TDF 2021:- Stage 15, Céret > Andorre-La-Vieille 191.3km **Spoilers**

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,731
edited July 2021 in Pro race

Stage 15, Céret > Andorre-La-Vieille 191.3km

11-7-2021
Start 11-20am


Stage 15 from Ceret to Andorre-La-Vieille is one of the hardest in this year’s race, with four categorised climbs along the 191.3 kilometre route. Travelling West from Céret to Andorra la Vella, capital of the Pyrenean microstate of Andorra. To get there the race ascends Port d’Envalira, which carries the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, for the first rider to reach the Tour’s highest point, topping out at over 2,400 metres.
In recent years, Andorra la Vella has hosted a number of stages of La Vuelta and Andorra has also been used to host a rest day of the Spanish Grand Tour, as it will be, for this year's Tour.



The stage starts with 20kms of gradual drag out of Ceret, which probably means hard work in the battle for the breakaway that may ultimately prove unfruitful. It could very well last until the first proper climb, which is the Montée de Mont-Louis which would mean almost two hours of attack and counter attack.
Three of the climbs are first category ascents. The final climb of the day, the Col de Beixalis, a staple of the Vuelta in recent years, has the potentially to blow the entire race apart.



The Climbs:












Stage 15 is yet another mountainous test with a downhill finale, so favours good climbers who are also good descenders. Just how much leeway the attackers are allowed by the teams with yellow ambitions, we won't know until it happens. The breakaway could battle it out for the stage win, or the GC contenders could go head to head on the Col de Beixalis, before sprinting for victory in the streets of Andorra-la-Vieille.

Final Kilometres



Favourites stage 15 Tour de France 2021

***** Tadej Pogacar, Julian Alaphilippe
**** Jakob Fuglsang, Vincenzo Nibali, Alejandro Valverde,
*** Michael Woods, Richard Carapaz, Ion Izagirre, David Gaudu
** Rigoberto Urán, Esteban Chaves, Jonas Vingegaard
* Dan Martin, Wilco Kelderman, Matteo Cattaneo


Céret

No previous stage
Population: 7,820

The international fame of the small town of Céret. It was here that unfailing links were forged with local artists and intellectuals and give the peaceful capital of Vallespir a destiny and gave it its nickname: "The Mecca of Cubism".
Céret is one of the new stage finishes in this Tour de France, but the town had already seen the Grand Prix du Midi-Libre pass through twice, in 1970 and 1988. In the latter year, it was British rider Sean Yates who won.



On the road.

Km 95
Fort Romeau
In 1679, Louis XIV approved the creation of Mont-Louis, defending the passage to Roussillon. Inaugurated in 1681, Mont-Louis completes the line of defense set up from the Mediterranean Sea. Created ex nihilo by Vauban, it is a small conservatory of 17th century bastioned military architecture where Vauban was able to express all his creativity. And Mont-Louis retained its military function: the National Commando Training Center - 1er Choc still occupies the citadel.




Andorre-la-Vieille

Capital of the Principality of Andorra
Stage town for the 5th time
Population: 19,400

The capital of the Principality has a well-known commercial tradition, due to a 10% tax rate on income for residents and companies, no sales tax, but a 4.5% VAT. There is no inheritance, estate or transfer tax and no tax is paid on Andorran investment income.
Julian Alaphilippe, Egan Bernal, Dan Martin, the Yates brothers and many others have settled in the Principality, which is gradually replacing Monaco in the hearts of professional riders, both for its tax status and for the immediate proximity of the summits. It was also in Andorra la Vella, where he lived, that Nicolas Portal, the sports director of the Inéos team, died in 2019.
Due to its privileged position, the Principality and its capital have hosted many cycling events, such as the Tour of Catalonia, la Semana Catalana, but also two of the three Grand Tours, the Tour de France and the Vuelta, because of their border location.
In 1964, Julio Jimenez, the future three-time king of the mountains of the race, inaugurated the Andorran prize list of the Grand Boucle. Since then, Andorra la Vella has mainly served as a launching pad for stages that ended on the flat, the last time being in 2009, when Luis Leon Sanchez won in Saint-Girons. The Tour's most recent visit to the principality was in 2016, when Tom Dumoulin won in Arcalis before a rest day in the capital.
The Vuelta also visited the Andorran capital regularly between 1965 and 2015, when Mikel Landa won there ahead of Fabio Aru.



Andorran trinxat
This is undoubtedly one of the flagship dishes of Pyrenean cuisine. In Andorra, as well as in Alt Urgell and Cerdanya, it is very popular and occupies a prominent place on the menus of the great restaurants. Heir to the popular gastronomic tradition, its recipe is a fine example of the cuisine of leftovers and proximity, always with quality products (green cabbage, potatoes, garlic, bacon...). The base does not vary much, if at all, among the different recipes of the regions where this typical dish is found.












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

  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,614
    My first ever stage roadside was a very similar one, Perpignan to Andorra in 1992 when Big Mig was dominating.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Andorra, the first place I ever saw tobacco being grown.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    edited July 2021
    I've written a song for French cycling - which I have long equated to English football in its problems

    It's coming home
    It's coming home
    It's coming
    Cycling's coming home
    Everyone seems to know the score
    They've seen it all before
    They just know
    They're so sure
    That France’ll throw it away
    Gonna blow it away
    But I know they can play
    'Cause I remember

    Allez Tricolore
    Maillot Jeune still gleaming
    Forty years of hurt
    Never stopped them dreaming

    But I still see "Attaque a Rolland"
    Hinault racing LeMond
    Bardet ripping it up
    And Fignon’s headband

    Allez Tricolore
    Maillot Jeune still gleaming
    Forty years of hurt
    Never stopped them dreaming
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,724
    edited July 2021
    If i may...

    Breakaway seems to know the score
    They've all been here before
    They just know
    They'll get caught

    Cof-i-dis all will throw it away
    FDJ theres no way
    Mad-i-ot can just bray
    But I remember

    Allez Tricolour...

    So many spokes, so many gears*
    But all those Armstrong years
    Wear you down, Pinot's Tears

    But I still see "Attaque a Rolland"
    Hinault racing LeMond
    Bardet ripping it up
    And Fignon’s headband

    Allez Tricolour...


    (*Clinic remix

    So many doped, so many speeds,
    But all those Armstrong years,
    Les Gendarmes, Virenque's Tears)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,835
    Sweet Calmejane, da da da,
    Good times never seemed so good...
  • "The Mecca of Cubism". Might see some square pedalling
  • mrb123 said:

    Sweet Calmejane, da da da,
    Good times never seemed so good...

    He wasn't very happy he didn't even get a place this year..!
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,913
    Team GC moves
    "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
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    De Gendt finally managed to get a little gap, 20" or so.
    Ineos trying to get someone in the break

    Group of 7 trying to bridge and plenty more trying behind
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    Lots of speculation regarding Pog's possible weakness in heat and Carapaz's advantage at altitude.

    Chris Anker pointing out he won in UAE and last year's TT win wasn't exactly cool weather
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,462
    Kruijswijk
    D Martin
    Jb Bernard
    Guerreiro
    Teuns
    Henao
    TdG
    Paret Peintre

    24 secs
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,731
    It's the usual silly start.
    Could take a while for things to settle down.

    In the meantime, Bouhanni and Bol has a long day of trying to fend of being OTL.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,462
    Lots of activity at the front of the main group

    WVA marking
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,913
    I rode a mountain bike up there... God knows how
    "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
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,462
    Kom all trying to bridge now
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,462
    And the sit up
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,462
    edited July 2021
    All the 'out of GC trying to salvage something' in big group in between
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,462
    About 20 in that group
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    The day's entertainment from the Danish commentary team, Rolf and Chris Anker trading nightmares:

    Rolf: was riding a climb that just got steeper and steeper, until he needed climbing gear and didn't know how he'd get over it

    Chris Anker: the mechanics had forgotten our bikes and we had to run. We couldn't keep up and our DS was giving us a bollocking while we tried to explain we were running

    :smiley:
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,731
    Bertie Cont thinks it's going to be a GC scrap.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,462
    edited July 2021
    Gr2 @28.
    Yel @38

    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    The group of 20 at 15" ahead of the peloton has van Aert and Kuss in it. Kruiswijk in the lead group.

    Wonder who Jumbo-Visma have with Vingegaard?
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,462
    edited July 2021
    Race radio warning of gravel on descent
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,462
    edited July 2021

    Gr2 @28.
    Yel @38

    Gr2 29"
    Yel 1'15

    Cav over the climb in the peloton
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,462
    UAE chilling
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • N0bodyOfTheGoat
    N0bodyOfTheGoat Posts: 6,069

    Race radio warning of gravel on descent

    Quick change of bikes incoming? ;)
    ================
    2020 Voodoo Marasa
    2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
    2016 Voodoo Wazoo
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    The groups are serious heavyweight.


    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    At the other end, Bouhanni is the only person not to have regained the peloton, now sitting over three minutes behind them.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    Pöstelberger and Donovan bridged to front group, with a little help from a moto...
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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692

    At the other end, Bouhanni is the only person not to have regained the peloton, now sitting over three minutes behind them.

    That could blow my fantasy gc challenge out of the water :(

    Mikkel Bjerg 5mm from completely over cooking a corner
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