Tour de France Stage 17: Bagnères-de-Luchon - Peyragudes 143.5km(excuse the grammar)
http://bcove.me/guiycql1Intermediate Sprint, this will be most likely taken by one of the riders in the break:
Climbs:• Km 27.5 - Col de Menté (1 349m)9.3 kilometre-long climb at 9.1% - category 1
• Km 55.5 - Col des Ares (797 m)6 kilometre-long climb at 5.3% - category 2
• Km 76.0 - Côte de Burs1.2 kilometre-long climb at 7.6% - category 3
• Km 111.5 - Port de Bales (1 755 m)11.7 kilometre-long climb at 7.7% - category H
• Km 142.5 - Peyragudes15.4 kilometre-long climb at 5.1% - category 1
Weather:
http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Peyragudes/6day/topThere will be clear skys at Peyragues yet the temperature will be at around 12 degrees Celsius so nothing of concern for riders or fans.
Prior to the Tour there were insurmountable expectations on Team Sky and specifically their leader; Bradley Wiggins. Wiggins has scaled unprecedented heights for a modern day British cyclist in his pursuit of the yellow jersey. The two most prestigious French races; Paris Nice and the Criterium du Dauphine fell to the British rider and likewise the Tour of Romandie. Throughout these races he has constantly been escorted by loyal and devoted domestiques who were not willing to give any quarter in there efforts to deliver Wiggins to the TT in the optimum general classification position.
For many of the outsiders looking in, Wiggins’ rise has been startling; a track racer who had never previously shown any capabilities in the mountains burst onto the Stage racing scene in the 2009 Tour even if originally the performance was overshadowed by the Astana team and its infighting. Then in 2010 Team Sky was set up with a seemingly ludicrous mission statement “To win the Tour with a British rider within 5 years” the likely and in fact lone candidate was Wiggins but not many considered him capable of such. Most merely scoffed at the concept and were content to witness Alberto Contador dominating the Tour until Brailsford’s fateful deadline would come to pass.
Indeed 2 years of disappointment followed for Wiggins in 2010 he performed dismally failing to attain his form of 2009 and in 2011 he was cruely robbed of an opportunity to shine as he crashed out and broke his collarbone before the race had even entered the high mountains. Yet on the way he had not sat idle but rather had gained the necessary experience required to win the Tour, coming 3rd in Paris Nice and felling all opponents on his way to the first of his two Dauphine victories. Yet it was the incentive of proving his worth that truly provided Wiggins with the confidence he has so dutifully displayed the 16 Stages, it was the incentive of winning a world championship medal in the TT which made him race the Vuelta where he finished 3rd confirming his ability as a Grand Tour contender subsequently Wiggins achieved his goal by winning a silver in the world championships beating the previously invincible Fabian Cancellara in the process.
Yet standing between Wiggins and this remarkable feat is the figure of Vincenzo Nibali who took some time to establish himself on the Grand Tour scene after featuring yet not threatening at the Tour and Giro, yet proclaimed himself in fine style when he won the Vuelta taking adavantage of Igor Anton crashing out as he will be seeking to take advantage of Contador and Schleck’s misfortune and capitalising on his opportunity by winning the Tour, considering he may very well be eclipsed by the other two in years to come.
Cadel Evans is another threat to Wiggins’s jersey but in all probability he is more of an honorary threat, due to his desperate commitment to defend his Tour crown, than the real deal.
A more realistic threat is that of Wiggins’s team mate Chris Froome; Kenyan by birth and South African by trade he now races for Team Sky under a British licence. He has stated he will continue to work in support of Wiggins but will defend Team Sky’s integrity if need be. Like Nibali his chances of Tour glory will be limited once Contador and Schleck have returned so his undying loyalty to Wiggins may not be assured as it seems at first glance.
PreviewThe yellow jersey hopefuls, the courageous warriors who have been subservient up till now will not be content with a mere podium; they desperately want the yellow jersey along with all its prestige and they will fight nail and tooth to accomplish the impossible. Wiggins undoubted supremacy in the TT means that they have no other choice but to attack on this stage.
Wiggins handled their previous brave but feeble attempts with a cool air of superiority and confidence but with his ultimate goal; the goal which has pooled so much of his effort into, just amongst the clouds on the horizon, so very very close to being made into fruition, he may lose that cool which has been his trademark over the past season. Any attempts at bluff, con or deception will be discarded as this stage will be raced a frantic pace, a pace which will leave only the strongest standing, only the riders who are capable or delving deep inside for that inner drive which will inspire them to aspire for greatness and cycling immortality, a pace akin to that fateful stage of the Galibier a mere 12 months ago.
There will be no stone left unturned for the challengers as they desperately seek the ultimate prize in the sport, the race which is not just a victory but a legacy; no avenue of possibility will be left unexplored, no likely event unconsidered as the climbers focus any remaining vestiges of energy on breaking Wiggins’s interminable stranglehold on the yellow jersey. As Andy Schleck displayed in such magnificent fashion last year a seemingly hopeless position unlocks the true essence of the Tour.
What can be assured it that this stage will be a cracker, a stage which will leave a true legacy, a stage of grandeur yet certain pain and sorrow. But of course we can not forget that everything will be not determined by mere previews but rather by the riders as of course it is the “riders who make the race”.
Scenario
stage presents an array of possibilities for the likes of VDB, Nibbles and Rolland amongst others. This stage may very well be waged on two levels; those going for the stage and those going for the overall.
These two groups may come into collision if the stage turns out to be the fast paced affair it is predicted to be as any attacks by climbers who are out of contention such as Dan Martin will be brought back as favourites like Nibali attempt to shake off Sky with a vicious tempo.
The stage itself features the Col de Mente first up, a climb which featuresa constant gradient which surpasses most if not all Pyrenean climbs. It is also the sight of Luis Ocana’s fateful crash in 1971 when he had Eddy Merkx on the brink. Unfortunately the climb most likely will only be a factor for those attempting to get in the day’s break, yet even so it will surely sap the peloton’s waning strength. Long range attacks from stage hopefuls such as Pierre Rolland are a slight possibility but the Mente seems to be too far out for the 5 prominent favourites to truly make any discernible moves.
There will then be a brief lull in proceedings most likely, and the break will be allowed to establish a sizeablea advantage. This may alter if Liquigas or BMC decide to take up the pace making but in all likelihood they will prefer to keep their ammunition dry in preparation for the oncoming climbs. The Col de Ares and the Col de Burs both then follow yet both of them are minor climbs which may provide the launch pad for additional attacks out of the peloton but in all likelihood the action will be limited.
Then around 95km in the racing will certainly start to get a bit more heated…. This is the point where the Port de Bales a mountain of an average gradient of 7.7% and 11.7km long will start and with it will be come the opportunity to really ramp up the tempo of the race and the opportunity for the GC contenders to have one last desperate and likely doomed to fail attempt at cracking Wiggins. Yet they will certainly try and with the summit of the climb just over 15km from the start of the final climb it will be gung ho all the way to the finish and anyone who does crack on the climb will find it extremely hard if not impossible to latch back on before the final climb, so anyone who is dropped on the Bales may very well end up losing significant chunks time.
The Bales comes with some heavy gradients towards the beginning and towards the end but there is generally a steady but tough gradient throughout which would vindicate the 7.7% average. It is the ideal climb to launch an attack if a rider is feeling strong and after Nibali and Van Den Broeck’s display on La Toussuire you get the feeling that they will attempt such a repeat on this climb. The descent is very scenic yet very technical as I am sure Andy Schleck will testify as that is where he primarily lost the Tour in 2010. If Nibali, Rolland and Van Den Broeck have been successful in shaking Sky from their tails then they may very well be capable of building an advantage on the descent primarily Nibali who is one of the best descenders in the modern day peloton, this really and truly depends on who has been shed I the selection if Michael Rogers is still there then he may very well pull the race back together but if it is left to Froome, who has not been convincing so far, to work on the descents then Nibali may be able to amass a relatively sizeable advantage.
The final climb is Peyragudes but in fact it is two climbs as it is preceded by the Col de Peyresourde which was climbed yesterday. The two climbs are separated by a very brief descent even though unfortunately that does skew the gradient. The Peyresourde is 9.5km at 6.7% and will certainly create a selection especially considering that the rider’s legs will be weary from their previous efforts on the Port de Bales. What would have happened before the climb is anyone’s guess but it is certain that the pain will be dished out on this climb and this indeed may be the prime time for Chris Froome to shine if permitted to by his ear piece. If Nibali, Evans and VDB are still there they may see it as an opportunity for them to attack, but so far in this Tour no of them have been capable of distancing the Sky duo for a prolonged amount of time and it is hard to see that changing. More likely Froome will tempo ride up the climb and then accelerate for the win, if the break has not managed to stay away.
The descent of around 2kms will also mix things up as it will provide riders who are struggling with valuable respite though it will provide ample opportunity for riders to catch back on after having been dropped. Nibali may try something here is he still has the legs but the descent is all too short before the Peyragudes ,which is being used for the first time as a Tour stage finish, starts though it is only 4km long it is relatively tough with a constant gradient of 7.3% and after 140km of racing it will certainly not be easy.
In terms of the King of the Mountains competition, this stage will certainly be defining with the Mente which is likely to be taken by a rider in the break giving 10 points whilst the two climbs after give a mere total of 3 points. It is the Bales though which may define the competition as it will provide 20 points to the first over its summit. This may very well be one of the riders in the break who is still free and if one of those riders happens to be Rolland, Voeckler or Kessiakoff then then may very well seal the competition. The final climb with it s double points will also offer 20 points and so this may very well be taken by Chris Froome who may then place himself in a commanding position in the competition, but indeed it seems as if this classification may be decided by whether the race will explode prior to the Bales or not as if so then the break may be reeled in already and the favourites will be able to take the points for that climb and the final climb leaving Froome or another favourite rather than a breakaway rider with the jersey.
The white jersey may also be decided with Tejay Van Garderen needing to put in a performance akin to the one he promised at La Toussuire if he wants to defend his jersey from the newfound climbing prowess of Thibau Pinot.
Start Town:
The town of Luchon or Bagnares Luchon has hosted the race a staggering 51 times…
But before the info comes a taste of what the riders will missing out on:
The fascinating town of Bagnères-de-Luchon is located 87 m. S.S.W. of Toulouse, at the end of a branch line of the Southern railway from Montréjeau. The town is situated at the foot of the central Pyrenees in a beautiful valley at the confluence of the One and the Pique.
It has a staggering 2,700 inhabitants and it is the head of the canton of Haute-Garonne.
The feature which Luchon is most famous for is not contrary to popular belief its Youtube video but rather its thermal springs such as this one.
The spring above is particularly famous for being the 3rd one I found on google images. In all seriousness though there are 48 of them which also happens to be the race number of the great Simone Stortoni so expect him to make an impression on this stage if he happens to have survived up till then. The temperature of these springs vary from 62 to 150 degrees farenheit, the former being the number of the unfortunate Tom Danielson whilst the latter being a number away from Robert Gesink himself, an omen? Very Possibly…
Of course the thing which really makes Luchon stand out is not the action which occurs within the springs (see clip) but rather its proximity to some truly legendary climbs such as Superbagnères, Col de Peyresourde, Port de Balès, Col de Menté, Col du Portillon and the Col de Portet d'Aspet
It was last used by the Tour in 2010 when Voeckler won the ensuing stage.
It also happens to be a sister city of the English town Harrogate which coincidentally or in fact not is also a spa town and is famous throughout the West riding of Yorkshire.
Here is a display of the magnificent beauty on show in Bagnares Luchon:
This one emphasises the tranquil nature of the town, unfortunately it will be disrupted by the Tour.
A picture of the Tour on its way too Luchon a while back
The main market place for those riders who may be sick of the guidelines they are required to follow by their team managers.
The most famous stage start from Luchon was in 1969 when the vernerable Eddy Merck set out on a 140km attack over the Tourmalet and Abisque amongst other climbs and he then ended the stage with almost 8 minutes over his rivals. Yet there have been some other great winners who have departed from Luchon and gone on to win including Binda, Robic, Koblet, Poulidor, Fuente, and Ocana. The Route de Sud has had finishes in Luchon most recently in 2009.
Facilities: Luchon has got a supremely kept golf course, it also has an airfield for gliding for all those tourists who don’t enjoy the springs all that much or who don’t have partners. There are also tennis courts and tandem paragliding whilst mountain biking is widely used.
Here is the golf course as seen from the 9th Green it is certainly a course of beauty as is the entire town.
Picture too large will try to get another
Luchon History: Most of it is based around the Springs which is of course the basis to the town’s prominence.
In the XVIII century, Jacques BARRAU, consul of the town, submitted to Antoine MEGRET, Baron d’ETIGNY the superintendant of the province his project to revive the fortunes of Luchon. In 1759, the Baron D’ETIGNY visited the city and fell under its charm. He constructed a grand and elegant building to house the Thermal baths, and a new road, the Allée d’Etigny, to connect the Thermal baths to the town.
In 1763, the notoriety of Luchon is supported thanks to the arrival of the DUKE OF RICHELIEU who promoted Luchon at the court of Versailles.
In 1848, the establishment Chambert, name of its creator, was built on the remainders of the Roman Thermal baths.
In 1867, the Prince Imperial, son of Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie stayed in Luchon to experience the Thermal baths where a small wooden building was erected and reserved for them.
The reputation of Luchon was thus made and the Thermal baths of Luchon developed
In 1929 the Vaporarium, a natural hamman, is born, revealing 1200 meters of sulphuretted galleries whose curves in the rock were conceived and used by the Romans.
In 1954, the Pavilion Prince Imperial was built in replacement of a small wooden building and is now used as the Pavilion for the refreshment bars.
In 1969, Vaporarium, unique in Europe, is further developed with the construction of the current building which was modernized in 2010 with a total restoration.
The Thermal baths of Luchon have not ceased evolving with the reorganization and the restoration of the services of care, developments in therapeutic technologies and the creation of the “Luchon Forme et Bien Etre” a centre for health and wellbeing.
Recent drillings have made it possible to collect the thermal springs from deep in the ground thus preserving the constant purity of this 14.000 years old water.
After twenty centuries of history, Luchon is today as always the place that the Greek geographer STRABON decreed, the source of “excellent water”.
In the XVIII century, Jacques BARRAU, consul of the town, submitted to Antoine MEGRET, Baron d’ETIGNY the superintendant of the province his project to revive the fortunes of Luchon. In 1759, the Baron D’ETIGNY visited the city and fell under its charm. He constructed a grand and elegant building to house the Thermal baths, and a new road, the Allée d’Etigny, to connect the Thermal baths to the town.
Here is a picture of the Allée d’Etigny in all its glory:
