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TDF 2021: Stage 14, Carcassonne > Quillan 183.7 km **Spoilers**

blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 21,534
edited July 2021 in Pro race

Stage 14, Carcassonne > Quillan 183.7 km

10-7-2021
Start 11-15am

Stage 14 of the Tour heads into the Pyrenees, but avoids all the major climbs, on a hilly, rather than mountainous course. Heading out from Carcassone in a South Westerly direction through the Ariège to the small town of Lavelanet. The race then changes direction towards the East, where the climbing begins. Finally the race turns back upon itself to arrive at the finishing town of Quillan.



The first half of the 184 kilometres long race from Carcassonne to Quillan is predominantly flat. There are however five climbs peppered along the remainder of the route, all either second or third category. The final climb is a reasonable test, but tops out 17kms from the finish, most of it, downhill.



Following an undulating opening of the race – with the Col de Bac standing out: 3.1 kilometres at 5.3% – the real uphill action begins after 85 kilometres.

The Climbs:









Final Kilometres



The most likely scenario will see the sprinter team ;) sits back after the last few days of hostilities while the GC riders opt for a calm day given what’s ahead of them in the coming days. A successful breakaway is on the cards, which could be decided by the final climb of the stage, as it will provide the perfect launch pad for the remnants of the break to attack each other before the final descent to the line.

Favourites stage 14 Tour de France 2021

***** Ion Izagirre, Patrick Konrad
**** Jakob Fuglsang, Matej Mohoric, Bauke Mollema
*** Benoît Cosnefroy, Kasper Asgreen, Michael Woods, Magnus Cort
** Vincenzo Nibali, Michael Matthews, Rui Costa
* Valentin Madouas, Simon Clarke, Marc Hirschi

On the road

ARIÈGE (09)

Population: 152,340

Mérens Horse National Days.
The Mérens horse, originally from the Upper Ariège Valley, presents an astonishing morphological convergence with the Magdalenian horses (13,000 years old) represented in the Niaux cave. The Mérens is a black-coated horse of medium height.



Specialities: Bethmale (cheese), Flocons d'Ariège (confectionery), Azinat (type of garbure), Mounjetado (mountain cassoulet), hypocras (medieval aperitif)



Km 145

Gorges of Saint-Georges
The Aude, from its source at Lake Aude, has eroded the limestone as it passes through the karstic bars of the Pyrenees, such as the Pierre-Lys gorges, but also the Saint-Georges gorges. This fault is 300 m long, 15 m wide at road level, with steep cliffs of over 150 m.




Quillan

No previous stage
Population: 3,300

Quillan revealed itself to the French sporting world in 1929, when its rugby union club became French champions after having already played the final of the event the previous year. US Quillan had been fashioned from scratch by industrial hatter Jean Bourrel, who anticipated the era of professionalism by plundering internationals from other clubs to launch the first truly professional team in French rugby. This contested approach led the International Board to exclude France from international rugby during the 1930s.
If it is mainly rugby that has made Quillan famous sportwise, the Aude town is far from being a stranger to cycling. It hosted the Grand Prix du Midi-Libre six times between 1969 and 1993.

Festival of the flavours of the Aude Pyrenees
The aim of the "Saveurs Pyrénées Audoises" festival is first and foremost to promote and highlight the gastronomic wealth of the Aude Pyrenees region: mainly the upper valley of the Aude, and more widely the Pyrenees. This festival takes place every year at the end of September in Quillan and features more than 30 local producers who display their products for tasting and sale. Local star chefs present recipes cooked with those products.



"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
«13

Posts

  • above_the_cowsabove_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    blazing_saddles said:



    Gorges of Saint-Georges
    The Aude, from its source at Lake Aude, has eroded the limestone as it passes through the karstic bars of the Pyrenees, such as the Pierre-Lys gorges, but also the Saint-Georges gorges. This fault is 300 m long, 15 m wide at road level, with steep cliffs of over 150 m.



    Definitely cycled this when I stayed around here a few years back. Absolutely beautiful.
    Mérens Horse National Days.
    The Mérens horse, originally from the Upper Ariège Valley, presents an astonishing morphological convergence with the Magdalenian horses (13,000 years old) represented in the Niaux cave. The Mérens is a black-coated horse of medium height.



    Mooi!



    Correlation is not causation.
  • ProssPross Posts: 38,834
    Looks like a Lloyds Bank advert
  • jimmyjamsjimmyjams Posts: 700
    blazing_saddles said:

    Stage 14, Carcassonne > Quillan 183.7 km

    The Climbs:





    The two cols C. de Montsegur and C. de la Croix des Morts are the first two cols of the longer 4 routes of L'Ariegeoise cyclosportive – between 110 and 180 km. The longest route finishes up the Plateau de Beille and totals nearly 5000 m of climbing.
    (The 3 shorter routes – between 60 and 75 km – stay closer to the start town, Tarascon-sur-Ariege.
  • Lanterne_RogueLanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,082
    edited July 2021
    "The cross of death" is a heck of a name for a climb. Absolutely wasted on that profile.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 27,090
    edited July 2021
    Lanterne_Rogue said:

    "The cross of death" is a heck of a name for a climb. Absolutely wasted on that profile.

    I do want to know the origin of the name. French Wiki is of no help. Like 'Death Junction' in Cardiff, not named because it is a dodgy junction (it is), but because it is where they used to hang people.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • davidofdavidof Posts: 2,995
    Lanterne_Rogue said:

    "The cross of death" is a heck of a name for a climb. Absolutely wasted on that profile.

    Cross of the dead.

    According to legend two criminals were hanged on the mountain pass in the middle ages and their ghosts are said to haunt the col.
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
    Instagramme
  • Lanterne_RogueLanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,082
    Hah, translated it that way at first, worried about my schoolboy french and ran it through Google. That'll teach me not to back myself...
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • jimmyjamsjimmyjams Posts: 700
    above_the_cows said:

    blazing_saddles said:



    Gorges of Saint-Georges
    The Aude, from its source at Lake Aude, has eroded the limestone as it passes through the karstic bars of the Pyrenees, such as the Pierre-Lys gorges, but also the Saint-Georges gorges. This fault is 300 m long, 15 m wide at road level, with steep cliffs of over 150 m.



    Definitely cycled this when I stayed around here a few years back. Absolutely beautiful.

    I rode through the gorges too a few years back, both the Gorges du St George and the Defile Pierre-Lys (Pierre-Lys gorge) but I couldn't appreciate them much because about 25 kms before reaching the St George the heavens opened and I was in torrential rain to them, through them, and after them, i.e. also through the Pierre-Lys gorges and the remaining 15 kms to Quillan. It was one of those 'never-been-so-soaked-in-my-life' occasions. The drowned rat caused some astonishment when splashing into a hotel at Quillan.

    It is not quite clear in Blazing's text, whether the photo is of the Gorges du St George or the Defile Pierre-Lys (Pierre-Lys gorge), but I'm pretty certain it is of the Pierre-Lys, because although both are very similar, I don't think there are any limestone arches over the road through the St George.
    It is the Gorges du St George which the Tour will go through, but because of the loop they then do to reach Quillan, they won't go through the Defile Pierre-Lys (which would be the more direct way).
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,973
    What the blazes, Blazing? Are you giving stars out for Lanterne rouge now? Kragh almost won the stage today, after riding off a cliff. Only Declercq managed to take time on him.

    At the faster end of the race, you might want to keep an eye on Magnus Cort and Valgren. They were both in the break when Cort won in Carcassonne in 2918. They'll probably both be freed from looking after Uran to give it a go.
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
  • pblakeneypblakeney Posts: 24,043
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    What the blazes, Blazing? Are you giving stars out for Lanterne rouge now? Kragh almost won the stage today, after riding off a cliff. Only Declercq managed to take time on him.

    At the faster end of the race, you might want to keep an eye on Magnus Cort and Valgren. They were both in the break when Cort won in Carcassonne in 2918. They'll probably both be freed from looking after Uran to give it a go.

    That's some career, and prediction. 😉
    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.
  • ProssPross Posts: 38,834
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    What the blazes, Blazing? Are you giving stars out for Lanterne rouge now? Kragh almost won the stage today, after riding off a cliff. Only Declercq managed to take time on him.

    At the faster end of the race, you might want to keep an eye on Magnus Cort and Valgren. They were both in the break when Cort won in Carcassonne in 2918. They'll probably both be freed from looking after Uran to give it a go.

    At which time they were the second and third oldest participants after Valverde in 2021 (although rumours persist that Nairo Quintana used a false date of birth and was older than them all on his debut in 2013).
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 21,534
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    What the blazes, Blazing? Are you giving stars out for Lanterne rouge now? Kragh almost won the stage today, after riding off a cliff. Only Declercq managed to take time on him.

    At the faster end of the race, you might want to keep an eye on Magnus Cort and Valgren. They were both in the break when Cort won in Carcassonne in 2918. They'll probably both be freed from looking after Uran to give it a go.

    I was late last night and rushing somewhat. (not to mention the alcohol)
    The favourites for the stage section looked like a butcher's shop, with so many riders having to be culled.
    SKA slipped through unnoticed, like an in form Zubeldia and despite wearing bright pink, Magnus Cort failed to register in my brain.

    Order has now been restored.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 69,761 Lives Here
    edited July 2021
    Finish town is home of the oldest post tour criterium.

    75 laps of a 1km route.
    _
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 21,534
    edited July 2021
    Checking out today's weather, which is good over the weekend, I happened to check the rest of the week. Check out the wind:




    How unlucky were we yesterday?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • gsk82gsk82 Posts: 3,383
    If it isn't a stage for Pogacar, the favourite has to be van Aert.

    This is another thread starter that has me resentful of working a 9 to 5 in the UK.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • jimmyjamsjimmyjams Posts: 700
    No need to have edited Kragh Andersen out.

    Both he and one* Barguil are DNS.
  • phreakphreak Posts: 2,882
    Surely it'll be a breakaway day today with such a big day of climbing tomorrow?
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 21,534
    edited July 2021
    2kms of the neutral zone and Thomas has a puncture.
    Did someone say the other day that luck has nothing to do with it ?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,973
    jimmyjams said:

    No need to have edited Kragh Andersen out.

    Both he and one* Barguil are DNS.

    Kragh has a concussion. It does beg the question of why/how he was allowed to ride 60km solo after the crash yesterday. They knew he'd hit his head and was feeling "groggy".
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,973
    blazing_saddles said:

    2kms of the neutral zone and Thomas has a puncture.
    Did someone say the other day that luck has nothing to do with it ?

    It's good luck to get it out of the way in the neutral zone, no?
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
  • above_the_cowsabove_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    I've been to that castle.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 21,534
    Hadn’t realise how bad Boulting and Millar have become at rider recognition.
    Awful
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • dabberdabber Posts: 1,911
    Hope Tim Declercq can make it through. He looks like he's suffering at the moment. I love seeing big Tim sitting on the front drivng it on.
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • Lanterne_RogueLanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,082
    For a moment I thought they'd hilariously shut it all down with one poor sod stuck out front on his own all day. Looks like some friends are going across though.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 16,377
    No break established yet?
    "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
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 21,534
    edited July 2021
    Considering riders have either been claiming the can't keep up or that they are shattered, this start is incredible.
    The fact is that they are sustaining such a ridiculously high pace, because so many of them are determined to get in the BOTD.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 16,377
    15 secs ...why persist
    "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
  • andypandyp Posts: 9,852
    Poor sods in the break. Been out front for 50 kms and never had more than 30 seconds or so.
  • lettingthedaysgobylettingthedaysgoby Posts: 1,732
    This is a brutal start. 70km done and it's still not settled down.
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 21,534
    Bissegger ouch.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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