TDF 2017:18th July - Stage 16 - Le Puy-en-Velay - Romans-sur-Isère165kms *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
edited July 2017 in Pro race
Start 13h40
At 165 kilometres, the route of stage 16 in the Tour de France travels from Le Puy-en-Velay to Romans-sur-Isère. Hills in the first part before a long descent plunges down to a gently undulating section of 50 kilometres.

Le Puy-en-Velay is a stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, so with a little luck the riders are ‘reborn’ after the rest day. They head for Romans-sur-Isère, which lies in the valley of the River Rhône.

Once the flag is dropped the roads start to go up until Côte de Boussoulet is crested after 20 kilometres. The official climb (3rd category) is 4.5 kilometres at 6.3%. The rolls on and at kilometre 65 the riders are atop Col du Rouvey, which is the highest point of the day at an elevation of 1,250 metres. The climb itself is modest – 2.8 kilometres at 5,6% – before a long drop runs to a gently rolling last section of some 50 kilometres.

One could think of different scenarios. With enough power on board the break away could hold until the end. That said, stages with an arrival in the Rhône valley usually come down to a bunch sprint. In the 4th stage of last year’s Paris-Nice, Nacer Bouhanni outpowered Edward Theuns, André Greipel, Alexander Kristoff and Michael Matthews on the line.

Echelons are another possible scenario. In recent years stages that were marked by crosswinds were bound to bring spectacle. Think the World Championships in Qatar, or the 11th stage in the 2016 Tour de France, when Peter Sagan and Chris Froome took control in a legendary stage.

Map:-
CARTE.jpg

Profile:-
PROFIL.png

KoM:-
Km 20.5 - Côte de Boussoulet4.5 kilometre-long climb at 6.3% - category 3

Km 65.0 - Col du Rouvey2.8 kilometre-long climb at 5.6% - category 4

Final Kms:-
PROFILKMS.png


Romans-sur-Isère

The peloton of the Tour never stopped in Romans. However, the riders of Paris-Nice have had the opportunity to enjoy its famous ‘ravioles': a first time in 1962 on the evening of Rudi Altig's victory, and then last spring to celebrate the win of Nacer Bouhanni. While the finish in the city will be a first, the peloton of the Tour has on numerous occasions been drawn by one of its child, cartoonist Roger Blachon. Romans is also the native city of one of the rising stars of French cycling, Pierre Latour, winner of a stage on this year's Vuelta.

So, it's bye bye to these.

a5665f815f.jpg

And hello to these.

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And lots of this.

1_ermitazh_krasnyy.jpg
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments

  • imatfaal
    imatfaal Posts: 2,716
    thanks again for setting these threads up
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Horses in the Ardèche:

    Horse-heads-in-Chauvet-cave-Ard%C3%A8che.jpg

    d87a3deb6319ae6321e7a2f48b06d50e.jpg

    From the caves at Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • kleinstroker
    kleinstroker Posts: 2,133
    Can't go wrong with a bottle or two of Paul Jaboulet
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Crosswinds?
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    The_Boy wrote:
    Crosswinds?

    We live in hope.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    The_Boy wrote:
    Crosswinds?

    Ah well, now you come to mention it.

    http://france.lachainemeteo.com/meteo-f ... 4447-1.php

    Judging from those gusts, there is plenty of puff, but mostly from an unfavourable direction.
    Big tailwind to finish, but the few kms beforehand, between Chateauneuf sur Isere and Alixan could prove tricky, with a direct crosswind, if the forecast is to be believed.
    Especially as the roads at that point are rather narrow, minor "D" roads.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    Can't go wrong with a bottle or two of Paul Jaboulet

    Can't find any near here for a sensible price unfortunately. I'm off this week so looking for some local wines to increase my enjoyment of the stage...

    I think I'll have to settle for a Crozes-Hermitage.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    Can't go wrong with a bottle or two of Paul Jaboulet

    Can't find any near here for a sensible price unfortunately. I'm off this week so looking for some local wines to increase my enjoyment of the stage...

    I think I'll have to settle for a Crozes-Hermitage.

    Another option might be:

    http://www.waitrosecellar.com/all-wine- ... int-joseph
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • bobmcstuff wrote:
    Can't go wrong with a bottle or two of Paul Jaboulet

    Can't find any near here for a sensible price unfortunately. I'm off this week so looking for some local wines to increase my enjoyment of the stage...

    I think I'll have to settle for a Crozes-Hermitage.


    Cheers, don't mind if I do
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,225
    Leezer fairly sure it'll be cross winds.


    Come oooooh Dylan.
  • shinyhelmut
    shinyhelmut Posts: 1,364
    The_Boy wrote:
    Crosswinds?

    We live in hope.

    I bet Aru doesn't
  • yourpaceormine
    yourpaceormine Posts: 1,245
    ITV4 peeps said it was windy yesterday and the forecast is for continuing, and stronger winds today.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Lots of wind!

    etape_16.gif
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,225
    Looks an awful lot like a cross-tail in the finale.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    Looks an awful lot like a cross-tail in the finale.

    Tailwind from Alixan, I'd say.
    The section before may be a crosswind.
    Unfortunately, the paces where it is cross-tail don't look the best.
    Maybe Tournon?
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Crozza
    Crozza Posts: 991
    I assume Matthews will be in the break today, come hell or high water?
    imatfaal wrote:
    thanks again for setting these threads up

    yep, very interesting and helpful
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 26,128
    That first climb - 4.5km at 6.3% coming after a steady uphill start. That's enough to shed a few big lads and make the middle bit interesting isn't it?
  • That would be a nice day with the bags on the back and a nice hotel booked

    Might be a while in L Hermitage though ! hic hic
  • Crozza wrote:
    I assume Matthews will be in the break today, come hell or high water?
    Pretty much guaranteed I'd have thought...
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,213
    It'll be that section from Chateauneuf to Alixan that I suspect will offer the best chance of echelons and it seems to coincide with the wind speeds being predicted to increase. A lot of riders won't fancy being at the front on the headwind section to Chateauneuf so if someone wants to push it on the last few kms of that there could be carnage as they turn east and get the crosswinds. A lot will depend on how exposed the roads are there though, I suspect it will be relatively sheltered compared to the coastal areas or Northern France. That final tailwind section should help ensure that if echelons do form the groups will all be going flat out and the gaps won't close.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,213
    Just looked on Google Earth and that section looks very exposed from the south, get the klaxon warmed up. Hopefully the wind will be coming from slightly west of south.
  • Pross wrote:
    It'll be that section from Chateauneuf to Alixan that I suspect will offer the best chance of echelons and it seems to coincide with the wind speeds being predicted to increase. A lot of riders won't fancy being at the front on the headwind section to Chateauneuf so if someone wants to push it on the last few kms of that there could be carnage as they turn east and get the crosswinds. A lot will depend on how exposed the roads are there though, I suspect it will be relatively sheltered compared to the coastal areas or Northern France. That final tailwind section should help ensure that if echelons do form the groups will all be going flat out and the gaps won't close.


    Chateauneuf du Parp



    Aye thank yew
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    Call me a killjoy, but I don't really want to see any of the contenders eliminated by the wind this year. I want them all in contention for the Alps.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,213
    I reckon Froome ending up in a second echelon would liven up the final week.

    Having looked even closer, I think if the wind direction works well just after Chateauneuf looks even more promising. It appears there'll be a few tight turns in the town where it can be strung out that as they come out of the town it is sheltered briefly through a cutting before the road goes through wide open farmland.

    Obviously now everyone will be happy to potter along at club run pace while a breakaway wins by 10 minutes but I'm going to remain the optimist!
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    RichN95 wrote:
    Call me a killjoy, but I don't really want to see any of the contenders eliminated by the wind this year. I want them all in contention for the Alps.


    I'm hoping Dan can get back the minute he lost on the Porte crash.

    He has the team to do it.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • dinyull
    dinyull Posts: 2,979
    Froome losing a minute, with the TT to come, would make it interesting.

    But's he probably the least likely of the contenders to lose time given the strength of his team.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,225
    RichN95 wrote:
    Call me a killjoy, but I don't really want to see any of the contenders eliminated by the wind this year. I want them all in contention for the Alps.

    Froome 1:30 down going into the Alps is no bad thing.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,213
    inseine wrote:
    DFAQzc_XsAAOrHC.jpg

    My only concern there is that it might be too much cross-headwind in that area I suggested. There's a section between the 2 climbs where it would be in the right direction especially if someone (Sunweb?) try to smash it up a bit on the first climb but I'm not sure many people will want to start racing that far from the end.
  • squired
    squired Posts: 1,153
    What's the bet that there is some panic as they hit the crosswind sections and at least one of the GC boys is taken down in a crash?