You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Well yesterday was fun, and by the looks of it, today may be more of the same.
Found a website for info today, Cycling Stages, well worth a look.
10
Sunday 14 July - The 9th stage of the Tour de France runs from Saint-Étienne to a tricky finale in Brioude, the birthplace of Romain Bardet. The route amounts to 170.5 hilly kilometres.In 2017, Warren Barguil gave France its first French Bastille Day winner since 2005. Obviously, French fans love to see Romain Bardet win the stage in his hometown.
The race gets underway in Saint-Étienne and travels from one hill to the next. The route barely features a flat metre, while the toughest slope of the day takes the shape of the Mur d’Aurec-sur-Loire. This 3.2 kilometres climb at 11% is crested at kilometre 36.5, so way too early to have any lasting effect. It will add to the fatigue though, as will the second KOM climb, Côte de Guillaumanches, which is 7.8 kilometres long and slopes at 4.1%. The summit is crested with more than 60 kilometres remaining.
After the Guillaumanches the route continues on undulating terrain to a promising finale. With 12.5 kilometres out the Tour de France crests the steep Côte de Saint-Just (3.6 kilometres at 7.2%) and the first three riders over the summit earn bonus seconds (8, 5 and 2) before flying down to the line. Halfway in the descent the route kicks up only to continue downhill to Bardet’s birthplace.
Time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds are awarded to the first three riders on the line. Plus, as mentioned, there are extra seconds available at the Côte de Saint-Just.
Profile? Lumpy again.
With a filthy cat 1 in there too.
And a down hill finish.
The contenders? INRNG Has got us covered.
The Contenders: a day for the breakaway? Probably but the finish today is something the likes of Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) can aim for as the final climb is plenty enough to shake out their rival sprinters. For Matthews his problem is that if there’s a sprint then someone is faster; but when he wins the bunch sprint there’s always a groupo up the road.
Otherwise today’s course is less mountainous than yesterday and so accessible to more riders, they need to cope with the Mur d’Aurec where the breakaway might form and with the Saint-Just climb in the finale but there’s less in between. Breakaway picks include Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Greg Van Avermaet (CCC) and Rui Costa (UAE Emirates). Longer range shots are Benoît Cosnefroy (Ag2r La Mondiale), Pello Bilbao (Astana) and Jesús Herrada (Cofidis) if he’s avoided the bug going around the Cofidis team.
Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale) is the local rider and the town’s been decorated in tribute with flags and even a roundabout dedicated to him but his form’s not exactly scintillating and Alaphilippe’s robbed the title of best Auvergnat. His problem today is that he’s not far down enough to GC to get any room
And back to yesterday.
This was some kind of dream breakaway.
The peloton.
Ineos has their challenges.
But really it was all about 1 man.
Nice one lunge.
Romain just has to try something today,home town and all that.
I’m going to record it and watch the cricket first. 👍😀
GvA or Stuyven.
A break with “you-know-who” in it until 15k to go then a break from that or mini break catching the main break.
No TJvG, so I’m also expecting Porte to bin it or another Pinarello to fold in half.
Could, as a wild guess, be Pinot for a long shot.. but Bardet has another few days to build in his legs before he starts to show some form.
I think it's a bit too early in the race but this looks like a classic Cummings stage
After yesterday's stage I feel like they should invent a new jersey for DeGent to wear for the rest of the race. Wouldn't be too surprised to see him in the break to lead out Wellens for more KOM points.
Another stage profile that has panache written all over it. Here's hoping for more heroics.
“ they should invent a new jersey for DeGent ”
Granite jersey?
Wellens next to the race directors car with Thomas de Gendt tucked in behind. Is that Cummings there too?
What are the odds on the peloton smashing it to control a break of riders at least half an hour adrift of the GC and riding their li'l titties off all day for no real point ?
Home stage, great motivation, has to be...
😉
In the States today, watching the NBC coverage. With Sherwin.
That man hasn’t said an original word in a decade. And we’ve had two Armstrong dits in the last half hour.
Plus the other moronic commentator going mental over the sight of a “thousand year old building” looking at a castle. Like he’d never considered that countries, let alone buildings, might be more than a couple of hundred years old...
But I’m still watching.
Oof!! That’ll teach Costa not to earn his turns.
I’ve decided to multi screen with the cricket,the tour has been so exciting this week I can’t resist.
I’ve decided to multi screen with the cricket,the tour has been so exciting this week I can’t resist.
Men's XCO in Les Gets on RedBull TV, too
sockpuppet
Subscriber
In the States today, watching the NBC coverage. With Sherwin.
That man hasn’t said an original word in a decade. And we’ve had two Armstrong dits in the last half hour.
Plus the other moronic commentator going mental over the sight of a “thousand year old building” looking at a castle. Like he’d never considered that countries, let alone buildings, might be more than a couple of hundred years old…
But I’m still watching.
If your referring to Paul Sherwen I think you will find that would mean he has risen from the dead 🙁
Paul Sherwen obituary
😳
So it is. Who am I listening to? Why does he sound the same? And why is he saying the same things I’ve heard a thousand times? And why does jet lag fry my brain so much?
good day for MS winning the Giro Rosa as well
Bastille day and not one French man in the breakaway. Bardet didn't even bother to get to the front of the peloton as they crossed the line in his home town. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Sockpuppet - It's Phil Liggett (and someone else not sure who) he still does a syndicated feed to loads of countries