-Plank-of-All-Time_STACK.jpg)
After yesterday's boring/most bodacious (delete as appropriate) sprint, we get our first MTF of the Tour and as there aren't many of them, us and the riders better make the most of it.
It doesn't seem that long since we were last here at the Planche des Belles Filles. I seem to remember they purposefully built the road to host the Tour, so you can understand them wanting to get their money's worth with multiple visits, but three times since 2012 is rather over-egging the pudding. Time to give somewhere else a chance, no?
Speaking of previous visits....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbRxKUm1WSM
1h19m33 for the start of the climb. Be amazed at the wondrous demonstration of teamwork and smart riding from Radioshack.
I rather annoyingly can't find the equivalent of a broadcast from 2014, but the one above is good enough for you to see how the climb looks.
The entire profile of the stage is much more similar to the first visit anyway. The second time it hosted the finish there was a lot, lot more climbing before they got to the bottom.
(http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TDF/2017/500/CARTE.jpg)
I'll leave any Vittel jokes for whoever does stage 4, they need all the material they can get.
(http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TDF/2017/500/PROFIL.png)
(http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TDF/2017/500/PROFILCOLSCOTES_1.png)
So who could be leading when we get to the fifth stage? Tony, Primoz or Stefan? Maybe Sagan or Bling? Valverde, GVA or Phil? The other alternative is that a break is successful on stage 3 and then it's anyone's guess.
Tour de France Stage 5 - Vittel › La Planche des Belles Filles 160km
(http://upl.stack.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/The-Hardest-Plank-of-All-Time_STACK.jpg)
After yesterday's boring/most bodacious (delete as appropriate) sprint, we get our first MTF of the Tour and as there aren't many of them, us and the riders better make the most of it.
. . .
You got the "pick one" part right, but there weren't enough choices, eh? Judging from the twittersphere, I'd say "gutted" was the word you were looking for. ;)