TDF 2024:- Stage 19: Embrun – Isola 2000, 144.6km ***Spoilers***

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726
edited July 18 in Pro race

Stage 19: Embrun – Isola 2000, 144.6km

July 19th.

Start Time. 11-20BST.

The final mountain stages will start on stage 19, with a high ride in the southern Alps. Although the stage is only 144.6km long, the riders will climb 4,400 metres in total. Starting in Embrun, the peloton will head northeast to Guillestre for the intermediate sprint before turning south to tackle three above 2,000-metre climbs starting with the Col de Vars. Embrun is a regular on the Tour de France. The town hosted five stage starts since 2008. The biggest test will be the summit of La Bonette, the highest road in France at an altitude of 2,802 metres. The road, which actually is the Col de la Bonette Restefond with an extension underneath the Cime de la Bonette – or, in English, Peak of the Bonette -, was built in 1961 and was included in the Tour the following year. Federico Bahamontes was the first rider to crest the Alps giant.

The 1993 Tour de France also featured the Cime de la Bonette in a race that finished almost 60 kilometres later in Isola 2000. The stage was won by Toni Rominger, who outgunned Miguel Indurain in a two-up sprint.

Profile.

stage-19-tdf-2024-profile[1].jpg

Map.

stage-19-tdf-2024-map[1].jpg

The Climbs.

Col de Vars (HC)

stage-19-vars[1].jpg

Cime de la Bonette (HC)

stage-19-cime-de-la-bonette[1].jpg

Isola 2000 (Cat. 1)

stage-19-isola-2000[1].jpg

Final Kilometres.

In nearly 40 kilometres, riders descend to Isola, where they face the final challenge. The climb to Isola 2000 rises over 16.1 kilometres with an average of 7.1%. The first half is the toughest, especially the first two kilometres. Later on, the seventh and eighth kilometres throw in average gradients of 10% and 9%, respectively.

stage-19-route-finale[1].jpg

What to Expect.

At this point in the race, all anybody is interested in is the GC battle, so it's a little pointless to speculate about the chances of the breakaway, beyond the fact that it will take a great climber to make it to the finish ahead of the race's top dogs.

Embrun

Stage town for the 6th time Canton chef-lieu in Hautes-Alpes (05)

Population: 6,500

EMBRUN AND CYCLING

In 2013, it was a “yellowman” who stood out. By winning the time trial between Embrun and Chorges, Chris Froome put even more distance between himself and his rivals to take the title for good in the 100th edition of the Tour de France. In 2008, Carlos Sastre won the stage and the Yellow Jersey at l'Alpe-d'Huez after starting in Embrun. In that edition, the town had the privilege of hosting two stage starts, the first of which ended in Prato Nevoso with the victory of Australian Simon Gerrans. In 1973, the riders headed for Nice, where Spaniard Vicente Lopez Carril claimed the first of his three Tour stage victories.

Specialities: honey, trout farming, cheeses, game, fruit jam tarts, apples from the Alpes de Haute-Durance.

Wild Spinach Lasagne

A traditional dish from the Valgaudemar and Champsaur regions, this specialty takes its name from the wild tetragones, whose leaves take on the shape of donkey ears when they reach maturity. It is a gratin of wild spinach and lasagne, or a pancake pastry. Traditionally, small pasta rounds are cut into pieces and placed in boiling salted water. The pasta is then alternated with a layer of spinach cooked in its own juice, a layer of béchamel sauce, then a layer of grated tome cheese.

food-lab-creamy-cheesy-ultimate-spinach-lasagna-recipe-hero-08-ae74201a6ae74894af90f08245f6ddfe[1].jpg

Isola 2000

Stage resort for the first time

Mountain resort in the Alpes-Maritimes (06)

Population: 700

ISOLA 2000 AND CYCLING

The highest mountain resort in the Southern Alps played host to the Tour de France in 1993 for a stage that saw Tony Rominger raise his arms, having broken away in the finale with Miguel Indurain. The Spaniard consolidated his yellow jersey, graciously leaving the laurels of the day to the Swiss rider. Rominger had nonetheless achieved the feat of winning two Alpine stages in a row, having won the previous day in Serre-Chevalier.

Specialities: Vacherie de Chastillon (cheese and charcuterie), Mercantour cheeses (carline, miche gavotte, tommes). Specialities from Nice.

img_20210627_095235[1].jpg


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

  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908

    Who the hell can out climb UAE ....

    "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

    I don't think I did the extra loop bit when I rode up there

    "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
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,818
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21084866#Comment_21084866

    It's a nasty little ramp at that altitude.

  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,818

    I also remember bombing down the descent and nearly getting blown off the road by the sudden crosswind when I got down to the gap where the main col comes through.

  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21084866#Comment_21084866

    It's ridiculously steep and, with the altitude, is a real grovel. When I got to the top, I could look down the valley below and see a rain storm heading up. I go to within a kilometre of the village at the bottom (Saint Etienne de Tinee?) before the rain started. My riding companions were less fortunate, and arrived at the cafe in various, worsening states of distress.

  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    edited July 18
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21084871#Comment_21084871

    It was in a cloud when I got there ...frozen on the way down ..views weren't great ...never really suffered much with altitude.... Well obviously I did just it didn't seem some thing special on top of everything else .

    "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

    Took me forever to get up there

    "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

    199x something 92 or 3 or 4 🤔


    1994

    "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
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,572

    1:42:06 for the full cime de Bonnette climb for me and we were fortunately with lovely weather. There are a couple of gaps up high on the descent where you could get snagged by a cross wind gust.

  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21084888#Comment_21084888

    I suspect I was 2 hours or so

    "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
  • jimmyjams
    jimmyjams Posts: 781
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21084868#Comment_21084868

    Re the loop, I don't know what difference there is in elevation/slope/distance btwn top of Restefond and the Bonette loop, but compared to going from the top of the Glandon to the top of the Croix-de-Fer (which I imagine similar), I found the latter much harder (I did both the same year).

  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,161

    2 hours for me. Proper cold at the top, but a fantastic descent.

  • N0bodyOfTheGoat
    N0bodyOfTheGoat Posts: 6,057

    Do any of the climbers have an altitude advantage for tackling the top section of Bonette?

    Back in '19(?), Bernal left the others behind when a climb went above 2000m, with a late shortening of the stage which meant he won overall.

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  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,338
    edited July 18
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21084920#Comment_21084920

    I might be misunderstanding (or misremembering) but I don't recall the climb from Glandon to Croix-de-Fer as being challenging. Yes, it is definitely a climb but I found the lower sections tougher.

    I did the climb from Allemont with the diversion to Glandon as a Bruce bonus.

    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.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,818
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21084920#Comment_21084920

    The Bonette is quite different as it's a sudden steep ramp after a fairly easy bit but it's short. Up to CdF is more like just a continuation of the main climb.

  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,572
    edited July 19

    You can't compare the two. It's 3+ kms from the Glandon to the Croix de Fer at 'normal' alpine gradients.

    The final part to the Cime de Bonnette is a 900 m ramp that is over 10% and hits 13+%. The altitude difference is huge too between the to of the Croix de Fer and the Bonnette.

  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,822

    I saw the profile of the similar stage from 1993. Featured the same 3 climbs as today, but was about 40 kilometres longer and also features the Col d'Izoard

  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,818
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21084944#Comment_21084944

    That would be a monster day

  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,726

    Don't forget that this stage starts one hour earlier than the rest. The schedule is approximately 11-20 to 3-30pm ish.

    Inrng has their stage favourites like this:

    *** Pogačar, Carapaz

    ** S Yates, Evenepoel

    * Vingegaard, De Plus, Hindley, Gall, Buitrago, Ciccone

    Cycling Stages:

    *** Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard

    ** Richard Carapaz, Remco Evenepoel, João Almeida, Adam Yates

    * Romain Bardet, Carlos Rodriguez, David Gaudu, Matteo Jorgenson

    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    edited July 19

    Why are they finishing early so often? That's fucked my attempt to watch the finale live, then.

    _
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,655
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21084956#Comment_21084956

    Do you even lift watch cycling, bro?

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,161

    It's early so the broom wagon can do multiple trips to the tip.

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21084978#Comment_21084978

    This modern racing is really a pain to watch live.

    i just want to turn on around 3-3:30 and watch the finale

    _
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,655

    The Tour caravan

    Pay particular attention to the Leclerc Leekmobile. Based on a design by Geraint Thomas, it is believed Luke Rowe will be driving it next year.

    https://x.com/CaravaneduTour/status/1814210610571169911


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  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553

    So I assume we are expecting Visma-Lease A Bike to ride hard from the foot of the Bonette, to see if their theory that Pogacar is vulnerable on 40+ minute climbs, at altitude and in the heat is valid or not?

    I'm not sure it'll work but they don't really have any other choice do they? Tomorrow's stage doesn't go as high and has shorter climbs so they have to test him today.

    I was surprised they let Lemmen and Van Aert waste energy in the break yesterday, as that puts more responsibility on the rest of the team today.

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21084998#Comment_21084998

    I read yesterday as an admission vingers is not gonna do it and they want another stage win.

    _
  • larkim
    larkim Posts: 2,485

    Why Isola only Cat 1?

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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,655
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21084999#Comment_21084999

    That's a bit of a conclusion given their history of trying to win stages with Van Aert

    It's probably a bit of an ask for Van Aert to get into a break today, given how early the first climb comes, and the intermediate sprint being pretty much at it's foot

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  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21084999#Comment_21084999

    I think if they do go all in and test Pogacar it's more likely to damage Vingegaard, as he's looking more like someone who hasn't had ideal prep by the day.

  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553
    https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/comment/21085002#Comment_21085002

    Weird isn't it? The Var is HC, but that's easier than the climb to Isola in my experience.

    If someone like Carapaz can be the first over the Var and the Bonette then the 'competition' for the KoM jersey might actually be on.

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