TDF 2020 - Stage 7 Millau - Lavaur 168 km *Spoilers*
blazing_saddles
Posts: 21,534
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Stage 7 Millau - Lavaur 168 km
At 168 kilometres, the 7th stage on the Tour de France travels from Millau to Lavaur. Sprinters or attackers? The route winds its way northeast of Toulouse through the rugged interior of France.
On narrow country roads the riders head from Millau to Lavaur.
In the areas of Aveyron and Tarn where one doesn’t quite know what “flat” means, the roads are never easy. Other than the hilly course, before visiting Castres, the plans of the sprinters’ teams could be troubled by the wind that can be very strong in the region. In fact, the region is renowned for it.
The stage from Millau to Lavau precedes a weekend of climbing in the Pyrenees. Which does not necessarily mean that this will be an easy day, as racing in the Garonne region is never easy.
The riders start near the Millau Viaduct, which is the tallest cable-stayed road bridge in the world, and set off for a lumpy stage with a number of climbs standing out.
The longest ascent is situated halfway. The Col de Peyronnenc adds up 13.5 kilometres, but the average gradient is doable: 3.9%.
Right after a prolonged downhill the riders tackle the second categorised climb of the day. The Côte de Paulhe is just 1.1 kilometres long and slopes at 7% before a last bumpy phase leads onto 40 kilometres on the flat.
The 7th stage on the Tour de France is far from flat, but the sprinters should be able to survive the uphills. Yet, the Aveyron and Tarn regions can be windy, so echelons could have an impact on how the race unfolds.
Favourites 7th stage 2020 Tour de France
*** Caleb Ewan, Wout van Aert, Sam Bennett
** Elia Viviani, Giacomo Nizzolo, Peter Sagan
*Mads Pedersen, , Bryan Coquard, Sonny Colbrelli, Cees Bol, Alexander Kristoff
Millau
Six previous stages
Population: 22,800
Left out of the Tour route for 28 years, Millau was back on the map in 2018 for the start of a stage to Carcassonne won by Dane Magnus Cort Nielsen before the rest day. While Ferdi Kubler was the first winner of a tour stage in Millau in1954. Millau has seen many pelotons ride past, especially during the defunct Grand prix du Midi Libre.
On the Tour, the last stage winner before Cort Nielsen was Marino Lejarreta, who finished twice 5th overall in the GC. Winner on the Vuelta in 1982, the Basque rider took part in 27 Grand Tours in his career, riding all three in the same year four times (only Adam Hansen improved the feat by doing it six times in succession).
The viaduct
2,460 m long and 343 m high at its highest point. The first stone was laid on December 14, 2001.
On December 16, 2004, the viaduct was open to the public.
Lavaur
Two previous stages
Population: 11,200
The Tour de France has made it a tradition to come to Lavaur every ten years. A first stage starting in Pau was won by Rik Verbrugghe in 2011 while, ten years later, the unavoidable Mark Cavendish won the bunch sprint for on of his five wins in the 2011 editions. In 2001, Laurent Jalabert seized the polka-dot jersey and kept it all the way to Paris.
Spécialties : bougnettes, melsat (delicatessen), pink garlic from Lautrec, Gaillac wines. Garbure (soup).
At 168 kilometres, the 7th stage on the Tour de France travels from Millau to Lavaur. Sprinters or attackers? The route winds its way northeast of Toulouse through the rugged interior of France.
On narrow country roads the riders head from Millau to Lavaur.
In the areas of Aveyron and Tarn where one doesn’t quite know what “flat” means, the roads are never easy. Other than the hilly course, before visiting Castres, the plans of the sprinters’ teams could be troubled by the wind that can be very strong in the region. In fact, the region is renowned for it.
The stage from Millau to Lavau precedes a weekend of climbing in the Pyrenees. Which does not necessarily mean that this will be an easy day, as racing in the Garonne region is never easy.
The riders start near the Millau Viaduct, which is the tallest cable-stayed road bridge in the world, and set off for a lumpy stage with a number of climbs standing out.
The longest ascent is situated halfway. The Col de Peyronnenc adds up 13.5 kilometres, but the average gradient is doable: 3.9%.
Right after a prolonged downhill the riders tackle the second categorised climb of the day. The Côte de Paulhe is just 1.1 kilometres long and slopes at 7% before a last bumpy phase leads onto 40 kilometres on the flat.
The 7th stage on the Tour de France is far from flat, but the sprinters should be able to survive the uphills. Yet, the Aveyron and Tarn regions can be windy, so echelons could have an impact on how the race unfolds.
Favourites 7th stage 2020 Tour de France
*** Caleb Ewan, Wout van Aert, Sam Bennett
** Elia Viviani, Giacomo Nizzolo, Peter Sagan
*Mads Pedersen, , Bryan Coquard, Sonny Colbrelli, Cees Bol, Alexander Kristoff
Millau
Six previous stages
Population: 22,800
Left out of the Tour route for 28 years, Millau was back on the map in 2018 for the start of a stage to Carcassonne won by Dane Magnus Cort Nielsen before the rest day. While Ferdi Kubler was the first winner of a tour stage in Millau in1954. Millau has seen many pelotons ride past, especially during the defunct Grand prix du Midi Libre.
On the Tour, the last stage winner before Cort Nielsen was Marino Lejarreta, who finished twice 5th overall in the GC. Winner on the Vuelta in 1982, the Basque rider took part in 27 Grand Tours in his career, riding all three in the same year four times (only Adam Hansen improved the feat by doing it six times in succession).
The viaduct
2,460 m long and 343 m high at its highest point. The first stone was laid on December 14, 2001.
On December 16, 2004, the viaduct was open to the public.
Lavaur
Two previous stages
Population: 11,200
The Tour de France has made it a tradition to come to Lavaur every ten years. A first stage starting in Pau was won by Rik Verbrugghe in 2011 while, ten years later, the unavoidable Mark Cavendish won the bunch sprint for on of his five wins in the 2011 editions. In 2001, Laurent Jalabert seized the polka-dot jersey and kept it all the way to Paris.
Spécialties : bougnettes, melsat (delicatessen), pink garlic from Lautrec, Gaillac wines. Garbure (soup).
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Weather at tomorrow's finish:
That wind looks like it might just do the business.
Cross for a large section mid race, but cross tail all the way from Castres.
So now the all important weather forecast for Castres......................
There may be trouble ahead.
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
This is Ineos/Sky's 100th Grand Tour stage since the last won one (Thomas on Alpe d'Huez)
Burning out riders going up a climb and not making headway on the breakaway?
Inconceivable!
I am not sure. You have no chance.
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
If there are going to be echelons people will be doing all sorts of silly things to hold position and panic will be spreading though the peloton, and commentators will be talking about the consequences of that instead. Talking up the possibility of echelons is a tacit admission nothing is currently happening.
I am not sure. You have no chance.
40kms to go and the race is more or less heading West all the way home.
Now, where would the perfect wind need to come from?
So, another forecast.
50kph gusts.
I bags at 22kms to go for sounding the klaxon.
- @ddraver
On the other hand, if the conversation is "there might be echelons later on today" then nothing is happening and you can safely turn off the TV. Carlton managed this landmark within the first 5km today, fwiw.
Pretty much guarantees echelons and splits. 😉
I am not sure. You have no chance.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@43.696317,1.8159215,3a,90y,357.83h,96.15t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_Ds95QYlBAjO2aq71kszjw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en
It's not on the road book, so must have gone. Last roundabout just before the flamme rouge.
Apparently the logic works for previews as well.
The wind has moved a few points overnight and is now pretty much a tailwind.
That 22km mark I picked:
Oh well.
Edit:
(looking around the various French weather sites, the majority do still forecast a South Easterly, so we'll say nothing more and see....)
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
After picking him. 🤣🤣🤣
I am not sure. You have no chance.