TDF 2018, Stage 2: Mouilleron-Saint-Germain > La Roche-sur-Yon 08/07/2018 - 182,5 km *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles

Mouilleron-Saint-Germain > La Roche-sur-Yon 08/07/2018 - Stage 2 - 182,5 km

Sunday, 8 July 2018 - Stage 2 of the 2018 Tour de France amounts to 182.5 kilometres on gently rolling roads between Mouilleron-Saint-Germain and La Roche-sur-Yon. The route is perfect for fast finishers.

Mouilleron-Saint-Germain is a tiny village and it welcomes the Tour de France to pay hommage to two of its most famous inhabitants – Georges Clemenceau and Jean de Lattre de Tassigny. The first was nicknamed Father Victory: he was a principal architect of the Treaty of Versailles at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. The second was one of the grand commander-in-chiefs of the French Liberation Army in World War II.

The riders leave Mouilleron-Saint-Germain to head southeast, although this is merely a feint. Shortly the route changes to the northeast. With fields on the left and fields on the right, the Tour de France is moving through a rolling landscape. Côte de Pouzauges – 1 kilometres at 3.9% – is the hardest climb, which tells aptly tells the story of the 2nd stage. We should expect a bunch sprint in La Roche-sur-Yon.





The route features some gentle uphill sections in the last 5 kilometeres. With 3.9 kilometres to go a 900 metres stretch at 2.2% begins and 2.4 kilometres before the line the road rises 4% for 200 metres. The arrival is not entirely flat either, it’s a false flat of 800 metres (2%). A 90-degrees right-hand turn with 900 metres right is something to be aware of, too.

Video of the last 5kms:-
https://youtu.be/WhrUGJET1vU




It’s been a long time since the Tour de France visited La Roche-sur-Yon, but in the thirties the arrival place was a regular host. René Le Grèves took the win in 1934 and 1935, 1936 saw a Marcel Kint victory, while Roger Lapebie was the victor in 1937. The last Tour de France stage winner in La Roche-sur-Yon was the then World Champion Eloi Meulenberg in 1938. Is reigning World Champion Peter Sagan going to step in his shoes?

Favourites 2nd stage 2018 Tour de France

*** Dylan Groenewegen, Fernando Gaviria, Peter Sagan, Arnaud Démare
** Michael Matthews, André Greipel, Marcel Kittel, Alexander Kristoff
* Sonny Colbrelli, Mark Cavendish, Magnus Cort Nielsen

Same team dosshouses for the second stage:-



Mouilleron-Saint-Germain

Colline des Moulins (Hill of the Mills)
The hill is topped by three windmills and an oratory (De Lattre chapel). The site is listed as a preserved natural site. The hill, with is footpath and cycling circuit, offers an exceptional panorama on the Vendee valley. The mills are floodlit at night by a system of LEDs changing intensity and colour along a 29 days cycle corresponding to the lunar cycle.



1,940 inhabitants (Mouilleronnais Germinois)
16,000 inhabitants for the 18 communes in the Pays de la Châtaigneraie Community of Communes.

The 1973 French road champion, Roland Berland, who took part in eight editions of the Tour was born in St Laurent de la Salle, 20 km from Mouilleron. At the end of his career, he became a sports director with Peugeot for six years.
The most emblematic rider from Vendee is Jean-René Bernaudeau, who was born in St Maurice-le-Girard, five kilometres from Mouilleron. The Direct Eneergie team manager, founder of the Vendee U amateur team in 1991, took part in ten Tours de France, holding the yellow jersey in 1981, when he finished 5th and best young rider.
Located in a cycling region, Mouilleron saw the Tour peloton ride past in 2011’s first stage. In 2014, it was the start of the women’s Route de France with a victory by Germany’s Claudia Lichtenberg.

Specialities: mogettes (white beans), préfou (garlic bread). La Musse beer brewed in Bazoges-en-Pareds. La Barbinière wines (red and white) in Saint-Philbert-du–Pont-Charrault (10 km)




La Roche-sur-Yon

Five previous stages

53,160 inhabitants (Yonnais)

94,850 inhabitants in the La Roche-sur-Yon Agglomeration (13 communes)



The city witnessed its major transformation as of 1804 when Napoleon the 1st decided to make it the prefecture of Vendée and launched a massive and fairly modern urban community plan. In terms of cycling, it became a land of sprinting in the thirties. The last finish of the Tour in town, in 1938, saw one of the fastest finishers at the time claim victory. Wearing his World Champion’s jersey, Belgian Éloi Meulenberg showed his impressive speed on the velodrome hosting the finish.
In the history of the Tour de France, La Roche sur Yon holds a remarkable place as the start of the first ever individual time trial held on the race, over 90 km to Nantes in 1934. The unprecedented event was won by Antonin Magne, who went on to win the Tour itself.


Specialities: mojettes (beans), Vendee buns, chocolate (La Napoline)

above_the_cows

A nom nom nom nom



And some local Maraichine cows





And a local horse, this one's showing off. Liver chestnut, rare colour.

DeadCalm

Above The Cows wrote:

A nom nom nom nom

Warning. Probably best not to say that in Thailand.

above_the_cows

It's something rude isn't it.

DeadCalm

Above The Cows wrote:

It's something rude isn't it.

Moderately. Yes.

BelgianBeerGeek

Mmmm...beer.

bobmcstuff

See Sky living it up in a Best Western.

How are the hotels allocated, out of interest?

BelgianBeerGeek

bobmcstuff wrote:

See Sky living it up in a Best Western.

How are the hotels allocated, out of interest?

Think Rick answered this in another thread - kind of on a rota basis, so no-one gets the best facilities all the time. Or they ask Captain Obvious (that’s not Rick Chasey. I think)

rick_chasey

Headwind in the finale, and slightly draggy too.

RichN95.

This is how the PTP jerseys look going into the stage:

takethehighroad

What happens if Ledanois doesn't take the KOM point? Does it go to GC or something?

rick_chasey

Messyfinish.

RonB

Nothing messy about Arthur though, going for the well known 007 sidekick look ... Melange Onatop

blazing_saddles

A bit more interest in getting into the break, today.

No_Ta_Doctor

Craddock already losing the wheel at the back.

RonB

Odd to see Sagan in his WC rainbow jersey. I thought the green one took precedence, but maybe its down to personal choice.

No_Ta_Doctor

RonB wrote:

Odd to see Sagan in his WC rainbow jersey. I thought the green one took precedence, but maybe its down to personal choice.

I think it takes preference if it's legit his jersey, rather than a hand-me-down from Gaviria.

kleinstroker

DeadCalm wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

It's something rude isn't it.

Moderately. Yes.

Ha! I know what you're thinking but can also be benign as in Cha Nom Yen

RonB

Lanterne Rouge action early on - but not in a good way

blazing_saddles

Chavanel, Gogl and Dion Smith are today's break.

RichN95.

RonB wrote:

Odd to see Sagan in his WC rainbow jersey. I thought the green one took precedence, but maybe its down to personal choice.

Jerseys you actually hold take precedent over ones you are 'borrowing' I beleive

Edit: Here's the bit in the rules

RonB

No tA Doctor wrote:

I think it takes preference if it's legit his jersey, rather than a hand-me-down from Gaviria.

RichN95 wrote:

Jerseys you actually hold take precedent over ones you are 'borrowing' I beleive

Edit: Here's the bit in the rules

[img]<span%20class="skimlinks-unlinked">https://i.imgur.com/BXVZz1v.png</span>[/img]

Cheers folks!

knedlicky

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Chavanel, Gogl and Dion Smith are today's break.

Where they were after about 10 k was the closest this year's Tour goes to where Chavanel comes from. Which may part explain his presence in the break today, esp since it's his last Tour.

gweeds

Cav having a sideways dig at his bike?

Also saying ‘we’ll see next year’ - so back on a Specialized?

blazing_saddles

Chava shafted by his breakaway buddies.

gsk82

Gweeds wrote:

Cav having a sideways dig at his bike?

Also saying ‘we’ll see next year’ - so back on a Specialized?

Rumours are bmc will supply dimension data. I can't see specialized dropping quick step or bora and I can't see either signing cavendish.

the article don

Chavanel in his 18th TDF. What a dude

FocusZing

Would like to know what Landa Froome were chatting about?

gweeds

gsk82 wrote:

Gweeds wrote:

Cav having a sideways dig at his bike?

Also saying ‘we’ll see next year’ - so back on a Specialized?

Rumours are bmc will supply dimension data. I can't see specialized dropping quick step or bora and I can't see either signing cavendish.

No I thought that. And good point about BMC.

BelgianBeerGeek

Pete Kennaugh was quite good. Candid stuff and some nice insights, including how Cav doesn’t seem his normal self at the minute. Nice to hear about Chris Boardman’s Belgian beer fridge

takethehighroad

Great stat from the Beeb

"This is Sylvain Chavanel's 350th Tour de France stage. That's probably around 60,000 km he's ridden just in the Tour."