TDF 2021: Stage 16 Pas de la Case > Saint-Gaudens 169 km **Spoilers**
blazing_saddles
Posts: 22,729
Stage 16 Pas de la Case > Saint-Gaudens 169 km
13-7-2021Start: 12-05pm
This is a medium mountain stage through the heart of the Pyrénées Ariégeoises and the rugged Couserans region to Saint-Gaudens. The stage of the Tour de France is tailor-made for a successful breakaway. It gets under way with a long descent from Pas de la Case down the Upper Ariège valley. At Tarascon, the route switches from north to west. The riders will follow the road that leads out of the mountains through the villages of Aspet and Soueich, where Ineos Grenadier's "Russian", Pavel Sivakov was raised.
The route continues to descend, albeit false flat, and moves through Ax-les-Thermes and Tarascon-sur-Ariège before the first climb of the day appears after approximately 40 kilometres.
Following three climbs (two 2nd catergory, one 1st catergory) but for a short, 4th catergory ramp, the finale is virtually flat, except for a short uphill kicker inside the last 10 kilometres.
The Climbs:
Final Kilometres
The final 500 metres to the line, which is located on what was once the Comminges motor-racing circuit, are quite sharply uphill.
As this stage is one of the very last chances that teams without an in-form GC leader or sprinter will have to go for a victory, expect there to be a lot of interest in getting into the break. This breakaway is more likely to be successful than most.
Favourites stage 16 Tour de France 2021
***** Ion Izagirre, Dylan Teuns, Julian Alaphilippe
**** Wout Poels, Bauke Mollema, Wout van Aert, Omar Fraile
*** Sergio Higuita, Thomas De Gendt, Patrick Konrad, Magnus Cort
** Ruben Guerreiro, Franck Bonnamour, Neilson Powless, Kasper Asgreen
* Matej Mohorič, Valentin Madouas, Pierre Rolland, Guillaume Martin, Simon Geschke
Pas de la Case
Tourist resort in the parish of Encamp in Andorra
Population: 3,000
El Pas de la Casa is an Andorran town and ski resort in the Pyrenees mountains, near the French border. Sitting at the Pas de la Casa mountain pass, it’s part of the Grandvalira ski area. The two main sources of wealth are trade and winter sports. The beginnings of the commercial fabric of Pas de la Casa date back to the end of the Second World War, a time of great economic and commercial crisis in France. The village was known as the place to find products that were not available anywhere else at that time.
In the winter of 1956-57, the first ski lift was installed to link the town of Pas de la Casa with the summit of Pic Blanc, at an altitude of 2,500 metres. The development of the skiing industry meant the construction of many hotels and restaurants. Consequently, it attracts a large number of British and Irish winter sports enthusiasts, as well as French and Spanish ones.
Saint-Gaudens
13 previous stages
Population: 12,000
Saint-Gaudens lies at an altitude of 405 m (1,329 ft) on a ledge overlooking the valley of the Garonne. It faces the Pyrenees and is a natural crossroads for routes between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and between Toulouse and the Val d'Aran in Catalonia.
Saint-Gaudens has been inhabited since ancient times. The town later developed around the 11th century Romanesque church.
Saint-Gaudens is one of the Pyrenean towns whose name is familiar to cycling fans. Situated at the crossroads of the various Pyrenean routes, the town has hosted nine stage finishes and ten starts, the last of which was in 2009. In 1970, for example, Bernard Thévenet left Saint-Gaudens to win his first stage in La Mongie.
During the last two visits of the Tour to the town, Saint-Gaudens served as a springboard for Pyrenean stages won at the Plateau de Beille by Jelle Vanendert in 2011 and in Saint-Lary-Soulan by Rafal Majka in 2014.
In 1955, Louison Bobet finally donned the Yellow Jersey here, during the first of his three, consecutive wins.
Mounjetade
Mounjetade, which takes its name from the Occitan word munjeto (white bean), is the Ariège version of cassoulet. It is also the traditional dish of Comminges and Saint-Gaudens.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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It looks as if the Summer that never was continues and tomorrow's forecast will not please the riders one little bit.
We do get the potential for some crosswind action during the battle for the breakaway.
However, as the route turns North West, it becomes a headwind.
All the way to the finish.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
The descent from the Col de Portet-d’Aspet is where Casartelli crashed and where there is the monument to him. Tomorrow they will descend past it.blazing_saddles said:
Final Kilometres
The final 500 metres to the line, which is located on what was once the Comminges motor-racing circuit, are quite sharply uphill.
The Comminges circuit at Saint-Gaudens is where Luis Ocana won his first ever Tour stage.
(I've heard a rumour that Nibali won't start tomorrow, don't know much validity to give it)
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The rumour's true - next stop Tokyo, unlike Bilbo Baggins (who was informed of his non-selection just before yesterday's stage)0
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I'd give it a lot of validity, given his team tweeted about earlier.jimmyjams said:
The descent from the Col de Portet-d’Aspet is where Casartelli crashed and where there is the monument to him. Tomorrow they will descend past it.blazing_saddles said:
Final Kilometres
The final 500 metres to the line, which is located on what was once the Comminges motor-racing circuit, are quite sharply uphill.
The Comminges circuit at Saint-Gaudens is where Luis Ocana won his first ever Tour stage.
(I've heard a rumour that Nibali won't start tomorrow, don't know much validity to give it)
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There is a gravel car park at the monument. Guy on our trip ignored my warnings and went straight into it and off. Not a dignified remembrance, but apt.jimmyjams said:
The descent from the Col de Portet-d’Aspet is where Casartelli crashed and where there is the monument to him. Tomorrow they will descend past it.blazing_saddles said:
Final Kilometres
The final 500 metres to the line, which is located on what was once the Comminges motor-racing circuit, are quite sharply uphill.
The Comminges circuit at Saint-Gaudens is where Luis Ocana won his first ever Tour stage.
(I've heard a rumour that Nibali won't start tomorrow, don't know much validity to give it)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.0 -
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No stars for BROXXIC? (Best rider of 21st century)0
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Which is more than the peloton will do.rick_chasey said:Have actually ridden this entire stage in one day but in reverse
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
My reasoning is that if he is chasing the Polka Dot jersey, he would be targeting the following two days.TheBigBean said:No stars for BROXXIC? (Best rider of 21st century)
Having said that, Like 3rd week Wout, the best rider of the 21st century should be able to manage 3 big efforts in 3 days."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Is he BROXXIC or GROXXIC (Greatest rider of the 21st century)? I think I'm going with GROXXIC.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0
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Nah, GROXXIC is the guy he can't beat in one dayers, cyclocross or MTB.0
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That 1st cat climb must be worth a few points?blazing_saddles said:
My reasoning is that if he is chasing the Polka Dot jersey, he would be targeting the following two days.TheBigBean said:No stars for BROXXIC? (Best rider of 21st century)
Having said that, Like 3rd week Wout, the best rider of the 21st century should be able to manage 3 big efforts in 3 days.
I've no idea what the points structure is for the KOM... need to learn it quickly as it looks a lot more competitive than the GC!0 -
The following 2 days will be gc action, so it's far from certain those hc double point finishes will go to the break. I think he'll want to tank up on the smaller points here today and try and get a margin, then try and take the first climbs the next stagesblazing_saddles said:
My reasoning is that if he is chasing the Polka Dot jersey, he would be targeting the following two days.TheBigBean said:No stars for BROXXIC? (Best rider of 21st century)
Having said that, Like 3rd week Wout, the best rider of the 21st century should be able to manage 3 big efforts in 3 days.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
I went back to review the original BR trademark application and the word used was "best"; however, during the application process a number of expert witnesses did use the term "greatest", so perhaps the end result was a successful trademark of both.No_Ta_Doctor said:Is he BROXXIC or GROXXIC (Greatest rider of the 21st century)? I think I'm going with GROXXIC.
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So B/GROXXIC then.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0
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Here is the most trivial and boring of trivial boring facts.
My cycle computer ran out of battery half way up the Col de la Core (on which I was in a very bad way - the side they go down is south facing and my god it was hot - lost my mind a bit on that) and I have not ridden with one since - something like 35,000km later.0 -
Is this still the case? Can't see anything on TdF website or elsewhere apart from Cycling Tips.blazing_saddles said:
Which is more than the peloton will do.rick_chasey said:Have actually ridden this entire stage in one day but in reverse
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I'm trying to drag my sorry self back into riding and throwing the garmin away has been the best decision I've made so far...rick_chasey said:Here is the most trivial and boring of trivial boring facts.
My cycle computer ran out of battery half way up the Col de la Core (on which I was in a very bad way - the side they go down is south facing and my god it was hot - lost my mind a bit on that) and I have not ridden with one since - something like 35,000km later.We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Liberating. Also, the advent of strava on your phone means you can record it and look at it after the fact without the low numbers staring at you during your ride, doing your head in.ddraver said:
I'm trying to drag my sorry self back into riding and throwing the garmin away has been the best decision I've made so far...rick_chasey said:Here is the most trivial and boring of trivial boring facts.
My cycle computer ran out of battery half way up the Col de la Core (on which I was in a very bad way - the side they go down is south facing and my god it was hot - lost my mind a bit on that) and I have not ridden with one since - something like 35,000km later.1 -
You can turn the screen off on the Garmin also right?0
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Or put it in your back pocket, which is what I usually do for MTB.elbowloh said:You can turn the screen off on the Garmin also right?
I use mine to follow routes, I just have 3s power and HR showing on the map screen - but you could take those off and only show the route... Can't imagine following a new route without stopping at junctions all the time without having the map screen (which is what I got it for in the first place really).0 -
If this is true then it's going to be ridiculously manic to make the break, there's only around 25 km left to the foot of the first col.blazing_saddles said:
Which is more than the peloton will do.rick_chasey said:Have actually ridden this entire stage in one day but in reverse
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Dunno, but it doesn't look very promising up there.JimD666 said:
Is this still the case? Can't see anything on TdF website or elsewhere apart from Cycling Tips.blazing_saddles said:
Which is more than the peloton will do.rick_chasey said:Have actually ridden this entire stage in one day but in reverse
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Same here, I generally ignore the numbers until I get home but find it very handy knowing when there are turns / junctions approaching. Pretty invaluable on fast descents. Also use the gradient screen so I can pace myself up climbs a bit better (really helpful knowing how close you are to the top!).bobmcstuff said:I use mine to follow routes, I just have 3s power and HR showing on the map screen - but you could take those off and only show the route... Can't imagine following a new route without stopping at junctions all the time without having the map screen (which is what I got it for in the first place really).
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DK TV2 reporting neutralisation of the descent as well now. A number of DK riders unhappy, Magnus Cort lives locally and had targeted the stage.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0
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this should break up the GC on the descents.blazing_saddles said:
Dunno, but it doesn't look very promising up there.JimD666 said:
Is this still the case? Can't see anything on TdF website or elsewhere apart from Cycling Tips.blazing_saddles said:
Which is more than the peloton will do.rick_chasey said:Have actually ridden this entire stage in one day but in reverse
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High quality "watch men in lycra get undressed" footage now for the niche viewers...2015 Canyon Nerve AL 6.0 (son #1's)
2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #4s)
2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
2019 Hoy Bonaly 26" Disc (son #2s)
2018 Voodoo Bizango (mine)
2018 Voodoo Maji (wife's)0 -
Reminded me of getting changed after swimming at primary school. Did anyone bring one of those towels that their mum had sewn up into a tube with some elastic at the top to get changed in?1
