TDF 2022:- Stage 5: Lille Métropole – Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, 153.7kms ***Spoilers***
blazing_saddles
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Stage 5: Lille Métropole – Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, 153.7kms
Start Time: 13-35CET
Some years ago the cobblestones where seen as the big bugbear of the whole route, causing even outrage from some of the smaller climbers not used to these type of roads. Not that this changed much and the addition of pave to the GT parcours remains a discussion, if not an actual bone of contention. However, protecting GC riders from potential crashes is not limited to such stages, as this role has to be performed at every sprint stage. The real fear is the potential for GC riders to lose significant time. To lose it through poor bike handling is one thing, but through a puncture on a cobbled section, another.
Consequently, the ASO have rated this a **** stage.
Lille hosted the Tour de France on dozens of occassions, although it has been awhile since the last ones. In 2014, Marcel Kittel sprinted to victory. The village of Arenberg is made famous by the Trouée d’Arenberg from Paris-Roubaix, but also hosted two Tour de France finishes. In 2010, Thor Hushovd pocketed a race with seven cobbled sectors, and in 2014 Lars Boom succeeded the strong Norwegian. That last stage was played in rainy conditions and saw defending champion Chris Froome crash out of contention, while Vincenzo Nibali took an advance on his eventual GC win with a solid third place. Although the stage finishes in Arenberg, the famous Trouée d’Arenberg is not included in the race.
20 kilometres of the route will be on pavé. The race will almost certainly split apart over the 11 cobbled sections on this year’s menu. That’s because four of the last five sectors appear regularly in Paris–Roubaix, including the three longest (all 2.4 kilometers), inside the final 30 kilometers. The last sector, via the infamous Pont Gibus, ends just 5.1 kilometers from the finish in Arenberg.
With five former Paris–Roubaix champions in the field, along with such classics stars as Kasper Asgreen (Quick-Step), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), we can expect a spectacular and destructive day in this mini Hell of the North.
Final Kms.
What to Expect:
A lot more action than we experienced over the first 4 stages of this race. WVA may have been encouraged to go on the rampage yesterday, because he is required for shepherding duties, today.
Step forward Mattheu van der Poel, plus teams like Trek Segafredo, who have top cobbled specialists, but no real GC contender.
By the end of the day, it's probable that there will be tears for the odd, unlucky GC candidate.
Plus, the all important weather for the day.
Lille Métropole
Population: 1,200,000
Specialities: potjevleesch (pieces of chicken, pork and veal in jelly), carbonade flamande (meat simmered in beer), waterzooï (simmered chicken or fish soup), sugar pie, waffles filled with vergeoise, chicons (endives), vieux Lille (cheese), beers.
LILLE-MÉTROPOLE AND CYCLING
Lille has been on the menu of the Grande Boucle since 1906, yet it has only hosted the race as a stage town on fifteen occasions. even though teams and followers often reside there when the Tour passes through the North. Among the many prestigious stage winners in town, several Tour winners such as Georges Speicher (1934), Ferdi Kübler (1947) or Louison Bobet (1954).
Many cyclists are linked to the city and have taken part in the Tour de France, such as Maurice Leturgie (1912, 1913), Philippe Poissonnier (1985) or Laurent Desbiens (1993 to 2001). If
Several towns in the metropolis, such as Roubaix of course, but also Wasquehal, on five occasions, have hosted a stage of the Grande Boucle.
Carbonade Flamande
Waterzooï
Along the route.
Km 147.9
GIBUS BRIDGE
The cobbled section from Wallers to Hélesmes is nicknamed Pont Gibus: it passes under an old disused bridge that is an explicit reference to "Gibus", the nickname of Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle, twice winner of Paris-Roubaix in the early 1990s and very popular in the region.
Arenberg Porte du Hainaut
Population: 5,600
Specialities: Pavé d'Enfer (cake with orange marmalade), Craquelins (pastries from St Amand), Terril de Germinal (chocolate truffled with chicory), mineral water from Saint-Amand, Germinal beer
Wallers-Arenberg is a town in the Valenciennes region, rich and proud of its mining past. The Arenberg site was exploited for almost a century (from 1899 to 1989) by extracting more than 32 million tons of coal. With its streets of red brick houses typical of the region and nearly 15 sites listed as Unesco World Heritage Sites.
ARENBERG AND CYCLING
Stablinski: miner, champion and cobblestone chaser
It was in the middle of the 2007 Grande Boucle that the caravan learned of the death of one of the most faithful companions of the Tour de France. Son of Polish immigrants and former miner, Jean Stablinski left his mark on the Tour's golden book with five stage victories between 1957 and 1967. World champion in 1962, winner of the Vuelta in 1958, "Stab" was also particularly motivated by the tricolour jersey, which he wore four times between 1960 and 1964. However, he never wore the Yellow Jersey in the Tour. After his career, he was a real cobblestone scout for the organisers of Paris-Roubaix and his best find was undoubtedly the Arenberg Trench, at the entrance of which a monument in his honour now stands. It is indeed to Paris-Roubaix that the Tour winks with this arrival in Arenberg, where the most famous cobbled sector in the world is located. The "Drève des Boules d'Hérin" is now known to all as the "trench" where the Queen of the Classics has so often chosen its winners and losers.
Craquelins
Start Time: 13-35CET
Some years ago the cobblestones where seen as the big bugbear of the whole route, causing even outrage from some of the smaller climbers not used to these type of roads. Not that this changed much and the addition of pave to the GT parcours remains a discussion, if not an actual bone of contention. However, protecting GC riders from potential crashes is not limited to such stages, as this role has to be performed at every sprint stage. The real fear is the potential for GC riders to lose significant time. To lose it through poor bike handling is one thing, but through a puncture on a cobbled section, another.
Consequently, the ASO have rated this a **** stage.
Lille hosted the Tour de France on dozens of occassions, although it has been awhile since the last ones. In 2014, Marcel Kittel sprinted to victory. The village of Arenberg is made famous by the Trouée d’Arenberg from Paris-Roubaix, but also hosted two Tour de France finishes. In 2010, Thor Hushovd pocketed a race with seven cobbled sectors, and in 2014 Lars Boom succeeded the strong Norwegian. That last stage was played in rainy conditions and saw defending champion Chris Froome crash out of contention, while Vincenzo Nibali took an advance on his eventual GC win with a solid third place. Although the stage finishes in Arenberg, the famous Trouée d’Arenberg is not included in the race.
20 kilometres of the route will be on pavé. The race will almost certainly split apart over the 11 cobbled sections on this year’s menu. That’s because four of the last five sectors appear regularly in Paris–Roubaix, including the three longest (all 2.4 kilometers), inside the final 30 kilometers. The last sector, via the infamous Pont Gibus, ends just 5.1 kilometers from the finish in Arenberg.
With five former Paris–Roubaix champions in the field, along with such classics stars as Kasper Asgreen (Quick-Step), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), we can expect a spectacular and destructive day in this mini Hell of the North.
Final Kms.
What to Expect:
A lot more action than we experienced over the first 4 stages of this race. WVA may have been encouraged to go on the rampage yesterday, because he is required for shepherding duties, today.
Step forward Mattheu van der Poel, plus teams like Trek Segafredo, who have top cobbled specialists, but no real GC contender.
By the end of the day, it's probable that there will be tears for the odd, unlucky GC candidate.
Plus, the all important weather for the day.
Lille Métropole
Population: 1,200,000
Specialities: potjevleesch (pieces of chicken, pork and veal in jelly), carbonade flamande (meat simmered in beer), waterzooï (simmered chicken or fish soup), sugar pie, waffles filled with vergeoise, chicons (endives), vieux Lille (cheese), beers.
LILLE-MÉTROPOLE AND CYCLING
Lille has been on the menu of the Grande Boucle since 1906, yet it has only hosted the race as a stage town on fifteen occasions. even though teams and followers often reside there when the Tour passes through the North. Among the many prestigious stage winners in town, several Tour winners such as Georges Speicher (1934), Ferdi Kübler (1947) or Louison Bobet (1954).
Many cyclists are linked to the city and have taken part in the Tour de France, such as Maurice Leturgie (1912, 1913), Philippe Poissonnier (1985) or Laurent Desbiens (1993 to 2001). If
Several towns in the metropolis, such as Roubaix of course, but also Wasquehal, on five occasions, have hosted a stage of the Grande Boucle.
Carbonade Flamande
Waterzooï
Along the route.
Km 147.9
GIBUS BRIDGE
The cobbled section from Wallers to Hélesmes is nicknamed Pont Gibus: it passes under an old disused bridge that is an explicit reference to "Gibus", the nickname of Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle, twice winner of Paris-Roubaix in the early 1990s and very popular in the region.
Arenberg Porte du Hainaut
Population: 5,600
Specialities: Pavé d'Enfer (cake with orange marmalade), Craquelins (pastries from St Amand), Terril de Germinal (chocolate truffled with chicory), mineral water from Saint-Amand, Germinal beer
Wallers-Arenberg is a town in the Valenciennes region, rich and proud of its mining past. The Arenberg site was exploited for almost a century (from 1899 to 1989) by extracting more than 32 million tons of coal. With its streets of red brick houses typical of the region and nearly 15 sites listed as Unesco World Heritage Sites.
ARENBERG AND CYCLING
Stablinski: miner, champion and cobblestone chaser
It was in the middle of the 2007 Grande Boucle that the caravan learned of the death of one of the most faithful companions of the Tour de France. Son of Polish immigrants and former miner, Jean Stablinski left his mark on the Tour's golden book with five stage victories between 1957 and 1967. World champion in 1962, winner of the Vuelta in 1958, "Stab" was also particularly motivated by the tricolour jersey, which he wore four times between 1960 and 1964. However, he never wore the Yellow Jersey in the Tour. After his career, he was a real cobblestone scout for the organisers of Paris-Roubaix and his best find was undoubtedly the Arenberg Trench, at the entrance of which a monument in his honour now stands. It is indeed to Paris-Roubaix that the Tour winks with this arrival in Arenberg, where the most famous cobbled sector in the world is located. The "Drève des Boules d'Hérin" is now known to all as the "trench" where the Queen of the Classics has so often chosen its winners and losers.
Craquelins
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Carbonade Flamande is very nice if done right, but very often is done wrong. Much easier (and cheaper) is the fricadelle with fries a sausage made of a mixture of meats with chips and plenty of mayo
Will just have to watch it back on record
(certainly more appetising than a tonne of smelly mussel shells chucked into the street)
Pog not so much
Ineos down to luck
Everyone else will be hoping to be there and thereabouts
I'm most interested to see how Vlasov gets on
Anyway, anyone got a breakdown of the secteurs?
@DrHeadgear
The Vikings are coming!
I can't see Ineos with Ganna, Van Baarle, Rowe and Thomas quietly following wheels
@DrHeadgear
The Vikings are coming!
Pog used his climbing strength in Flanders to overcome his poor positioning. He can do that on the cobbles, but its more difficult, especially with a lack of team help.
If Mikkel Bjerg was dropped yesterday rather than sitting up he will have almost no help (Staeke Langen maybe)
Admittedly those rides were over Flanders cobbles, not Roubaix, but if the pimples encountered on the GP Denain count....
@DrHeadgear
The Vikings are coming!
@DrHeadgear
The Vikings are coming!
Buying them is stupid!
- @ddraver