TdF Stage 2 *Contains spoilers*

pottssteve

And welcome back to Stage 2 of this year's Tour. As I am going on holiday for a few days tomorrow this will be the last thread I start for a while, so I thought I would begin with an inrng-style summary of Stage 1:

Crosswinds almost caused echelons, Bertie fell off, the spirit of Abdoujaparov is alive and well, the race doctor has got alarming ginger hair, Froome and Quintana rode like they were on the same team, Cav's still got it and Kittel is finished, I tell you. Delilah got the flowers.

Moving on to Stage 2:



Weather forecast cloudy with showers possible, wind WSW, making it a cross-tail wind for much of the stage. For those of us watching on ITV in the UK (or England, as it's now known), D. Millar may confirm this. A cool 16 degrees or so - bring a jumper.

Final few kilometres are lumpy with an uphill finish of 700m at 5.7%:




Enjoy!

bobmcstuff

Geologically speaking, the Cotentin peninsula where Cherbourg (and much of today's race) is located hides some of France's oldest rocks beneath it's later cover.

However the place is best know due to its deep water port which made it a key strategic target in the world wars. Many allied soldiers died to protect this port so that we could get cheap Plymouth-Cherbourg ferries and visit Eurocamp campsites.

Paul 8v

What is the local horse and cheese please?

kleinstroker

Phew! I thought we had a referendum on not talking about cheese and rocks and I somehow missed it

Someone has been thinking the same thing..

http://harperandblohm.com/le-tour-de-france-2016/

smithy21

Paul 8v wrote:

What is the local horse and cheese please?

You are on the internet mate. There is this thing called Google where you can look stuff up.

rick_chasey

Ha!

Lanterne_Rogue

smithy21 wrote:

Paul 8v wrote:

What is the local horse and cheese please?

You are on the internet mate. There is this thing called Google where you can look stuff up.

i started looking for local horses, but came across the arresting statement that Normandy is 'the Kingdom of the Cows'. Fearing some sort of Planet of the Apes scenario, I immediately cancelled my plans to visit.

Lanterne_Rogue

Meanwhile, if you really need help with the cheese thing, Trappe de Briquebec was produced locally, and my sources state it was made originally with 'crude milk' - which I suspect is either badly translated or taken from a sweary old cow. Nowadays it's made in Valognes, and possibly from cows with a little more decorum.

Richmond Racer 2

Best cidre from the region?

blazing_saddles

Better add some of this...


and some of this....


one of these.....


Best not to indulge on an empty stomach....

Richmond Racer 2

i'm hank marvin now

above_the_cows

Here are some cows from Saint Lô...



And as for horses, Saint Lô proclaims itself the Horse Capital of France and is home to...

"The State Stud Farm
The buildings as they stand today were constructed in 1884, under the reign of Napoleon 1st. Of the former stud farm only remain a street “rue du vieux haras” and the “Normandy” building which used to be an indoor school. The stud farm nowadays keeps about 40 stallions and specialises in the Norman Cob and Selle français. The stud farm is open to visitors: you will discover different breeds of horses, “the equine industry”, exhibitions..."

Norman Cob:


Selle Français:

Silly Old Hector

Paul 8v wrote:

What is the local horse and cheese please?

This, sir, is the reason I follow this thread - the culinary distraction of everyday french life that is the TdF...

simon_e

smithy21 wrote:

Paul 8v wrote:

What is the local horse and cheese please?

You are on the internet mate. There is this thing called Google where you can look stuff up.

Pah, no respecter of tradition (or the art of idle conversation in between and during stages).

You'll be telling us next that Stella Artois make the best cidre and Tesco Finest is, very obviously, the finest cheese

bobmcstuff

I think I deserve more credit for writing such a coherent post at 1.45am... Bit blurry.

mechanism

bobmcstuff wrote:

I think I deserve more credit for writing such a coherent post at 1.45am... Bit blurry.

A pedant would pick up on the "Plymouth-Cherbourg ferries" bit but not me.

pottssteve

Anyhow, away from the cheese and horses, stage 2 is underway. Paul Voss and 3 others have already gone over a minute clear while, in a repeat of yesterday's tactic, the peloton ambles along behind...

The_Boy

pottssteve wrote:

Paul Voss

Obviously out to win the Prix Jeremy Roy.

pottssteve

Voss obviously aiming to mop up more "mountains" points.. Break at over 3 minutes now.

In other news, I once met Mark Cavendish in a hotel car park in Verviers while he was competing in the Ster ZLM Toer - struck me as a very energetic kind of chap, and quite relaxed and pleasant.

blazing_saddles

Paul Voss and Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Argon 18), Vegard Breen (Fortuneo-Vital Concept) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) now have a lead of 5 and a half minutes.

Today's weather map:-

pottssteve

Breen wins the first climb of the day - this Mountains classification is really hotting up!

pottssteve

I also met Brad Wiggins in a lift in Maastricht - he was far more standoffish...

pottssteve

Here's a flashback:



Yesterday's winner in action for HTC

pottssteve

Stuyven wins the mountains points and is now equal with Voss....and it's raining.

pottssteve

I know what's missing from this year's race:

pottssteve

And whatever happened to this chap?

pottssteve

Or this fellow?




Not much going on. Gap back at over 5 mins, Cummings on the front, raining harder....

IanLD

Berti not having a good first couple of days...

pottssteve

He's spending more time on the deck than Nelson..

pottssteve

Peloton has slowed down again to allow Berti to catch up. If they do this every time he falls off it's going to be a 4 week tour...

Sun Dodger

Good job Bertie has two bikes with his flash paint job...