Tour de France 2014 July 20, Stage 15: Tallard - Nîmes 222km

[Hugo Koblet]

Apparently Kittel suffered pretty badly in Stage 13 and Greipel yesterday. We'll see what condition the top sprinters are in after two mountain stages.

Kittel seemed to be very good yesterday, though. I think he was among the last sprinters to drop.

 

[Tank Engine]

I'm going to assume that the weather report is accurate and the cross winds will blow the race apart. If so, I think that either Kittel will not make the front group or go into the red. Kristoff ftw.

 

[jens_attacks]

60 km/h winds holy moly....so this is the stage where valverde loses 10 minutes this year

i go with someone from belkin, the masters of wind...sep, if he' still in the race

 

[veji11]

60 km/h winds holy moly....so this is the stage where valverde loses 10 minutes this year

i go with someone from belkin, the masters of wind...sep, if he' still in the race

tough for the GC guys... They are all tired and needing a rest, but hey here they have what is arguably a day of pure stress ahead of them..

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Desperately hope for echelons, because otherwise it is a real waste putting a flat stage on the penultimate weekend, serving up a tedious nothing stage when there is almost nothing but GC-relevant stages to come. They did the same in 2011, where there was nothing but important stages left in the race (mainly because the first two weeks were awful), yet they still found room for a pointless flat stage on the weekend. The only time we get a sprint on the weekend at Le Tour should be the Champs Elysées.

 

[veji11]

Desperately hope for echelons, because otherwise it is a real waste putting a flat stage on the penultimate weekend, serving up a tedious nothing stage when there is almost nothing but GC-relevant stages to come. They did the same in 2011, where there was nothing but important stages left in the race (mainly because the first two weeks were awful), yet they still found room for a pointless flat stage on the weekend. The only time we get a sprint on the weekend at Le Tour should be the Champs Elysées.

bah, you are quite harsh, sure it's nicer to have a mountain stage on a sunday, but transition/sprint stages are part of the rythm of the race.

 

[murali]

wrong question in the poll:
it should have been "Which position will Sagan come in?" with options: 2, vino(following tradition).

 

[Christian]

If not for the racing, this stage should have very beautiful scenery. It goes through an area where I spend most of my time during the year and also go cycling every now and then. It has very narrow roads indeed, and wind can be a factor though I don't know what they are expecting today.

Here some pictures:

Simiane la Rotonde:

Colorado Provençal (Rustrel):

Gordes:

Beaucaire/Tarascon:

 

[Christian]

Nîmes:

I was there for the Féria de Nîmes once, I can highly recommend it!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

bah, you are quite harsh, sure it's nicer to have a mountain stage on a sunday, but transition/sprint stages are part of the rythm of the race.

They are, but it's always been the case that to maximise the potential audience for the maximum amount of time, the weekend stages where the potential audience is higher tend to be GC-relevant stages, so that audiences will watch for more time, not just tune in for the last few km as is often the case in sprint stages. Sprint stages have their place, and the penultimate Sunday in the race should not be it.

 

[Linkinito]

Not a single 4th category climb. Awesome stage design.

Banon, Simiane la Rotonde, Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt, and Gordes could have been 4th category climbs. But nope. Hell, they could have reused the col de la Vayède like last year.

Thanks, Gouvenou.

 

[rainman]

I'm wondering if the teams are going to make Giant pull for 100 k's to control the morning break. It's killed them twice, giving Greipel the Reims stage and Kristoff into St.Etienne. A more technical, chaotic finish would favour the Norwegian.
But if the mistral blows Belkin may see a chance to improve the standings of Mollema and Ten Dam. OPQS will have other ideas and will be looking to deliver Trentin. For all that I'd like to see Sagan get a stage at last.

 

[manafana]

Kittel a very strong favourite here but not really buying it, far from straight forward day ahead with cross winds, rain, round abouts and narrow roads to be dealt with.

 

[veji11]

Not a single 4th category climb. Awesome stage design.

Banon, Simiane la Rotonde, Saint-Saturnin-les-Apt, and Gordes could have been 4th category climbs. But nope. Hell, they could have reused the col de la Vayède like last year.

Thanks, Gouvenou.

Why on earth should there be a climb today ?? This year's design is proving quite awesome, and flat stages are part of it. Today it is the Echelons and the wind that are the difficulty, no need for a token climb. Gouvenou is doing an awesome job so far.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Why on earth should there be a climb today ?? This year's design is proving quite awesome, and flat stages are part of it. Today it is the Echelons and the wind that are the difficulty, no need for a token climb. Gouvenou is doing an awesome job so far.

I agree. Great variation this year.
Now I hope for favorable winds.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Why on earth should there be a climb today ?? This year's design is proving quite awesome, and flat stages are part of it. Today it is the Echelons and the wind that are the difficulty, no need for a token climb. Gouvenou is doing an awesome job so far.

The existence of the stage is not the issue. It's the pacing that places this on a weekend, when almost all that remains are mountain stages (which are over before the final weekend). Maybe it's less so in France, but in Italy audience figures for flat stages are chronic compared to hilly, mountain and ITT stages, which was part of the reason for Zomegnan's route designs going in the direction they went, while in Spain a similar effect (plus the strengths of the main Spanish riders of course) has led to the ridiculously imbalanced routes. A couple of years ago I did a bit of research into what stages are placed on weekends and found that the Tour is far more likely than the other two GTs to place a flat stage on a weekend, while the Vuelta is the most likely to "play it safe" with a mountaintop finish.

The route this year has seemingly been fine, but it's just a shame on a maximum potential audience day, they have a stage where, if the weather doesn't play ball, we have minimum potential intrigue, and on days with maximum potential intrigue, half the audience are at work and unable to watch live.

The other problem of course is that for stages like this the maillot vert intrigue can carry it (think years like 2010 with Petacchi holding the jersey, Cav winning stages and Thor getting in breaks, or 2011 with 'can Rojas get close enough to the front of the sprint to make it to the jersey if Cav is penalised in the mountains?'). The maillot vert is all but dead at the moment. In 2012 Sagan took it on the third day and held it to Paris; in 2013 he took it on the third day and held it to Paris; this year he's taken it on the second day and barring crashes, will take it to Paris. The current format suits him so well and he's competitive over the hillier stages that the pure sprinters can't make it to the end on, that there is simply no intrigue in that competition. In fact, bar one day with Gallopin, it looks like both the yellow and green jerseys will be held almost unopposed from the first weekend to the finish.

So what does that leave? There's an interesting battle in the GPM, with Purito looking to get points and Nibali picking them up in sledgehammer-like chunks as the GC leader... but there are no points for Purito to try to pick up today. Which just leaves the white jersey.

 

[Linkinito]

Why on earth should there be a climb today ?? This year's design is proving quite awesome, and flat stages are part of it. Today it is the Echelons and the wind that are the difficulty, no need for a token climb. Gouvenou is doing an awesome job so far.

The problem is if you count on the wind, you're just putting your hopes on the weather. Lucky for today, there will be winds and a good storm in the end of the stage.

But in my opinion every single mass-start stage should count at least one 4th category climb to give an interest for the breakaway. There was 4 opportunities to bring a 4th category in this stage. After all, sprinters can climb 4C climbs...

 

[veji11]

The problem is if you count on the wind, you're just putting your hopes on the weather. Lucky for today, there will be winds and a good storm in the end of the stage.

But in my opinion every single mass-start stage should count at least one 4th category climb to give an interest for the breakaway. There was 4 opportunities to bring a 4th category in this stage. After all, sprinters can climb 4C climbs...

let's just agree to disagree; there are 21 stages in a GT, i am perfectly fine with having 3 or 4 completely and utterly flat, although I of course prefer the hilly and mountain stages.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

let's just agree to disagree; there are 21 stages in a GT, i am perfectly fine with having 3 or 4 completely and utterly flat, although I of course prefer the hilly and mountain stages.

Again though - it's not that the stage is flat. It's that they put a stage where they are entirely reliant on the weather to provide any entertainment, on the penultimate weekend.

 

[veji11]

Again though - it's not that the stage is flat. It's that they put a stage where they are entirely reliant on the weather to provide any entertainment, on the penultimate weekend.

Libertine, I am having parallel conversations with Linkinito and you. I agree it is unfortunate that today's stage falls on a sunday. I would sure much rather have a mountain stage.

But, as I said to Linkinito, I am perfectly happy with today's route in itself. After 6 hard stages with mountains, rain and then horrible heat, a flat day doesn't shock me. If there is wind there might be GC action, if not it will just be a bunch sprint. Faire enough, I am quite happy to see Greipel and Kittel again, although i am of course impatient for the 3 pyrenean stages !

 

[trevim]

I'm starting to question the ambition of teams like Trek, Cannondale, Lampre, Sky, FdJ, Greenedge. Missing the break today and letting 2 guys go away without a fight? What are they going to do now, outsprint Kittel?
This race has been full of lame breaks, I mean only 2 guys in a stage like today?!

 

[jens_attacks]

wow what a massive breakaway...good lord

 

[Alcanelo]

Forum will break when Sagan finally wins a stage at this years Tour

 

[whittashau]

Maybe they think the break is pointless considering the wind and therefore their best chances lie in causing splits in the peloton?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I'm starting to question the ambition of teams like Trek, Cannondale, Lampre, Sky, FdJ, Greenedge. Missing the break today and letting 2 guys go away without a fight? What are they going to do now, outsprint Kittel?
This race has been full of lame breaks, I mean only 2 guys in a stage like today?!

yep agree. Today I think teams are a bit scared of the cross wind. Teams will need full strength if they are caught behind.

Can't explain the weak break action on other flattish stages.

Perhaps stone age tactics. Dunno.