TDF 2023: Stage 11:-Clermont Ferrand to Moulins, 180km ***Spoilers***
blazing_saddles
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Stage 11:-Clermont Ferrand to Moulins, 180km
Wednesday, July 12
Start Time: 12-05pmBST.
The 11th stage of the Tour de France travels from Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins. This stage ends in Moulins, which has not yet been part of the Tour. Rolling hills in the first half, predominantly flat terrain in the second. This way out of the Massif Central is not very difficult, especially the second half of the stage. The elevation gain in the race from Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins is about 1,800 metres. Most of it in the first part of the route. So, things look promising for the sprinters this time.
Clermont-Ferrand, home to Rémi Cavagna, hosted its last Tour de France stage start two years ago. The race went to Lyon, where Søren Kragh Andersen soloed to triumph. There are still more than 61 kilometres remaining after the last ‘summit’. The rest of the parcours is flat. The finish in Moulins seems to be layed out for a sprint finish. The final 1.3 kilometres are as straight as an arrow.
Final Kms.
There are two "Kirby's" between 4kms and 2kms to go mark, but after an eighty degree right hander, at just over 2kms out, there are no technical difficulties left for the sprinter teams to overcome.
What to Expect.
A weak break held close and a cavalry charge to the finish. If somebody needs to miss a stage mid race, this could be the one to pick.
Clermont Ferrand
Stage town for the 12th time
Population: 147,300 (Clermontois), 296,000 in the Clermont Auvergne Metropolis
Clermont Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Clermont-Ferrand sits on the plain of Limagne in the Massif Central and is surrounded by a major industrial area. The city is known for the chain of volcanoes, the Chaîne des Puys, which surround it. This includes the dormant volcano Puy de Dôme, 10 kilometres (6 miles) away, one of the highest in the surrounding area, which is topped by communications towers and visible from the city. Clermont-Ferrand has been listed as a "tectonic hotspot" since July 2018 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city is the home of Michelin.
CLERMONT-FERRAND AND CYCLING
In 2020, the Tour de France returned to Clermont-Ferrand after an absence of more than thirty years for a rest day and a stage to Lyon won by Soren Kragh Andersen. Driver of Christian Prudhomme on the Tour de France, Gilles Maignan was crowned French time trial champion in Clermont in 1999. Other local riders to have participated in the Tour de France include Noël Lajoie (1950 and 1952), as well as Jean-Claude Baud (1973) and Damien Monier (2010) and of course, Rémi Cavagna, the TGV of Clermont, winner of a Tour of Spain stage in 2019.
Gastronomy.
Auvergne cheeses.
St. Nectaire
St. Nectaire is a French semi-soft, washed-rind cheese from the Auvergne region of France. Made from the milk of Salers cows that feed on rich, volcanic pastures, St. Nectaire is both a fermier (farmhouse) and industrial cheese. The texture of St. Nectaire varies depending on whether the processes are artisanal (raw milk) or industrial (pasteurised milk).
AOC awarded, St. Nectaire fremier takes six to eight weeks to mature on rye straw mats, imparting a peculiar pungent smell to the cheese. The creamy, supple, silky-textured paste melts in the mouth to reveal flavours of nuts, hay, cellars and mushroom.
Bleu d'Auvergne
Bleu d'Auvergne is a French blue cheese named after its place of origin in the Auvergne region of south-central France. The cheese is made from raw or pasteurised milk and is sometimes attributed to the cow’s milk version of Roquefort (although it is much creamier and buttery). It was awarded AOC status in 1975. Bleu d'Auvergne is creamy ivory-coloured cheese dotted with blue-green mould due to the Penicillium roqueforti, which gives the cheese its typical bluish-green veins. It is aged for a minimum of 4 weeks, which results in assertive flavours and a smooth texture. The rind is moist and sticky, unveiling a soft paste with a grassy, herbaceous, and spicy, peppery, salty, pungent taste.
Cantal
Cantal AOC is one of the oldest cheeses in France, dating to the times of the Gaul's rule. It received an Appellation d'Origine (AOC) status from the administrative region of Cantal in the Auvergne region in 1956. This has ensured that the semi-hard, uncooked, pressed cheese has the features and characteristics of the area of origin. A cheese aged between 3 to 9 months, has the flavours of green pastures and aromas of butter and cream.
Moulins
Stage town for the first time.
Population: 20,000 (Moulinois, Moulinoises), 65,000 in Moulins Communauté.
Moulins is a commune in central France, capital of the Allier department. It is located on the river Allier.
MOULINS AND CYCLING
Moulins was the only metropolitan prefecture not to have hosted the Tour de France during its 120-year history. This anomaly has now been rectified, even if the capital of the Allier region had other cycling references. It hosted the Critérium du Dauphiné and Paris-Nice in the same year, 1957. Born in Moulins, Jean-Pierre Bourgeot took part in four Tours de France between 1993 and 1996.
Gastronomy.
Pompe aux grattons
The scratch pump
It is a culinary speciality of central France (Bourbonnais and, more generally, Auvergne). It is generally made with a kind of salted brioche dough, which contains fewer eggs than the classic brioche and in which the butter is totally or partially replaced by grattons, residues of melted and browned pork meat and fat. Pompe aux grattons is often served warm, as an aperitif and during receptions. It is commonly found in the bakeries of the region.
Saint Pourçain wine
Saint-Pourçain is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for wine located around Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule in the Auvergne region of France. It can alternatively be considered as an upstream satellite of the Loire wine region or as a tiny wine region in its own right. White, rosé and red wines are produced on vineyards covering 600 hectares (1,500 acres) in 19 communes of Auvergne.
Wednesday, July 12
Start Time: 12-05pmBST.
The 11th stage of the Tour de France travels from Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins. This stage ends in Moulins, which has not yet been part of the Tour. Rolling hills in the first half, predominantly flat terrain in the second. This way out of the Massif Central is not very difficult, especially the second half of the stage. The elevation gain in the race from Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins is about 1,800 metres. Most of it in the first part of the route. So, things look promising for the sprinters this time.
Clermont-Ferrand, home to Rémi Cavagna, hosted its last Tour de France stage start two years ago. The race went to Lyon, where Søren Kragh Andersen soloed to triumph. There are still more than 61 kilometres remaining after the last ‘summit’. The rest of the parcours is flat. The finish in Moulins seems to be layed out for a sprint finish. The final 1.3 kilometres are as straight as an arrow.
Final Kms.
There are two "Kirby's" between 4kms and 2kms to go mark, but after an eighty degree right hander, at just over 2kms out, there are no technical difficulties left for the sprinter teams to overcome.
What to Expect.
A weak break held close and a cavalry charge to the finish. If somebody needs to miss a stage mid race, this could be the one to pick.
Clermont Ferrand
Stage town for the 12th time
Population: 147,300 (Clermontois), 296,000 in the Clermont Auvergne Metropolis
Clermont Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Clermont-Ferrand sits on the plain of Limagne in the Massif Central and is surrounded by a major industrial area. The city is known for the chain of volcanoes, the Chaîne des Puys, which surround it. This includes the dormant volcano Puy de Dôme, 10 kilometres (6 miles) away, one of the highest in the surrounding area, which is topped by communications towers and visible from the city. Clermont-Ferrand has been listed as a "tectonic hotspot" since July 2018 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city is the home of Michelin.
CLERMONT-FERRAND AND CYCLING
In 2020, the Tour de France returned to Clermont-Ferrand after an absence of more than thirty years for a rest day and a stage to Lyon won by Soren Kragh Andersen. Driver of Christian Prudhomme on the Tour de France, Gilles Maignan was crowned French time trial champion in Clermont in 1999. Other local riders to have participated in the Tour de France include Noël Lajoie (1950 and 1952), as well as Jean-Claude Baud (1973) and Damien Monier (2010) and of course, Rémi Cavagna, the TGV of Clermont, winner of a Tour of Spain stage in 2019.
Gastronomy.
Auvergne cheeses.
St. Nectaire
St. Nectaire is a French semi-soft, washed-rind cheese from the Auvergne region of France. Made from the milk of Salers cows that feed on rich, volcanic pastures, St. Nectaire is both a fermier (farmhouse) and industrial cheese. The texture of St. Nectaire varies depending on whether the processes are artisanal (raw milk) or industrial (pasteurised milk).
AOC awarded, St. Nectaire fremier takes six to eight weeks to mature on rye straw mats, imparting a peculiar pungent smell to the cheese. The creamy, supple, silky-textured paste melts in the mouth to reveal flavours of nuts, hay, cellars and mushroom.
Bleu d'Auvergne
Bleu d'Auvergne is a French blue cheese named after its place of origin in the Auvergne region of south-central France. The cheese is made from raw or pasteurised milk and is sometimes attributed to the cow’s milk version of Roquefort (although it is much creamier and buttery). It was awarded AOC status in 1975. Bleu d'Auvergne is creamy ivory-coloured cheese dotted with blue-green mould due to the Penicillium roqueforti, which gives the cheese its typical bluish-green veins. It is aged for a minimum of 4 weeks, which results in assertive flavours and a smooth texture. The rind is moist and sticky, unveiling a soft paste with a grassy, herbaceous, and spicy, peppery, salty, pungent taste.
Cantal
Cantal AOC is one of the oldest cheeses in France, dating to the times of the Gaul's rule. It received an Appellation d'Origine (AOC) status from the administrative region of Cantal in the Auvergne region in 1956. This has ensured that the semi-hard, uncooked, pressed cheese has the features and characteristics of the area of origin. A cheese aged between 3 to 9 months, has the flavours of green pastures and aromas of butter and cream.
Moulins
Stage town for the first time.
Population: 20,000 (Moulinois, Moulinoises), 65,000 in Moulins Communauté.
Moulins is a commune in central France, capital of the Allier department. It is located on the river Allier.
MOULINS AND CYCLING
Moulins was the only metropolitan prefecture not to have hosted the Tour de France during its 120-year history. This anomaly has now been rectified, even if the capital of the Allier region had other cycling references. It hosted the Critérium du Dauphiné and Paris-Nice in the same year, 1957. Born in Moulins, Jean-Pierre Bourgeot took part in four Tours de France between 1993 and 1996.
Gastronomy.
Pompe aux grattons
The scratch pump
It is a culinary speciality of central France (Bourbonnais and, more generally, Auvergne). It is generally made with a kind of salted brioche dough, which contains fewer eggs than the classic brioche and in which the butter is totally or partially replaced by grattons, residues of melted and browned pork meat and fat. Pompe aux grattons is often served warm, as an aperitif and during receptions. It is commonly found in the bakeries of the region.
Saint Pourçain wine
Saint-Pourçain is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for wine located around Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule in the Auvergne region of France. It can alternatively be considered as an upstream satellite of the Loire wine region or as a tiny wine region in its own right. White, rosé and red wines are produced on vineyards covering 600 hectares (1,500 acres) in 19 communes of Auvergne.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments
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These threads are insanely good. Relentlessly, consistently good.3
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Moulins is the only department capital never to have hosted a Tour de France finish.1
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I'm avoiding the cringe bus"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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They're sticking with the magic bus on GCN then.0
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Bet the mayor was fumingandyp said:Moulins is the only department capital never to have hosted a Tour de France finish.
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3 man soft break ..it's a snooze"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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Oss, amadour and some arkea rider"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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Cross wind possibilities Jens reckons"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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I hate it when these "What to Expect" predictions come to pass.mididoctors said:3 man soft break ..it's a snooze
This stage desperately needs some crosswind."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
The peloton once again killing any interest in these sprint stages and showing why nobody is much interested in getting into the break."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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*does mental arithmetic*
*realises Carlton's gonna be on comms for the finale of the summit finish on 14 July*
*tries to learn Belgian*4 -
Amador could be there just to roll the break through the koms to avoid any serious contender picking them up and not create a contest out the front of the bunch a tiring powless needs to make the effort for"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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Sure the posts will change at 90km or so to go. That's when get to start complaining about the poor state of Commentry. Always a popular topic...2
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Crosswinds possible 60 k to go"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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Fell asleep whilst watching on my lunch break, luckily I got rudely awakened by the dogs greeting a delivery.1
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Jens is too enthusiastic and annoying for my taste, one of those people it would do my head in if I had to work with in an office.1
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stages have been shared out UAE . COF. ALP . ALP . BORA. UAE . ALP .TREK . ISRAEL BAHRAIN"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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Why do you think everyone was happy to let him go in the break?Pross said:Jens is too enthusiastic and annoying for my taste, one of those people it would do my head in if I had to work with in an office.
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Karel on the bike is not optimistic about the prospects of crosswinds - nowhere near enough wind.0
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They're saying 4m/s on DK TV2, which is a very light 14 km/h. Needs to be almost double that to get anyone worriedrick_chasey said:Karel on the bike is not optimistic about the prospects of crosswinds - nowhere near enough wind.
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Crosswinds fears has got the peloton nervous"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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Deer klaxon! Deer klaxon!
Don't think we've had to use that one before. Could have been disatser but it got out of the road quick enoughWarning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
People seem to be gatherig and driving a little anyway. Ineos are up there, but no Rowe this Tour so that doesn't mean muchNo_Ta_Doctor said:
They're saying 4m/s on DK TV2, which is a very light 14 km/h. Needs to be almost double that to get anyone worriedrick_chasey said:Karel on the bike is not optimistic about the prospects of crosswinds - nowhere near enough wind.
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Ineos attempting echelons"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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No one commuting to split it buts fast and bunched 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 pm0
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Not going to happen"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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Kirby back to wet his knickers over the roundabouts on the run in.
ITV and S4C to the rescue"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
I think he literally just read the start list and only ruled out a few thenconcluded with 'and that's about it' having listed 30 plus riders who may win, it's just noise.blazing_saddles said:Kirby back to wet his knickers over the roundabouts on the run in.
ITV and S4C to the rescue0 -
Roundabout (list) watch
Making the dull mind-numbing...0
