TDF 2020 - Stage 16: La Tour-du-Pin - Villard-de-Lans 164 km *Spoilers*
blazing_saddles
Posts: 22,730
Stage 16: La Tour-du-Pin - Villard-de-Lans 164 km
The Tour de France serves a race through the heart of the Alps. Another day for a breakaway, though its success is anything but certain. Riders will launch early, but the break will settle on the slopes of the Col de Porte, one of the first major climbs used in the Tour de France. It first found its way into the 1907 edition on stage 5.
At 164 kilometres, stage 16 travels from La Tour-du-Pin to a punchy finish in Villard-de-Lans.
The mountains of Vercors also offer all the ingredients of a tricky stage. A similar cocktail to the one offered in Villard-de-Lans in 1987 that had left a bad taste in the mouth of Jean-François Bernard. – Christian Prudhomme
Five categorized climbs will sap the legs in 2020, with the final Cat 1 topping out just over 20 km from the finish line. A high plateau awaits riders, with a little kick at the end. It’s a stage that is unlikely to be decisive but does offer a double helping of bonus seconds.
The 16th stage commences uphill and after a short drop the Côte de Revel will undoubtedly inspire breakaway specialists. It is a very short climb though and following a lumpy section the Col de Porte appears. The 7 kilometres ascent at 7% is crested after 66.5 kilometres.
A 20 kilometres drop takes the riders back to the valley to tackle the Côte de Revel. The route then continues to La Montée de Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte, which is a steady climb of 14.6 kilometres at 6.5%. The first three riders at the summit gain time bonuses of 8, 5 and 2 seconds.
After cresting La Montée de Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte the riders have roughly 20 kilometres on a slightly downhill plateau ahead of them before the last 2.3 kilometres climb at 6.6% to the line in Villard-de-Lans, Côte 2000.
The course lends itself perfectly to set up a successful breakaway, although it is also a viable option for GC teams to control the race and go for the stage win and bonus seconds.
Favourites 16th stage 2020 Tour de France
*** Primoz Roglic, Tadej Pogacar, Marc Hirschi
** Max Schachmann, Leonard Kamna, Alejandro Valverde, Daniel Felipe Martínez
* Julian Alaphilippe, Richard Carapaz, Adam Yates, Pavel Sivakov etc etc
La Tour-du-Pin
One previous stage
Population: 8,250
The name La Tour du Pin originates from the presence of a castle long ago on one of the hills of the city. Indeed, in the 12th century, an imposing castle stood on the heights of the town: the tower was located on the "pen", meaning peak in Celtic. Hence the Tower of the Pen. One of the symbols of the city today is the Miron, a friendly green cat, who shows up in July during the festival of the same name.
The start from La Tour-du-Pin is not a first for this city of Isère, which had already served as a springboard for a stage of the Tour de France in 1983. Peter Winnen, who broke clear with Jean-René Bernaudeau, went on to win at L'Alpe d'Huez and write another chapter of the legend of the Dutch mountain. It was during this stage that Pascal Simon, still in the yellow jersey despite his fractured shoulder, decided to call it quits. The Frenchman never again found the form that made him a potential winner of this edition which finally went to Laurent Fignon.
Specialties: miron (chocolate), wines of Comtés Rhodaniens and IGP Isère, emmental.
Villard-de-Lans
Eight previous stages
Population: 4,400
Villard-de-Lans was in the 1980s and 1990s a deciding moment of the Tour de France, crowning at the top of the Côte 2000, and three times in time trials, great riders like Pedro Delgado, Laurent Fignon, Erik Breukink or Eric Vanderaerden. If Pedro Delgado secured his victory in the 1988 Tour on this ascent, Laurent Fignon thought he had done the same when he won on his own in Villard, 50 seconds ahead of Greg LeMond three days before the final time trial in Paris. We all know what happened in the end.
The race had not returned to Villard-de-Lans since 2004.
Specialties: bleu du Vercors-Sassenage (cheese), Villard-de-Lans cows, barraquand (horse), grey hen of Vercors, ravioles, gratin dauphinois, picodon (cheese), vercoutine (raclette with bleu du Vercors), beer of Vercors, dairy cooperative.
And finally!
The Tour de France serves a race through the heart of the Alps. Another day for a breakaway, though its success is anything but certain. Riders will launch early, but the break will settle on the slopes of the Col de Porte, one of the first major climbs used in the Tour de France. It first found its way into the 1907 edition on stage 5.
At 164 kilometres, stage 16 travels from La Tour-du-Pin to a punchy finish in Villard-de-Lans.
The mountains of Vercors also offer all the ingredients of a tricky stage. A similar cocktail to the one offered in Villard-de-Lans in 1987 that had left a bad taste in the mouth of Jean-François Bernard. – Christian Prudhomme
Five categorized climbs will sap the legs in 2020, with the final Cat 1 topping out just over 20 km from the finish line. A high plateau awaits riders, with a little kick at the end. It’s a stage that is unlikely to be decisive but does offer a double helping of bonus seconds.
The 16th stage commences uphill and after a short drop the Côte de Revel will undoubtedly inspire breakaway specialists. It is a very short climb though and following a lumpy section the Col de Porte appears. The 7 kilometres ascent at 7% is crested after 66.5 kilometres.
A 20 kilometres drop takes the riders back to the valley to tackle the Côte de Revel. The route then continues to La Montée de Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte, which is a steady climb of 14.6 kilometres at 6.5%. The first three riders at the summit gain time bonuses of 8, 5 and 2 seconds.
After cresting La Montée de Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte the riders have roughly 20 kilometres on a slightly downhill plateau ahead of them before the last 2.3 kilometres climb at 6.6% to the line in Villard-de-Lans, Côte 2000.
The course lends itself perfectly to set up a successful breakaway, although it is also a viable option for GC teams to control the race and go for the stage win and bonus seconds.
Favourites 16th stage 2020 Tour de France
*** Primoz Roglic, Tadej Pogacar, Marc Hirschi
** Max Schachmann, Leonard Kamna, Alejandro Valverde, Daniel Felipe Martínez
* Julian Alaphilippe, Richard Carapaz, Adam Yates, Pavel Sivakov etc etc
La Tour-du-Pin
One previous stage
Population: 8,250
The name La Tour du Pin originates from the presence of a castle long ago on one of the hills of the city. Indeed, in the 12th century, an imposing castle stood on the heights of the town: the tower was located on the "pen", meaning peak in Celtic. Hence the Tower of the Pen. One of the symbols of the city today is the Miron, a friendly green cat, who shows up in July during the festival of the same name.
The start from La Tour-du-Pin is not a first for this city of Isère, which had already served as a springboard for a stage of the Tour de France in 1983. Peter Winnen, who broke clear with Jean-René Bernaudeau, went on to win at L'Alpe d'Huez and write another chapter of the legend of the Dutch mountain. It was during this stage that Pascal Simon, still in the yellow jersey despite his fractured shoulder, decided to call it quits. The Frenchman never again found the form that made him a potential winner of this edition which finally went to Laurent Fignon.
Specialties: miron (chocolate), wines of Comtés Rhodaniens and IGP Isère, emmental.
Villard-de-Lans
Eight previous stages
Population: 4,400
Villard-de-Lans was in the 1980s and 1990s a deciding moment of the Tour de France, crowning at the top of the Côte 2000, and three times in time trials, great riders like Pedro Delgado, Laurent Fignon, Erik Breukink or Eric Vanderaerden. If Pedro Delgado secured his victory in the 1988 Tour on this ascent, Laurent Fignon thought he had done the same when he won on his own in Villard, 50 seconds ahead of Greg LeMond three days before the final time trial in Paris. We all know what happened in the end.
The race had not returned to Villard-de-Lans since 2004.
Specialties: bleu du Vercors-Sassenage (cheese), Villard-de-Lans cows, barraquand (horse), grey hen of Vercors, ravioles, gratin dauphinois, picodon (cheese), vercoutine (raclette with bleu du Vercors), beer of Vercors, dairy cooperative.
And finally!
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
2
Comments
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Vercors is a magnificent place to ride a bike.0
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This was the second stage where I had hoped of someone attacking for the bonus seconds and then keeping it going but I suspect that falls into the mindless optimism category.0
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This weather forecast for the stage is getting boring.
The outlook for next few days looks to be the same: hot and sunny!
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Best in France I would say that and down through the drome and Provencephreak said:Vercors is a magnificent place to ride a bike.
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.1
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1989 This was the first full tour I followed on a tourer ( which I've still got) with naively about 30kg of kit🥴😁. I was a bit stunned having done the Alps d huez the day before and we were deep into it ( trauma in the Pyrenees) the bike was even heavier as we'd been told there were no shops at the top🧐. That day to Villard was scorching 34+? Saw Fignon glide past early on the final climb Then Delgado Lemond and Theunise. Herrara was close
The last 50 k today are exactly the same0 -
Maybe not the best photos but you get the idea. Col du Rousset 2018 ridden up from Die. 40km or so further down the road they travel to today's finishmididoctors said:
Best in France I would say that down through the drone and Provencephreak said:Vercors is a magnificent place to ride a bike.
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1948 and after an epic stage in mud and rain Gino Bartali climbs the Col de Porte (south side), 6 fingered "cretin des alpes" on the right.
Bartali crossed the summit to become virtual race leader, he said it was the hardest ride of his life
Rene Vieto, Robert Millar and Jean Robic climbing the col de porte.
Fast forward to 1977 and the Criterium du Dauphine and Hinault attacks on the north side of the col de porte gaining 1m40s by the summit only to crash descending to Grenoble just after the col de Vence.
https://youtu.be/AYDo11b0rFo
He went a number of meters over a parapet but was saved by a small tree. After a wheel change he continued the descent.
on the final climb to the Bastille, which features gradients of 20%+, Hinault wanted to abandon but was persuaded to continue by his mechanic.
On the final bend of the climb is a memorial to the tragic Thierry Claveyrolat, the Eagle of Vizille.
BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
Instagramme2 -
Is the same Col de Porte where Richie Porte crashed in 2017? If so, I assume they're going up the descent they came down that day?0
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a few years back I got to 101 kmh going down the rousett . Not bad for a timid old man . Came up from the other side across the col De la machine which has to be one those must do roads in the whole worldgrenw said:
Maybe not the best photos but you get the idea. Col du Rousset 2018 ridden up from Die. 40km or so further down the road they travel to today's finishmididoctors said:
Best in France I would say that down through the drone and Provencephreak said:Vercors is a magnificent place to ride a bike.
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
Are you thinking of mont du chat where he wiped out Dan Martin??takethehighroad said:Is the same Col de Porte where Richie Porte crashed in 2017? If so, I assume they're going up the descent they came down that day?
They used the cole de Porte in this year's dauphine."Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0 -
Indeed I am, I had a broken night's sleep with dreams of Jan Hirt and have merged together the Col de Porte with Richie Porte.gsk82 said:
Are you thinking of mont du chat where he wiped out Dan Martin??takethehighroad said:Is the same Col de Porte where Richie Porte crashed in 2017? If so, I assume they're going up the descent they came down that day?
They used the cole de Porte in this year's dauphine.
So is the same side as the Dauphine?0 -
Agree with that. The look reminds me a lot of the Dolomites, which is about as high a compliment as I can give, but they also have the virtue of some stunning balcony roads.mididoctors said:
Best in France I would say that and down through the drome and Provencephreak said:Vercors is a magnificent place to ride a bike.
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On a trip over the fantastic Gorge du Nansmididoctors said:
a few years back I got to 101 kmh going down the rousett . Not bad for a timid old man . Came up from the other side across the col De la machine which has to be one those must do roads in the whole worldgrenw said:
Maybe not the best photos but you get the idea. Col du Rousset 2018 ridden up from Die. 40km or so further down the road they travel to today's finishmididoctors said:
Best in France I would say that down through the drone and Provencephreak said:Vercors is a magnificent place to ride a bike.
and then Presles
Even the Borne back up through the middle has some cracking tunnels and overhangs
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no the other side, it is easier (IMHO) climbingtakethehighroad said:
So is the same side as the Dauphine?
BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
Instagramme0 -
Prudhommes back at race after testing negative and confirmed no positive tests from rest day0
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I am a bit surprised . Good news thouneonriver said:Prudhommes back at race after testing negative and confirmed no positive tests from rest day
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
They all went in a skip, nothing to see here...mididoctors said:
I am a bit surprised . Good news thouneonriver said:Prudhommes back at race after testing negative and confirmed no positive tests from rest day
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You jaded jaded man 🤭darkhairedlord said:
They all went in a skip, nothing to see here...mididoctors said:
I am a bit surprised . Good news thouneonriver said:Prudhommes back at race after testing negative and confirmed no positive tests from rest day
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
Hook jaw was my favourite . Couldn't quite get there with panzer g man thou ."If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
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How times and context have changed !neonriver said:and confirmed no positive tests from rest day
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Now I want to go there. Where's a good base?0
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Royan. die. crest. Royan is nice and quite but big enough amenity wise . loads of nightlife thats not too crowdedkingstongraham said:Now I want to go there. Where's a good base?
Die has a weird underground party scene ...techno villes out in hillside farmhouses"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
Bora to do their thing. perfect start. have they got the legs?"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
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Thanks, Maybe next year...mididoctors said:
Royan. die. crest. Royan is nice and quite but big enough amenity wise . loads of nightlife thats not too crowdedkingstongraham said:Now I want to go there. Where's a good base?
Die has a weird underground party scene ...techno villes out in hillside farmhouses0 -
Eventually the British public is going to have to realise that having the 3rd worst COVID rate in the world is why we can't have nice things like The Tour.
And to stop judging other countries by our pathetic effort...We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver1 -
Uphill start. First man trying for the break is Dylan van Baarle. So we know it's desperation time at Ineos."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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Leave that in the Cake Stop where it belongs DDRaver.ddraver said:Eventually the British public is going to have to realise that having the 3rd worst COVID rate in the world is why we can't have nice things like The Tour.
And to stop judging other countries by our pathetic effort...0 -
jumbo react to the chaos"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
