TDF 2021: Stage 17 Muret > Saint-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet 178.4 km **Spoilers**

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
edited July 2021 in Pro race

Stage 17 Muret > Saint-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet 178.4 km

14-7-2021
Start: 10-50am

Bastille Day is always special on the Tour de France and this one is certainly special: imo, it's this year's Queen stage. (although a case can be made for tomorrow, too)
The 2018 stage that first introduced the Col du Portet, with a F1 start grid that was the novelty, quickly discarded.
This year, we get a more traditional stage, with a178km route that traverses the Pyrenees, as the race departs Muret and heads in a South Westerly direction towards the mountains.



After 110kms of relative flat, the stage manages to pack two 1st catagory climbs and a hors catergory ascent into the last 65kms. (as in 2018) First up the slopes of the Col de Peyresourde and the riders will have barely any flat road ahead of them before the finish. It’s the easiest of the three climbs, although to describe it as easy would be insulting.
A descent, then on the flat very briefly as they circle the lake to reach the foot of the Col d’Azet: shorter, but steeper, than the Peyresourde. Straight after the descent, the long and hard finishing climb kicks in. The gradient on the Col du Portet is unrelenting.



The Climbs:









This is what Geraint Thomas has to say about the Portet in his book, "The Mountains According to G":
So let's make something about it quite clear. It was the hardest single climb of all the 2018 Tour de France. It's the hardest single climb I've done in any Tour de France since my debut back in 2007.
It's an Alpine climb in the Pyrenees.







The 17th stage offers climbers with GC ambitions the penultimate chance to put time into their rivals. So a huge clash between the remaining GC contenders is on the cards. Expect some pure climbers to be involved too.

Favourites stage 17 Tour de France 2021

***** Tadej Pogacar
**** Jonas Vingegaard, Richard Carapaz
*** Nairo Quintana, Dan Martin, David Gaudu, Esteban Chaves
** Wilco Kelderman, Rigoberto Uran, Wout Poels, Eric Mas,
* Jakob Fuglsang, Michael Woods, Miguel Ángel López, Wout van Aert, Ben O'Connor, Pello Bilbao


Muret

Stage town for the second time
Population: 27,000

Muret is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department. It is an outer suburb of the city of Toulouse, even though it does not belong to Toulouse Métropole. Muret is generally known for the Battle of Muret (1213) and as the birthplace of Clément Ader (1841-1925), inventor and aviation pioneer.



In 2015, the 13th stage of the Tour de France started from Muret towards Rodez, where Greg Van Avermaet won a Tour stage at long last. He did it again the following year in Le Lioran before wearing the Yellow Jersey for three days, then eight in 2018.


Saint-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet

Stage town for the 12th time
Population: 877

In the heart of the Aure valley, at an altitude of 800 metres and at the gateway to the most beautiful natural areas of the Pyrenees, Saint-Lary, a small mountain village, is one of the most important ski resorts in the Pyrenees in winter.
In 2018, Nairo Quintana saved a somewhat disappointing Tour de France by winning on the Col du Portet after a short 65-km stage from Luchon on a starting grid like a F1 Grand Prix. The Colombian rider broke clear with Dan Martin and won the second of his three stage victories in the Tour.



Garbure
Garbure is a traditional thick soup from the southwest of France, consisting of meat, cheese, stale bread, and vegetables such as cabbage, peas, onions, or carrots. The soup is traditionally served as an evening meal over two courses, so the meat is usually taken out and served as a main course along with cornichons and pickled hot peppers.









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

  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    Good profile for sky
    "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
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    St Lary Soulan.. I remember rominger putting the hurt on indurain while jaskula Did his follow one bike length behind .... 1993 /2? I was on the aubisque in person a few days after watching them come by .. seems a long time ago now. What year was that ...? .
    "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
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    1993
    "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
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    It was a different climb though back in 1993 ....looking at it .
    "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
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    This is one nairo did well on 2018?
    "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
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    mididoctors said:

    This is one nairo did well on 2018?

    Should read your posts first bs
    "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: 14,691
    Sorry, posted this on the wrong stage before
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    Right then. Bastille Day is here. The day when, traditionally, great French hope turns to great French disappointment.

    Alaphilippe is probably bearing much of the burden today, though Gaudu will also have a share. Guillame Martin got slapped back into place by Van Aert yesterday and is most likely licking his wounds. Anyone else feeling the weight of a nation today?

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  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,609
    B)
  • johnboy183
    johnboy183 Posts: 832
    So Cav to go for a flyer from the off to out pressure on everyone else😉😉 he’s the only one not dressed warmly
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Tough one the final climb isn't it?
    _
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Oh joy, it looks just like another day in April, at the Tour of the Basque Country.
    What time does Summer start?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,691
    johnboy183 said:

    So Cav to go for a flyer from the off to out pressure on everyone else😉😉 he’s the only one not dressed warmly

    Chris Anker reckons you might be right. The intermediate is before the climbing starts
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  • johnboy183
    johnboy183 Posts: 832
    Gonna be a helluva ride to be ahead for 113km!
  • larkim
    larkim Posts: 2,485
    Is this analysis of the points about right.

    Today / tomorrow - 20 points for sprint is the best that Cav or MM could expect as the finish line points not in their capabilities (even though points are available at the finish)
    Friday - 20 points for the sprint plus 50 for the win (30 for second, 20 for third)
    Saturday - TT, none of them will score points even though there's max 20 for the win
    Sunday - 20 for the sprint plus 50 for the win (30 for second, 20 for third)

    The gap is 32 points so if Matthews doesn't win on Friday or Sunday it's going to be pretty tough for Cav to lose the points comp unless some misfortune happens. Could all change though if Matthews has the fortune to beat Cav on the two flat stages though with a 20 point swing between 1st and 2nd.
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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,691
    Think that's about right, though if Matthews picked up intermediate points and Cav didn't then it's pretty tight and Cav has no real margin for error
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  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    The peloton seem to have thrown up an excellent road block.

    6 men ahead of it.....
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,691
    Think Cav just told Turgis and Chevalier to get on with it before DQS blocked everything

    :smiley:
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  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    UAE, Movistar and DQS riding shoulder to shoulder right now, which suggests who's interested in keeping a lid on things.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    Think Cav just told Turgis and Chevalier to get on with it before DQS blocked everything

    :smiley:

    Yeah, quite amusing how it goes from this (which I assume was Cavendish checking out who was going, or possibly telling them they'll be blocking the road behind so don't bother looking for help)...



    ...to this in literally twenty seconds, as smoothly as anything.


    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,691
    Bernard apparently misunderstood Cav's no doubt highly "colloquial" French and is now on a potato hunt.

    The other two shot off like Madiot was chasing them with a horse whip, screaming about doing it for France, when Cav gave them the message :smiley:
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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,691
    Kruijswijk abandon. That's a blow for Vingegaard
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  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    Kruijswijk abandon. That's a blow for Vingegaard

    I didn't see that one coming.
    It certainly is.
    I think I am right in saying he's the only Jumbo rider who climbed Portet in 2018.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,587
    What's the situation? Is Cav in the yellow jersey group? I've seen him on screen but the group is being led by AG2R for some reason.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    Can anyone hear G. Martin's interview with Friebos or does it just sound like "Hmmf Mmmf ffmmm mmm" on my crappy speakers?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    We have a short sprint stage crit on the champs every year pete
    "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: 14,691
    Bernard still out there, but that potato isn't getting any closer.

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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,691
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    Bernard still out there, but that potato isn't getting any closer.

    His DS has now told him to pack it in.
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  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,717
    Rendell just massacring the explanation of Chasse Patat..
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    I think miller made it up
    "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
  • poweredbyidris
    poweredbyidris Posts: 848
    Noticed on the ITV podcast that Rendell talks like he's writing out what he's saying.

    Firmly back in the ES/GCN camp now they've moved to rotating commentators

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