TDF 2020 - Stage 11 Châtelaillon-Plage - Poitiers 167.5 km *Spoilers*
blazing_saddles
Posts: 22,730
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Stage 11 Châtelaillon-Plage - Poitiers 167.5 km
The Tour bids farewell to the ocean. La Grande Boucle enters the heart of France through the marshlands of Poitou. At 167 kilometres, the stage runs from Châtelaillon-Plage to Poitiers.
The riders set off from coastal town Châtelaillon-Plage to navigate the interior of western France, on flat to rolling roads
Fast finishers are likely to come to the fore in the race from Châtelaillon-Plage to Poitiers. The course is predominantly flat, so the scenario is obvious: breakaway opens up a gap of several minutes before being brought back in the last kilometres.
The finale in Poitiers is a flat and 1.5 kilometres long straight.
Fast finishers are expected to battle it out at the end of the 11th stage. They don't get much opportunities to show themselves this Tour de France, but this is definitely one of them.
Favourites 11th stage 2020 Tour de France
*** Sam Bennett, Caleb Ewan, Cees Bol
** Elia Viviani, Peter Sagan, Wout van Aert
* Alexander Kristoff, Bryan Coquard, Niccolò Bonifazio
Châtelaillon-Plage
No previous stage
Population: 6,000
Châtelaillon-Plage is the story of a seaside resort born at the end of the 19th century. The taste for sea bathing and the development of the railroad were the announcement of its evolution. Located in front of the archipelago of the islands of Oléron, Aix, Ré, Fort Boyard and in the immediate vicinity of La Rochelle, Châtelaillon-Plage and its 2.5km long stretch of sand attract many visitors throughout the year.
And yet this beach was built from scratch! After intense seaside activity at the beginning of the century, it had gradually disappeared under the onslaught of gusts of wind and tides. It was in 1989 that the town, under the impetus of its mayor at the time Jean-Louis Léonard, decided to re-sand the beach.
Specialties: oysters, mussels, shell, grillon (pâté), gigourit (lard sauce), milas charentais (cake)
Poitiers
Eight previous stages
Population: 90,340
Poitiers received the Tour de France peloton 8 times, but the last 6 race visits in the prefecture of Vienne were starts. The city has therefore not held any finishes since 1978 and the victory of Sean Kelly.
While not finishing in the town itself, the Tour still came to the nearby Futuroscope the year of its opening in 1986.
The amusement park often hosted time trials, like the 87.5 km one dominated by Stephen Roche in 1987 (photo) or the one won by David Millar in 2000. In 1990, the park also hosted the Grand Départ, allowing Thierry Marie to win another prologue while Steve Bauer put on the yellow jersey.
Poitevin Farci
Terrine traditionally prepared with green vegetables (cabbage, sorrel, chard, spinach), finely chopped and mixed with a stuffing based on bacon, moist bread, whole eggs. The whole, tightly tied inside the cabbage leaves and covered with butter muslin, is slowly cooked in a Dutch oven with thyme and bay-leaf flavoured water. After cooking, the farci is sliced and eaten hot or cold.
The Tour bids farewell to the ocean. La Grande Boucle enters the heart of France through the marshlands of Poitou. At 167 kilometres, the stage runs from Châtelaillon-Plage to Poitiers.
The riders set off from coastal town Châtelaillon-Plage to navigate the interior of western France, on flat to rolling roads
Fast finishers are likely to come to the fore in the race from Châtelaillon-Plage to Poitiers. The course is predominantly flat, so the scenario is obvious: breakaway opens up a gap of several minutes before being brought back in the last kilometres.
The finale in Poitiers is a flat and 1.5 kilometres long straight.
Fast finishers are expected to battle it out at the end of the 11th stage. They don't get much opportunities to show themselves this Tour de France, but this is definitely one of them.
Favourites 11th stage 2020 Tour de France
*** Sam Bennett, Caleb Ewan, Cees Bol
** Elia Viviani, Peter Sagan, Wout van Aert
* Alexander Kristoff, Bryan Coquard, Niccolò Bonifazio
Châtelaillon-Plage
No previous stage
Population: 6,000
Châtelaillon-Plage is the story of a seaside resort born at the end of the 19th century. The taste for sea bathing and the development of the railroad were the announcement of its evolution. Located in front of the archipelago of the islands of Oléron, Aix, Ré, Fort Boyard and in the immediate vicinity of La Rochelle, Châtelaillon-Plage and its 2.5km long stretch of sand attract many visitors throughout the year.
And yet this beach was built from scratch! After intense seaside activity at the beginning of the century, it had gradually disappeared under the onslaught of gusts of wind and tides. It was in 1989 that the town, under the impetus of its mayor at the time Jean-Louis Léonard, decided to re-sand the beach.
Specialties: oysters, mussels, shell, grillon (pâté), gigourit (lard sauce), milas charentais (cake)
Poitiers
Eight previous stages
Population: 90,340
Poitiers received the Tour de France peloton 8 times, but the last 6 race visits in the prefecture of Vienne were starts. The city has therefore not held any finishes since 1978 and the victory of Sean Kelly.
While not finishing in the town itself, the Tour still came to the nearby Futuroscope the year of its opening in 1986.
The amusement park often hosted time trials, like the 87.5 km one dominated by Stephen Roche in 1987 (photo) or the one won by David Millar in 2000. In 1990, the park also hosted the Grand Départ, allowing Thierry Marie to win another prologue while Steve Bauer put on the yellow jersey.
Poitevin Farci
Terrine traditionally prepared with green vegetables (cabbage, sorrel, chard, spinach), finely chopped and mixed with a stuffing based on bacon, moist bread, whole eggs. The whole, tightly tied inside the cabbage leaves and covered with butter muslin, is slowly cooked in a Dutch oven with thyme and bay-leaf flavoured water. After cooking, the farci is sliced and eaten hot or cold.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments
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Wind not overly promising tomorrow. From the N or NNE and fairly light but gusts to around 30kph. A slight backing and strengthening could cause trouble for most of the day though.0
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Ok, so the weather forecast.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
So, a moderate headwind all race?0
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Yeah, that's likely to nullify the racing. I can't see too many people being keen to get in a break and find themselves slogging into the breeze all day in a small group.0
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A day to get out on the bike and watch the highlights perhaps !0
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The way weather is up here, I think you could be right.jimmythecuckoo said:A day to get out on the bike and watch the highlights perhaps !
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Bennett and Ewan equally tipped for this one. Same odds and Inrng etc giving them the same chances. So for PTP it comes down to whether you think Bennett will take strength and confidence from his first win... Either way, excepting crashes and mechanicals both should score.
Those official ratings quoted in OP - what has Cees Bol done to deserve equal star ranking with the other two?? Or was it done before the race...0 -
He's beaten both of them in two out of the four sprints.bobmcstuff said:
Those official ratings quoted in OP - what has Cees Bol done to deserve equal star ranking with the other two?? Or was it done before the race...0 -
Hmm OK. The Sunweb "train" wasn't very good yesterday.0
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Since the race hasn't been raced yet, it was done before the race.bobmcstuff said:
Those official ratings quoted in OP - what has Cees Bol done to deserve equal star ranking with the other two?? Or was it done before the race...
Allegedly he much prefers an uphill sprint and given Sunweb have been producing by far the best lead out, but not necessarily at the right time.....
It would be nice if somebody posted their alternative list occasionally, if they have any particular thoughts.
Especially in the stages to follow, which are much more open.
I'm only guessing here.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
It was very good on stage 5, but unfortunately for them, WvA is just ridiculous.bobmcstuff said:Hmm OK. The Sunweb "train" wasn't very good yesterday.
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I think it's a correct list of 3 * contenders - but if it is all fairly controlled and he hasn't been working all day, Van Aert probably wins.0
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Just adding that the whole preview is up for discussion. That's what they are for!
Anyhow, Formolo DNS with fracture wrist.
Pogacar now without both him and Aru, so he's down to Polanc and de la Cruz in the hills."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Crash on the roll out. Lutsenko and Zakarin involved."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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Caused by Zakarin bunny-hopping onto a roundabout - folowing other riders - and smacking straight into an apparently unmarked post. The overhead shot of him being fired backwards into the bunch was kind of amusing.0
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Oh dear Ladagnous friendless for the break"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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He's virtually free-wheeling and still gaining time.blazing_saddles said:Oh dear Ladagnous friendless for the break
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"Simon says 'touch your bidon'"
"Simon says 'reset your power meter."
"Attack!"
"Ladagnous is out."1 -
He's only staying off the front as he thinks everyone will tease him when he gets back.0
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Well, this is an interesting turn of events.
Trying to get DQS and Lotto to work?"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
This development isn't looking good for the winner of 2009's La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, is it?0
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I went away for a few minutes and the lead is 2 minutes now. What happened?0
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I suspect TA will be the more interesting watch today (no need to get excited and turn over to it yet though).0
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Nothing, that's the problem. Reluctant break away meets uninterested pelotonkingstongraham said:I went away for a few minutes and the lead is 2 minutes now. What happened?
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Was wondering why it came down from 5 minutes. I thought they'd let him hang out at about 10 minutes for a couple of hours.0
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From what I saw, four or five others wanted to join poor old Ladagnous but DQS,kingstongraham said:Was wondering why it came down from 5 minutes. I thought they'd let him hang out at about 10 minutes for a couple of hours.
meanies that they are, insisted that Ladagnous soldier on alone.
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