TDF 2024:- Stage 11: Évaux-les-Bains – Le Lioran, 211km ***Spoilers***

Stage 11: Évaux-les-Bains – Le Lioran, 211km

July 10th

Start Time: 10-20BST.

The 11th stage of the Tour de France traverses the Massif Central. At 211 kilometres, the riders travel from Evaux-les-Bains to Le Lioran. After two early climbs, later in the stage there are ascents of the Col de Néronne, Puy Mary Pas de Peyrol, Col de Pertus and Col de Font de Cère. The total elevation gain in the 11th stage of the Tour de France adds up to 4,350 metres. The climbs may not be long long, but there are loads of them. It’s a first for Evaux-les-Bains on the Tour de France, which is not the case for Le Lioran, which hosted the finish of a similar stage in 2016. Eight editions ago, Greg Van Avermaet soloed to victory.

Profile.

Map.

This is a map of the route of Stage 11, Tour de France 2024.

The Climbs.

Côte de Mouilloux (Cat. 4)

Côte de Larodde (Cat. 3)

Col de Néronne (Cat. 2)

Puy Mary Pas de Peyrol (Cat. 1)

Col de Pertus (Cat. 2) (Bonus Point)

Col de Font de Cère (Cat. 3)

Last Kilometres.

The Col de Font de Cère peaks with 3 kilometres remaining. Most of it goes downhill before the last few hundred metres rise at 6% to the line.

What to Expect.

The most likely scenario is that the race pans out into a day for the breakaway. After all, the climbs aren’t excessively tough in themselves, and GC contenders will have a hard time dropping each other on those slopes, so there’s not much time to be gained. On the other hand, Pogacar, Evenepoel, and Roglic excel on this kind of terrain.

Évaux-les-Bains

Stage town for the first time

Municipality in Creuse (21)

Population: 1,400

Specialities: thermal waters, cabossé du Limousin (a pâté made from different meats), baguette la Limousette, pastries (le Creusois, le Thermal, le Trépaïs), gâteau creusois, fondu creusois, apple pâté, Charroux mustard.

Cabossé du Limousin.

Gâteau creusois (Creuse cake)

Legend has it that the recipe comes from a 15th-century parchment discovered during work in 1969 in the former Grandmont monastery in the commune of La Mazière-aux-Bons-Hommes. The Creuse confectioners' union came up with the idea of reviving the cake and making it a speciality of the department. Today, the exact recipe is known only to the 31 confectioners belonging to the "Le Creusois" association, the only ones authorised to make this pure butter hazelnut cake sold with this label. For a homemade recipe, you'll need equal parts sugar, flour, butter, hazelnut powder, egg whites and a sachet of vanilla sugar.

Le Lioran

Stage site for the 3rd time

Cantal mountain resort (15)

Population: 600

LE LIORAN AND CYCLING 

A massacre at Super-Lioran

The first finish of the Tour de France at Le Lioran in 1975 (then known as Super-Lioran, as superlatives were in vogue in ski resorts) was something of a massacre. Worn out by the heat and the rigours of the first twelve stages of the race, several favourites faltered during the long 260-km ride from Albi. Luis Ocana, suffering from tendonitis, did not start. Three of his team-mates also went home. Italy's Giovanni Battaglin, 7th in the overall standings, also failed to start, suffering from a cracked kneecap. During the stage, Portugal’s Joachim Agostinho was hit by a car, but it took more than that to bring him down. Suffering from bronchitis, Raymond Poulidor lost 30 seconds in the finale. In those conditions, the leaders who were still in the race neutralised each other, and Eddy Merckx, in need of team-mates, contented himself with controlling his rivals. He took the lead on the day's main climb, Plomb du Cantal, and let Michel Pollentier, who was no threat to the GC, go. The Belgian won solo, ahead of his compatriots Merckx and Lucien Van Impe.

Specialities: truffade (potatoes and cheese), Salers meat, pounti (pâté), pachade (thick, crispy pancake), 5 Auvergne PDO cheeses.

Cantal

40 cm in diameter, 40 cm in height, 40 kilos. These are the measurements of a cantal cheese. The tastes and flavours evolve with time and maturing, while retaining that unique sensation of firmness and melting. This cheese is available as a "Jeune affiné" (Young and refined) from 30 to 60 days, an "Entre-Deux" (in Between) from 90 to 120 days or "Vieux" (Old) from more than 240 days.