2016 TdF, Stage 14: Montélimar → Villars-les-Dombes (209km)

[Praying Mantis]

Stage 14: Montélimar → Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux (208.5 km, Flat)

Saturday, July 16th • Stage info • Startlist • Roadbook • Rules • Weather: Start, Halfway, Finish
Starts at 12:10 - Live video from 14:15 - Finish at 17:10 (CEST) • Live ticker • Livestreams


Route:

Profile:

Mountain passes & hills:
Km 20.5 - Côte de Puy-Saint-Martin 3.6 kilometre-long climb at 5.2% - category 4
Km 93.5 - Côte du Four-à-Chaux 3.9 kilometre-long climb at 4.2% - category 4
Km 101.5 - Côte d'Hauterives 2.1 kilometre-long climb at 5.5% - category 4


Final Kilometres:

Preview:

After two crucial GC stages, there will be a short chance to breathe for the GC riders who will relish the easier course for stage 14. Last year the organizers barely gave any room to the sprinters during the traditional journey between the Pyrenees and the Alps but this year there are at least two opportunities for the fastmen. After the first potential sprint stage to Revel and the almost completely flat stage to Montpellier, the fast riders should again be in the spotlight in stage 14 which brings the riders to the outskirts of the northern part of the Alps where the race will be decided in the final week.

At 208.5km, it is one of the longest stages of the race and will bring the riders from Montélimar to Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux close to the major city of Lyon. All day they will be travelling in a northerly direction and there won’t be many challenges when it comes to the terrain. The category 4 climb of Cote de Puy-Saint-Martin (3.6km, 5.2%) comes after just 20.5km of racing and then flat roads lead to a hillier section with the category 4 climbs of Cote du Four-à-Chaux (3.9km, 4.2%) and the Cote d’Hauterives (2.1km, 5.5%).

The rolling terrain will continue for a few more kilometres until the riders get to the slightly uphill intermediate sprint at the 145.5km mark. From there, it’s back onto almost completely flat roads that lead all the way to the finish. Here the riders can look forward to a very easy finale as there are only two turns in the final 10km, the final of those coming just at the 3km to go mark. From there, it is a long, straight, flat, 7m wide road.

This stage is one of the easiest of the entire race and unlike many of the previous flat stages, it has a very straightforward finale. The long, wide finishing straight is tailor-made for the pure sprinters who will love to get another chance to stretch their legs before they head into the mountains and turn in survival mode. At this point of a grand tour, the breakaways always have a bigger chance than they have at the start of the race but in modern-day cycling, escape success in flat Tour de France stages is rare. With so many top sprinters in this race, it is hard to imagine that this won’t give the sprinters another chance to go for glory on a day when the GC riders hope to get a small chance to recover.

Villars-les-Dombes has not hosted a Tour de France stage for more than a decade. Last year it hosted the finish of a stage at the Criterium du Dauphiné which was won by Nacer Bouhanni in a bunch sprint. Two years earlier Tony Martin beat Rohan Dennis and Chris Froome in a long, flat time trial in Parc des Oiseaux.

Current GC standings:



Withdrawals Stage 13:
DNS: GERRANS, Simon (ORICA-BikeExchange) - broken collarbone, crash stage 12
DNS: PINOT, Thibaut (FDJ) - bronchitis
DNF: THEUNS, Edward (Trek - Segafredo) - fractured vertebrae, crash

All Withdrawals:
LANGEVELD (CDT) RENSHAW (DDD) TULIK (DEN) LADAGNOUS, PINEAU, PINOT (FDJ) MØRKØV, VAN DEN BROECK (KAT) GERRANS (OBE) CONTADOR (TNK) THEUNS (TFS)
187 of 198 riders remain in the race.



← Stage 13 Thread • Stage 15 Thread →

 

[vedrafjord]

So it's the second weekend. After a week of watching the finishes in a small browser window on a second monitor in work, forecast for tomorrow here is rain so time to watch a proper stage start to finish on TV. It's Saturday - that means an epic mountain stage with attacks guaranteed from way out... hang on a sec - no it doesn't. Three climbs that RCS wouldn't even bother to categorise, and a flat, flat finish. God dammit ASO.

 

[BigMac]

Coquard, please.

 

[MikeTichondrius]

Re:

So it's the second weekend. After a week of watching the finishes in a small browser window on a second monitor in work, forecast for tomorrow here is rain so time to watch a proper stage start to finish on TV. It's Saturday - that means an epic mountain stage with attacks guaranteed from way out... hang on a sec - no it doesn't. Three climbs that RCS wouldn't even bother to categorise, and a flat, flat finish. God dammit ASO.

It boggles the mind. Same thing. Every. Single. Year. I barely watched the TT and Ventoux and I'll barely watch this nonsense. I like sprints, but they're more than perfect for weekday viewing. Same goes for TTs. Keep the good stuff on weekends.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Winds of 25km/h expected

 

[rzombie1988]

Re: Re:

So it's the second weekend. After a week of watching the finishes in a small browser window on a second monitor in work, forecast for tomorrow here is rain so time to watch a proper stage start to finish on TV. It's Saturday - that means an epic mountain stage with attacks guaranteed from way out... hang on a sec - no it doesn't. Three climbs that RCS wouldn't even bother to categorise, and a flat, flat finish. God dammit ASO.

It boggles the mind. Same thing. Every. Single. Year. I barely watched the TT and Ventoux and I'll barely watch this nonsense. I like sprints, but they're more than perfect for weekday viewing. Same goes for TTs. Keep the good stuff on weekends.

I really just watch mountain stages. I can think of a lot of better things to do than watch Cav take a bonafide summer joyride through Paris.

 

[MatParker117]

Re:

Winds of 25km/h expected

Trek, Orica & Sky to finish off Nairo?

 

[Ruudz0r]

Mainly head wind so it will likely be a slow and very boring stage

 

[Pantani Attacks]

Froome to sprint to victory while sitting on his stem facing backwards as Cav's pain faces greets him as he crosses the line

 

[Brullnux]

Why oh why would you put a flat stage on a weekend

 

[RattaKuningas]

Perfect stage for printers. 3km straight in the end. Will be bunch sprint.

 

[Cannibal72]

Re:

Perfect stage for printers. 3km straight in the end. Will be bunch sprint.

Printers have persecuted me without a cause

--From a 1612 edition of the King James Bible, replacing 'princes' in verse 161 of Psalm 119

 

[RattaKuningas]

Re: Re:

Perfect stage for printers. 3km straight in the end. Will be bunch sprint.

Printers have persecuted me without a cause

--From a 1612 edition of the King James Bible, replacing 'princes' in verse 161 of Psalm 119

Noticed it now. :lol:

 

[SlickMongoose]

Re:

So it's the second weekend. After a week of watching the finishes in a small browser window on a second monitor in work, forecast for tomorrow here is rain so time to watch a proper stage start to finish on TV. It's Saturday - that means an epic mountain stage with attacks guaranteed from way out... hang on a sec - no it doesn't. Three climbs that RCS wouldn't even bother to categorise, and a flat, flat finish. God dammit ASO.

I'm not usually one to moan too much about sprint stages, but on a Saturday?

 

[DanielSong39]

Oh, what the heck, I'll pick Froome.

Alien mode?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

This could very well be more exciting than the crap mountain stages which often ends in endless wheelsucking and a 1.5km uphill sprint. Give me a real powerful break after some tough 60-80km action from the start.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re:

Perfect stage for printers. 3km straight in the end. Will be bunch sprint.

No ink left.

 

[Anderis]

There seem to be very little mountains in 2nd week of this Tour de France.

Just when some of my favourite riders seem to be doing very well and could take advantage of their form before others may catch up for 3rd week.

 

[SKSemtex]

Re: Re:

Perfect stage for printers. 3km straight in the end. Will be bunch sprint.

No ink left.

Nevermind. I put my money on laser ones. it should be between Brother and HP.We will see tommorow.

 

[Stilletto]

Big break to win me thinks and with a massive margin going for ;
Adam Hansen/Iljo keisse/Tom Slagter
Rest of the break
Peloton about 22 mins behind

 

[classicomano]

Astana to go crazy from the start.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Didn't the Tour organise a similar sprint stage in the penultimate weekend last year too? Sure Greipel won it, I hope its not the start of a trend. I like to see GC stages on a weekend.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Didn't the Tour organise a similar sprint stage in the penultimate weekend last year too? Sure Greipel won it, I hope its not the start of a trend. I like to see GC stages on a weekend.

Yeah, wtf is that? That's where the ITT should be, flip-flop. Regardless, I'd like Bryan to get this one. Or Haimar to out sprint Cavendish.

 

[TMP402]

Re:

Astana to go crazy from the start.

What for?

 

[52520Andrew]

Strong winds but we are going north pretty much right into them so it should be a sprint at the end. Going to guess Greipel but Cav and Kittel are very likely as well.