TDF 2019, Stage 15: Limoux > Foix Prat d'Albis 21/07/2019 - 185 km *Spoilers*
blazing_saddles
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TDF 2019, Stage 15: Limoux > Foix Prat d'Albis 21/07/2019 - 185 km
At 185 kilometres, the 15th stage of the Tour de France is the second race in the Pyrenees. The stage is tailor-made for mountain goats. The race to the unprecedented Prat d'Albis serves 4,700 metres and the last climb amounts to 11.8 kilometres with several double digit ramps.
Following the start in Limoux the route takes in a number of intermediate climbs before a summit finish at the unprecedented Prat d'Albis. The race includes a total of 4,700 vertical metres.
Before tackling the ultimate climb the riders face the Col de Montségur, 6.8 kilometres at 6% -, above which the ruined Cathar castle with the same name is perched.
A flat section leads to Tarascon-sur-Ariège before a false flat takes the riders to the foot of the Port de Lers. The riders tackle the 11.4 kilometres climb at 7% after almost 110 kilometres in the saddle.
Following the fast descent into Massat, the route once again starts to climb on the Mur de Péguère, which is a monster of 9.3 kilometres at 7.9%. The first six kilometres are friendly weaving upwards on the Col de Port before the actual Mur de Péguère kicks in. Which is a monster of 3.3 kilometres at almost 13%.
The first three riders over the summit pocket time bonuses of 8, 5 and 2 seconds before flying down a 15 kilometres descent into Foix. Shortly the final haul up the Prat d’Albis appears. The road to the summit of the Prat d’Albis is multifaceted. Steady initially, the road kicks up at 10.5% in the fourth kilometre and 11% in the sixth before the climb levels out as it enters the open section towards the top.
Favourites 15th stage 2019 Tour de France
Naturally, the lead of the attackers will be the deciding factor if they do or don’t. Riders eyeing the polka dot jersey – De Gendt, Ciccone, Wellens… – are expected in the breakaway, as there are a lot of KOM points to be gained. Obviously, how the race unfolds depends on the GC, so while the parcour lends itself to a successful breakaway, the maillot jersey teams may well have ideas of their own.
***** Egan Bernal, Julian Alaphilippe, Thibaut Pinot
**** Emanuel Buchmann, Mikel Landa, Steven Kruijswijk
*** Enric Mas, Thomas De Gendt, Rigoberto Uran, Geraint Thomas
** Michael Woods, Dylan Teuns, Vincenzo Nibali, Richie Porte
* Giulio Ciccone, Tim Wellens, Fabio Aru, Daniel Martin
Limoux
Two previous stages
Population: 10,670
In 2012, a long breakaway between Limoux and Foix helped Luis Leon Sanchez celebrate his fourth stage victory in the Tour de France with a cup of blanquette. Gone in a group also including Peter Sagan, Philippe Gilbert, Sandy Casar and Gorka Izagirre, the Spaniard outwitted his companions to attack with 11 km to go and restore the pride of his Rabobank team, who had only four riders left in the race. The stage, already leading to the prefecture of Ariege, had been marked by an incident when spectators spilt nails on the road at the top of Mur de Peguere, leading several prominent riders to puncture.
The year before, the peloton left Limoux for Montpellier, where Mark Cavendish collected his 4th stage victory of the 2011 edition. In 1976, a Grand prix du Midi-Libre stage had been won by Lucien Van Impe, soon to win the Tour, ahead of Bernard Hinault and Raymond Poulidor.
Blanquette, the first sparkling wine
Even though gaillac mousseux and Clairette de Die also claim anteriority, blanquette showed the way to champagne as the famous dom Perignon, who was returning from Spain, stopped in Limoux St Hilaire abbey and discovered the sparkling wine invented inadvertently by the monks in 1531. He took the recipe back with him to Champagne. Some sources even claim the invention dates as far back as the 14th century.
Specialties: Pébradou (pepper twisted appetizer cake), salty liver artichokes, Limouxine duck (saffron and whole garlic sauce), Limoux fricassee, Limos (crown of kings, brioche with candied fruit), the tap (thin chocolate cap), the nougat. Sparkling AOC wines (Blanquette de Limoux, Crémant de Limoux, Blanquette ancestral method)
Foix Prat d'Albis
Four previous stages
Population: 10,050, 32,000 s in the 42 municipalities of Pays Foix-Varilhes.
The last visit of the Tour de France to Foix was marked by the victory of Warren Barguil in a short stage in Ariège from Saint-Girons, handing the Breton valuable points in his quest of the polka-dot jersey. This first stage win of "Wawa" in the Tour was all the more convincing as the French had outwitted a prestigious trio composed of Alberto Contador, Mikel Landa and Nairo Quintana.
In 2008, Kurt-Asle Arvesen, at the start of the Ariège prefecture, became the third Norwegian winner of a Tour stage, after a sprint narrowly won ahead of Martin Elmiger and Italian Alessandro Ballan. In 2012, Luis Leon Sanchez confirmed his taste for Ariège's roads. The Spanish rider won in both Saint-Girons in 2009 and Foix in 2012.
A few years earlier, the 1984 Tour de l'Avenir was largely decided around Foix, with a breakaway involving Charly Mottet. The next day, the Frenchman won the stage from Foix to Saint-Gaudens before taking the lead in the overall standings.
Castle of the Counts of Foix
Standing on a rocky hill, the medieval castle three towers overlook the old town and provide a panoramic view on the Pyrenees. The invincible fortress, built in 1000, remained intact to this day. It was the home of the counts of Foix, some of whom were especially renowned like Gaston Phoebus, whose motto was « touch it if you dare ». He was known as a great warrior, a poet and a hunter. Henry III of Navarre, the last count of Foix, became King of France as Henry IV. Now turned into the Ariege department museum, it houses several rooms recounting the story and the construction of the castle. The bed of Henry IV is not to be missed.
Specialties: liver sausage (pork), azinat (stuffed cabbage),
mounjetado (enriched cassoulet), duck, Tomme des Pyrénées, flakes of Ariège (confectionery), bethmale (cheese)
Ariege horse.
At 185 kilometres, the 15th stage of the Tour de France is the second race in the Pyrenees. The stage is tailor-made for mountain goats. The race to the unprecedented Prat d'Albis serves 4,700 metres and the last climb amounts to 11.8 kilometres with several double digit ramps.
Following the start in Limoux the route takes in a number of intermediate climbs before a summit finish at the unprecedented Prat d'Albis. The race includes a total of 4,700 vertical metres.
Before tackling the ultimate climb the riders face the Col de Montségur, 6.8 kilometres at 6% -, above which the ruined Cathar castle with the same name is perched.
A flat section leads to Tarascon-sur-Ariège before a false flat takes the riders to the foot of the Port de Lers. The riders tackle the 11.4 kilometres climb at 7% after almost 110 kilometres in the saddle.
Following the fast descent into Massat, the route once again starts to climb on the Mur de Péguère, which is a monster of 9.3 kilometres at 7.9%. The first six kilometres are friendly weaving upwards on the Col de Port before the actual Mur de Péguère kicks in. Which is a monster of 3.3 kilometres at almost 13%.
The first three riders over the summit pocket time bonuses of 8, 5 and 2 seconds before flying down a 15 kilometres descent into Foix. Shortly the final haul up the Prat d’Albis appears. The road to the summit of the Prat d’Albis is multifaceted. Steady initially, the road kicks up at 10.5% in the fourth kilometre and 11% in the sixth before the climb levels out as it enters the open section towards the top.
Favourites 15th stage 2019 Tour de France
Naturally, the lead of the attackers will be the deciding factor if they do or don’t. Riders eyeing the polka dot jersey – De Gendt, Ciccone, Wellens… – are expected in the breakaway, as there are a lot of KOM points to be gained. Obviously, how the race unfolds depends on the GC, so while the parcour lends itself to a successful breakaway, the maillot jersey teams may well have ideas of their own.
***** Egan Bernal, Julian Alaphilippe, Thibaut Pinot
**** Emanuel Buchmann, Mikel Landa, Steven Kruijswijk
*** Enric Mas, Thomas De Gendt, Rigoberto Uran, Geraint Thomas
** Michael Woods, Dylan Teuns, Vincenzo Nibali, Richie Porte
* Giulio Ciccone, Tim Wellens, Fabio Aru, Daniel Martin
Limoux
Two previous stages
Population: 10,670
In 2012, a long breakaway between Limoux and Foix helped Luis Leon Sanchez celebrate his fourth stage victory in the Tour de France with a cup of blanquette. Gone in a group also including Peter Sagan, Philippe Gilbert, Sandy Casar and Gorka Izagirre, the Spaniard outwitted his companions to attack with 11 km to go and restore the pride of his Rabobank team, who had only four riders left in the race. The stage, already leading to the prefecture of Ariege, had been marked by an incident when spectators spilt nails on the road at the top of Mur de Peguere, leading several prominent riders to puncture.
The year before, the peloton left Limoux for Montpellier, where Mark Cavendish collected his 4th stage victory of the 2011 edition. In 1976, a Grand prix du Midi-Libre stage had been won by Lucien Van Impe, soon to win the Tour, ahead of Bernard Hinault and Raymond Poulidor.
Blanquette, the first sparkling wine
Even though gaillac mousseux and Clairette de Die also claim anteriority, blanquette showed the way to champagne as the famous dom Perignon, who was returning from Spain, stopped in Limoux St Hilaire abbey and discovered the sparkling wine invented inadvertently by the monks in 1531. He took the recipe back with him to Champagne. Some sources even claim the invention dates as far back as the 14th century.
Specialties: Pébradou (pepper twisted appetizer cake), salty liver artichokes, Limouxine duck (saffron and whole garlic sauce), Limoux fricassee, Limos (crown of kings, brioche with candied fruit), the tap (thin chocolate cap), the nougat. Sparkling AOC wines (Blanquette de Limoux, Crémant de Limoux, Blanquette ancestral method)
Foix Prat d'Albis
Four previous stages
Population: 10,050, 32,000 s in the 42 municipalities of Pays Foix-Varilhes.
The last visit of the Tour de France to Foix was marked by the victory of Warren Barguil in a short stage in Ariège from Saint-Girons, handing the Breton valuable points in his quest of the polka-dot jersey. This first stage win of "Wawa" in the Tour was all the more convincing as the French had outwitted a prestigious trio composed of Alberto Contador, Mikel Landa and Nairo Quintana.
In 2008, Kurt-Asle Arvesen, at the start of the Ariège prefecture, became the third Norwegian winner of a Tour stage, after a sprint narrowly won ahead of Martin Elmiger and Italian Alessandro Ballan. In 2012, Luis Leon Sanchez confirmed his taste for Ariège's roads. The Spanish rider won in both Saint-Girons in 2009 and Foix in 2012.
A few years earlier, the 1984 Tour de l'Avenir was largely decided around Foix, with a breakaway involving Charly Mottet. The next day, the Frenchman won the stage from Foix to Saint-Gaudens before taking the lead in the overall standings.
Castle of the Counts of Foix
Standing on a rocky hill, the medieval castle three towers overlook the old town and provide a panoramic view on the Pyrenees. The invincible fortress, built in 1000, remained intact to this day. It was the home of the counts of Foix, some of whom were especially renowned like Gaston Phoebus, whose motto was « touch it if you dare ». He was known as a great warrior, a poet and a hunter. Henry III of Navarre, the last count of Foix, became King of France as Henry IV. Now turned into the Ariege department museum, it houses several rooms recounting the story and the construction of the castle. The bed of Henry IV is not to be missed.
Specialties: liver sausage (pork), azinat (stuffed cabbage),
mounjetado (enriched cassoulet), duck, Tomme des Pyrénées, flakes of Ariège (confectionery), bethmale (cheese)
Ariege horse.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments
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The castles in this region are really special...
Correlation is not causation.0 -
Fish!0
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This is going to be fun, tomorrow, when it's jam packed with crazy fans.
No train taking that strain."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
That's not a road, that's a fietspad.Correlation is not causation.0
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Will be interesting to see who of the big players recovers from Saturday the best...
Who will be strong enough to expose the weakest?
Jumbo hopefully!Half man, Half bike0 -
Really quite astonishing the way that teams approached today's stage with this to come tomorrow - every domestique burning every match - you have to imagine they'll let the break go for this one, but who knows.
Going to be a lot of tired legs tomorrow.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:This is going to be fun, tomorrow, when it's jam packed with crazy fans.
No train taking that strain.
When they rode it in 2017, didn't they restrict access to spectators? I recall it being quite eerie, as they raced up a virtually deserted road.0 -
This looks like a stage that will suit Alaphilippepo0
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ooo bike race"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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Dowsett trying to get into the break on a mountain stage. Presumably trying to buy time and insure against the cut off!0
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Talk of Rowe maybe trying to get in the break. I was thinking similar but with Moscon or even Kwia as I'd rather see Rowe in the peloton calling the shots.0
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Early doors"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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going to get dropped on the mur or lers anyway..Pross wrote:Talk of Rowe maybe trying to get in the break. I was thinking similar but with Moscon or even Kwia as I'd rather see Rowe in the peloton calling the shots.
might as well get up the road and get over them.
DQS need guys up the road 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 -
Not letting an easy break go today.0
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surprisingly small break...maybe a second attempt on the first climb"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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nah all together"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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30k of attacking and no break has been allowed to go.0
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Yates and Nibali get a gap but they aren't being allowed anywhere.0
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I can imagine Alaphilippe DS will have been trying to convince him to just defend his position and not get too carried away with his enthusiasm.0
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It's days like this I'm glad I'm not a pro cyclist.
Bardet now having his second attempt.0 -
Ey ey Bardet!0
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bardet having a go"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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34km covered in about 45 minutes on mainly gradually climbing roads. Ouch!0
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TDG showing how to force a break0
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serious group on tdg wheel"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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When I say break he has basically caused a group of about 20 to drop the bunch and start shelling small groups out the back.0
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Wellens dropped so KoM is opening up.0
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Pulled back yet again by DiDa who missed the move.
It looks like the break is going to form by losing riders gradually off the back. Peloton already looking greatly reduced.0 -
TDG having another go with just a Bora rider. A few others including Sagan trying to get across.0
