2016 Tour de France, Stage 18: Sallanches → Megève (17km)

[Praying Mantis]

Stage 18: Sallanches → Megève (17 km, ITT)

Thursday, July 21st • Stage info • Startlist • Roadbook • Rules • Weather: Start, Finish
Starts at 10:51 - Live video from 14:15 - Finish at 17:30 (CEST) • Live ticker • Livestreams

The riders will initially start at two-minute intervals, until the final starters, who will go off at three-minute intervals. They will start in reverse order based on the overall classification at the end of the previous stage. The time cut is +33% of the winner's time.

Start Times:

Time    Rider                       Team
10:51   BENNETT Sam                 BOA
10:53   BAK Lars Ytting             LTS
10:55   HOWARD Leigh                IAM
10:57   ARCHBOLD Shane              BOA
10:59   EISEL Bernhard              DDD
11:01   MCLAY Daniel                FVC
11:03   GOUGEARD Alexis             ALM
11:05   SIEBERG Marcel              LTS
11:07   CIMOLAI Davide              LAM
11:09   BREEN Vegard                FVC
11:11   STANNARD Ian                SKY
11:13   KITTEL Marcel               EQS
11:15   HALLER Marco                KAT
11:17   GUARNIERI Jacopo            KAT
11:19   ROWE Luke                   SKY
11:21   WAGNER Robert               TLJ
11:23   KOREN Kristijan             CDT
11:25   PETIT Adrien                DEN
11:27   BODNAR Maciej               TNK
11:29   GATTO Oscar                 TNK
11:31   LAPORTE Christophe          COF
11:33   GENE Yohann                 DEN
11:35   GROENEWEGEN Dylan           TLJ
11:37   TIMMER Albert               TGA
11:39   HENDERSON Gregory           LTS
11:41   SCHILLINGER Andreas         BOA
11:43   SABATINI Fabio              EQS
11:45   BONO Matteo                 LAM
11:47   KRISTOFF Alexander          KAT
11:49   VERMOTE Julien              EQS
11:51   DEGENKOLB John              TGA
11:53   BENEDETTI Cesare            BOA
11:55   RICHEZE Ariel Maximiliano   EQS
11:57   TOSATTO Matteo              TNK
11:59   FONSECA Armindo             FVC
12:01   SINKELDAM Ramon             TGA
12:03   SOUPE Geoffrey              COF
12:05   ENGER Sondre Holst          IAM
12:07   CUMMINGS Stephen            DDD
12:09   KEISSE Iljo                 EQS
12:11   COUSIN Jérome               COF
12:13   WYNANTS Maarten             TLJ
12:15   BOOKWALTER Brent            BMC
12:17   LEMOINE Cyril               COF
12:19   BERHANE Natnael             DDD
12:21   DUMOULIN Samuel             ALM
12:23   VICIOSO Angel               KAT
12:25   JUUL JENSEN Christopher     OBE
12:27   NAVARDAUSKAS Ramunas        CDT
12:29   HAYMAN Mathew               OBE
12:31   ALBASINI Michael            OBE
12:33   BONNET William              FDJ
12:35   GREIPEL André               LTS
12:37   HOWES Alex                  CDT
12:39   ERVITI Imanol               MOV
12:41   EDET Nicolas                COF
12:43   VAKOC Petr                  EQS
12:45   ROELANDTS Jurgen            LTS
12:47   MATTHEWS Michael            OBE
12:49   ROOSEN Timo                 TLJ
12:51   COQUARD Bryan               DEN
12:53   RAST Gregory                TFS
12:55   CURVERS Roy                 TGA
12:57   KIRYIENKA Vasil             SKY
12:59   ARASHIRO Yukiya             LAM
13:01   CANCELLARA Fabian           TFS
13:03   CRADDOCK Lawson             CDT
13:05   VOSS Paul                   BOA
13:07   DUCHESNE Antoine            DEN
13:09   IRIZAR Markel               TFS
13:11   JANSE VAN RENSBURG Reinardt DDD
12:13   HOLLENSTEIN Reto            IAM
13:15   PERICHON Pierre-Luc         FVC
13:17   VANMARCKE Sep               TLJ
12:19   DURBRIDGE Luke              OBE
13:21   STUYVEN Jasper              TFS
13:23   PIBERNIK Luka               LAM
13:25   VAN BAARLE Dylan            CDT
13:27   BOASSON HAGEN Edvald        DDD
13:29   MARTENS Paul                TLJ
13:31   LINDEMAN Bertjan            TLJ
13:33   VACHON Florian              FVC
13:35   BURGHARDT Marcus            BMC
13:37   HANSEN Adam                 LTS
13:39   MARTIN Tony                 EQS
13:41   VALGREN Michael             TNK
13:43   GRMAY Tsgabu Gebremaryam    LAM
13:45   DELAPLACE Anthony           FVC
13:47   TEKLEHAIMANOT Daniel        DDD
13:49   SAGAN Peter                 TNK
13:51   BARTA Jan                   BOA
13:53   SCHÄR Michael               BMC
13:55   GAUTIER Cyril               ALM
13:57   JEANNESSON Arnold           COF
13:59   GALLOPIN Tony               LTS
14:01   NAESEN Oliver               IAM
14:03   OLIVEIRA Nelson             MOV
14:05   SICARD Romain               DEN
14:07   ROY Jérémy                  FDJ
14:09   COPPEL Jérôme               IAM
14:11   VICHOT Arthur               FDJ
14:13   ELMIGER Martin              IAM
14:15   SLAGTER Tom Jelte           CDT
14:17   ANACONA GOMEZ Winner        MOV
14:19   LUTSENKO Alexey             AST
14:21   IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Jon      MOV
14:23   GESCHKE Simon               TGA
14:25   SORENSEN Chris Anker        FVC
14:27   GRIVKO Andriy               AST
14:29   FARIA DA COSTA Rui          LAM
14:31   LOSADA Alberto              KAT
14:33   TIRALONGO Paolo             AST
14:35   GASTAUER Ben                ALM
14:37   JEANDESBOZ Fabrice          DEN
14:39   PLAZA MOLINA Ruben          OBE
14:41   VOECKLER Thomas             DEN
14:43   CHEREL Mikael               ALM
14:45   ROUX Anthony                FDJ
14:47   POLANC Jan                  LAM
14:49   KONRAD Patrick              BOA
14:51   TEN DAM Laurens             TGA
14:53   FEILLU Brice                FVC
14:55   KISERLOVSKI Robert          TNK
14:57   MATE MARDONES Luis Angel    COF
14:59   PREIDLER Georg              TGA
15:01   FUGLSANG Jakob              AST
15:03   SEPULVEDA Eduardo           FVC
15:05   BENNETT George              TLJ
15:07   DURASEK Kristijan           LAM
15:09   MOINARD Amaël               BMC
15:11   ALAPHILIPPE Julian          EQS
15:13   DE GENDT Thomas             LTS
15:15   CHAVANEL Sylvain            DEN
15:17   SANCHEZ Luis-Leon           AST
15:19   BAKELANTS Jan               ALM
15:21   DUMOULIN Tom                TGA
15:23   STETINA Peter               TFS
15:25   IMPEY Daryl                 OBE
15:27   ROSA Diego                  AST
15:29   VAN AVERMAET Greg           BMC
15:31   HUZARSKI Bartosz            BOA
15:33   LANDA MEANA Mikel           SKY
15:35   NIBALI Vincenzo             AST
15:37   MORENO Daniel               MOV
15:39   KELDERMAN Wilco             TLJ
15:41   POELS Wouter                SKY
15:43   NAVARRO Daniel              COF
15:45   SCHLECK Frank               TFS
15:47   MORABITO Steve              FDJ
15:49   PAUWELS Serge               DDD
15:51   MAJKA Rafal                 TNK
15:53   POZZOVIVO Domenico          ALM
15:55   CARUSO Damiano              BMC
15:57   ZAKARIN Ilnur               KAT
15:59   KANGERT Tanel               AST
16:01   ZUBELDIA Haimar             TFS
16:03   PANTANO Jarlinson           IAM
16:05   BUCHMANN Emanuel            BOA
16:07   VUILLERMOZ Alexis           ALM
16:09   BARGUIL Warren              TGA
16:11   CLEMENT Stef                IAM
16:13   NIEVE ITURRALDE Mikel       SKY
16:15   VAN GARDEREN Tejay          BMC
16:17   ROLLAND Pierre              CDT
16:19   THOMAS Geraint              SKY
16:21   HENAO MONTOYA Sergio        SKY
16:23   REICHENBACH Sébastien       FDJ
16:26   RODRIGUEZ Joaquim           KAT
16:29   KREUZIGER Roman             TNK
16:32   MEINTJES Louis              LAM
16:35   MARTIN Daniel               EQX
16:38   ARU Fabio                   AST
16:41   VALVERDE Alejandro          MOV
16:44   PORTE Richie                BMC
16:47   BARDET Romain               ALM
16:50   QUINTANA Nairo Alexander    MOV
16:53   YATES Adam                  OBE
16:56   MOLLEMA Bauke               TFS
16:59   FROOME Christopher          SKY

Route:

Profile:

Mountain passes & hills:
None


Preview:

Since the time trial on the Alpe d’Huez climb in 2004, Tour de France organizers ASO have not had a mountain time trial in their race. The dramatic images of enormous amounts of fans clearly put the safety into question and it seems that ASO have not dared to take the risk of having another mountain TT which would surely attract an unprecedented number of spectators. However, one of the novelties of the 2016 route was the decision to include a time trial that is as close to a mountain TT as one can possible get. However, as it is not held on a mythical climb and includes both a flat section and a descent in the end, it has attracted far less attention than a usual mountain TT would get and hopefully we won’t see the same dangerous scenes as we saw 12 years ago.

For the GC riders, the safety may be less of a concern. Mountain time trials are usually the most important stages as the real climbers can gain huge times here. The climb in stage 18 is less steep and not a real mountain so the gaps will be smaller but there is little doubt that this stage is going to be one of the most important of the entire race.

The stage will bring the riders over 17km from Sallanches to Megève. The riders will stay in the valley for the first three kilometres, following the L’Arve River, but then the climbing hostilities will begin. A right-hand turn leads them into the mountains as they hit the Cote de Domancy. It’s a 2.5km climb with an average gradient of a massive 9.4%, with the final two kilometres even averaging more than 10%. The first time check will be taken at the top after 6.5km of racing.

The next kilometre will be almost flat and then the road slowly starts to climb at a gradient of 4-5% for the next three kilometres. Along the way, the second time check will be taken at the 10km mark. Then it’s time for the final climb, the Cotes des Chozeaux (3.1km, 5.4%) which is very irregular as two kilometres average more than 8% while the rest of the climb is almost flat. The final time check will be taken one kilometre from the top which comes with 2.5km to go. The final part of the stage is slightly downhill but with almost no turns, meaning that it is not a place for great descenders to gain time. There are only one turn and two roundabouts to handle in the finale, with the final obstacle coming 100m from the line.

As said, mountain time trials are usually more important than any other stage. With no tactics, it all comes down to climbing skills and this means that the climbers can create huge differences. These stages always suit the climbers and TT skills mean nothing in this kind of stage. However, this stage is different than those usually seen in the Giro and the Vuelta where the riders face a real mountain. The real climbers will only really excel on the steep first climb while the more powerful guys will benefit from the flat start and the relatively easy gradients later in the stage. That makes it more comparable with the Col d’Eze time trial which is known from Paris-Nice. Still it’s a day for GC riders and climbers and not for time triallists and there is no chance that Tony Martin or Fabian Cancellara will be in the mix for the stage win. On paper, it’s a great stage for Chris Froome who is both a great climber and powerful on the easier gradients but Alberto Contador, Nairo Quintana, Richie Porte and Thibaut Pinot have all excelled in similar stages before. Much will depend on recovery and freshness at this late point of the race on a stage that will play a big role in determining the winner of the race.

Megève last hosted the finish of a major bike race at the 2004 Criterium du Dauphiné when Iban Mayo won a tough 5km prologue with less than a second over Tyler Hamilton. Lance Armstrong was third, one second behind the Basque who would go on to have a great race and later abandoning the Tour de France after a poor performance.

Current GC standings:



Withdrawals Stage 17:
DNS: CAVENDISH, Mark (Team Dimension Data) - Olympics
DNS: DENNIS, Rohan (BMC Racing Team) - Olympics
DNF: IZAGIRRE, Gorka (Movistar Team) - crash
DNF: BOŽIČ, Borut (Cofidis, Solutions Crédits) - two crashes

All Withdrawals:
DENNIS (BMC) BRESCHEL, LANGEVELD (CDT) BOŽIČ (COF) CAVENDISH, RENSHAW (DDD) TULIK (DEN) LADAGNOUS, PINEAU, PINOT (FDJ) FRANK (IAM) MØRKØV, VAN DEN BROECK (KAT) DEBUSSCHERE (LTS) HERRADA, G. IZAGIRRE (MOV) GERRANS (OBE) CONTADOR (TNK) THEUNS (TFS)
179 of 198 riders remain in the race.



← Stage 17 Thread • Stage 19 Thread →

 

[johngoat]

Re: 2016 Tour de France, Stage 18: Sallanches → Megève (17km

1 Froome
2 Porte
3 Dumoulin

 

[jsem94]

Great work with the stages etc btw.

Froome to destroy everyone.

 

[RattaKuningas]

I can't think of a favorite. Might be Porte, Froome or someone else. I'm hoping for Aru win but I understand that it is unlikely.

 

[roundabout]

5K on offer at km 6.5. Although now I am a bit confused at how it is going to be calculated as there doesn't seem to be a time check at 4km.

 

[Anderis]

Will someone be able to surprise and beat GC guys here, like Foliforov did during the Giro?

 

[Cookster15]

1. Froome
2. Porte
3. Dumoulin

Aru will lose another 30-40 seconds to Porte meaning any plans Astana has for Mont Blanc will be futile.

 

[RattaKuningas]

Re:

1. Froome
2. Porte
3. Dumoulin

Aru will lose another 30-40 seconds to Porte meaning any plans Astana has for Mont Blanc will be futile.

How so? Even if Aru loses 30 seconds to Porte it isn't end of the things for Astana because they can still move up from 8th overall GC. I'd say that top 5 is very achievable.

 

[PremierAndrew]

1) Froome
2) Poels
3) Landa
4) Nieve
5) Thomas
6) Henao
7) Porte

Everyone else outside the time limit

 

[PremierAndrew]

Weather tomorrow. Dumoulin has an advantage over the GC guys

 

[Praying Mantis]

Re:

Great work with the stages etc btw.

Tack så mycket! It's a bit of a slog at this point.

And now mods are deleting my posts in here? Wow. Alright then, I guess I needed a slap on the wrist.

 

[classicomano]

Dumoulin will go full gas here, said he saved energy today and the legs felt good.

 

[Anderis]

Re:

1) Froome
2) Poels
3) Landa
4) Nieve
5) Thomas
6) Henao
7) Porte

Everyone else outside the time limit

No way Landa beats Nieve!

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: 2016 Tour de France, Stage 18: Sallanches → Megève (17km

I'd love to see dumoulin take the stage but I just don't see it happening. Froome is imo the outstanding favorite.

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

Re:

1) Froome
2) Poels
3) Landa
4) Nieve
5) Thomas
6) Henao
7) Porte

Everyone else outside the time limit

I assume this post is a joke? Where is the world champion?

 

[deValtos]

Lets be honest, the only rider who could challenge Froome is Foliforov and he's not here ...

 

[sir fly]

Dumoulin vs. Froome.
There's a certain Vuelta stage on my mind...

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

Lets be honest, the only rider who could challenge Froome is Foliforov and he's not here ...

Contador would also challenge on this TT route.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Yates top 5.

 

[Cookster15]

Re: Re:

Lets be honest, the only rider who could challenge Froome is Foliforov and he's not here ...

Contador would also challenge on this TT route.

Contador 2009 maybe - even 2011. But not Contador 2016.

 

[Anderis]

Re: Re:

Contador 2009 maybe - even 2011. But not Contador 2016.

He beat Froome in a mountain prologue during Dauphine this year and came really close to beating him in 2013 hilly Tour ITT despite being mediocre in the rest of the race.

Contador is very strong in TTs with climbs, even when he is not the strongest rider in the race.

 

[Cookster15]

Re: Re:

Contador 2009 maybe - even 2011. But not Contador 2016.

He beat Froome in a mountain prologue during Dauphine this year and came really close to beating him in 2013 hilly Tour ITT despite being mediocre in the rest of the race.

Contador is very strong in TTs with climbs, even when he is not the strongest rider in the race.

I am aware of this which is why I mentioned 2011 when Contador rode a strong final TT despite crashes and Giro fatigue. But the Dauphine is a training race. Means little just ask Iban Mayo.

 

[Miburo]

Contador 2009 maybe beats this Froome? LOL

The worst version of Contador almost beat the best Froome in an ITT such as this. Some people need to watch some cycling before making an account here.

 

[Cookster15]

Re:

Contador 2009 maybe beats this Froome? LOL

The worst version of Contador almost beat the best Froome in an ITT such as this. Some people need to watch some cycling before making an account here.

Actually I've been watching since about 1986 - 30 years. If you can provide a recent example since 2011 in a grand Tour where Contador beat Froome in a TT I am very happy to be proven wrong.

 

[DanielSong39]

Re: Re:

Contador 2009 maybe beats this Froome? LOL

The worst version of Contador almost beat the best Froome in an ITT such as this. Some people need to watch some cycling before making an account here.

Actually I've been watching since about 1986 - 30 years. If you can provide a recent example since 2011 in a grand Tour where Contador beat Froome in a TT I am very happy to be proven wrong.

Contador beat Froome in a TT in the 2012 Vuelta and twice in the 2014 Vuelta.