TDF 2024:- Stage 9: Troyes – Troyes, 199km ***Spoilers***

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726
edited July 6 in Pro race

Stage 9: Troyes – Troyes, 199km

July 7th.

Start Time: 12-15BST.

The Tour’s first week will conclude with white roads which are already an emblematic feature of Strade Bianche and Paris-Tours and a new addition to la Grande Boucle. Stage 9, a 199km loop starting and ending in Troyes, will feature 14 white road sectors, including six in the final 35 kilometres. All in all, the riders face 32 kilometres on gravel, while the elevation gain adds up to roughly 2,000 metres.

Troyes hosted the Tour de France sixteen times before. The last time was in 2017, when stage 6 finished and stage 7 started in the town on the banks of the river Seine. Marcel Kittel is the last stage winner in Troyes.

Profile.

Map.

The Climbs.

Côte de Bergères (Cat. 4)

Côte de Baroville (Cat. 4)

Côte de Val Frion (Cat. 4)

Côte de Chacenay (Cat. 4)

Gravel Sectors.

  • Chemin de Bligny à Bergères (2,000m), km 47.3
  • Chemin de Baroville (1,200m), km 67
  • Chemin des Hautes Forêts (1,500m), km 96.8
  • Chemin de Polisy à Celles-sur-Ource (3,400m), km 105.2
  • Chemin de Loches-sur-Ource à Chacenay (4,200m), km 118.6
  • Chemin du Plateau de la Côte des Bar (2,200m), km, 131.9
  • Chemin de Thieffrain à Magnant (3,900m), km 140.8
  • Chemin de Briel-sur-Barse (2,200m), km 151.9
  • Chemin du Ru de Paradis (1,200m), km 165.7
  • Chemin de Fresnoy-le-Château à Clérey (1,800m), km 169
  • Chemin de Verrières (1,500m), km 175
  • Chemin de Daudes (1,900m), km 178
  • Chemin de Montaulin à Rouilly-Saint-Loup (2,200m), km 182.3
  • Chemin de Saint-Parres-aux-Tertres (3,000m), km 189.4

Last Kilometres.

The riders will exit the final sector, the 3km-long Chemin de Saint-Parres-aux-Tertres, inside of 10km to go in the stage.

What to Expect.

Panic. There's bound to be some unlucky GC rider who's race unravels on the gravel. If the weather is inclement, it could be more than one. Remember Jonas Vingegaard's frantic bike exchanges and the Roglic/Thpmas crash in 2022. A stage that everyone, except for certain riders, are looking forward to...

Troyes

Stage town for the 10th time Prefecture of Aube (10)

Population: 63,000

TROYES AND CYCLING

In total, the town has appeared nine times on the Tour de France map, mostly at the end of the route. The stage to Troyes in 1960 made history when the peloton stopped to greet a famous spectator. General de Gaulle, then President of the French Republic, stood by the roadside in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises to watch the Tour go by. As for the rest, the finishes in Troyes have since gone to the sprinters.

Specialities: champagne (2nd largest production area), Riceys rosé, andouillette, sauerkraut, cheeses (Chaource, Champ sur Barse and Mussy).

Chaource

Chaource is a tall, soft cheese made from cow's milk in the Aube region in France. It is made by the process of slow draining, and the cheese must mature for at least 14 days before it can be consumed.

Ratafia de Champagne

Ratafia de Champagne is a French liqueur made in the Champagne region. It is officially classified as a mistelle—fortified grape must. The grape must is fortified with grape brandy, and the resulting drink is usually kept in oak. Ratafia is made with the same grapes as Champagne.

Pascal Caffet's sweets

A pastry chef and chocolatier, he has won the titles of France Best pastry maker (1989) and pastry chef chocolatier glacier world champion (1995). World-famous, he has opened shops in Italy and Japan, and has two shops in Troyes: Marché des Halles and 2, Rue de la Monnaie. www.maison-caffet.com


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

  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    I used to ride with a couple of panniers, it was hard work.

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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    Just in case you thought Jonas can't ride gravel, the GP Viborg 2017

    Won by Kasper Asgreen (first UCI win), Jonas second having animated the race. Yes, there's video (Danish obviously, but only 2 mins)

    https://www.tvmidtvest.dk/viborg/22-arig-vinder-forste-uci-sejr-til-grand-prix-viborg

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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    What are we expecting today?

    A large break to get away so the GC guys can just concentrate on each other?

    Sprinters trying to control to keep things relatively together?

    Visma trying to isolate Pog? Lemmens riding Jonas's spare bike (not having that keystone cops this time round!)

    Ineos trying something?

    Pidcock and MvdP let off the leash?


    This one could actually go so many ways. Wind only light breeze

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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    I understand why the GC riders are crapping it - no team cars on the gravel sections. Hope neutral service are on top of their game today

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  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726

    It’s going to be a lucky lottery without team cars. Bound to be punctures.

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    Could be the day Pog regrets packing the team with climbers

    Could also be the day some of those climbers lose any ability to threaten GC later in the race - can't see Politt or Wellens giving up a bike for anyone but Pog

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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    Of course, if the GC teams are all so anti gravel there's nothing to stop them getting together and soft pedalling the entire stage, just let a big break go and ride safely together home

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  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,601
    edited July 7

    Are we massively over egging this stage? This is the tour, not some Italian spring chipper with people showing up in all varieties of form.

    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • N0bodyOfTheGoat
    N0bodyOfTheGoat Posts: 6,057

    Oooo, Kung pushing the boat out with massive 28mm tyres for the mini P R stage!

    ================
    2020 Voodoo Marasa
    2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
    2016 Voodoo Wazoo
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    Wout says his legs are shit and he's just going to be helping the team. Also says Visma should be "approaching the stage with confidence" - potentially trying to do something with Jonas

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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    The break of 5 can't get away, still too many teams that want in

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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908

    Anything happened?

    "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
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726

    A large group have managed to get off the front.

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726

    MvDP reacts and bridges

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726

    Crosswinds?

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661

    Incredibly fast start

  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    Yea, but not strong enough to do real damage, just making things awkward

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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    Michael Mathews is trying to get into the break

    I genuinely didn't realise he was riding this race

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  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908

    Visma looking to attack?

    "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
  • N0bodyOfTheGoat
    N0bodyOfTheGoat Posts: 6,057

    Any guesses for fun regards who will have first mechanical on this first ~2km gravel sector?

    ================
    2020 Voodoo Marasa
    2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
    2016 Voodoo Wazoo
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661

    Crosswindish

  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656

    Strong looking group of ten have gone, q few riders looking to bridge - Pidcock Ballerini Bardet Healy Aranburu

    Front includes Stuyven, Turgis, Van Gils, Ozkano

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  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,344

    Looks to me like GC aren't playing today.

    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908

    Go on pidders

    "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: 14,656

    Got to love madness like this


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  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908

    De lie going wrong direction

    "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
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908

    Is that 15 secs going to unbridgeable

    "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