The 3rd week starts with a very flat sprinter stage, followed by a hilly stage (9/9) with lots of short but hard climbs, perfect for the classic puncheur types. 10/9 is the 2nd rest day, before a mountain stage (11/9) ending with a Hors catégorie to “Aneto” just before an uphill finish to Pla de Beret ski resort.
Pla de Beret:
12/9 The king stage with 6 hard climbs finishing with first Col du Tourmalet and then a mountain top finish at Luz-Ardiden. 13/9 no time to rest, the stage is categorized as hilly but with 3x cat1 and an uphill finish it is not going to be a rest day.
14/9 Another very hard mountain stage with mountain top finish at Alto de L'Angliru. Finally 15/9 a 41.6 km ITT with a climb mid stage.
AbhishekLFC: Hard to say, I am sure he can take time on many top 15 riders in the mountains, but with a 42 km ITT on the last day, he might lose it all again.
Christina Reports: The tur busses have driven about 60 km north east from Murcia to Elx, for a long flat stage to Valencia.
The area was permanently occupied since 5000 BC, around 600 BC one of the largest Iberian settlements “La Alcudia” was found here, just 3 km from the current city.
One of the most important works of Iberian culture was found here, “Dama de Elche” (500-300 BC)
Pre-race strategy: We will relax the team today, preparing for the harder stages.
It is rather hot 29°C with just a light breeze. The morning break is 4 riders.
Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ.fr) is down, the entire team is brought back to help him.
The peloton is not in the mood for a breakaway win, they bring the break back before the 10 km mark.
Then right after the 5 km sign, Fabian Cancellara crashes taking a group of riders down, including Pierre Rolland and Kenny Elissonde. They all lose 3’07 today.
Again today it is Leigh Howard leading for Degenkolb first under the 1 km mark. Sagan sits on Degenkolb’s wheel. Sondre Holst Enger is not that far behind, at the wheel of Yves Lampaert.
Sagan is the fastest today, taking his 2nd win of this tour. John Degenkolb 2nd with just centimetres over André Greipel. Sondre Holst Enger had a fine sprint getting 9th.
Christina: Fine sprint from Sonder, but a bad blow to our CG, 3 minutes will be a lot, even though we got possibilities in the mountains. Our best in the GC is now Kenny Elissonde as 28th at 8’18.
Rasmussen Reports: We are here in Fourmies, for the Grand Prix de Fourmies, held since 1928. Fourmies is a municipality in region Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy, France, with a population of about 12.500.
The town is just 10 km from the Belgian border. A village has been known to exist here since the 9 century.
Postcard early 20 century:
Pre-race strategy: We expect a mass sprint, but might send a breakaway rider, to put pressure on other teams.
Profile:
Roster:
Angelo Furlan
Daniele Aldegheri
Francisco José Pacheco
Lasse Christiansen
Mads Würtz Schmidt
Morten Høberg
Philip Nielsen
Sebastian Balck
The weather is fine, 20°C and a clear blue sky with a moderate breeze. We get Daniele Aldegheri in the morning breakaway.
But the peloton is too fast and with about 12 km left the break is over.
The trains get up and we are sitting fine with about 5 km to the line.
Under the 1 km sign Pacheco is caught behind his own teammates. Vacansoleil has created some distance to the other teams.
Romain Feillu wins over teammate Danny Van Poppel, our best is Francisco José Pacheco (10).
Rasmussen: Not the best race, but at least a top 10.
Christina Reports: The tur busses have driven about 350 km north from Valencia to Barcelona, for a short but bumpy ride in the Barcelona region.
Ruins of an early settlement have been found, including tombs and a hut from 5.500 BC. In the 3-2 century BC the area was settled by the Iberians. Today Barcelona has a total urban population of about 4,700,000.
Plaça Reial:
Pre-race strategy: We might send somebody in a breakaway; we expect the stage could provide a possibly breakaway win.
A morning break get away, we have not got the right riders in front to join it, but on the 2nd climb, Stefan Schumacher countered by Amets Txurruka (Caja Rural) attacks try to catch up.
The pursuing is successful and the front group is now 8 riders, most of them very strong for this kind of terrain. The break gets more than 8 minutes.
When the peloton get to the last climb, it is clear that the breakaway will win the race, but to gain time in the GC, several attacks start, including an attempt by Ellisonde. The only group to get away permanently is Peter Sagan, Luis León Sánchez, Daniel Moreno and Edvald Boasson Hagen.
The stage is won by Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin) over Cyril Gautier (FDJ) Stefan Schumacher takes the last podium. Group Sagan gets in at 8’41, the peloton at 9’49. Sagan takes over the points jersey.
Christina: A great day with a brilliant race from Stefan, another good achievement from our veteran.
11/9 Stage 17/21 : Tàrrega - Pla de Beret 197.3 km
Christina Reports: We are here in Tàrrega for a long hard mountain stage to Pla de Beret in the Pyrénées close to the French border.
The origins of Tarrega began in mid-eleventh century when the Count of Barcelona conquered the castle Tàrrega. Tàrrega was a triving community with market right and large goldsmiths and craftsmen’s trade guilds in the early middle age, but this ended with the fourteenth century plagues. Today Tarrega is a municipality of about 16.500.
Iglesia de Santa María:
Pre-race strategy: Focus will be on Ellisonde today, but if Lasse Bøchman or Davide Malacarne got good legs, we might try a breakaway.
Profile:
It is very hot for a long mountain stage like this, 30°C and almost no wind. The morning break is just 2 riders Peter Stetina (Garmin) and Rafael Valls (Caja Rural).
To everyone’s surprise one of the absolute race favorites Carlos Betancur (Astana) attacks very early, with more than 80 km to the finish, he is joined by 3 good riders. We set Stefan Schumacher and Yves Lampaert up front to help BMC control the situation.
Over the top of the Aneto (HC), group Betancur has caught the original breakaway. The front group has about two minutes to a peloton of 34 riders, with Elissonde, Malacarne and race leader Van Garderen.
There are attempts to attack from this group, Ellisonde also try, but they all fail.
Rafael Valls can’t hang on to the pace up front, he is done and fall’s back fast.
Then on the final climb, with 5 km to the top Daniel Moreno (AG2R) attacks, Ellisonde counters.
Group Betancur has got 1’02 to the favorite group at this point.
The last rider from the original break Peter Stetina, is also done now gliding back. Under the 1 km mark the front group is reduced to 4 riders, group Ellisonde at 29 sec., a group of 26 with race leader Van Garderen at 1’03.
The stage is won by Carlos Betancur with 14 sec. to Fabio Duarte (Avianca), Giovanni Visconti (Bardiani) takes the last podium. Kenny Elissonde wins the sprint over Daniel Moreno and get in 5th at 0’58.
Christina: Very strong race from Elissonde, getting a top 5 on the stage, he is now 24th in the GC at 7’57.
The caravan has driven just 10 km down from the mountain to Salardú, for the toughest mountain stage of this year’s tour. Today we are crossing the border into the French Pyrenees.
Salardú is a small mountain village in Catalonia, with a population of just around 580 people. The local church is from the end of the 12 century.
After a very tough climb to Tourmalet and the descend, the stage ends with a very tough finish, starting from Luz-Saint-Sauveur at 710 m. then climbing to Luz Ardiden at 1720 m. 14.7 km with an average of 6.9%.
The road to Luz Ardiden:
Pre-race strategy: Everyone will help Ellisonde and when we get to Tourmalet, he hopefully has the legs to do something to improve his GC.
Profile:
It is not that hot today, temperatures are down to 27°C stil no wind. A strong breakaway of 11 riders takes off at the first cat.1. After a while Malacarne attacks and gets contact with the front.
Malecarne attacks:
The distance from the break to the peloton grows very fast, we are a little worried by the strength of the break, now with more than 8 minutes, and eventually Kenny Elissonde decides to attack at Col de Peyresourde (HC). Over the next two climbs Elissonde sits alone, before we realize that the attack is fruitlessly, he has to fall back.
The peloton set up the pace, and slowly gets closer to the breakaway. About mid stage with 80 km to the finish the breakaway has 6’06 to a peloton of 48 riders, with race leader Van Garderen, yesterday’s winner Betancur, Kreuziger, Navarro, Moreno and Ellisonde, the only rider we have left in the peloton.
Up front Fabio Duarte (Avianca) can’t follow, he has already lost 2 minutes, now alone against the mountain:
Near the top of Tourmalet, the favorite group and the breakaway melts together, but there is no time to rest, immediately Alejandro Valverde (Katusha) attacks, Giovanni Visconti (Bardiani Valvole) counters.
From here it is a fast descent, and then man versus man on Luz Ardiden.
The stage is won by Alejandro Valverde in the same time as Giovanni Visconti, Carlos Betancur third at 1’40. It was a very hard stage with time loses of 6’51 just within the 28 rider in the first group. Our best is Kenny Elissonde 18th at 5’14.
A 4th place from Kreuziger (Saxo) secured the “maillot rojo” leader jersey
Christina: We definitely misjudged the situation, and we have to just learn from that. We might have had a much better result if Ellisonde did not lose energy on a wasted attempt. Elissonde is 21 at 9’23 in the GC.
Stage:
1
Alejandro Valverde
Katusha Team
5h22'08
2
Giovanni Visconti
Bardiani Valvole - CSF Inox
s.t.
3
Carlos Betancur
Astana Pro Team
+ 1'40
4
Roman Kreuziger
Team Saxo - Tinkoff
+ 2'22
5
Daniel Navarro
Garmin - Sharp
+ 3'23
6
Daniel Moreno
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 4'16
7
Steven Kruijswijk
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
8
John Darwin Atapuma
Katusha Team
s.t.
9
Matthias Frank
BMC Racing Team
+ 4'33
10
Pierre Rolland
Team Europcar
s.t.
GC:
1
Roman Kreuziger
Team Saxo - Tinkoff
72h17'19
2
Tejay Van Garderen
BMC Racing Team
+ 45
3
Alejandro Valverde
Katusha Team
+ 2'14
4
Peter Sagan
Astana Pro Team
+ 2'15
5
Carlos Betancur
Astana Pro Team
+ 2'28
6
Daniel Moreno
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 2'32
7
Peter Velits
BMC Racing Team
+ 2'39
8
Geraint Thomas
Vodafone
+ 2'43
9
Luis León Sánchez
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
+ 3'00
10
Steven Kruijswijk
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
+ 3'09
Points:
1
Peter Sagan
Astana Pro Team
205
2
John Degenkolb
Team Argos - Shimano
196
3
Mark Cavendish
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
149
Mountain:
1
Giovanni Visconti
Bardiani Valvole - CSF Inox
77
2
Alejandro Valverde
Katusha Team
55
3
Pierre Rolland
Team Europcar
32
Team: Belkin Pro Cycling Team
Young: Peter Sagan (Astana Pro Team)
Edited by Tamijo on 29-04-2016 12:08
13/9 Stage 19/21: Luz-Saint-Sauveur – Sabiñánigo: 157.8 km
The caravan has driven just the 14 km back from the mountain, down to Luz-Saint-Sauveur for a 158 km ride back into Spain. The stage is categorized as hilly, but in looks more like a less hard mountain stage, finishing with a climb near Sabiñánigo.
The village dates back to the early middle age, with a castle from the 10th century and a fortified church build by “Knights Hospitaller” in the 12 century to protect the village from “Spanish Bandits”.
L'église des Templiers:
We believe the long descend will help catch any dangerous breakaway, we will wait in the peloton for the final climb.
Profile:
The weather has changes dramatically, today just 21°C with and almost black sky, the rain is pouring down on the riders, obvious everyone fears a crash on the wet roads.
The early breakaway is 8 riders including stage favorite Philippe Gilbert (BMC)
On the last cat.1 climb, Stefan Schumacher attacks, aiming to catch up to the front group.
At the foot of the final climb, it is clear that Schumacher won’t make it and neither will the peloton. It is between the breakaway, they got about 4 minutes. Philippe Gilbert attacks, countered by Jérémy Roy (Orica).
The attack fails, only Nicolas Edet (FDJ) was dropped, otherwise the group starts the sprint together, the strongest on the last km was Tim Wellens (Lotto) over Juan Esteban Arango (Avianca).
Kenny Elissonde gets in as 10th, at 4'14.
Christina: Horrible day for the riders, but a fine stage for us, Ellisonde got a top 10 and advanced a little in the GC, he is now 20th at 9’23.
