TDF 2020 - Stage 21: Mantes-la-Jolie - Paris Champs-Élysées 122 km *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles

Stage 21: Mantes-la-Jolie - Paris Champs-Élysées 122 km

Well, this stage thread signifies one thing: against all the odds we have made it to Paris and the crowning of a new champion!

Emotions run high on the final stage of the Tour. Light hearted in the first part of the race when time has come to celebrate and congratulate one another with sometimes a sip of champagne. Then comes the pleasure of re-discovering every year the Île-de-France area and Paris of course. Finally there are the shivers, the flower bouquet on the Champs-Ẻlysées indeed remains one of the most coveted on the sprinting planet. Unless… – Christian Prudhomme



At 122 kilometres, the final stage of the Tour de France is the traditional parade race to the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The start is in Mantes-la-Jolie.
A glass of champagne, a photo shoot, and an occasional cigar – those are the ingredients of the parade stage. But once the riders hit the cobbles in the centre of France the bunch accelerates. The stage ends with eight fast laps of almost 7 kilometres.



Champs-Élysées is French for Elysium, the final resting place of the souls of the heroic and the virtuous in Greek mythology. What a place to end the world’s biggest annual sporting event!





It has been 15 years since Aleksandr Vinokourov was the last attacker to snatch a stage win on the Champ-Élysées. Since then the riders who’ll give it a shot in Paris seldom reach a lead of more than 1 minute. What they have in common is that they never really stand a chance to win.

Favourites 21st stage 2020 Tour de France

*** Sam Bennett, Caleb Ewan, Wout van Aert
** Alexander Kristoff, Cees Bol, Peter Sagan
* Elia Viviani, Bryan Coquard, Niccolò Bonifazio

Mantes-la-Jolie

No previous stage

Population: 44,300



Mantes-la-Jolie is located on the Autoroute de Normandie, almost 50 kilometers to the west of Paris. It is situated halfway between Paris and Rouen, once settled upon by Norman rulers. Also, during the Hundred Year’s War between France and England (1337-1453), the town changed hands numerous times.
Mantes-la-Jolie is the birthplace of Sandy Casar, winner of three Tour de France stages in 2007, 2009 and 2010 and 10th overall in 2009.



Mantes-la-Jolie Onion Fair.



A picture says a thousand words! One for the caption contest?



Paris Champs-Élysées

46th finish on the Champs-Élysées

Population: Lots and lots.

focuszing723

As usual, cheers for the threads Blazing.

No_Ta_Doctor

Mads P is winning this in his last race in the rainbow.
You heard it here first.

salsiccia1

Sterling work again, Blazing. Thanks for the threads

Dorset_Boy

Yes, great work again Blazing, thanks for enhancing the Tour!

Lanterne_Rogue

Thanks for the intros as ever, Blazing - I'm in awe of the amount of effort you put into these.

As for a prediction - Thomas DG to put in a futile attempt to get away with 2 laps to go, top three of Bennett, WVA and Ewan in that order. Think that jink shortly before the line will prevent Ewan from pulling the aero trick and nipping through at the last minute.

m.r.m.

In that scenario Kragh Andersen will launch when TdG gets reeled in...

Lanterne_Rogue

You're right - I missed a step!

RichN95.

Anyway, Slovenia. I remember it favourably as my debut in European Club tournaments - in this case European Cup Winners Cup division C (the baby at the front has just graduated university)

To answer your question: I'm far left on the back row

Wheelspinner

^ Not surprising you won, with 14 players. I expect most other teams only fielded 11? 😀

zest28

No_Ta_Doctor said:

Mads P is winning this in his last race in the rainbow.
You heard it here first.

I think he will save his legs to defend his world championship title, which is soon.

focuszing723

pblakeney

Campagnolo and Vittoria. As it should be. 😉

blazing_saddles

So, in two weeks I get to do it all again!

The weather was never going to turn nasty, was it?

DeadCalm

zest28 said:

No_Ta_Doctor said:

Mads P is winning this in his last race in the rainbow.
You heard it here first.

I think he will save his legs to defend his world championship title, which is soon.

Didn't I hear somewhere that he won't be defending it as the route is too tough?

Pross

RichN95. said:

Anyway, Slovenia. I remember it favourably as my debut in European Club tournaments - in this case European Cup Winners Cup division C (the baby at the front has just graduated university)

To answer your question: I'm far left on the back row

We should have a formal measurement to see if you are shorter than Rick.

I think you would have played against my cousin a fair bit over the years. He'd be the same age and played to a decent level.

bobmcstuff

Might go ride the Champs on Zwift in preparation

RichN95.

Wheelspinner said:

^ Not surprising you won, with 14 players. I expect most other teams only fielded 11? 😀

And two goalkeepers. But I don't remember saying we won.

diplodicus

Thanks again for these threads blazing. They are a fantastic resource.

ddraver

So I'm feeling rather groggy this morning having not slept to well from still buzzing...

I can't help but think how Roglic might have slept. Looking behind him at the up and coming kinderpeloton, I can't help but think this was his One Shot, his chance to blow, his opportunity came once in a life time (yo).

I'm sure he can come back and Nibali himself another Vuelta, or maybe even a Giro when all the Big Dogs are looking the other way or have fallen off. (For his sake, I hope he does!) But, THE TOUR?

*whispering echo*

The Tour?

the tour?

...

RichN95.

Meanwhile, in Le Mans

Lanterne_Rogue

It got going again - they've just punted off the class leader through the gravel, although fortunately it was able to run through the other side. Hopefully Roglic isn't taking notes...

tailwindhome

Nice to see many ex team mates across the peleton genuinely happy for Porte.

No_Ta_Doctor

DeadCalm said:

zest28 said:

No_Ta_Doctor said:

Mads P is winning this in his last race in the rainbow.
You heard it here first.

I think he will save his legs to defend his world championship title, which is soon.

Didn't I hear somewhere that he won't be defending it as the route is too tough?

He's not riding. The course doesn't suit him at all and he wants to focus on the autumn spring classics, which are just on the horizon.

I don't actually think he'll win today, but Denmark will be looking out for:

Mads P contesting the sprint
Asgreen leading the QS train out and Mørkøv dropping Bennet off perfectly
Søren Kragh attacking with a couple of laps to go
Casper Pedersen trying to do a Mørkøv for Cees Bol

I think the sprinters are pretty worn out from the third week, especially the green jersey shenanigans, which made it tough for everyone pretty much every day from the flag.

Ewan has either been maximising his energy conservation, coming in behind the gruppetto every day, or is seriously knackered. Sagan and Bennet have been fighting for every point. Not sure how Kristoff is going (did he take a knock early on, after his opening stage win?) but he doesn't have much of a team. Bol hasn't looked brilliant, the Sunweb team never seemed to get their train organised well enough - though they certainly have a train. Is it even worth mentioning Viviani, Colbrelli and Bonifazio? Coquard looks the best of the also-rans with a 3rd and a 4th place.

It wouldn't surprise me to see a different style of winner today (though I won't stretch as far as suggesting a winner from a break). Someone a little more classicsy maybe?

shirley_basso

28/1 viviani as the outside pick?

ddraver

Caleb said he went deep yesterday as he was concerned about making the time cut. So he's knackered I think

(Or bluffing really well...)

No_Ta_Doctor

shirley_basso said:

28/1 viviani as the outside pick?

I don't bet, but that looks like burning money to me. Obviously I know nothing and he'll probably go on to win now.

takethehighroad

ddraver said:

Caleb said he went deep yesterday as he was concerned about making the time cut. So he's knackered I think

(Or bluffing really well...)

Even so, you'd expect him to be OK for a 65k crit

I can't see past him or Sam, but think DQS' train is that bit better for that finish

mididoctors

Top threads bs good as any online ,usually better

mididoctors

shirley_basso said:

28/1 viviani as the outside pick?

Jedi mind trick

focuszing723

It's quite refreshing to have a bike winning the Tour without being powered by fishing kit.