TDF 2022:- Stage 19: Castelnau-Magnoac - Cahors, 188.3Km ***Spoilers***
blazing_saddles
Posts: 22,726
Stage 19: Castelnau-Magnoac - Cahors, 188.3Km
Start Time: 13-05CET
The sprinter's pay day for getting through the mountains, as the route goes north, away from the Pyrenees that dominated the previous days.
Nevertheless, 188 km at this point of the race could prove to be an high challenge, for them and their teams, so a breakaway has a chance. In addition, the finale is not pancake-flat.
The Tour’s sojourn in the Lot offers a nod back to the race’s opening days: the castle of Cayx, located close to Cahors, belongs to the Danish royal family.
The riders kick off in Castelnau-Magnoac, roughly 40 kilometres north of the Pyrenees. On flat to rolling roads the route heads northwards to cross the Garonne halfway. Then the parcours continues slighty more eastward in the direction of Cahors.
The route features two modest climbs in the last 55 kilometres.
The winner in Cahors succceeds another pure bred attacker. In 1994, Jacky Durand took the spoils in the only ever Tour de France finish in the medieval wine town.
The Climbs.
Final Kms.
The final kilometres are rolling, rather than flat. The last km is slightly uphill, with 700 meters at a 3,1% average.
What to Expect:
Odds are that we'll see a fast finishers showdown in Cahors, as they haven't had a whole lot of opportunities and nothing to contest for quite a while.
However, with so many teams still searching for an illusive stage win, (mostly thanks to Jumbo and Tadej Pogacar) I expect there to be quite a scuffle for the break, although it's unlikely to be too strong, when it forms.
The sprinter teams will look to control, however, often the peloton miscalculates, through exhaustion, in the last week of a Grand Tour.
Castelnau-Magnoac
Population: 800
Specialities: black pork from Bigorre, black Gascon chicken from Astarac-Bigorre, duck breast in a casserole, pigeon salmis, alicuit or alycot (poultry offal stew), massacanat (omelette enriched with onion rings and pieces of veal), millasson and spit-roast cake (pastry)
CASTELNAU-MAGNOAC, CYCLING AND.......ER.......RUGBY.
This small town of 800 inhabitants is better known in rugby circles than in cycling circles, as it is the birthplace of the little prodigy of the French national team and the Stade Toulousain, Antoine Dupont, whose family ran a well-known hotel in Castelnau. Although the Tour de France has never stopped here, it has nevertheless passed through its streets six times between 1954 and 2016. In 2005, Jean-Marie Leblanc and Bernard Hinault even stopped by for a visit to the museum of the Pommiès Corps Franc, a network of resistance fighters to which belonged cycle dealer José Alvarez, one of the great personalities of cycling in the South-West and at national level, and a friend of the greatest champions.
Castelnau-Magnoac, 36 km from Tarbes, the pivotal town of the Tour in the Pyrenees, was also inspired by its neighbour (15 km away), Trie-sur-Baïse, with a population of 1,000, which in 2018 organised the start of a stage to Pau, where Arnaud Démare won a bunch sprint finish. Trie-sur-Baïse is the village of the Sanders brothers, Gilles and Dominique, who both took part in the Tour de France.
Antoine Dupont, currently rated about the best rugby union player on the planet.
Massacanat
Millasson aux Framboises
Along the Route.
Km 134.5
Lauzerte (Pop: 1,500)
Listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France and a stopover on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, the perched village of Lauzerte overlooks the valleys and hills of the Quercy Blanc. Known as the Toledo of Quercy, this medieval bastide, founded in 1241 by the Count of Toulouse, has a superb cornered square at its heart, surrounded by old stone and timber-framed houses.
Place des Cornières
Location: lined with semi-circular arcades, in the shape of baskets on three of its sides and houses dating from the 15th century. In the 18th century, the square had a corner house which gave it the name of Cornière.
Cahors
Population: 19,950
Specialities: duck in all its forms, Quercy lamb, black truffle, Rocamadour (cheese), Quercy melon, walnuts, saffron, Cahors wines.
CAHORS AND CYCLING
The prefecture of Lot has appeared twice on the Tour de France route, only once for a finish, in 1994, when Jacky Durand won with the French champion's jersey on his back. That year, he was on the attack almost every day and had spent more than 300 km at the front of the race before this victory. "Dudu", who has become one of cycling's most popular consultants, raised his arms again in the Tour in 1995 and 1998.
In 2007, Cahors was also the start of a stage won in Angoulême by Sandy Casar.
Cahors was on the route of the Tour de l'Avenir in 1985 and the Route du Sud between 1985 and 1987, with victories by Laurent Fignon and Charly Mottet.
Among the riders linked to Cahors is Romain Bellenger, winner of six stages of the Tour between 1921 and 1925, who died in the town in 1981.
50 years of AOC
In the majestic setting of the Lot valley, Cahors, a city of art and history, is ideal for exploration. With its exceptional medieval historical centre nestled in a loop of the Lot and surrounded by hills, Cahors cultivates its southern art of living.
Cahors is of course a wine. Cahors is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its AOC.
The wines of Cahors :
. AOC area of 21,700 hectares
. 45 municipalities
. 350 winegrowing families
. 20 million bottles per year
Confit de Canard.
Start Time: 13-05CET
The sprinter's pay day for getting through the mountains, as the route goes north, away from the Pyrenees that dominated the previous days.
Nevertheless, 188 km at this point of the race could prove to be an high challenge, for them and their teams, so a breakaway has a chance. In addition, the finale is not pancake-flat.
The Tour’s sojourn in the Lot offers a nod back to the race’s opening days: the castle of Cayx, located close to Cahors, belongs to the Danish royal family.
The riders kick off in Castelnau-Magnoac, roughly 40 kilometres north of the Pyrenees. On flat to rolling roads the route heads northwards to cross the Garonne halfway. Then the parcours continues slighty more eastward in the direction of Cahors.
The route features two modest climbs in the last 55 kilometres.
The winner in Cahors succceeds another pure bred attacker. In 1994, Jacky Durand took the spoils in the only ever Tour de France finish in the medieval wine town.
The Climbs.
Final Kms.
The final kilometres are rolling, rather than flat. The last km is slightly uphill, with 700 meters at a 3,1% average.
What to Expect:
Odds are that we'll see a fast finishers showdown in Cahors, as they haven't had a whole lot of opportunities and nothing to contest for quite a while.
However, with so many teams still searching for an illusive stage win, (mostly thanks to Jumbo and Tadej Pogacar) I expect there to be quite a scuffle for the break, although it's unlikely to be too strong, when it forms.
The sprinter teams will look to control, however, often the peloton miscalculates, through exhaustion, in the last week of a Grand Tour.
Castelnau-Magnoac
Population: 800
Specialities: black pork from Bigorre, black Gascon chicken from Astarac-Bigorre, duck breast in a casserole, pigeon salmis, alicuit or alycot (poultry offal stew), massacanat (omelette enriched with onion rings and pieces of veal), millasson and spit-roast cake (pastry)
CASTELNAU-MAGNOAC, CYCLING AND.......ER.......RUGBY.
This small town of 800 inhabitants is better known in rugby circles than in cycling circles, as it is the birthplace of the little prodigy of the French national team and the Stade Toulousain, Antoine Dupont, whose family ran a well-known hotel in Castelnau. Although the Tour de France has never stopped here, it has nevertheless passed through its streets six times between 1954 and 2016. In 2005, Jean-Marie Leblanc and Bernard Hinault even stopped by for a visit to the museum of the Pommiès Corps Franc, a network of resistance fighters to which belonged cycle dealer José Alvarez, one of the great personalities of cycling in the South-West and at national level, and a friend of the greatest champions.
Castelnau-Magnoac, 36 km from Tarbes, the pivotal town of the Tour in the Pyrenees, was also inspired by its neighbour (15 km away), Trie-sur-Baïse, with a population of 1,000, which in 2018 organised the start of a stage to Pau, where Arnaud Démare won a bunch sprint finish. Trie-sur-Baïse is the village of the Sanders brothers, Gilles and Dominique, who both took part in the Tour de France.
Antoine Dupont, currently rated about the best rugby union player on the planet.
Massacanat
Millasson aux Framboises
Along the Route.
Km 134.5
Lauzerte (Pop: 1,500)
Listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France and a stopover on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, the perched village of Lauzerte overlooks the valleys and hills of the Quercy Blanc. Known as the Toledo of Quercy, this medieval bastide, founded in 1241 by the Count of Toulouse, has a superb cornered square at its heart, surrounded by old stone and timber-framed houses.
Place des Cornières
Location: lined with semi-circular arcades, in the shape of baskets on three of its sides and houses dating from the 15th century. In the 18th century, the square had a corner house which gave it the name of Cornière.
Cahors
Population: 19,950
Specialities: duck in all its forms, Quercy lamb, black truffle, Rocamadour (cheese), Quercy melon, walnuts, saffron, Cahors wines.
CAHORS AND CYCLING
The prefecture of Lot has appeared twice on the Tour de France route, only once for a finish, in 1994, when Jacky Durand won with the French champion's jersey on his back. That year, he was on the attack almost every day and had spent more than 300 km at the front of the race before this victory. "Dudu", who has become one of cycling's most popular consultants, raised his arms again in the Tour in 1995 and 1998.
In 2007, Cahors was also the start of a stage won in Angoulême by Sandy Casar.
Cahors was on the route of the Tour de l'Avenir in 1985 and the Route du Sud between 1985 and 1987, with victories by Laurent Fignon and Charly Mottet.
Among the riders linked to Cahors is Romain Bellenger, winner of six stages of the Tour between 1921 and 1925, who died in the town in 1981.
50 years of AOC
In the majestic setting of the Lot valley, Cahors, a city of art and history, is ideal for exploration. With its exceptional medieval historical centre nestled in a loop of the Lot and surrounded by hills, Cahors cultivates its southern art of living.
Cahors is of course a wine. Cahors is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its AOC.
The wines of Cahors :
. AOC area of 21,700 hectares
. 45 municipalities
. 350 winegrowing families
. 20 million bottles per year
Confit de Canard.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
3
Comments
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Westerly winds 17km/h husting to over 30km/h. Is it worth getting excited about?
Edit - Meteo-France have it stronger still. Is there anyone likely to have the energy to try to exploit it or will they all just look to protect their position and surviving for the TT.0 -
Luke Rowe should give it a crack.PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230
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A tail-crosswind of 30kph on exposed roads for much of the stage?
I would be surprised if nobody took that as an opportunity.
Just a pity that UAE don't have the personnel.
Ineos might think about, but my money would be on Bora.
They have the riders and Vlasov has been trying to move up the GC.
Arkea too, as we know how good Quintana is in echelons.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Can we not have ONE BLOODY STAGE where it all just goes along gently with no drama?Warning No formatter is installed for the format0
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Jumbo have a few good riders to deal with crosswinds. It's more likely Pogacar would end up as a casualty.0
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Standard behaviour that third over the line on the Hautacam MTF is a favourite for the sprint the next day lol1
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Ooh Cahors - I'll open a Malbec
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D953blazing_saddles said:A tail-crosswind of 30kph on exposed roads for much of the stage?
I would be surprised if nobody took that as an opportunity.
Just a pity that UAE don't have the personnel.
Ineos might think about, but my money would be on Bora.
They have the riders and Vlasov has been trying to move up the GC.
Arkea too, as we know how good Quintana is in echelons.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/viicPZk6HcVXTa8Z8
There is hundred + kms like this"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 pm1 -
It really does look perfect for the klaxon to finally make an appearance but really do fear they are all too knackered to want to play.0
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It would develop out of being defensive or as blazing suggests Bora having a popPross said:It really does look perfect for the klaxon to finally make an appearance but really do fear they are all too knackered to want to play.
"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 pm0 -
At this point in the Tour echelons are probably more likely if nobody's trying to force them. It's a quiet day, everyone's switched off a bit, then the wind suddenly turns, a couple of riders lose the wheel and all heck kicks off. If there's teams moving to the front looking to drill it then everyone will be on their guard - it's the sudden flip of a switch that does it.1
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Here we go, along the route........
A little less windy further along the route, but still maybe enough to keep things tasty."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
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Should be more than enough. 25kph should be enough without the gusts. Might need a change in direction so they are going west with a tailwind for a bit first though to string it out.blazing_saddles said:Here we go, along the route........
A little less windy further along the route, but still maybe enough to keep things tasty.0 -
Just here is where I would be telling my team to go at this morning's briefing. They've got about 6km travelling due west just before that.0
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Weird comment of the day yesterday was Sean Yates apparently saying he was surprised to see WVA attacking. I know I'm not the greatest at paying attention to the finer points of a race, but...rick_chasey said:I like how we’re all pretending it’s down to some riders and not just if WvA is up for it 😉😉
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Do you remember that Giro stage where crosswinds were forecast and never materialised? (The one Dainese won). I have a feeling today's stage will be similar.0
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Latest weather report from tv2.dk is the wind is probably a bit too light for serious echelon action.
First time in history I've ever hoped that was rightWarning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Finish is a slight uphill drag.
Putting my Viking glasses on I reckon Mads P has a chance todayWarning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Bah.No_Ta_Doctor said:Latest weather report from tv2.dk is the wind is probably a bit too light for serious echelon action.
First time in history I've ever hoped that was right
What a boring Tour this has been.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Enric Mas out with Covid0
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Bugger. He's not feeling so good, stomach problems and lack of sleep.No_Ta_Doctor said:Finish is a slight uphill drag.
Putting my Viking glasses on I reckon Mads P has a chance todayWarning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
That old chestnut eh? So will he win from a small break or bunch sprint?No_Ta_Doctor said:
censored . He's not feeling so good, stomach problems and lack of sleep.No_Ta_Doctor said:Finish is a slight uphill drag.
Putting my Viking glasses on I reckon Mads P has a chance today0 -
Pross said:
That old chestnut eh? So will he win from a small break or bunch sprint?No_Ta_Doctor said:
censored . He's not feeling so good, stomach problems and lack of sleep.No_Ta_Doctor said:Finish is a slight uphill drag.
Putting my Viking glasses on I reckon Mads P has a chance today
It would be pretty un-Mads to play that game. He's an absolute delight in interviews, there's no way he could come out with that as a ploy without a HUGE theatrical wink at the end 😉Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Quickstep saying they won't work today because poor Fabio is a bit knackered and they're a bit short of teammatesWarning No formatter is installed for the format0
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Plus a lot of the big engines like Ganna will probably be saving themselves for tomorrow's TT0
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Believe it when I see itNo_Ta_Doctor said:Quickstep saying they won't work today because poor Fabio is a bit knackered and they're a bit short of teammates
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I got a odd feeling"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 pm0
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Honoré in the 5 man break. You can believe now 😉rick_chasey said:
Believe it when I see itNo_Ta_Doctor said:Quickstep saying they won't work today because poor Fabio is a bit knackered and they're a bit short of teammates
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0
