TDF 2021:- Stage 10, Albertville > Valence 190.7 km**Spoilers**

blazing_saddles

Stage 10, Albertville > Valence 190.7 km

6-7-2021
Start 12-05pm

Following the first rest day in this year’s Tour de France the racing recommences with a 190.7km stage. From Albertville the riders head in southwesterly direction, moves through the valleys of the Isère and Rhône to finish at Valence. There is always a threat of potential crosswinds in the area.
It's worth remembering that in 2017 Chris Froome and Team Sky put time into Dan Martin and Alberto Contador.



The only KOM points are available on the Col de Couz, which is an extended viaduct of 7.4 kilometres at 2.8%. The rest of the route is to all intents and purposes, flat, as the riders stick to the lower parts of the region such as the Rhône Valley.



Final Kilometres




Valence hosted three Tour de France stage finishesO and on both occasions it came down to a sprinter showdown. Victory went to André Greipel (2015) and Peter Sagan (2018). So this could be a an important day in the battle for the Green jersey with a flat run into Valence perfectly suited to a bunch gallop.

Favourites stage 10 Tour de France 2021

***** Mark Cavendish
**** Nacer Bouhanni
*** Wout van Aert, Cees Bol, Mads Pedersen, Jasper Philipsen, Sonny Colbrelli
** Christophe Laporte, Danny van Poppel, Peter Sagan, Michael Matthews
* André Greipel, Niccolò Bonifazio, Max Walscheid,


Albertville

Stage town for the 6th time
Population: 19,800

Albertville is located at the crossroads of valleys and on one of the largest ski areas in the world (Pays du Mont-Blanc and Tarentaise). The Olympic city has developed its mountain jobs campus, which aims to host professional training organisations on its territory and thus become a real learning city. The campus is also located next to the cult site of the 1992 Winter Olympics, the Olympic Park, which has been completely redeveloped to accommodate tourism, sports and leisure activities and culture.
This will be the peloton's fifth visit to Albertville in less than ten years. In 2012, Pierre Rolland took advantage of the dynamic format of the stage to win in La Toussuire-Les Sybelles. In 2016, Romain Bardet pulled off a coup on the approach to Saint-Gervais to win the stage and take second place overall. In 2018, it was at La Rosière that Geraint Thomas took the Yellow Jersey and never let it go. Finally, in 2019, Vincenzo Nibali had avenged a failed Tour by winning a short stage to Val Thorens, shortened by 70 km due to bad weather.



Croziflette
Everyone knows tartiflette, which warms up the stomach during the cold winter months in Haute-Savoie, but its variant, the croziflette, is also gaining new fans. As for the tartiflette, you need reblochon, ham or lardons, fresh cream and onions, but the potatoes are replaced by crozets, plain or with sarrazin, these square pastas which are an integral part of Savoy gastronomy.



On the Road

Km 143
Aqueduct of Saint-Nazaire
A round-arched bridge, completed in 1876 (the work on the Bourne canal, however, lasted until 1882) and fitted out as a footpath, 35 m high, 235 m long with a panoramic lift to access it.




Valence

Stage town for the 4th time
Population: 64,800

Valence has established itself as a rallying point for the Tour de France as it leaves the Alps, as the race has stopped here for the third time since 2015. In 2018, it was Peter Sagan who won the stage from Bourg-d'Oisans with two days to go. The first passage of the caravan in the Drôme prefecture dates back to 1996 and saw the victory of Colombian "Chepe" Gonzalez.
Since 2014, Valence has hosted the Drôme Classic, whose first winner was Romain Bardet. Valence is also the birthplace of Charly Mottet, winner of three stages in the Tour between 1987 and 1991 and fourth in the overall classification in both years.



Wine
A narrow, funnel-shaped vineyard extends on both sides of the Rhône from Vienne in the north to Valance in the south. The scenery is often dramatic with many of the vineyards perched precariously on the steep valley sides. The wines match the scenery: deeply coloured, fine, spicy reds made from the syrah grape and rich, full-bodied whites made from marsanne and roussanne grapes.

ddraver

Croziflette <<<<< Tartiflette

davidof

Tartiflette, Savoyard tradition since 1979 !

blazing_saddles

It's not getting much easier for them.
Don't fancy being the break with that headwind all the way.

bigmat

No stars for Philipsen? Did I miss him withdrawing or something?

blazing_saddles

bigmat said:

No stars for Philipsen? Did I miss him withdrawing or something?

No.
I just missed him when I updated the list.
Thanks for pointing him out.
I have updated my update.

No_Ta_Doctor

VACHES!


Sorry, they were some cow sculptures, in Jersey colours, in Roskilde for next years Tour and they were only shown on DK TV2 pre stage programme.

No_Ta_Doctor

DQS will have their work cut out to control the break today. They need to keep it small, not let Colbrelli in. No other teams will help them pull it back.

Might be worth just putting Asgreen in it and saying "not our problem now"

above_the_cows

Kirby is suggesting crosswinds...

Don't know how reliable that is.

blazing_saddles

Unfortunately, Kirby has just forecast crosswinds.
Which confirms no crosswinds.

Just been checking. Half way forecast:



40kms from home:



Yeah, definitely a North Westerly.

No_Ta_Doctor

Dk Tv2 had an actual meteorologist on, but I was in a meeting so didn't really catch it

Think he said storms possible, blustery shifting wind with them, so sounds possible but not consistent.

Meanwhile, break of 2 look like they're being allowed up the road with no real interest from anyone else. Might heat up on the single categorised climb

blazing_saddles

Brian Smith has called as it is: mostly a headwind, possibly cross head, but it's clutching at straws.
The clue is the size of the break.

Storms on the other hand....

No_Ta_Doctor

For the sprint, position on the last corner is critical. Philipsen saying you need to be no further back than 3rd or 4th wheel to win

rick_chasey

Looks like a crashy finish?

pblakeney

Watched for a while. Shaping up to be a cafe run with a sprint at the end.
Be back in a couple of hours.

No_Ta_Doctor

Vingegaard has been given van Aert as babysitter if it gets windy. Can't think of many riders you'd rather have looking after you.

kingstongraham

rick_chasey said:

Looks like a crashy finish?

Same as 2015, I think https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52ZscFpBwf8

Not too bad.

Different to 2018 where they went straight across the roundabout to the same finish line, but it seems a pretty benign roundabout on a wide road either way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fymzpDWNR0

No_Ta_Doctor

Bit of a cheeky attack there, not sure who started it but Colbrelli tried to get away. DQS were all over him like a rash

No_Ta_Doctor

I like Savoy's flag, BTW... Chris Anker having to explain it isn't actually Danish

No_Ta_Doctor

Quite a lot more work sharing at the front than I expected.

specialgueststar

A day of choices. Slowly work way through a crate of beer into a semi conscious state until jerked back to reality with 800m to go or go to the fish shop wine shop and cheese shop and come back fresh for the last 40 minutes

Tomorrow has already been assigned.🍷🍷🍷🍷🧀

specialgueststar

BREAKING. Nairo's gone for a polka sock

Dorset_Boy

specialgueststar said:

BREAKING. Nairo's gone for a polka sock

I was expecting full polkas, shorts and all!

mididoctors

We haven't talked much about the Kom competition.

No_Ta_Doctor

Kom coming up soon. Some speculation there might be green Jersey shenanigans associated, maybe try and put Cav under pressure

mididoctors

I.like cav and all but full green is awful

above_the_cows

mididoctors said:

I.like cav and all but full green is awful

It really is. It appears to be an issue when wearing a skin suit. He wasn't in full green in the mountains.

pblakeney

Shorts should be predominately black.
Certainly not AG2R brown, and definitely not white.

mididoctors

Mads on the deck

above_the_cows

Chute

mididoctors

Simon