TDF 2021: Stage 8, Oyonnax > Le Grand-Bornand 150.8 km **Spoilers**

blazing_saddles

Stage 8, Oyonnax > Le Grand-Bornand 150.8 km

2-7-2021
Start 12-10pm

The race continues to head eastwards and into the Jura and Alpine mountain ranges for the first time this year. Oyonnax is situated in the foothills of the Jura mountains. Seven years ago the Tour de France was here for the first and last time when Tony Gallopin soloed to victory. The finish of the stage is the downhill into Le Grand-Bornand, which was last used in 2018. This time however, an extra climb has been added to the finale.



There may not be a summit finish in store for the peloton but with five categorised climbs, plus an uncategorised uphill start. The ascents are relatively easy until kilometre 100, but the last 50 kilometres will offer a new, triple climb, amounting to a distance of over 20 kms at close to 9%.
In 2018, Julian Alaphilippe launched one of his trademark attacks and crested both peaks to win ahead of Ion Izagirre.



The Climbs:



The riders tackle the Côte de Mont-Saxonnex shortly after Bonneville. The 5.7 kilometres ascent averages 8.3%.




Almost immediately after the descent the big test of the day appears.




Between the summit of the Col de Romme and the base Col de la Colombière is a downhill section of 5.5 kilometres.




Final kilometres



Stage 8 of the Tour de France suits attackers with climbing skills and a fast descent, but it also seems likely that the GC contenders will at least skirmish on these slopes. Some might also seek to exploit the fast descent into Le Grand-Bornand. This stage we may also get an idea about who, from the fallen GC contenders, has shifted focus towards the polka dot prize.

Favourites stage 8 Tour de France 2021

***** Tadej Pogacar
**** Dan Martin, Pello Bilbao, Michael Woods, Nairo Quintana, Ion Izagirre
*** Julian Alaphilippe, Warren Barguil, Jakob Fuglsang, Richard Carapaz
** Alexey Lutsenko, Jonas Vingegaard, Bauke Mollema, Simon Yates
* Wilco Kelderman, David Gaudu, Geraint Thomas, Ben O’Connor


Oyonnax

Stage town for the second time
Population: 22,517

Oyonnax lies in a valley of the Jura Mountains in the far north of Ain. It is near the Parc naturel régional du Haut-Jura. The city is on the river Ange.
Oyonnax was a centre of the maquis, during the second world war and was awarded a medal for the Resistance, just like Brest, the starting town of this Tour.
The town is famous for the ancient production of wooden combs. (7th century)



On the Road

Km 86

La Roche-sur-Foron (Pop: 11,200)
In 2020, La Roche-sur-Foron hosted the Tour de France for a stage won by Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos-Grenadiers) at the end of a great breakaway with his Ecuadorian teammate Richard Carapaz.



Le Grand-Bornand

Seven times stage town
Population: 2,202

On 17 July 2018, Julian Alaphilippe won the first of his five stage victories in the Grande Boucle in Le Grand Bornand. The Savoy resort was also on the course of the 100th edition. Rui Costa won the third stage of his career that year. He took over from Fränk Schleck, who had won in 2009 in front of Alberto Contador under the benevolent eye of his brother Andy. In 2007, the victory went to the young German Linus Gerdemann, who took the Yellow Jersey for a day.



Specialities: farmhouse reblochon, white tomme, mountain charcuterie, cheese-based specialities (fondue, tartiflette, péla), matafan (potato fritters), farcement (sweet and sour potatoes), rissoles (pan-fried apple turnover)

above_the_cows

That was a smashing stage.

No_Ta_Doctor

above_the_cows said:

That was a smashing stage.

Did I doze off during the football and sleep through Saturday by accident? Damn. I was booked for a Belgian lunch again.

ridgerider

I reported live on here from Romme on that 2018 stage.

I do like the Cluses/Morzine area.

phreak

I wonder how yesterday's racing will affect today? Everyone sounds like they went very deep yesterday so I wonder whether today will be neutered somewhat as a result?

pblakeney

Not everybody went hard yesterday.
Could be more movements in placings today.

No_Ta_Doctor

phreak said:

I wonder how yesterday's racing will affect today? Everyone sounds like they went very deep yesterday so I wonder whether today will be neutered somewhat as a result?

Alaphilippe looked fairly relaxed. I think the big question is who has eyes on the yellow when MvdP leaves on the rest day, and can they do anything about it on this terrain? The first big polkadots points are also up for grabs today.

Van Aert is the apparent heir to MvdP's jersey, but I'm not sure how willing Jumbo-Visma would be to chase and control for it, given their team is pretty battered. So if a threat gets in the break he might want to get in with them. Asgreen wouldn't let that slide, so he might do the same. Alaphilippe is further back and might fancy a shot at it, or the mtn points or stage win. And a whole heap of climbers are probably targeting the stage.

GC teams will probably want a helper up the road (Tao for Ineos maybe?) and everyone knows that if they're knackered, UAE are doubly so.

Essentially, I think teams would rather be in it than have to control it. The only teams who've shown real aptitude for controlling the break are Ineos, Jumbo-Visma and DQS, and all of them have reasons not to work too hard at it.

My prediction, which will almost certainly turn out to be utter bølløcks, is for a big fight, leading to a big break featuring Alaphilippe, temp yellow hopefuls, GC helpers, random stage hunting climbers and polkadot aspirants.

mididoctors

Some GC danger rider likley to escape on the first ramp of the day forcing UAE to chase again? ineos made it clear they aren't going to do the controlling .

No_Ta_Doctor

Oh yeah, uphill start as well! I expect most of the peloton will be on the rollers before the start.
I wouldn't expect any gc rider to go long, there's a tough day tomorrow, though if UAE are looking ragged and there's a chance to cross to a big break then it's possible.

specialgueststar

Let's play pairs

Uran. Higuita

Barguil Quintana

blazing_saddles

No_Ta_Doctor said:

Oh yeah, uphill start as well! I expect most of the peloton will be on the rollers before the start.
I wouldn't expect any gc rider to go long, there's a tough day tomorrow, though if UAE are looking ragged and there's a chance to cross to a big break then it's possible.

From inrng's stage preview, today:

A start in Oyonnax, they could have trundled down the valley but instead it’s uphill into the Jura, with 6km at 7% which makes this the biggest climb so far in Tour only it’s an unmarked climb.

I think a few climbers will fancy their breakaway chances on that.

blazing_saddles

specialgueststar said:

Let's play pairs

Uran. Higuita

Barguil Quintana

Woods, Dan Martin

bobmcstuff

ridgerider said:

I reported live on here from Romme on that 2018 stage.

I do like the Cluses/Morzine area.

I rode Colombiere from Cluses (so missing out Romme) then did Aravis from Grand Bornand in 2015. It was very hot. Colombiere was longer than I was expecting and I had a bad time.

We were staying in Samoens, great area.

jimmyjams

blazing_saddles said:

Oyonnax

The town is famous for the ancient production of wooden combs. (7th century)

The wooden combs were usually made of boxwood – there is a 'comb and plastics' museum at Oyonnax, where one learns this.
The museum is an odd combination - one part about the local comb-making history, the other part (because the town is nowadays a centre for the plastic industry) with exhibits of all sorts of items made, like modern combs, from molded plastic, e.g. those vividly-coloured chairs, originally from Denmark, which were trendy in the 1970s.

jimmyjams

blazing_saddles said:

Oyonnax

Stage town for the second time
Population: 22,517

As there is no culinary item for the Oyonnax area suggested, I'll propose the flavoursome and aromaful dish, Coq au Vin Jaune (Chicken in Yellow Wine), which despite sounding like it might just be a variation of Burgundian Coq au Vin, is actually markedly different because of the inclusion of cream and morelle mushrooms, as well as Jura yellow wine.

Traditionally, the chicken is served with rice and a glass of Vin Jaune from Le Vernois or Château-Chalon (where this wine supposedly originated) - vineyards about 40 kms N of Oyonnax. Vin Jaune resembles sherry in taste, but unlike sherry isn't fortified, so has a lower alcohol content.

webboo

One of my mates had a place above Morillon. I spent many a summer and winter holiday out there. As you say great area.
Watched it go up the Joux plan a couple of times.

Pross

Would like to see Porte try to get away early on this one. Nearly 4 minutes down on Pog so no immediate threat but enough to cause a bit of stress. Thomas would be even better but I doubt he'd be allowed to go.

gsk82

Pross said:

Would like to see Porte try to get away early on this one. Nearly 4 minutes down on Pog so no immediate threat but enough to cause a bit of stress. Thomas would be even better but I doubt he'd be allowed to go.

Thomas's days as a TdF GC rider finish today.

mididoctors

Pross said:

Would like to see Porte try to get away early on this one. Nearly 4 minutes down on Pog so no immediate threat but enough to cause a bit of stress. Thomas would be even better but I doubt he'd be allowed to go.

I can't see UAE able to.chase anyone who goes ... Or at least they will have to pick one rider to chase and let the rest go. I think g may be still be in recovery mode. Carapaz and Porte could well go .

bigmat

bobmcstuff said:

ridgerider said:

I reported live on here from Romme on that 2018 stage.

I do like the Cluses/Morzine area.

I rode Colombiere from Cluses (so missing out Romme) then did Aravis from Grand Bornand in 2015. It was very hot. Colombiere was longer than I was expecting and I had a bad time.

We were staying in Samoens, great area.

I rode Colombiere then Aravis, then realised I was going to miss my flight if I didn't get a move on so turned round and did the other side of Colombiere back to the car. Very hot day and I ran out of water somewhere near the top of Aravis. Had to go full gas up Colombiere without a break, almost killed me. Anyway, if it's hot it will be hard work out there today. I'm expecting, sadly, that today will be the day G finally has to give up on GC for this year (and possibly for good).

bigmat

gsk82 said:

Thomas's days as a TdF GC rider finish today.

Beat me to it! Go on G, prove us wrong...

mididoctors

I want MvdP and WvA to attack .... Somewhat unlikely

mididoctors

It's only 150 k easy

DeVlaeminck

mididoctors said:

Pross said:

Would like to see Porte try to get away early on this one. Nearly 4 minutes down on Pog so no immediate threat but enough to cause a bit of stress. Thomas would be even better but I doubt he'd be allowed to go.

I can't see UAE able to.chase anyone who goes ... Or at least they will have to pick one rider to chase and let the rest go. I think g may be still be in recovery mode. Carapaz and Porte could well go .

Yes this could be interesting - the uphill start is ideal if UAE are struggling.

blazing_saddles

Mucky, murky old weather today and it's not good tomorrow, either.

Oh and what a surprise. ITV 4 have full coverage today, so of course Eurosport start with Rob Hatch.

mididoctors

Some one faking a pre start mechanical as usual

DeVlaeminck

Anyone else think Brian Smith has upped his punditry game recently.

Just seems a bit more relaxed but also a bit stronger in some of his comments about what goes on in the racing - always thought he was ok but he seems to be adding more these days.

mididoctors

Woods thinking long

tailwindhome

TdG looking keen today

Stretched it out at the flag drop.

lettingthedaysgoby

Being spat out the back within the first few hundred metres must be a somewhat depressing experience

blazing_saddles

Riders out the back very early....