TDF 2019, Stage 17: Pont du Gard > Gap 24/07/2019 - Stage 17 - 200 km *Spoilers*

TDF 2019, Stage 17: Pont du Gard > Gap 24/07/2019 - Stage 17 - 200 km
Stage 17 in the Tour de France is a 200 kilometres race from Pont du Gard to Gap. The rolling route serves as warm-up before the ensuing GC challenges in the Alps, while a breakaway is likely to succeed. Long distance attackers often met success in Gap like Jean-François Bernard for his first victory in 1986 or Pierrick Fédrigo twenty years later. After that, finishes in the city crowned a World Champion in 2011, Norway’s Thor Hushovd and two years later, a man who would go on to carry the rainbow jersey, Portuguese rider Rui Costa. For the last visit of the Tour in 2015, the successful breakaway hero Ruben Plaza.


The race sets off near the Pont du Gard. This ancient Roman aquaduct crosses the Gardon River 25 kilometres northeast of Nîmes.

The route moves through the Rhône valley and visits the famous Roman Theatre of Orange before entering a sheer endless false flat of 70 kilometres. The slope kicks up a bit on the Côte de La Rochette-du-Buis and, in quick succession, the Col de Mévouillon, before the route reaches an elevation of 883 metres at kilometre 110.5.

The Tour de France continues on predominantly flat roads to the foot of the Col de la Sentinelle. The 5.2 kilometres climb at 5.4% is crested inside the last 8.5 kilometres before the riders fly down to the finish line in Gap.


Favourites 17th stage 2019 Tour de France
This transition stage ahead of the three tough days in the Alps runs to Gap. The route is too tough for the sprinters and the GC riders will have other things on their minds, so this race should see a successful breakaway. Following an uneventful opening the route begins to rise in false flat fashion at kilometre 40. Still nothing special though – that is, if you just look at the course. Obviously, the battle to be part of the breakaway will be intense and fun to watch.
Favourites 17th stage 2019 Tour de France
*** Matej Mohoric, Alexey Lutsenko, Magnus Cort, Thomas de Gendt, Greg Van Avermaet
** Tim Wellens, Jasper Stuyven, Pello Bilbao, Oliver Naesen, Matteo Trentin
* Rui Costa, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Daryl Impey, Fabio Felline etc etc etc
Pont du Gard
No previous stage
Roman aqueduct and bridge over the Gardon in Gard

On the route: Cairanne and Rasteau.
Known for the quality of its wine, Cairanne is one of 18 municipalities to have the right to attach its name to the AOC Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages appellation.

Rasteau is a village of vine growers of High Vaucluse perched at 200 metres on a mound between plains and forests. Its houses are spread out at the foot of a beautiful 12th century Romanesque church and the ruins of a 12th century castle overlook the village. It is impossible to leave Rasteau without stopping at the cooperative wine cellar showcasing the wines produced here. You can also visit the museum of winemaking gathering tools, instruments, photographs and documents to explain this traditional passion for vine and good wine.

The Drôme
My favourite area of France.

Gap
24 previous stages
Population: 42,600
Since the first victory of the “Belgian locomotive” Jef Demuysere in 1931, Gap frequently hosted the Tour de France, often as a launch-pad towards the summits (Briancon or Alpe d’Huez), but also as a prestigious stage finish. Solo attackers have often done well here, like Jean-François Bernard, who revealed himself in 1986, or Pierrick Fedrigo 20 years later. In 2011 and 2013, Gap celebrated world champions when Thor Hushovd and Rui Costa won stages with the rainbow jersey on their backs. In 1933 already, Georges Speicher had won in Gap wearing the world champion garment. The last time the Tour came to Gap in 2015, it was another solitary escapee, Ruben Plaza, who took the laurels with a 30-seconds lead over Peter Sagan, who collected second places that year.

Specialties: Tourton du Champsaur (donuts of potatoes and fresh cheese),

donkey ears (fresh pasta gratin with spinach), Ravioles du Champsaur,

salted goat (goat casserole)
Stage 17 in the Tour de France is a 200 kilometres race from Pont du Gard to Gap. The rolling route serves as warm-up before the ensuing GC challenges in the Alps, while a breakaway is likely to succeed. Long distance attackers often met success in Gap like Jean-François Bernard for his first victory in 1986 or Pierrick Fédrigo twenty years later. After that, finishes in the city crowned a World Champion in 2011, Norway’s Thor Hushovd and two years later, a man who would go on to carry the rainbow jersey, Portuguese rider Rui Costa. For the last visit of the Tour in 2015, the successful breakaway hero Ruben Plaza.

The race sets off near the Pont du Gard. This ancient Roman aquaduct crosses the Gardon River 25 kilometres northeast of Nîmes.

The route moves through the Rhône valley and visits the famous Roman Theatre of Orange before entering a sheer endless false flat of 70 kilometres. The slope kicks up a bit on the Côte de La Rochette-du-Buis and, in quick succession, the Col de Mévouillon, before the route reaches an elevation of 883 metres at kilometre 110.5.

The Tour de France continues on predominantly flat roads to the foot of the Col de la Sentinelle. The 5.2 kilometres climb at 5.4% is crested inside the last 8.5 kilometres before the riders fly down to the finish line in Gap.

Favourites 17th stage 2019 Tour de France
This transition stage ahead of the three tough days in the Alps runs to Gap. The route is too tough for the sprinters and the GC riders will have other things on their minds, so this race should see a successful breakaway. Following an uneventful opening the route begins to rise in false flat fashion at kilometre 40. Still nothing special though – that is, if you just look at the course. Obviously, the battle to be part of the breakaway will be intense and fun to watch.
Favourites 17th stage 2019 Tour de France
*** Matej Mohoric, Alexey Lutsenko, Magnus Cort, Thomas de Gendt, Greg Van Avermaet
** Tim Wellens, Jasper Stuyven, Pello Bilbao, Oliver Naesen, Matteo Trentin
* Rui Costa, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Daryl Impey, Fabio Felline etc etc etc
Pont du Gard
No previous stage
Roman aqueduct and bridge over the Gardon in Gard
On the route: Cairanne and Rasteau.
Known for the quality of its wine, Cairanne is one of 18 municipalities to have the right to attach its name to the AOC Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages appellation.

Rasteau is a village of vine growers of High Vaucluse perched at 200 metres on a mound between plains and forests. Its houses are spread out at the foot of a beautiful 12th century Romanesque church and the ruins of a 12th century castle overlook the village. It is impossible to leave Rasteau without stopping at the cooperative wine cellar showcasing the wines produced here. You can also visit the museum of winemaking gathering tools, instruments, photographs and documents to explain this traditional passion for vine and good wine.
The Drôme
My favourite area of France.
Gap
24 previous stages
Population: 42,600
Since the first victory of the “Belgian locomotive” Jef Demuysere in 1931, Gap frequently hosted the Tour de France, often as a launch-pad towards the summits (Briancon or Alpe d’Huez), but also as a prestigious stage finish. Solo attackers have often done well here, like Jean-François Bernard, who revealed himself in 1986, or Pierrick Fedrigo 20 years later. In 2011 and 2013, Gap celebrated world champions when Thor Hushovd and Rui Costa won stages with the rainbow jersey on their backs. In 1933 already, Georges Speicher had won in Gap wearing the world champion garment. The last time the Tour came to Gap in 2015, it was another solitary escapee, Ruben Plaza, who took the laurels with a 30-seconds lead over Peter Sagan, who collected second places that year.
Specialties: Tourton du Champsaur (donuts of potatoes and fresh cheese),

donkey ears (fresh pasta gratin with spinach), Ravioles du Champsaur,

salted goat (goat casserole)
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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The Chamonix weather report has descriptions o heat going hot, very hot, extremely hot, stifling heat and finally torrid heat! They've literally run out of adjectives...
- @ddraver
Ineos and Quick Step will have a fun time, then. This is the air conditioning units at their hotel in gap.
I wouldn't be in a rush to get to Gap, if I was him.
http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com/photos ... 08_600.jpg
Rumour has it that it was recently on sale for the princely sum of 1 Euro, as long as you were prepared to stump up for the renovations and the structural work necessary*
* this may well be fake news
Just how hard would DQS and others ride.
You'd think if GVA makes it to the end he would be best placed to then win. So TdG or Costa to go long?
Just a stupid tantrum.
It's crazy eh? :shock:
Well I guess it is the next best thing to being in the break, both ITV and EuroSport giving TDE alot of air-time.
If they were in the break then they would be pretty anonymous and they wouldn't win the stage anyway.
All for nought.
Madness.
2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #3s)
2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
2019 Hoy Bonaly 26" Disc (son #2s)
2018 Voodoo Bizango (mine)
2018 Voodoo Maji (wife's)
It would've been funny if the other teams just sat up and let them ride off.
Why didn't they just let TDE ride off the front? Just sit up and let the gap open up. It's not like they mean anything to the race.
2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #3s)
2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
2019 Hoy Bonaly 26" Disc (son #2s)
2018 Voodoo Bizango (mine)
2018 Voodoo Maji (wife's)
Daniel Oss and Lukas Pöstlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe), Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Alexis Gougeard (Ag2r La Mondiale), Dylan Teuns (Bahrain-Merida), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Omar Fraile and Gorka Izagirre (Astana), Simon Clarke and Tom Scully (EF Education First), Chris Juul-Jensen and Matteo Trentin (Mitchelton-Scott), Greg van Avermaet and Michael Schär (CCC), Sven Erik Bystrom, Rui Costa, Sergio Henao and Vegard Stake Laengen (UAE Team Emirates), Bauke Mollema, Thomas Skujins and Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Nicolas Roche (Sunweb), Natnael Berhane, Jesús Herrada, Anthony Pérez and Pierre-Luc Périchon (Cofidis), Thomas de Gendt and Jens Keukeleire (Lotto-Soudal), Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin), Xandro Meurisse and Andrea Pasqualon (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Edvald Boasson Hagen and Ben King (Dimension Data).
Average speed so far: 46.6km/h.
2020 Voodoo Marasa
2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
2016 Voodoo Wazoo