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TDF 2021: Stage 6, Tours > Châteauroux 160.6 km **Spoilers**

blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
edited June 2021 in Pro race

Stage 6, Tours > Châteauroux 160.6 km

1-7-2021
Start 12-55pm

The 160.6 kilometre stage leaves Tours and heads east. The race heads out of the cathedral city of Tours and ventures into picture-postcard châteaux and vineyard country. Marcel Kittel sprinted to triumph, the last time the Tour de France visited Tours, in 2013. Châteauroux has not seen the Tour de France since 2011. More on that, later.



La Grande Boucle's 6th stage should be another one for the fast finishers, as the route is almost entirely played out on the flat. The only possible threat to this scenario could be if there is a threat of crosswinds. 2011 saw echelon action in this region, when the winds picked up.



Final kilometres




When reading the names of the last stage winners in Châteauroux, it is hard to imagine that a non-sprinter could win here: in 1998, it was Mario Cippolini who raised his arms. However, it was Mark Cavendish who won the last two finishes in town, in 2008 and 2011 and now he's back, searching for the illusive hat trick. It was also at Châteauroux, that The Manx Missile took his first ever stage of Le Grande Boucle.



Favourites stage 6 Tour de France 2021

***** Mark Cavendish, Tim Merlier
**** Arnaud Démare, Nacer Bouhanni
*** Cees Bol, Jasper Philipsen
** Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Mads Pedersen
* Christophe Laporte, Peter Sagan, Sonny Colbrelli , Danny van Poppel


Tours

Stage town for the 9th time
Population: 136,463

Due to its geographical location, situated between the Loire and the Cher, the city of Tours is a historic centre and the ideal starting point for a unique itinerary in the land of chateaux.
The city of Tours was awarded the title of "International City of Gastronomy" in 2013.
Home to one of the calendar's oldest and most respected cycle races, Paris-Tours doesn't necessarily end with a bunch sprint, these days. Tom Boonen had his only success on the Avenue de Grammont in 2005, whereas Leon Van Bon had victoriously wrapped up a breakaway in 2000.



Rillette of Tours
Tours people are proud of their charcuterie. In particular the rillette and the rillons. It was in the 15th century that the rillette appeared in Touraine. It consists of meat, most often pork, cooked for a long time in its fat. The meat is then crushed by hand and seasoned with salt and pepper. It looks like a stringy "pâté" and is often eaten on toast. It can be found in jars with a thin layer of fat on top or cut up in delicatessens.As for rillons, they are cubes of pork belly that are streaky, browned and candied whole in their cooking fat.



On the road

Km 114
Château de Valençay




Châteauroux

Stage town for the 4th time
Population: 43,440

Chateauroux, capital city of the Indre, is the birthplace of Gérard Depardieu. The old town, close to the river, forms a nucleus around which a newer and more extensive quarter, bordered by boulevards, has grown up. The castle from which the city takes its name was built in the latter part of the 10th century. From 920 to 1008, the Norman raids forced the monks of the abbey of Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys, founded in Brittany by Saint Gildas, to bring his relics to the abbey of Saint-Gildas of Châteauroux that they founded.



Specialities: Berrichon pâté, potato galette, Reuilly, Valençay and Châteaumeillant wines, Valençay and Pouligny goat cheese.













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

  • mrb123mrb123 Posts: 4,091
    If Cav keeps winning stages is he going to have to keep popping back to that school to amend the sign on the bike rack again?
  • ddraverddraver Posts: 25,328
    He's coming home...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Lanterne_RogueLanterne_Rogue Posts: 3,707
    Hadn't realised how long ago 2011 was in cycling terms.

    Sky were celebrating winning their first stage the day before; Cavendish outsprinted Petacchi, Hushovd and some young fellow called Andre Greipel; Tyler Farrar yet again mysteriously disappeared long before the sprint; and the GC looked like this...

    1. Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo) 28h 29min 27sec
    2. Cadel Evans (BMC Racing Team) +01sec
    3. Frank Schleck (Leopard-Trek) +04sec
    4. David Millar (Garmin-Cervelo) +08sec
    5. Andreas Kloden (Radioshack) +10sec

    Relive it with the Guardian here:

    https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/jul/08/tour-de-france-stage-seven-live
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • Mad_MalxMad_Malx Posts: 4,772
    Lanterne_Rogue said:

    Hadn't realised how long ago 2011 was in cycling terms.

    Sky were celebrating winning their first stage the day before; Cavendish outsprinted Petacchi, Hushovd and some young fellow called Andre Greipel; Tyler Farrar yet again mysteriously disappeared long before the sprint; and the GC looked like this...

    1. Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo) 28h 29min 27sec
    2. Cadel Evans (BMC Racing Team) +01sec
    3. Frank Schleck (Leopard-Trek) +04sec
    4. David Millar (Garmin-Cervelo) +08sec
    5. Andreas Kloden (Radioshack) +10sec

    Relive it with the Guardian here:

    https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/jul/08/tour-de-france-stage-seven-live

    That link (complete with mandatory typos) is very interesting read!

    “Yesterday's stage marked Team Sky's first stage victory in the Tour de France, courtesy of Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen, who capped a fine lead-out from his young Welsh team-mate Geraint Thomas with a driving finish that enabled him to hold off late challenges from HTC's Matt Goss and race-leader Thor Hushovd, who rides for Gramin.”
  • ddraverddraver Posts: 25,328
    God, it's like reading Shakespeare.

    I was a young, up and coming geologist (ha!) in his first year in The Netherlands, so full of promise...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Lanterne_RogueLanterne_Rogue Posts: 3,707
    I was unemployed, having banked a juicy NDA, and selflessly lying on the sofa with a newborn child "to give my wife a rest". I really enjoyed that Tour, nappies and all.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • bobmcstuffbobmcstuff Posts: 10,565
    I was just starting a graduate job in Manchester and paying absolutely zero attention to cycling...
  • ocdupalaisocdupalais Posts: 4,104
    When I was 10 I went camping in Châteauroux with my mum and her new fella (who I wasn’t keen on - now my step dad) at the municipal camp site. My mate Jason from down the road was there, too, as part of an attempt to cheer me up about this new relationship and the fact that it was late October, wet and bloody cold. He borrowed a 10 Franc note to play some fruit machines. With mixed fortunes, he ended up about even - but with a pocket full of smash, which then mostly all flowed down the hole in the ground when he squatted over one those wonderful French public toilets. After scooping what he could out whilst crying and gagging, he was adamant about repaying me. My pockets smelled of pooh for the rest of the trip.
  • takethehighroadtakethehighroad Posts: 6,236
    All these stories about what we were doing when Cav was winning in Chateauroux shows just how long he's been at the sharp end of the TDF

    Also, on a slightly pedantic note. The picture in the OP is of his 4th stage win in 2008, in Nimes.

    The stage in Chateauroux was when they caught Lloyd Mondory with about 300m to go and he celebrated with his hands on his helmet.



    He repeated this celebration in 2011 when he won, and one would expect him to celebrate in the same way were he to win today


  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
    Of course it is a stage remembered for more than the result. There were one or two minor names who had to abandon the race after crashes on those straight, wide roads.

    From Eurosport's description at the time:

    The fast pace and strong crosswinds made the peloton increasingly nervous and with 50km left to ride a small crash occurred involving a handful of riders, including Kreuziger and Popovych. But it was merely a taster of things to come. 10km later, a huge spill in the peloton brought down more than 20 riders, sending many of them into the ditches on both sides of the tree-lined road.

    Wiggins:


    Horner:



    Boonen


    Yup, totally different to nowadays.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • pblakeneypblakeney Posts: 22,372
    2008 & 2011? Significant years for me regarding cycling.
    2008 was when I got back into road cycling and 2011 was when I bought my last bike.
    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_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 66,308 Lives Here
    So assuming the next couple days are straight forward, I'd expect Pog to finish with the main contenders on Sat and strike out on Sunday Lance style and bury the rest so it's chill towards the finish
    _
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,427
    WVA expected to give it a go today.

    From watching the finishes in 2008 and 2011, Cavendish went earlier and stayed in front, rather than the stage 4 where he needed to just be in front for the last 10 metres. Don't think he wants to be behind WVA with 100m to go today.
  • specialgueststarspecialgueststar Posts: 3,417
    Who won the next stage ! Valverde. And the next one ? LL Sanchez. It could have been on - but Astana obviously not making it a priority.
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
    One to get Kirby fretting: there are now several roundabouts with accompanying street furniture on the finishing run in that weren't there in 2011.

    Merckx's record aside, Cav currently sits on 49 Grand Tour victories.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • takethehighroadtakethehighroad Posts: 6,236
    There's a weird traffic island thing at about 3k to go. In 2008 they went through it and Haussler (I think) crashed, but in 2011 they went round it and it flowed better. Will be (mildly) interesting to see how they organise it this year
  • TheBigBeanTheBigBean Posts: 18,150
    blazing_saddles said:

    One to get Kirby fretting: there are now several roundabouts with accompanying street furniture on the finishing run in that weren't there in 2011.

    Merckx's record aside, Cav currently sits on 49 Grand Tour victories.

    He'll need to ride a sprint friendly Vuelta/Giro to catch up on that one.

    Rank Rider Country Tour[12] Giro Vuelta Total
    1 Eddy Merckx Belgium 34 24 6 64
    2 Mario Cipollini Italy 12 42 3 57
    3 Mark Cavendish Great Britain 31 15 3 49
  • above_the_cowsabove_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    There are some ridiculously long straight bits of road on this route.


    Correlation is not causation.
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,427
    Some stage winners from 2011: Gilbert, Cavendish, Boasson Hagen, Rui Costa, Greipel, Rolland, Tony Martin. That's winners of 12 out of 20 stages in 2011 are riding this year's race.

    Winners of 6 out of 21 stages in 2008 riding this year as well, but that's just Cav and Opi.
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,520
    Unfortunately, the wind speed forecast for the next couple days is 1-2 on the Beaufort scale, so the peloton should get a brief couple of days of summer, before the mountains. Tignes currently looking to still have it's weather hex in place from 2019.


    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,539
    kingstongraham said:



    Winners of 6 out of 21 stages in 2008 riding this year as well, but that's just Cav and Opi.


    There's only five riders who are in the year's Tour who were also at the 2008 Tour: Cavendish, Valverde, Froome, Nibali and Gilbert
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 66,308 Lives Here
    I saw Cav in the flesh in the 2008 Tour, ahead of when he won actually, in Figeac before he set of to Toulouse to win.

    Evans looked mightily stressed out. Cav rocked up last, hanging around the back of the peloton pen, noticeably fatter than the rest. He was all hair and had a really really deep tan - surprised me how tanned he looked.

    _
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,427
    edited July 2021
    RichN95. said:

    kingstongraham said:



    Winners of 6 out of 21 stages in 2008 riding this year as well, but that's just Cav and Opi.


    There's only five riders who are in the year's Tour who were also at the 2008 Tour: Cavendish, Valverde, Froome, Nibali and Gilbert
    That's some class in those 5.
  • Mad_MalxMad_Malx Posts: 4,772
    rick_chasey said:



    Evans looked mightily stressed out.

    He seldom looked otherwise.
  • mrfpbmrfpb Posts: 4,561
    Are any riders going to do a lap around the block at the end to make up the Imperial Century?
  • amrushtonamrushton Posts: 1,188
    Mad_Malx said:

    rick_chasey said:



    Evans looked mightily stressed out.

    He seldom looked otherwise.
    especially where his dog was concerned. Always looked worried in the TdF but seemed happier on mtb. Hell of a rider tho'. Strada Bianchi or WC alone were great rides
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,427
    Interesting early break.

    Skuijns, asgreen, gva, de gendt, pollitt, kragh working together can hold off most teams, you'd think.
  • specialgueststarspecialgueststar Posts: 3,417
    Charlie W Domestique didn't have an easy time with him ?
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 13,111
    May be more interesting than first thought .
    "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 pm
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 23,427
    edited July 2021
    mididoctors said:

    May be more interesting than first thought .

    Worst case for them is that it will tire out groupama fdj early in the stage even if they get caught.
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