TDF 2020 - Stage 10: Île d'Oléron Le Château-d'Oléron>Île de Ré Saint-Martin-de-Ré 168.5k *Spoiler*

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
in Pro race
Stage 10: Île d'Oléron Le Château-d'Oléron - Île de Ré Saint-Martin-de-Ré 168.5kms



Christian Prudhomme's comment

Two islands linked by a stage of the Tour, that’s already a first for the peloton that will find it hard to make it bunched to Saint-Martin-de-Ré. The stage will be marked by the Vauban buildings in Royan, Rochefort or La Rochelle, but also by a course mainly set by the sea… and the crossing of marshlands swept by wind.



Two islands linked with a start and finish, it has never been seen before on La Grande Boucle. The riders head from Île d'Oléron to Île de Ré.
Oléron is in fact it is the second largest island of France after Corsica.



The race heads south to move through Royan before heading back north towards Rochefort and La Rochelle. The connecting theme of these three cities is Vauban, a military architect who constructed numerous fortifications throughout France during the reign of King Louis XIV.



The rider's main concern is likely to be the strong winds in this Atlantic jaunt. After crossing the 2.9 kilometres Île de Ré bridge, completed in 1988, the finale leads to the village of Saint-Martin-de-Ré. Again, the fortifications of Vauban are to form the picturesque backdrop to a likely sprint finish.





This area is renowned for its strong winds, although the weather can be calm as well. So are we going to see a tranquil stage with a thunderous sprint finale or will it be thunderous from start to finish?

Favourites 10th stage 2020 Tour de France

*** Sam Bennett, Caleb Ewan, Alexander Kristoff
** Peter Sagan, Elia Viviani, Cees Bol, Wout Van Aert
* Oliver Naesen, André Greipel, Sonny Colbrelli



Île d'Oléron Le Château-d'Oléron

One previous stage

Population: 4,200

Cité de l’Huître (City of Oyster)
It offers a fun and interactive discovery of oyster farming as it is practiced in the Marennes-Oléron basin. Themed huts make up the route to learn all about the different stages of the oyster's life. Throughout the year many activities are offered: bike rides, initiations to open oysters, tasting hot oysters.



Specialties: Marennes-Oléron oysters, shells, shellfish, mussels. Fish. Melon of Charente, onion of Saint-Turjan. Viticulture (pays charentais wines, cognac, pineau). Beer (Naufrageurs, Fort Boyard). Marine salt.






Île de Ré Saint-Martin-de-Ré

No previous stage

Population: 2,300 in Saint-Martin-de-Ré



Specialties: salt, wine (Rosé des Dunes, pineau), oysters, shells, shellfish, pastis of île de Ré, goat cheese.














"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments

  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,611
    Anyone got the wind / weather forecast for the stage?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    edited September 2020
    google says coming in from the north, so that final stretch after la-rochelle will be cross/tail.

    Quite weak though, 19kph.

    General rule I think is you need over 35kph for echelons.
    _
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    Close to one of my favourite days riding on the trip that made me a cyclist... Mostly because I was no longer in the sssodding Gironde forest and so there was something to finally see other than arrow straight road and planted trees...😴
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,490
    Wonderful place Ile de Re. And cyclist friendly to boot.
    Must return one day.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    edited September 2020
    Dorset_Boy said:

    Anyone got the wind / weather forecast for the stage?

    I have good news and bad news as far as the weather goes.

    The bad news is that tomorrow should be a beautiful day that will be accompanied by light winds.



    The good news is that the whole race seems likely to get very little bad weather with lots of warm or even hot sunshine.
    There is a caveat to though: If there is going to be a bad weather day, atm the most likely candidate is the Col de la Loze day.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    Sea Breeze though...

    (He says hopefully...)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,620
    I thought this tour was supposed to be completely hostile to sprinters? There's been plenty of sprint stages so far
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    That have been won by a mountain domestic. :D
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660

    _
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,593
    rick_chasey said:


    That sounds hopeful.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    Crashfest ahoy, I reckon. Riders unfocussed by covid test stress and gossip, possible echelon weather and general sprint stage madness.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    Oh and Vaughters thinks the route is dangerous

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    The wind is swinging around late in the stage to the North West.



    That's the 4pm in the UK forecast.

    A spot of late chaos would be nice.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,490
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    Oh and Vaughters thinks the route is dangerous

    The roads there are narrow and apparently there is a corner 300m from the end.
    Can you imagine the battle to be at the front going into that corner, and the speed?
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • gweeds
    gweeds Posts: 2,613
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    Oh and Vaughters thinks the route is dangerous

    Rare to see him having a whinge.

    COVID results out at 9am UK time apparently. A nice symmetry as after being ill with lots of the symptoms back in late March we had antibody tests last week through my wife's work and they've come back positive.
    Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter.
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,127
    edited September 2020
    To get to the Île de Ré they have to ride over this bridge, which is steep enough to provide a launch pad for an attack for someone who is strong enough keep away on the island roads. Alaphilippe or Sagan anyone?

    Of course the sprint trains may be able to power over that bump and keep things together.

    image

    > Oléron is in fact it is the second largest island of France after Corsica.

    strictly speaking it is the 16th biggest French island
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,490
    davidof said:



    > Oléron is in fact it is the second largest island of France after Corsica.

    strictly speaking it is the 16th biggest French island

    Maybe that is an auto spell error. "off"?
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    The Belgian with the crash algo put this stage as the 2nd most dangerous fyi, after stage 5.
    _
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Headwind right in the final kms ain't going to help either.
    Best if the boys form echelons then. :p
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    Cofidis, UAE, AG2R and Movistar reportedly in the clear for Covid
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,451
    Matt Rendell: "Ineos, UAE, AG2R, Movistar, Trek all OK, I hear."
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    EF and CCC reportedly OK
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,490
    Are we doing this purely on the basis of elimination?
    If there's going to be bad news get it over with already!
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    Got a bad feeling for Jumbo... :(
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    pblakeney said:

    Are we doing this purely on the basis of elimination?
    If there's going to be bad news get it over with already!

    Journalists tweeting about it. Hence why I use 'reportedly'. The official communique was supposed to be out at 9am UK time.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,490
    RichN95. said:

    pblakeney said:

    Are we doing this purely on the basis of elimination?
    If there's going to be bad news get it over with already!

    Journalists tweeting about it. Hence why I use 'reportedly'. The official communique was supposed to be out at 9am UK time.
    Which is why I expected to know by now.
    Any delay hints at bad news as they'd release good news ASAP.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    edited September 2020
    Bora, Direct Energie and Groupama supposedly OK. There maybe some guesswork by journalists
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Rick is currently in church on bended knee, crossing himself furiously
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    J-V team account has posted a picture of a Tour lion wearing a mask and the message Bonjour. I'm guessing they are ok.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    One positive at DQS.
    Waiting on re-test
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.

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