La Vuelta 2019, Stage 11: Saint Palais > Urdax-Dantxarinea 04/09/2019 - 180kms *Spoilers*
blazing_saddles
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La Vuelta 2019, Stage 11: Saint Palais > Urdax-Dantxarinea - 04/09/2019 - 180kms
Wednesday 4 September - At 180 kilometres, the 11th stage of the Vuelta a España leads from Saint Palais in France back to Spain. The arrival is in mountain village Urdax. Urdax, also known as Urdazubi, is located in the Pyrenees. In the 2016 Vuelta a España the peloton was nowhere to be seen when attacker Valerio Conti soloed to victory. He was by far the best rider in a front group that arrived half an hour ahead of the main group.
Once the flag drops, though uncatagorized, the route climbs to the village Lohitzun-Oyhercq. This sets the tone. The 11th stage does not feature any long or steep climbs, but the roads are far from flat. Which will surely do damage. Not to mention that it disheartens the sprinters.
The route includes three uphills for mountain points: Col d’Osquich (at kilometre 77 – 4.9 kilometres at 6.1%)
Col d’Ispeguy (at kilometre 123 – 7.2 kilometres at 7.1%)
That last climb is 7.6 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 4.7%, while the summit is reached inside the last 40 kilometres.
Also, the route features a false flat drag with 8 kilometres remaining.
Favourites 11th stage 2019 Vuelta a España
We are in the second week of action and the race has been energy-sapping, so chances are that the breakaway may well survive. La Vuelta is often a race for attackers and this is likely to be an emblematic stage with strong riders surviving the warm weather conditions.
A sprint from this select group is the most likely outcome.
*** Gianluca Brambilla, Valerio Conti, Philippe Gilbert, Thomas de Gendt
** Edvald Boasson Hagen, Jean-Pierre Drucker, Luka Mezgec, Silvan Dillier
* John Degenkolb, Fernando Gaviria, Zdenek Stybar
Saint Palais
Unprecedented departure
1,850 inhabitants
This small town in southern France will be La Vuelta’s last foray beyond Spain’s frontiers, although the landscape contains many features that are very typical of the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula.
Saint-Palais belongs to the French Basque Country and shares its cultural tradition with Euskadi-The Basque Country. An example of this is the Festival de la Force Basque, a Basque rural sports championship held in August that provides such iconic images as woodchoppers (‘aizkolariak’) and an event called ‘soka-tira’ (tug of war).
Urdax-Dantxarinea
1 stage of La Vuelta have had finale in Urdax
394 inhabitants.
La Vuelta travels to the source of Basque mythology, and presumably the source of the Basque language. Urdax is a municipality in the unique, fascinating region of Baztán in Navarra. Its myths and legends, its intense climate and the beauty of its green landscapes have attracted travellers and curious sightseers for centuries. Often found in literature as the setting for fantasy novels, the area was first included in La Vuelta in 2016, when the stage was won by the Italian Valerio Conti.
Txuri eta beltz
Wednesday 4 September - At 180 kilometres, the 11th stage of the Vuelta a España leads from Saint Palais in France back to Spain. The arrival is in mountain village Urdax. Urdax, also known as Urdazubi, is located in the Pyrenees. In the 2016 Vuelta a España the peloton was nowhere to be seen when attacker Valerio Conti soloed to victory. He was by far the best rider in a front group that arrived half an hour ahead of the main group.
Once the flag drops, though uncatagorized, the route climbs to the village Lohitzun-Oyhercq. This sets the tone. The 11th stage does not feature any long or steep climbs, but the roads are far from flat. Which will surely do damage. Not to mention that it disheartens the sprinters.
The route includes three uphills for mountain points: Col d’Osquich (at kilometre 77 – 4.9 kilometres at 6.1%)
Col d’Ispeguy (at kilometre 123 – 7.2 kilometres at 7.1%)
That last climb is 7.6 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 4.7%, while the summit is reached inside the last 40 kilometres.
Also, the route features a false flat drag with 8 kilometres remaining.
Favourites 11th stage 2019 Vuelta a España
We are in the second week of action and the race has been energy-sapping, so chances are that the breakaway may well survive. La Vuelta is often a race for attackers and this is likely to be an emblematic stage with strong riders surviving the warm weather conditions.
A sprint from this select group is the most likely outcome.
*** Gianluca Brambilla, Valerio Conti, Philippe Gilbert, Thomas de Gendt
** Edvald Boasson Hagen, Jean-Pierre Drucker, Luka Mezgec, Silvan Dillier
* John Degenkolb, Fernando Gaviria, Zdenek Stybar
Saint Palais
Unprecedented departure
1,850 inhabitants
This small town in southern France will be La Vuelta’s last foray beyond Spain’s frontiers, although the landscape contains many features that are very typical of the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula.
Saint-Palais belongs to the French Basque Country and shares its cultural tradition with Euskadi-The Basque Country. An example of this is the Festival de la Force Basque, a Basque rural sports championship held in August that provides such iconic images as woodchoppers (‘aizkolariak’) and an event called ‘soka-tira’ (tug of war).
Urdax-Dantxarinea
1 stage of La Vuelta have had finale in Urdax
394 inhabitants.
La Vuelta travels to the source of Basque mythology, and presumably the source of the Basque language. Urdax is a municipality in the unique, fascinating region of Baztán in Navarra. Its myths and legends, its intense climate and the beauty of its green landscapes have attracted travellers and curious sightseers for centuries. Often found in literature as the setting for fantasy novels, the area was first included in La Vuelta in 2016, when the stage was won by the Italian Valerio Conti.
Txuri eta beltz
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments
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Perfect terrain for Valverde0
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Jorge Arcas (Movistar Team), François Bidard (AG2R La Mondiale), Gorka Izagirre (Astana Pro Team), Rémi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Lawson Craddock (EF Education First), Benjamin Thomas (Groupama-FDJ), Damien Howson (Mitchelton-Scott), Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier, Ben O’Connor (Dimension Data), Matteo Fabbro (Katusha Alpecin), Ángel Madrazo (Burgos-BH), Alex Aranburu, Jonathan Lastra (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Mikel Iturria (Euskadi-Murias) are together after 28km.
Cyril Barthe (Euskadi-Murias) trails by 4'50".
The gap to the bunch is up to 6'40"."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Breaks like that make me realise just how many professional cyclists there are that I have never heard of.0
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TheBigBean wrote:Breaks like that make me realise just how many professional cyclists there are that I have never heard of.
Clearly an amateur fan
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Michelton Scott back on rim brakes today after Chaves's disaster on Sunday.
Howson is for sure, not seen the rest of the team in coverage yet.0 -
Izzagire and Aranburu have 20" over the rest of the break"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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Classic Vuelta positioning of the intermediate sprint today.0
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The usual dust up when there's a big break. Somebody will eventually time their attack and the others will play after you, Claude.
Probably Cavagna, as everybody in the pro peloton think that DQS don't get enough wins. :roll:"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:The usual dust up when there's a big break. Somebody will eventually time their attack and the others will play after you, Claude.
Iturria never gave up - they thought they had him.0 -
KingstonGraham wrote:Blazing Saddles wrote:The usual dust up when there's a big break. Somebody will eventually time their attack and the others will play after you, Claude.
Iturria never gave up - they thought they had him.
Well deserved win.
So much after you Claude being played out by the rest during those final 10kms."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:KingstonGraham wrote:Blazing Saddles wrote:The usual dust up when there's a big break. Somebody will eventually time their attack and the others will play after you, Claude.
Iturria never gave up - they thought they had him.
Well deserved win.
So much after you Claude being played out by the rest during those final 10kms.
At 1.1km to go, they were practically in his slipstream - if any one of them had put in any effort there, they'd have caught him. Great ride from the winner to just put in another burst as he hit the downhill section and get a bit of distance again.0 -
Tasty0
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RichN95 wrote:DRUGS STORY KLAXON: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... lonia-race
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Really enjoyed that, a proper “don’t give up” effort at the end there.0
