Grand Départ 2020 - Stage 2: Nice Haut Pays - Nice 186 km *Spoilers*

blazing_saddles
blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
edited August 2020 in Pro race
Stage 2: Nice Haut Pays - Nice 186 km

At 186 kilometres, the Tour de Frances serves the first chance for climbers as early as the 2nd stage. The GC battle begins early as the Tour heads straight into the mountains with this punishing stage that encompasses 3,752 total meters of climbing.
The course resembles the last stage of the recent editions of Paris-Nice. On all occasions the mountainous route through the interior of the Provence resulted in exciting races.



A mountain stage with two passages at over 1,500m as soon as the second day of the race, that’s a grande première.
The course tackles two category 1 climbs: the Col de la Colmiane and the Col de Turini — both climbs soar above 1,500 meters — before descending to tackle the cat. 2 Col d’Èze and the steep Col des Quatre Chemins, which is actually the first part of the Col d’Èze. The final ascent is 5.5 kilometers at 5.5 percent, and there are bonus seconds of 6, 5, and 2 seconds on the line. The Tour won’t be won today, but it could be lost.




The 2nd stage commences with a prolonged false flat to the deserted village La Bollinette. That’s were the first proper climb of the Tour de France kicks in. The Col de Colmiane is 16.3 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 6.3%.





The riders drops down to La Bollène-Vésubie to tackle the impressive Col de Turini, which served as finish climb to the penultimate stage of Paris-Nice 2019. The Turini Pass is 14.9 kilometres long and slopes at 7.3%. The mountain road is narrow and features a dizzying series of hairpins, while the summit lies at an elevation of 1,609 metres.






A downhill of almost 50 kilometres takes the riders down to sea level in Nice before the Col d’Èze looms. The 7.8 kilometres ascent at 7% is crested with 33 kilometres remaining.



The riders drop back down into Nice. They move through the finish on the Promenade des Anglais before turning back into the mountains for one last time. The Col des Quatre Chemins is actually the first part of the Col d’Èze. Atop the Quatre Chemins there are 9 downhill kilometres to the finish line remaining.





The parcours is tailor-made for long-range attackers, although it wouldn’t come as a complete surprise if GC riders show themselves this early. With the finishing descent into Nice the route is perfect for good descenders.

Favourites 2nd stage 2020 Tour de France

*** Julian Alaphilippe, Matej Mohoric, Max Schachmann,
** Egan Bernal, Primoz Roglic, Tadej Pogacar, Davide Formolo,
* Alexey Lutsenko, Alejandro Valverde, Warren Barguil, Wout van Aert etc etc etc

On the road

Col d'Eze (507 m)

Twice ridden in the Tour de France, in 1953 and 2009, Col d'Eze has really become a cycling classic thanks to Paris-Nice, since the Race to the Sun climbed it 34 times. The greatest riders ever won at the top: Eddy Merckx, Raymond Poulidor, Joop Zoetemelk, Stephen Roche, Sean Kelly, Bradley Wiggins or Richie Porte, the last winner at Col d’Eze in 2015. It is logically Sean Kelly, record holder of victories in Paris- Nice, who won most often at Col d'Eze: five times. Briton Bradley Wiggins holds the record for the fastest ascent in 19:12.













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

  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,741
    edited August 2020
    The all important weather forecast:




    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,099
    If Wiggins is the record holder, one would think that it would suit Dumoulin but I doubt we'll see him sticking his head above the parapet just yet. I suspect how everyone recovers from today will play a major part. I wouldn't be completely surprised if it was raced cautiously by the bigger teams and the break takes it. Did de Gendt fall today or was he backing off deliberately? He lost a chunk of time one way or another.
    Team My Man 2022:

    Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
  • That's a beautiful day out. Few beers on the beach watching the sun go down. Fish supper. Perfect day
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,876
    When I descended that side of the Turini a couple of years ago, the amount of rubber on the road from the Monte Carlo Rally was impressive, and the hairpins were really tight.
    It's a great cycling base Nice.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    It’s basically the Paris Nice stage isn’t it?
  • lettingthedaysgoby
    lettingthedaysgoby Posts: 1,732
    edited August 2020
    Thanks as ever for these intro threads BS...
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    I was quite excited for this stage and interested to see what happens having big climbs so early in the stage but there's too many miles after the second one to see them really having an impact. I think a minor contender may get caught out though.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
    Mohoric eh? Doesn't really win that often but gets included in a lot of preview star ratings
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,593
    Pross said:

    I was quite excited for this stage and interested to see what happens having big climbs so early in the stage but there's too many miles after the second one to see them really having an impact. I think a minor contender may get caught out though.

    The steep part of the Col des Quatre Chemins could be a launchpad for an attack as per the Poggio. 🤔
    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.
  • Mohoric eh? Doesn't really win that often but gets included in a lot of preview star ratings

    Based upon him being arguably the best descender in the peloton.
    What was it that you said about yesterday's star ratings?

    Alexander Kristoff - for a rider who doesn't win a lot he's featured in a lot of preview star ratings....

    Actually I haven't got a clue who will win today, so I am wondering if this is some kind inverted magic spell, you are trying to cast.....


    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    I think he was taking the Mick out of himself.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    Tough stage for a stage 2
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    In the good old days Kwiatkowski would have been a favourite for this one and without yesterday's issues I'd have expected to see Gilbert up there.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    Imagine lotto will be wishing they stayed home - degenkolb and Gilbert already out
  • Tough stage for a stage 2

    It certainly is. You said yesterday it was like the traditional final day of Paris-Nice. This is much harder.
    2017


    2018


    2019


    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    Good! I am very much in *entertain me* mode at the moment
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,215
    I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to find out how this stage compares in overall elevation to stage 2 in Yorkshire back in 2014 which is the toughest second stage I can recall.
  • I would expect today's stage has more elevation gain, as although the Yorkshire stage went up and down, the highest point was only 500m or so, whereas they go above 1500m twice today
  • Pross said:

    I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to find out how this stage compares in overall elevation to stage 2 in Yorkshire back in 2014 which is the toughest second stage I can recall.

    Cough, cough someone's not been reading my thread.
    I do try:

    At 186 kilometres, the Tour de Frances serves the first chance for climbers as early as the 2nd stage. The GC battle begins early as the Tour heads straight into the mountains with this punishing stage that encompasses 3,752 total meters of climbing.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    The GC guys need to start something this race could get called off early
    "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: 16,646
    Pross said:

    I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to find out how this stage compares in overall elevation to stage 2 in Yorkshire back in 2014 which is the toughest second stage I can recall.

    I rate the Yorkshire stage harder ...expecting a similar outcome sprint from elite group
    "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
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236

    The GC guys need to start something this race could get called off early

    Tommy D in the press last week saying their tactics will be based on it being a 3 weeker. (“If it’s not 3 weeks it’s not the Tour anyway”)
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,091
    edited August 2020

    Pross said:

    I've been trying, unsuccessfully, to find out how this stage compares in overall elevation to stage 2 in Yorkshire back in 2014 which is the toughest second stage I can recall.

    Cough, cough someone's not been reading my thread.
    I do try:

    At 186 kilometres, the Tour de Frances serves the first chance for climbers as early as the 2nd stage. The GC battle begins early as the Tour heads straight into the mountains with this punishing stage that encompasses 3,752 total meters of climbing.
    In fairness, that doesn't tell us how hard 2014's stage two was. Took a while to find it, but https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/300899927 suggests around 2,600m of height gain for Yok-Sheffield.

    On the face of it the 2014 stage was easier - except it demanded regular short, sharp efforts with no real time to recover, and had the traditional Yorkshire attitude to flattening the maximum gradients within the climbs, eg "d'ye think we're made of cash, lad?" Sheer parochialism makes me want to claim that 2014 was at least as hard, but I'm not sure you can make it stand up statistically. I think it's clear they favour different types of riders though, so maybe a comparison isn't ever going to be fair?


  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    Ah Nibali, what a baller.
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,200
    There's a tailwind out. There are a lot of KoM points on offer. There's a yellow jersey for the winner. Lot of teams will want to be in the break. The start could be pretty mad.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,236
    Yellow up for grabs too
  • There's a tailwind out. There are a lot of KoM points on offer. There's a yellow jersey for the winner. Lot of teams will want to be in the break. The start could be pretty mad.

    Any sign of cross winds and klaxons.
  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,099
    No World Champs jersey on display today.
    Team My Man 2022:

    Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
  • The full casualty list from yesterday:

    William Bonnet (Groupama-FDJ) - Pain in right shoulder and left side
    John Degenkolb (Lotto Soudal) - Knee injury
    David De la Cruz (UAE Emirates) - Fracture in sacrum
    David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) - Sacrum complaints
    Ryan Gibbons (NTT Pro Cycling) ) - Crash on rib that is already broken
    Philippe Gilbert (Lotto Soudal) - Broken kneecap
    André Greipel (Israel Start-Up Nation) - Four stitches in his leg
    Ben Hermans (Israel Start-Up Nation) - Damage to the wrist joint and serious abrasions
    Miguel Ángel López (Astana) - Abrasions, minor complaints
    Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ) - Knee injury
    Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) - Knee complaints and right shoulder pain
    Wout Poels (Bahrain McLaren) - Fracture in rib and bruised lung
    Nils Politt (Israel Start-Up Nation) - Back pain
    Domenico Pozzovivo (NTT Pro Cycling) - Fracture in elbow
    Pavel Sivakov (INEOS Grenadiers) - Knee Injury and Hip Injury
    Rafael Valls (Bahrain McLaren) - Broken thigh and right shoulder pain
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • The full casualty list from yesterday:

    William Bonnet (Groupama-FDJ) - Pain in right shoulder and left side
    John Degenkolb (Lotto Soudal) - Knee injury
    David De la Cruz (UAE Emirates) - Fracture in sacrum
    David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) - Sacrum complaints
    Ryan Gibbons (NTT Pro Cycling) ) - Crash on rib that is already broken
    Philippe Gilbert (Lotto Soudal) - Broken kneecap
    André Greipel (Israel Start-Up Nation) - Four stitches in his leg
    Ben Hermans (Israel Start-Up Nation) - Damage to the wrist joint and serious abrasions
    Miguel Ángel López (Astana) - Abrasions, minor complaints
    Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ) - Knee injury
    Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) - Knee complaints and right shoulder pain
    Wout Poels (Bahrain McLaren) - Fracture in rib and bruised lung
    Nils Politt (Israel Start-Up Nation) - Back pain
    Domenico Pozzovivo (NTT Pro Cycling) - Fracture in elbow
    Pavel Sivakov (INEOS Grenadiers) - Knee Injury and Hip Injury
    Rafael Valls (Bahrain McLaren) - Broken thigh and right shoulder pain

    Lucky they have an easy stage to ride those injuries off.