TDF 2022:- Stage 6: Binche - Longwy, 220kms ***Spoilers***

Stage 6: Binche - Longwy, 220kms

Start Time: 12-05

This is a long trek through the Ardennes, and the contenders for victory will have to gauge their effort well if they want to shine in the finale, which is even tougher than the one that featured the last time the Tour visited Longwy. At 220 kilometers, this is the longest stage this year. There are 70 kilometers in Belgium before reaching the Ardennes. The finale of the 219.9 kilometres long race is a puncheur's dream.



Binche hosted the start of stage 3 in 2019. That day, Julian Alaphilippe soloed to victory in Épernay. It was the first and last visit of the Tour de France to the Wallonian town.
Longwy has been an infrequent host to Le Tour. After a finish in 1982 , the race didn't return until 2017. At the end of a race on lumpy roads the last 1.6 kilometres ascended to the Citadel of Longwy. Peter Sagan outsprinted Michael Matthews on the punchy finish climb.

The 2022 race to Longwy will see the same finale.



The leading puncheurs will be to the fore on the Mur de Pulventeux, situated 6km from the finish (800m long and averaging 12%), before having the opportunity to show their explosive qualities on the Côte des Religieuses.

The Climbs.





Final Kms.






What to Expect.
The only flat section of the entire race appears between 100 and 60 kilometres from the finish line. During the rest of the day the riders travel from one hill to the next. The climbs are never long, nor steep, but the endless succession is sure to wear the peloton out. GC riders will only be interested in reaching the finish line, as there is hardly anything to be gained for them, so chances are that breakaway specialists will try to have it their way.
The route suits attackers, so we all know who that means.....

Binche

Population: 33,500.
Specialities: Binche doubles (small buckwheat pancakes filled with cheese), La Binchoise beer, Ruffus sparkling wines, Binche Gin, Binche lace.

BINCHE AND CYCLING

In 2019, Julian Alaphilippe celebrated with champagne in Épernay at the end of a stage from Binche and wore the Yellow Jersey for the first time. Since then, the French rider has worn it for 18 days and at least once in each of the last three editions. Binche was also the venue for the 2018 Belgian road championships, which saw Julian Alaphilippe's loyal team-mate Yves Lampaert win and wear the national jersey on the roads of the Tour de France for the whole month of July. Lampaert also finished second in the Binche-Chimay-Binche semi-classic that same season, which was won by Danny van Poppel, who did it again in 2021. This event, created in 1911, has had a chequered history and was relaunched in 2010 under the name of Mémorial Franck Vandenbroucke in honour of the man who won the 1996 edition. In 2013, the city of Hainaut was also the starting point for an edition of Flèche Wallonne won by Daniel Moreno. Among the riders born in Binche, we can mention Albert Dubuisson, a professional from 1938 to 1951, who took part in the Tour de France in 1950, the year he won the Tour of Belgium.



La Binchoise Brewery

The history of the brewery dates back to 1847. In 1929, the site was bought by Oscar Roulez, a maltster, who had the old brewery demolished to rebuild the current buildings. In 1979, André Graux set up the La Binchoise brewery. Since 2000, the premises have been open to the public. This brewery with its authentic character welcomes visitors for guided tours and beer tasting. www.brasserielabinchoise.be



Along the route.

Km 51
Chimay (pop 10,000)
The town is home to the castle of the Princes of Chimay, where Princess Elisabeth de Chimay lives, and the collegiate church of Saints-Pierre-et-Paul.

Chimay beer

In 1850, Prince Joseph de Caraman-Chimay invited the monks of the Abbey of Saint-Sixte (West Flanders) to found a new Cistercian abbey. From 1862 onwards, beer was produced from the water in the abbey's wells. from Professor De Clerck. Together they created the new beer yeast for the future Chimay beers. In 1956, the community produced a special beer for Christmas. This beer is now marketed under the name Chimay Bleue.




Longwy

Population: 15,000
Specialities: potée lorraine, mirabelle plum, Longwy enamel and earthenware, étoile Vauban (pastry)

LONGWY AND CYCLING

The construction of the ramparts clearly preceded the first visit of the Tour to Longwy in 1911. Although most of Alsace-Lorraine was annexed by the German Empire at that time, this district was one of the few sectors that remained French when the Treaty of Frankfurt was signed in 1871. Four stage finishes took place in this context until 1914. This last stage, won by François Faber, ended bizarrely. Tenth overall, the Luxemburg rider was no threat to Philippe Thys and his rivals let him breakaway without reacting. The winner of the 1909 Tour reached Longwy more than six minutes ahead of the peloton but in a very advanced state of drunkenness. To motivate himself, he sipped cognac throughout his breakaway! In 2017, it was Peter Sagan who emerged in the final climb to win on the eve of his disqualification after a stormy sprint in Vittel, where the Slovak was accused of causing the crash of Mark Cavendish.



Potée lorraine.




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

  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Notwithstanding location : would this be more exciting as a high mountain stage?
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    Wonder if we'll see Magnus in the break today? He must be cooked by now
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    Cross tail start today, going to be very fast start and could be a huge fight to get in the break - if they're not knackered, knacked or knrapping it about tomorrow
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • 220km - that's a Longwy.

    Carlton's all ready to pinch this...
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227

    220km - that's a Longwy.

    Carlton's all ready to pinch this...
    In his honour, I'll roll it out again later, and chuckle to myself.
  • 220km - that's a Longwy.

    Carlton's all ready to pinch this...
    In his honour, I'll roll it out again later, and chuckle to myself.

    need to add a 'you might say' to the end
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Mathieu Burgaudeau tastes the tarmac as we have a frenetic start.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • poweredbyidris
    poweredbyidris Posts: 848
    edited July 2022
    MvdP off the back
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Along with Guillaume Martin.
    Looks as if MvDP is completely empty.
    Best thing he can do is abandon and get rested.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227

    MvdP off the back

    Back on, but still looks to be struggling to hold the wheel at the very back of the peloton.

    This could go on for a while, too.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    Echelons?
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • finger is edging towards the Klaxon
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    Pog kills the break for now - but if Vingegaard gets across....
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    The moron on comms already has me wanting to chuck a brick through my tv screen.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • The moron on comms already has me wanting to chuck a brick through my tv screen.


    He'll be calling the finish on planche de belle filles tomorrow
  • I switched on a Grand Tour and a one-day classic broke out...
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    All back together courtesy of WVA. Noticable that Pogacar seems to be following his wheel.
    Unfortunately, the two pros sharing the comms with Kirby are being dragged down to Kirby's level.
    Surely they know exactly why WVA is doing what he's doing?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    Apparently it's now the law that no break can go unless Magnus is in it
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    Wiggins reporting that Turgis spent around 40km amongst the cars but is now back on. Apparently he crashed again yesterday as well, so not looking overly great.

    Has anyone explained to WVA that most teams prefer you to lose a load of time before they'll allow you to join the break du jour?
  • Apparently it's now the law that no break can go unless Magnus is in it

    "See you in Cort"
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    Quite some racing
    "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
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    They're even less willing to let this break go than Johnson is to relinquish the keys of number 10
  • There's gonna be a lot of people needing a pee in the peloton
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,340
    Don't think I've ever seen someone trying to split a race via a leadout train before. This is brilliant and awesome and bananas in equal measure.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    This is nuts.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,912
    Not giving up is he ...how many attempts is 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
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,692
    edited July 2022
    Bennet group now 4 min down 😱

    That's Hirschi and another UAE as well.

    Good job Pogacar doesn't need a team...
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Think they might finally have let them go. And WVA has a mechanical as I type
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    I went out for an hour, and it's only just settled?

    Wva, fuglsang and Simmons is a weird break.