Giro 2019, Stage 14: Saint Vincent - Courmayeur 131 km *Spoilers*
blazing_saddles
Posts: 22,730
Stage 14: Saint Vincent - Courmayeur 131 km *****
Saturday, May 25th
START TIME: 13.10 CEST
FINISH TIME: ~17.15 CEST
The 14th stage of the Giro d'Italia runs from Saint Vincent to ski resort Courmayeur. Peaking at 4,808 metres, the highest peak in the Alps, Mont Blanc, is overlooking the finish line. At 131 kilometres, the route takes in four intermediate climbs and an uphill finish, as the race heads up the Aosta valley, halfpiping via the lower slopes of the Col de San Pantaleon to Verrayes, then the loop via Verrogne then back up the other side of the valley around Combes before tackling the Colle San Carlo, a rarely used climb in the Giro but familiar to many in the peloton from regular use in the U23 Giro della Valle d’Aosta.
Courmayeur and the Giro are long lost friends. The 1959 Giro d’Italia included the mountain village and Charly Gaul rode into cycling legend. The race had really been a shoot out between Jacques Anquetil and the Luxembourger. On the penultimate day of action Gaul put 10 minutes into Anquetil and won solo after 296 kilometres of suffering in the high mountains.
Stage 14 of the 2019 Giro d’Italia features over 4,000 vertical metres. Starting from the town of Saint Vincent, the first climb of the day comes soon, in just 7 km. Verrayes (GPM2, 6.7 km at 8%)
After a rather technical descent of 9 km, the peloton hits the easiest part of the stage, 14 km along the flat at the bottom of the valley, passing through the town of Aosta itself, after which the road will go up again for the second GPM of the day, Verrogne (GPM1, 13.8 km at 7.1%). This climb is quite demanding and irregular, with many steep ramps and easier sections.
Straight after a technical 15km descent comes the next climb of the day, the Truc d'Arbe, (GPM2, 8.2 km at 7%) although again the numbers are deceptive as there is a shallow mid section in the climb.
Another technical descent leads again to the valley, where the riders will keep heading west, until they reach the day's most demanding ascent: the Colle San Carlo. (GPM1, 10.5 km at 9.8%) Also known as the Col d’Arpy and it's numbers are only beaten by the fearsome Mortirolo, in this edition of the race. It’s was used in the 2006 Giro when Leonardo Piepoli won into Thuile, the town just below the pass. For Piepoli it was more than a stage win, it was a tribute to Diego Pellegrini who’d died racing down the descent of the San Carlo in 1993 and to whom there’s a memorial plaque beside the road.
There are steeper climbs and there are longer climbs but few roads are as steep for as long. The San Carlo is such a steady climb that it’s ideal for riding to a tempo rather than an ambush.
The descent is fast and the remaining road to Courmayeur is an uphill drag, the kind of place where it’ll be invaluable for a contender to have a team mate for support, perhaps where 3 km of road rise up at 6% up to the town of Verrand. The finish is at the Skyway Monte Bianco station.
Favourites 14th stage 2019 Giro d’Italia
*** Miguel Ángel López, Richard Carapaz, Primoz Roglic
** Vincenzo Nibali, Mikel Landa, Rafal Majka
* Ilnur Zakarin, Mikel Nieve, Pavel Sivakov
SAINT-VINCENT
Saint-Vincent is probably one of the most famous places in Valle d’Aosta, thanks also to the “Casino de la Vallée”, one of the most renowned and largest casinos in Europe. Gently lying on the hillside, in a welcoming valley protected from the wind, with an extraordinary microclimate, to the extent that it is known as the Alps Riviera, with mild winters and cool summers at an altitude of 575 metres.
Some of the local wines.
COURMAYEUR (Skyway Monte Bianco)
Located at the foothills of Mont Blanc, Courmayeur is a gateway to Italy, offering a unique mix of alpine culture, excellent food, sports, relaxation, entertainment, shopping, and elegant lifestyle. The small alpine town is conveniently located, easy to reach all year round: it’s a few kilometers from France and Switzerland, close to the main cities of northern Italy, and strategically situated close to airports in Milan, Turin, and Geneva. A cradle of mountaineering, Courmayeur hosts the second oldest alpine guide association in the world, and is an ideal destination for all sport enthusiasts. Here, you can ski and enjoy freeriding in breathtaking scenery, ice-skate at the Courmayeur Mountain Sport Center ice-rink, even in the summer, and hike or ride a bike along the most beautiful mountain paths of Europe.
Skyway Monte Bianco. This technological marvel provides access to mountains whose names belong to the history of alpinism and to the most scenic paths of the Alps. The journey consists of two stages, and takes visitors from Pontal d’Entrèves (1,370 mt), near Courmayeur, to the intermediate station of Pavillon du Mont Fréty (2,173 mt), and then to Punta Helbronner (3,462 mt). Equipped with rotating spherical glass cable cars (making one complete turn each way), it offers visitors a dramatic vista of the whole region. The departure is located close to the Val Vény cable car station, not far from the entrance to the Mont Blanc Tunnel. There is ample parking, a bar, an information booth, and the ticket office. Pavillon du Mont Fréty, the first station, boasts an alpine botanical garden, a playground for children, and a network of lovely paths. At Punta Helbronner, the 14-meter wide, circular viewing terrace cannot be missed; visitors can enjoy an extraordinary panoramic view of the Mont Blanc summit (4,810 mt), the Dent du Géant, the Grandes Jorasses, and the Vallée Blanche. Beneath the station, a 90-meter-long vertical tunnel houses two lifts that take visitors up to the new Torino Hut, a multifunctional facility with guest rooms, a restaurant, a bar, and a viewing terrace, meeting all needs. The hut can host up to 160 people, and offers large dormitories for climbers and a cozy room – Room no. 31 – for more demanding (and romantic) travellers, who can enjoy the sun rising in absolute silence. The ascent by Skyway is a true travel experience, entirely accessible even to people with disabilities.
GASTRONOMY
Courmayeur has a time-honored culinary tradition that is highly respected. From fontina to the bleu d’Aoste, from chevrot du Mont Blanc to brossa and the fresh yogurt made in Courmayeur with mountain-pasture milk, the range of local delicacies is endless. Here, when dining, you’ll want to try the game, meat sauces, all kinds of cheese, polenta, “seuppe” (the local soups), and cured meats.
WINE
Every meal should be paired with a local DOC wine. From white to red, the local wine list is interesting and wide, and always ends with a grappa or a génépy. Amid the excellent delicacies and wines from Valdigne, the most renowned grape variety is the Prié Blanc, a phylloxera-resistant vine grown at the highest altitude in Europe: it is used to produce the Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle, an excellent DOC white wine, as well as, a selection of sparkling “classicly produced” wines, and an “ice wine”, made with ultra-ripe grapes, harvested at night after the first frost. The symbol of hospitality and warmth with which tourists are welcomed is the Coppa dell’Amicizia, the traditional grolla. It’s a handcrafted, multi-spouted wooden bowl containing a mix of hot coffee, grappa, and génépy, which tablemates pass around at the end of a meal.
Saturday, May 25th
START TIME: 13.10 CEST
FINISH TIME: ~17.15 CEST
The 14th stage of the Giro d'Italia runs from Saint Vincent to ski resort Courmayeur. Peaking at 4,808 metres, the highest peak in the Alps, Mont Blanc, is overlooking the finish line. At 131 kilometres, the route takes in four intermediate climbs and an uphill finish, as the race heads up the Aosta valley, halfpiping via the lower slopes of the Col de San Pantaleon to Verrayes, then the loop via Verrogne then back up the other side of the valley around Combes before tackling the Colle San Carlo, a rarely used climb in the Giro but familiar to many in the peloton from regular use in the U23 Giro della Valle d’Aosta.
Courmayeur and the Giro are long lost friends. The 1959 Giro d’Italia included the mountain village and Charly Gaul rode into cycling legend. The race had really been a shoot out between Jacques Anquetil and the Luxembourger. On the penultimate day of action Gaul put 10 minutes into Anquetil and won solo after 296 kilometres of suffering in the high mountains.
Stage 14 of the 2019 Giro d’Italia features over 4,000 vertical metres. Starting from the town of Saint Vincent, the first climb of the day comes soon, in just 7 km. Verrayes (GPM2, 6.7 km at 8%)
After a rather technical descent of 9 km, the peloton hits the easiest part of the stage, 14 km along the flat at the bottom of the valley, passing through the town of Aosta itself, after which the road will go up again for the second GPM of the day, Verrogne (GPM1, 13.8 km at 7.1%). This climb is quite demanding and irregular, with many steep ramps and easier sections.
Straight after a technical 15km descent comes the next climb of the day, the Truc d'Arbe, (GPM2, 8.2 km at 7%) although again the numbers are deceptive as there is a shallow mid section in the climb.
Another technical descent leads again to the valley, where the riders will keep heading west, until they reach the day's most demanding ascent: the Colle San Carlo. (GPM1, 10.5 km at 9.8%) Also known as the Col d’Arpy and it's numbers are only beaten by the fearsome Mortirolo, in this edition of the race. It’s was used in the 2006 Giro when Leonardo Piepoli won into Thuile, the town just below the pass. For Piepoli it was more than a stage win, it was a tribute to Diego Pellegrini who’d died racing down the descent of the San Carlo in 1993 and to whom there’s a memorial plaque beside the road.
There are steeper climbs and there are longer climbs but few roads are as steep for as long. The San Carlo is such a steady climb that it’s ideal for riding to a tempo rather than an ambush.
The descent is fast and the remaining road to Courmayeur is an uphill drag, the kind of place where it’ll be invaluable for a contender to have a team mate for support, perhaps where 3 km of road rise up at 6% up to the town of Verrand. The finish is at the Skyway Monte Bianco station.
Favourites 14th stage 2019 Giro d’Italia
*** Miguel Ángel López, Richard Carapaz, Primoz Roglic
** Vincenzo Nibali, Mikel Landa, Rafal Majka
* Ilnur Zakarin, Mikel Nieve, Pavel Sivakov
SAINT-VINCENT
Saint-Vincent is probably one of the most famous places in Valle d’Aosta, thanks also to the “Casino de la Vallée”, one of the most renowned and largest casinos in Europe. Gently lying on the hillside, in a welcoming valley protected from the wind, with an extraordinary microclimate, to the extent that it is known as the Alps Riviera, with mild winters and cool summers at an altitude of 575 metres.
Some of the local wines.
COURMAYEUR (Skyway Monte Bianco)
Located at the foothills of Mont Blanc, Courmayeur is a gateway to Italy, offering a unique mix of alpine culture, excellent food, sports, relaxation, entertainment, shopping, and elegant lifestyle. The small alpine town is conveniently located, easy to reach all year round: it’s a few kilometers from France and Switzerland, close to the main cities of northern Italy, and strategically situated close to airports in Milan, Turin, and Geneva. A cradle of mountaineering, Courmayeur hosts the second oldest alpine guide association in the world, and is an ideal destination for all sport enthusiasts. Here, you can ski and enjoy freeriding in breathtaking scenery, ice-skate at the Courmayeur Mountain Sport Center ice-rink, even in the summer, and hike or ride a bike along the most beautiful mountain paths of Europe.
Skyway Monte Bianco. This technological marvel provides access to mountains whose names belong to the history of alpinism and to the most scenic paths of the Alps. The journey consists of two stages, and takes visitors from Pontal d’Entrèves (1,370 mt), near Courmayeur, to the intermediate station of Pavillon du Mont Fréty (2,173 mt), and then to Punta Helbronner (3,462 mt). Equipped with rotating spherical glass cable cars (making one complete turn each way), it offers visitors a dramatic vista of the whole region. The departure is located close to the Val Vény cable car station, not far from the entrance to the Mont Blanc Tunnel. There is ample parking, a bar, an information booth, and the ticket office. Pavillon du Mont Fréty, the first station, boasts an alpine botanical garden, a playground for children, and a network of lovely paths. At Punta Helbronner, the 14-meter wide, circular viewing terrace cannot be missed; visitors can enjoy an extraordinary panoramic view of the Mont Blanc summit (4,810 mt), the Dent du Géant, the Grandes Jorasses, and the Vallée Blanche. Beneath the station, a 90-meter-long vertical tunnel houses two lifts that take visitors up to the new Torino Hut, a multifunctional facility with guest rooms, a restaurant, a bar, and a viewing terrace, meeting all needs. The hut can host up to 160 people, and offers large dormitories for climbers and a cozy room – Room no. 31 – for more demanding (and romantic) travellers, who can enjoy the sun rising in absolute silence. The ascent by Skyway is a true travel experience, entirely accessible even to people with disabilities.
GASTRONOMY
Courmayeur has a time-honored culinary tradition that is highly respected. From fontina to the bleu d’Aoste, from chevrot du Mont Blanc to brossa and the fresh yogurt made in Courmayeur with mountain-pasture milk, the range of local delicacies is endless. Here, when dining, you’ll want to try the game, meat sauces, all kinds of cheese, polenta, “seuppe” (the local soups), and cured meats.
WINE
Every meal should be paired with a local DOC wine. From white to red, the local wine list is interesting and wide, and always ends with a grappa or a génépy. Amid the excellent delicacies and wines from Valdigne, the most renowned grape variety is the Prié Blanc, a phylloxera-resistant vine grown at the highest altitude in Europe: it is used to produce the Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle, an excellent DOC white wine, as well as, a selection of sparkling “classicly produced” wines, and an “ice wine”, made with ultra-ripe grapes, harvested at night after the first frost. The symbol of hospitality and warmth with which tourists are welcomed is the Coppa dell’Amicizia, the traditional grolla. It’s a handcrafted, multi-spouted wooden bowl containing a mix of hot coffee, grappa, and génépy, which tablemates pass around at the end of a meal.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments
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Ouch.0
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Probably not long enough for the likes of rabottini."If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
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Looks like one of those stages that gets riders eliminated.0
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Another excellent stage introduction thanks.
Can’t wait.
Pete0 -
Show your working for this oneBlazing Saddles wrote:*** Simon Yates, Mikel Landa, Primoz Roglic
** Vincenzo Nibali, Miguel Ángel López, Rafal Majka
* Ilnur Zakarin, Richard Carapaz, Pavel SivakovTwitter: @RichN950 -
He's riding into form....RichN95 wrote:
Show your working for this oneBlazing Saddles wrote:*** Simon Yates, Mikel Landa, Primoz Roglic
** Vincenzo Nibali, Miguel Ángel López, Rafal Majka
* Ilnur Zakarin, Richard Carapaz, Pavel Sivakov0 -
While some of this weeks satges left me thinking an hour of highlights was too much, this one will be worth the Welsh lesson. Over the last couple of years I've found these shorter hard mountain stages to be really exciting. Getting to the last 20-30kms with lots of energy in the legs gives a much more exciting finale for the GC.0
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Slim Boy Fat wrote:
He's riding into form....RichN95 wrote:
Show your working for this oneBlazing Saddles wrote:*** Simon Yates, Mikel Landa, Primoz Roglic
** Vincenzo Nibali, Miguel Ángel López, Rafal Majka
* Ilnur Zakarin, Richard Carapaz, Pavel Sivakov
He's been deliberately losing time so he's allowed to get in breaks"Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0 -
RichN95 wrote:
Show your working for this oneBlazing Saddles wrote:*** Simon Yates, Mikel Landa, Primoz Roglic
** Vincenzo Nibali, Miguel Ángel López, Rafal Majka
* Ilnur Zakarin, Richard Carapaz, Pavel SivakovBlazing Saddles wrote:Favourites 14th stage 2019 Giro d’Italia (subject to change after stage 13)
*** Simon Yates, Mikel Landa, Primoz Roglic
** Vincenzo Nibali, Miguel Ángel López, Rafal Majka
* Ilnur Zakarin, Richard Carapaz, Pavel Sivakov
My working for this one was there all along, cheeky monkey.
My excuse is that I forgot when I came home, last night.
Thanks for the reminder, I'll get on it."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
RichN95 wrote:
Show your working for this oneBlazing Saddles wrote:*** Simon Yates, Mikel Landa, Primoz Roglic
** Vincenzo Nibali, Miguel Ángel López, Rafal Majka
* Ilnur Zakarin, Richard Carapaz, Pavel Sivakov
To be fair he did say 'subject to change after Stage 13'0 -
Pross wrote:RichN95 wrote:
Show your working for this oneBlazing Saddles wrote:*** Simon Yates, Mikel Landa, Primoz Roglic
** Vincenzo Nibali, Miguel Ángel López, Rafal Majka
* Ilnur Zakarin, Richard Carapaz, Pavel Sivakov
To be fair he did say 'subject to change after Stage 13'
Much appreciated.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
RichN95 wrote:He's going to win now, isn't he?
Probably.
Compromise time, I think.
Favourites 14th stage 2019 Giro d’Italia
*** Miguel Ángel López, Richard Carapaz, Primoz Roglic
** Vincenzo Nibali, Mikel Landa, Rafal Majka
* Ilnur Zakarin, Mikel Nieve, Pavel Sivakov
+ Simon Yates"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Simon Yates is not going to win this stage"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
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Brian Smith talking carapaz. Sounds about right . Can win a sprint from a group too"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
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UK Eurosport manage to miss the start with an ad break, but the rest of Europe are missing for the first hour. :?"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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Roglic chasing down Yates on the first climb of the day!
All the big boys in a mini chasse patate"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Jumbo absolutely useless, Ooman quits and Mollema dangling on the back.
Dutch cycling's renaissance having a bit of a crisis."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
All sorts of chat going on.0
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Don't think nibali has it. Bahrain should have pushed on"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
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Halfway ."If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
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Just turned on... ooh looks interesting... who’s in the bre.... OH MY GOD WHAT IS ADAM BLYTHE WEARING?0
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Welsh accents sound nice.
Roglic deciding to follow the Pink Jersey - that'll really improve his position.0 -
Looks like the Gavia ain't going to happen.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/raci ... 019-424992
And if that wasn't bad enough:
La Flamme Rouge tweeted the “Plan B” for stage 16, which sees the Gavia replaced by a 22.2km category three climb to Aprica, which has an average gradient of 2.9%.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Goats!0
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Sorry, but Plan B has now become Plan C.
So, not quite so bad."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Disappointing so far after the start made me think we were in for a classic. As the race decided to go back to sleep I did too, woke up to see Lotto had given a local junior a chance to ride for them on the front.0
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Yeah I've not watched much but I follow him on Instagram, I think hes been given most of it to wear by personal sponsors. He does have particularly garish taste though anyway.PoweredByIdris wrote:Just turned on... ooh looks interesting... who’s in the bre.... OH MY GOD WHAT IS ADAM BLYTHE WEARING?0 -
The Maglia Rosa is throwing out the anchor early, I'm afraid."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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Shark attack!"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
