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TDF 2022:- Stage 20: Lacapelle Marival - Rocamadour, 40.7Km ***Spoilers***

blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,674
edited July 2022 in Pro race
Stage 20: Lacapelle Marival - Rocamadour, 40.7Km

Start Time: 13-05CET.

The penultimate stage of the Tour de France is an idividual time trial from Lacapelle-Marival to Rocamadour. The rolling route is 40.7 kilometres long. The organizers will hope for another crazy ending like in La Planche des Belles Filles 2020, but it’s very rare to see something like that. It takes place in the department of Lot, on the edge of the Dordogne region, and 90 percent of the 40.7-kilometer course is on narrow country roads that are rarely straight. route is So, the route is very tricky and also some noticeable ups-and-downs, with two genuine, if short, climbs.



The Tour never before visited either Lacapelle-Marival or Rocamadour. The finishing place is magnificently set in a gorge high above the River Alzou. The houses of the medieval town are glued to the side of a steep rock face. A perfect spot for the Grande Finale of Le Tour.





Final Kms.




What to Expect:

The ITT on the penultimate day in last year's Tour de France was won by Wout van Aert. Last year’s route was shorter and did not feature two short climbs in the last 6 kilometres. The climbs in particular should suit the charactertics of Van Aert, especially the steeper one just before the line. Which is 1.5 kilometres long and averages 7.8%. The other specialist in the frame being World Champion Filippo Ganna. Also Stefan Küng, could be in contention, given how well he has climbed this year.
Then there's the GC contenders: Pogacar, Vingegaard and Thomas are all more than capable in this discipline.
Also, there could well be some movement between the riders filling the middle of the top 10.

Lacapelle-Marival

Population: 1,315
Specialities: farm lamb from Quercy (IGP designation, protected geographical indication), Quercy truffle, Quercy walnuts, pescajoune (pancake filled with fruit), golden greengage, walnut liqueur, Bois Bordet spring water.

Meeting of three terroirs

The Quercy town of Lacapelle-Marival has played the role of a small capital of its territory since the Middle Ages.
Lacapelle-Marival is situated at the meeting point of three very different natural terroirs. To the west are the Causses du Quercy, karstic plateaus whose vast rocky expanses are ideal for sheep farming. To the west are the wooded and fertile Ségala mountains, suitable for cattle breeding and, traditionally, for chestnut cultivation. Between these two very different environments, Lacapelle-Marival was established in the Limargue region, with its rich agricultural land favourable to cereal crops, walnut orchards and vines
Lacapelle-Marival and its 1,270 inhabitants have not yet hosted the Tour de France, but the commune is part of the community of communes of Grand Figeac, whose main town has hosted the Grande Boucle on three occasions. The only finish in Figeac, in the 2004 Tour, saw the victory of local rider David Moncoutié at the end of a long breakaway.



Pescajoune aux Pommes


Foie Gras pané avec noix.



Rocamadour

Population: 640
Specialities: Quercy lamb, duck, truffle, Rocamadour (goat cheese), walnut oil, Rocamadour (wine)

ROCAMADOUR, A HISTORY

Centuries of pilgrimage

The medieval town of Rocamadour is built on a rocky hillside, on a slope of the Alzou Canyon, a stream that flows (mostly dry) through the Alzou Valley. The first human presence in the commune of Rocamadour is attested by a Neanderthal occupation in a cave in the Alzou valley (-50,000) and studies concerning prehistory and protohistory show a quasi-permanence of human activity.
The pilgrimage to Sainte Marie de Rocamadour was already popular in the 12th century. Then, in the 13th century, Rocamadour benefited from a strong craze for pilgrimages to the Virgin. The pilgrimage to Our Lady of Rocamadour is also among the pilgrimages imposed by the Flemish courts.
Many of the buildings were in ruins when Abbot Caillau came there on a pilgrimage of gratitude in 1835. He was one of those who made people aware of the need to restore the site. The work lasted nearly sixty years and the image they offer in 1900 corresponds to what we know today.




Rocamadour cheese.


Quercy lamb before.



Agneau de Quercy après.











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

  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,739
    Sepp Kuss will win
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,596 Lives Here
    _
  • bm5bm5 Posts: 498
    At last a LR classification list
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,212
    Vingegaard has been warming down on his TT bike the last couple of days. Drove the route this evening to get a refresher. Don't think Jumbo Visma are taking any han chances with the details this Tour..
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,739
    ..
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Dorset_BoyDorset_Boy Posts: 6,119
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    Vingegaard has been warming down on his TT bike the last couple of days. Drove the route this evening to get a refresher. Don't think Jumbo Visma are taking any han chances with the details this Tour..

    The TT bike seems to be the preferred cool down machine for most of the top riders, not just JV.
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,596 Lives Here
    We expecting WvA to win yeah?
    _
  • gsk82gsk82 Posts: 3,299
    rick_chasey said:

    We expecting WvA to win yeah?

    Yup I reckon so. Then again tomorrow.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,596 Lives Here
    gsk82 said:

    rick_chasey said:

    We expecting WvA to win yeah?

    Yup I reckon so. Then again tomorrow.
    Philipsen will win tomorrow
    _
  • ProssPross Posts: 36,389
    rick_chasey said:

    We expecting WvA to win yeah?

    There's no way he should be beating a specialist like Ganna having been active virtually every day whilst the specialist has been able to take it relatively easy. But then WvA.
  • andypandyp Posts: 9,438
    edited July 2022
    WVA will have to pay for his efforts at some point. It might be today, but it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he took the win today.

    I have a hunch that Thomas might surprise everyone and take the win today though.
  • ProssPross Posts: 36,389
    Thought today's stage looked very similar to the part of the Dordogne I was in a few years ago and discovered it is actually very close to where I went on one of my day trips.
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,212
    Pross said:

    Thought today's stage looked very similar to the part of the Dordogne I was in a few years ago and discovered it is actually very close to where I went on one of my day trips.

    Same. They're blessed with gorgeous gorges
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,212
    Mikkel Bjerg in the hot seat for now, good ride after what he's been though
    Ganna quicker at the first check
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,674
    Both Ganna and Cattaneo going quicker than Bjerg atm.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • orraloonorraloon Posts: 11,680
    Bissegger being lucky again.
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,212
    Ganna revenge on Mads P, catching him from 2 starts back
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
  • dabberdabber Posts: 1,887
    Pross said:

    Thought today's stage looked very similar to the part of the Dordogne I was in a few years ago and discovered it is actually very close to where I went on one of my day trips.

    Rocamadour makes for a nice ride from where we are (if you can do it a bit off season). Our route comes from the south and takes in about the last 7 kms of today's stage. Nice riding, a nice descent down into the vallley with the town the other side then up a bit of a climb up to L'Hospitalet.

    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 14,661
    Is ganna ripping 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
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 14,661
    dabber said:

    Pross said:

    Thought today's stage looked very similar to the part of the Dordogne I was in a few years ago and discovered it is actually very close to where I went on one of my day trips.

    Rocamadour makes for a nice ride from where we are (if you can do it a bit off season). Our route comes from the south and takes in about the last 7 kms of today's stage. Nice riding, a nice descent down into the vallley with the town the other side then up a bit of a climb up to L'Hospitalet.

    Used to race around here during the summers back in the day .
    "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
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 14,661
    Lovely course
    "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
  • thejimmymethodthejimmymethod Posts: 458
    Ganna 48.41, top by 1.41
  • focuszing723focuszing723 Posts: 6,005
    Cheers for the threads Blazing.
  • thejimmymethodthejimmymethod Posts: 458
    Le Gac shares his drink with Bissegger as he gets caught, which is nice of him
  • thejimmymethodthejimmymethod Posts: 458
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 14,661
    thejimmymethod said:

    Ganna 48.41, top by 1.41

    Didn't look that fast uphill though ... Think it's a winning margin ?
    "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
  • andypandyp Posts: 9,438
    Pross said:

    Thought today's stage looked very similar to the part of the Dordogne I was in a few years ago and discovered it is actually very close to where I went on one of my day trips.

    Took my eldest to the wildlife park in Gramat ten years ago, which only has European animals in captivity. Saw the largest pig I've ever seen there, was huge. /csb
  • thejimmymethodthejimmymethod Posts: 458
    edited July 2022
    mididoctors said:

    thejimmymethod said:

    Ganna 48.41, top by 1.41

    Didn't look that fast uphill though ... Think it's a winning margin ?
    I think it's beatable. Wout, G and Pogi should be right in there.

    Bottom of the descent in to the final climb looks quite a tricky section
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,212
    thejimmymethod said:

    Finally Mohoric does something!
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,212
    Fred Wright goes fastest at first check 😱
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
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