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

blazing_saddles

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.

Dorset_Boy

My first ever stage roadside was a very similar one, Perpignan to Andorra in 1992 when Big Mig was dominating.

above_the_cows

Andorra, the first place I ever saw tobacco being grown.

RichN95.

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

ddraver

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)

mrb123

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

specialgueststar

"The Mecca of Cubism". Might see some square pedalling

specialgueststar

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

Team GC moves

No_Ta_Doctor

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

No_Ta_Doctor

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

tailwindhome

Kruijswijk
D Martin
Jb Bernard
Guerreiro
Teuns
Henao
TdG
Paret Peintre

24 secs

blazing_saddles

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.

tailwindhome

Lots of activity at the front of the main group

WVA marking

mididoctors

I rode a mountain bike up there... God knows how

tailwindhome

Kom all trying to bridge now

tailwindhome

And the sit up

tailwindhome

All the 'out of GC trying to salvage something' in big group in between

tailwindhome

About 20 in that group

No_Ta_Doctor

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

blazing_saddles

Bertie Cont thinks it's going to be a GC scrap.

tailwindhome

Gr2 @28.
Yel @38

No_Ta_Doctor

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?

tailwindhome

Race radio warning of gravel on descent

tailwindhome

tailwindhome said:

Gr2 @28.
Yel @38

Gr2 29"
Yel 1'15

Cav over the climb in the peloton

tailwindhome

UAE chilling

N0bodyOfTheGoat

tailwindhome said:

Race radio warning of gravel on descent

Quick change of bikes incoming?

No_Ta_Doctor

The groups are serious heavyweight.

Lanterne_Rogue

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

Pöstelberger and Donovan bridged to front group, with a little help from a moto...

No_Ta_Doctor

Lanterne_Rogue said:

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