TDF 2019: Stage 8, Mâcon > Saint-Étienne 13/07/2019 - 200 km *Spoilers*
blazing_saddles
Posts: 21,812
TDF Stage 8: Mâcon > Saint-Étienne 13/07/2019 - 200 km
Stage 8 in the Tour de France is a race from Mâcon to Saint-Étienne. The route takes in an altitude gain of 3,750 metres and amounts to 200 kilometres.
This year’s route is also teeming with hills, yet ‘only’ seven are classified.
Macon has hosted 4 stages of the TDF. It holds a place of choice in the Tour de France history thanks to two decisive time-trials. This was particularly the case in 1991, when Miguel Indurain sealed the first of his five titles by dominating Gianni Bugno and Greg LeMond.
During the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné, the Macon stage gave young German John Degenkolb the chance to join the top flight of bunch sprinters by winning on the banks of the Saone, at the foot of the statue of Lamartine. In 2012, the city was the start of a stage to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, where Thomas Voeckler won the penultimate of his four stage victories on the Tour.
Among Macon-born riders, two rode the Tour de France -- Joël Millard, four times between 1972 and 1975, and Guy Buchaille, in 1953 and 1957. Joël Millard is now chairman of the departmental cycling committee of Saône-et-Loire.
Riders who are eyeing up the polka dot jersey have to be alert at kilometre 51. This is the summit of the Col de Croix Montmain, which is a 6.1 kilometres climb at 7%.
At kilometre 71 more KOM points are available at the Col de Croix de Thel (4.1 kilometres at 8.1%)
before the Col de La Croix Paquet (2.1 kilometres at 9.7%) is crested at kilometre 84.5.
Following the passage over the Côte d’Affoux (8.5 kilometres at 4.5%) the second half of the race offers three more KOM climbs. Côte de la Croix de Part peaks at kilometre 133 after a 4.9 kilometres toil at 7.9%. The Côte d’Aveize is also polka dot material. The 5.2 kilometres climb at 6.4% is crested with 51.5 kilometres remaining. The route continues to go either up or down with the Côte de la Jaillère standing out. The 1.9 kilometres hill slopes at 7.9%, while it is crested with 12.5 kilometres out.
The descent leads to an uphill kick at 5% in the third kilometre before the line. The ensuing downhill runs to the flamme rouge, while the last kilometre is flat.
St Etienne has been visited 25 times in Tour history.
Spurned by the pre-war Tour because of its central position in France, Saint-Étienne was then largely redeemed and hosted the race 25 often memorable times since 1950. The names of the winners in town (Geminiani, Bobet, Hinault, Herrera or Zoetemelk) tell the story.
One of the most significant moments was probably the end of the deadly duel between Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond in the 1986 edition.
The individual time trial traced around Saint-Étienne was the badger’s ultimate feat, his 28th and last stage victory. The win over his teammate and rival was however too tight (25 seconds) for him to threaten the American and claim a sixth overall victory two days later in Paris. But the passing of the baton was notoriously nasty and LeMond, who crashed during his time trial, even accused his teammates of sabotage in favour of Hinault. The Breton swore (and he still does) that he had agreed to let LeMond win and he respected his word.
The last Tour de France visit took place in 2014 with a sprint victorybyf Alexander Kristoff. Saint-Etienne was also the city of the late Roger Rivière, the broken hero of French cycling in the 1950s. Gilles Delion, winner of the 1990 Tour de Lombardie and a rider known for his integrity, also competed in four Tours de France between 1990 (white jersey) and 1995.
Favourites 8th stage 2019 Tour de France
Although the Tour de France's 8th stage doesn't include any huge climbs, a succession of short steep climbs and longer ascents at shallow gradients adds up to an altitude gain of 3,700 metres. GC riders are unlikely to expend valuable resource, while sprinters will be happy to cross the line in one piece. So this is a perfect day for the breakaway.
***** Thomas De Gendt, Alessandro De Marchi, Maximilian Schachmann,
**** Matej Mohoric, Greg Van Avermaet, Tim Wellens, Alexey Lutsenko
*** Julian Alaphillipe*, Serge Pauwels, Rui Costa, Luis Leon Sanchez
** Lilian Calmejane, Natnael Berhane, Xandro Meurisse
* Tiesj Benoot, Rohan Dennis, Mads Würtz Schmidt
* 5 star favourite but for the fact he is second on GC.
Mâcon
4 previous stages
Population: 34,448
The Saint-Laurent Bridge
Listed as a historic monument since 1987, this 11th century medieval bridge is one of the city's landmarks. Composed of 13 arches and measuring 230 m in length for a width of 3.50 m in places, the bridge connects the Saône department to the Bresse. It has undergone a major renovation in 2017.
Specialties: Waffles, Ideal Mâconnais (cake), Mâconnais wines, wines (Viré-Clessé, Saint-Véran, pouilly-fuissé),
wafers, boucon (chocolate with marc de Bourgogne), andouillette, snails and goat cheese.
Saint-Étienne
25 previous stages
Population: 174,300. 403,000 Saint-Étienne Métropole
The largest bicycle collection in France
Renovated by Jean-Michel Wilmotte in 2001 and labelled Musée de France, it possesses three collections of national and international scope: arms, bicycle and ribbons. The museum especially owns the largest collection of bicycles in France.
These collections are a major link between the past, present and future of the St Etienne region. In 1866, the first French bicycle was manufactured in St Etienne, the first step in an industry that earned an international repute thanks to the productions of Manufrance, Ravat or Automoto. From the early ages of the bicycle to the sophisticated sport and leisure machines of the 21st century, la petite reine inspired artists, inventors and advertisers. The Superb Sparrow, the first French bicycle produced by the Manufacture or Arms and Cycles in St Etienne, is now surrounded by its many offsprings.
Specialties: bugnes (donuts), sarasson (close to cottage cheese, seasoned with herbs), rapée (potato pancake with beaten eggs),
simmered soup, baraban salad (dandelions, served with bacon or soft-boiled eggs), barboton (potato stew),
grillatons (pâté made from fat and meat residues), hot pâté (dumplings with tomato sauce), liver cake, wines from Cotes du Forez ..
Stage 8 in the Tour de France is a race from Mâcon to Saint-Étienne. The route takes in an altitude gain of 3,750 metres and amounts to 200 kilometres.
This year’s route is also teeming with hills, yet ‘only’ seven are classified.
Macon has hosted 4 stages of the TDF. It holds a place of choice in the Tour de France history thanks to two decisive time-trials. This was particularly the case in 1991, when Miguel Indurain sealed the first of his five titles by dominating Gianni Bugno and Greg LeMond.
During the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné, the Macon stage gave young German John Degenkolb the chance to join the top flight of bunch sprinters by winning on the banks of the Saone, at the foot of the statue of Lamartine. In 2012, the city was the start of a stage to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, where Thomas Voeckler won the penultimate of his four stage victories on the Tour.
Among Macon-born riders, two rode the Tour de France -- Joël Millard, four times between 1972 and 1975, and Guy Buchaille, in 1953 and 1957. Joël Millard is now chairman of the departmental cycling committee of Saône-et-Loire.
Riders who are eyeing up the polka dot jersey have to be alert at kilometre 51. This is the summit of the Col de Croix Montmain, which is a 6.1 kilometres climb at 7%.
At kilometre 71 more KOM points are available at the Col de Croix de Thel (4.1 kilometres at 8.1%)
before the Col de La Croix Paquet (2.1 kilometres at 9.7%) is crested at kilometre 84.5.
Following the passage over the Côte d’Affoux (8.5 kilometres at 4.5%) the second half of the race offers three more KOM climbs. Côte de la Croix de Part peaks at kilometre 133 after a 4.9 kilometres toil at 7.9%. The Côte d’Aveize is also polka dot material. The 5.2 kilometres climb at 6.4% is crested with 51.5 kilometres remaining. The route continues to go either up or down with the Côte de la Jaillère standing out. The 1.9 kilometres hill slopes at 7.9%, while it is crested with 12.5 kilometres out.
The descent leads to an uphill kick at 5% in the third kilometre before the line. The ensuing downhill runs to the flamme rouge, while the last kilometre is flat.
St Etienne has been visited 25 times in Tour history.
Spurned by the pre-war Tour because of its central position in France, Saint-Étienne was then largely redeemed and hosted the race 25 often memorable times since 1950. The names of the winners in town (Geminiani, Bobet, Hinault, Herrera or Zoetemelk) tell the story.
One of the most significant moments was probably the end of the deadly duel between Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond in the 1986 edition.
The individual time trial traced around Saint-Étienne was the badger’s ultimate feat, his 28th and last stage victory. The win over his teammate and rival was however too tight (25 seconds) for him to threaten the American and claim a sixth overall victory two days later in Paris. But the passing of the baton was notoriously nasty and LeMond, who crashed during his time trial, even accused his teammates of sabotage in favour of Hinault. The Breton swore (and he still does) that he had agreed to let LeMond win and he respected his word.
The last Tour de France visit took place in 2014 with a sprint victorybyf Alexander Kristoff. Saint-Etienne was also the city of the late Roger Rivière, the broken hero of French cycling in the 1950s. Gilles Delion, winner of the 1990 Tour de Lombardie and a rider known for his integrity, also competed in four Tours de France between 1990 (white jersey) and 1995.
Favourites 8th stage 2019 Tour de France
Although the Tour de France's 8th stage doesn't include any huge climbs, a succession of short steep climbs and longer ascents at shallow gradients adds up to an altitude gain of 3,700 metres. GC riders are unlikely to expend valuable resource, while sprinters will be happy to cross the line in one piece. So this is a perfect day for the breakaway.
***** Thomas De Gendt, Alessandro De Marchi, Maximilian Schachmann,
**** Matej Mohoric, Greg Van Avermaet, Tim Wellens, Alexey Lutsenko
*** Julian Alaphillipe*, Serge Pauwels, Rui Costa, Luis Leon Sanchez
** Lilian Calmejane, Natnael Berhane, Xandro Meurisse
* Tiesj Benoot, Rohan Dennis, Mads Würtz Schmidt
* 5 star favourite but for the fact he is second on GC.
Mâcon
4 previous stages
Population: 34,448
The Saint-Laurent Bridge
Listed as a historic monument since 1987, this 11th century medieval bridge is one of the city's landmarks. Composed of 13 arches and measuring 230 m in length for a width of 3.50 m in places, the bridge connects the Saône department to the Bresse. It has undergone a major renovation in 2017.
Specialties: Waffles, Ideal Mâconnais (cake), Mâconnais wines, wines (Viré-Clessé, Saint-Véran, pouilly-fuissé),
wafers, boucon (chocolate with marc de Bourgogne), andouillette, snails and goat cheese.
Saint-Étienne
25 previous stages
Population: 174,300. 403,000 Saint-Étienne Métropole
The largest bicycle collection in France
Renovated by Jean-Michel Wilmotte in 2001 and labelled Musée de France, it possesses three collections of national and international scope: arms, bicycle and ribbons. The museum especially owns the largest collection of bicycles in France.
These collections are a major link between the past, present and future of the St Etienne region. In 1866, the first French bicycle was manufactured in St Etienne, the first step in an industry that earned an international repute thanks to the productions of Manufrance, Ravat or Automoto. From the early ages of the bicycle to the sophisticated sport and leisure machines of the 21st century, la petite reine inspired artists, inventors and advertisers. The Superb Sparrow, the first French bicycle produced by the Manufacture or Arms and Cycles in St Etienne, is now surrounded by its many offsprings.
Specialties: bugnes (donuts), sarasson (close to cottage cheese, seasoned with herbs), rapée (potato pancake with beaten eggs),
simmered soup, baraban salad (dandelions, served with bacon or soft-boiled eggs), barboton (potato stew),
grillatons (pâté made from fat and meat residues), hot pâté (dumplings with tomato sauce), liver cake, wines from Cotes du Forez ..
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Comments
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Although he's a marked man I still fancy Alaphilippe to at least keep attacking on this stage and gain the few seconds needed to get back into the lead.
The allure of wearing the yellow jersey on Bastille Day will be too strong to resist!0 -
The profile graphic would be improved if they included KOM points available for each climb and somewhere a Max total for the stage.0
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I assume the expectation is the first half will be tough for Sagan and Matthews to stay in contention?0
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I would concur.Pross wrote:I assume the expectation is the first half will be tough for Sagan and Matthews to stay in contention?"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 -
Offredo on Eurosport France. I was thinking to myself in the break with Stephane. Apart from their mothers there are a lot of riders who no one knows are in the 2019 Tour de France.
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mididoctors wrote:
I would concur.Pross wrote:I assume the expectation is the first half will be tough for Sagan and Matthews to stay in contention?
The sprint early on is a bit of a disincentive...or at least not an incentive to push on ."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 -
I have picked wellens but thinking about it I suspect he is too knackered already."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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mididoctors wrote:I have picked wellens but thinking about it I suspect he is too knackered already.
Yep, I was thinking Wellens but he's been out front a lot. These are the stages where PTP is won and lost.0 -
A few years ago Nico Roche and EBH would have been among my favourites for this stage but I didn't even think about them for today. That said EBH might not be a bad shout, in my head Roche has retired for some reason and it comes as a surprise when I see him in the results.0
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Both Wellens and Alaphillipe hanging around the front in the neutral zone. Breakaway bun fight coming up by the looks.
First bit of the stage looks yummy, because of these villages.
First up is.
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Meh.
Seems that de Gendt, King and Terpstra are away, but a few are still trying. Costa failed, de Marchi now trying.
45 second gap growing slowly."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Peloton has put the brakes on now, gap is going out fast.Blazing Saddles wrote:Meh.
Seems that de Gendt, King and Terpstra are away, but a few are still trying. Costa failed, de Marchi now trying.
45 second gap growing slowly.
De Marchi still 30-odd seconds back0 -
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The footage of Wurz trying and failing to get on lol.
He makes it to within a few metres. Must be horrible.0 -
Would have thought that there might have been a bigger group going away today
Who's the aussie on ITV4 comms?0 -
ShutupJens wrote:Would have thought that there might have been a bigger group going away today
Who's the aussie on ITV4 comms?
Gerrans0 -
Bora and Sunweb not allowing the break too much rope. Sagan and Matthews presumably fancy their chances.Team My Man 2022:
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet0 -
that strong break isn't going to relent. TDG going to push on to as many summits as he can. the chase is not banking on holding the deficit till later? using Burghardt now."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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Watching this stage I find a certain kind of irony in the fact that Sagan's boys are strangling the break and thinking: what would folks elsewhere be saying if it was Ineos on the front?."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
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thomas mechanical chasing on"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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going to bring this down too quickly?"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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Offredo said after yesterday's stage that, although he was satisfied with his long break, at the same time he was frustrated that the peloton didn't give them more leeway, like, he said, used to be the case for breaks of lesser riders in the past*. He said that this tendency by the peloton to keep breaks on a short lead, and thus unlikely to be successful, will make breaks less and less probable and make riders less willing to join a break.ShutupJens wrote:Would have thought that there might have been a bigger group going away today
I know, had a couple of riders had a bit of luck earlier, today's break could have been larger, maybe 6-strong, but perhaps Offredo had a point.
He also said yesterday that he was very tired, and today he (and Laporte) are well adrift** behind the peloton, so seems he is exhausted or disillusioned or both.
* (He could have used as example the stage in the Giro where a two-man break which was allowed a gap of up to 16 mins, and the two eventually made it home by 11 secs)
** They are about 13 mins adrift. Over 1 min adrift are a few others, incl Groenewegen und Ewan.0 -
i hope they make the cut"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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that peloton has shrunk down"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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knedlicky wrote:
Offredo said after yesterday's stage that, although he was satisfied with his long break, at the same time he was frustrated that the peloton didn't give them more leeway, like, he said, used to be the case for breaks of lesser riders in the past*. He said that this tendency by the peloton to keep breaks on a short lead, and thus unlikely to be successful, will make breaks less and less probable and make riders less willing to join a break.ShutupJens wrote:Would have thought that there might have been a bigger group going away today
I know, had a couple of riders had a bit of luck earlier, today's break could have been larger, maybe 6-strong, but perhaps Offredo had a point.
He also said yesterday that he was very tired, and today he (and Laporte) are well adrift** behind the peloton, so seems he is exhausted or disillusioned or both.
* (He could have used as example the stage in the Giro where a two-man break which was allowed a gap of up to 16 mins, and the two eventually made it home by 11 secs)
** They are about 13 mins adrift. Over 1 min adrift are a few others, incl Groenewegen und Ewan.
Sounds like a classic bluff so that he can concentrate on the Lanterne Rouge to me, going for it hard today by the sounds of things0 -
Kittel on ITV comms now0
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bobmcstuff wrote:Kittel on ITV comms now
Sounds relaxed and happy, hope he comes back soon.0 -
maybe trek want to get rid of it? odd way of going about it."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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Finding the ITV adverts difficult in my emotionally fragile state.
One minute its dogs in pain and the next minute it's long descriptions about african kids with eye infections.
I'll have no money left soon!0 -
bobmcstuff wrote:Finding the ITV adverts difficult in my emotionally fragile state.
One minute its dogs in pain and the next minute it's long descriptions about african kids with eye infections.
I'll have no money left soon!
beats itv3's "dropping dead? then prebook your funeral" ads"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
