Tour de France 2017 Stage 14 : Blagnac > Rodez 181.5 km

[sir fly]

A steep climb for more time difference
A stage from Blagnac to Rodez has been done before but on a very different course. Back in 1984, it was also a Tour of glory for French riders. Pierre-Henri Menthéour delivered the sixth stage victory for the Renault team that was also going to win the Tour with Laurent Fignon. Tony Gallopin is the kind of Frenchman expected to shine in Rodez but it'll be hard for the whole bunch to keep Lilian Calmejane calm! The winner of stage 8 is the enfant du pays as he'll pass very near his hometown of Albi. Two years ago, Greg Van Avermaet claimed his first stage victory at the Tour de France in Rodez where he outsprinted Peter Sagan and took a monkey off his back after losing so many races. It was the starting point of brilliant campaigns that made him a yellow jersey at the Tour de France last year, the Olympic champion and the winner of Paris-Roubaix this year. Due to the bad luck BMC encountered with Richie Porte crashing out, Van Avermaet is the hot favourite atop the côte de Saint-Pierre in Rodez. It's a short one: only 570 metres but it's very steep with an average gradient of 9.6%. Another occasion for Romain Bardet and Fabio Aru to gain a few more seconds onto Chris Froome before the Alps?

Intermediate sprint

Last km

Nice weather.

 

[MikeTichondrius]

I wish Gilbert was here. He'd ace that murito.

 

[bob.a.feet]

Re:

I wish Gilbert was here. He'd ace that murito.

Looks like you're in luck.

GVA for the repeat.

 

[Frankschleck]

so the big question is, hows lars bak gonna win?

 

[Sestriere]

Matthews is gonna get his stage. Degenkolb to do good.

 

[PunchingRouleur]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_z2GZ04Ptk

2 years ago GVA destroyed the field here and with Sagan out he should take it easily.
Would be interesting to see if Stybar/Gilbert/Martin or Matthews can match him.

 

[Kafviar]

Perfect stage for that mighty Landa-sprint.

 

[Poursuivant]

GVA FC

 

[BigMac]

Sagan.

 

[dacolik]

Dan Martin to win it.

 

[Random Direction]

Which one?

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

GVA is obvious favorite here, but I bet Matthews fancies his chances too. Outside chance for Martin, if he isn't cooked.

 

[Leinster]

Re:

GVA is obvious favorite here, but I bet Matthews fancies his chances too. Outside chance for Martin, if he isn't cooked.

Martin will want to just stay with the GC guys and cover accelerations. If he fancies a go, it'll be Sunday.

Bling, GVA, Stybar, Kwiatkowski if he's let off the leash from his Dom duties. Anyone who's finished high up in Amstel or Strade Bianche basically, provided they don't have other pressing matters to attend to.

 

[zigzag wanderer]

Does anyone have any details about the uncategorised climb at Bonnecombe (km 166)?

Is it steep enough/close enough to the finish for one of the GC guys to have a dig?

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Bettiol will top 3 here.

 

[rghysens]

Re:

Does anyone have any details about the uncategorised climb at Bonnecombe (km 166)?

Is it steep enough/close enough to the finish for one of the GC guys to have a dig?

It's about 3km @ a bit more than 5%. Early in the tour it would probably a 3rd cat climb, but I don't think the GC men will attack on it.

 

[zigzag wanderer]

Re: Re:

Does anyone have any details about the uncategorised climb at Bonnecombe (km 166)?

Is it steep enough/close enough to the finish for one of the GC guys to have a dig?

It's about 3km @ a bit more than 5%. Early in the tour it would probably a 3rd cat climb, but I don't think the GC men will attack on it.

Cheeres. I was hoping it was a little bit steeper.

 

[frisenfruitig]

I hope GVA will feel good today. He wasted a lot of energy yesterday trying to stay with the GC guys as long as possible. Not sure why he did that to be honest, seems to me like he should have saved his legs for today.

BMC should try to make the race as tough as possible today, you don't want to take a fresh Matthews to the finish line.

 

[Cookster15]

Matthews FTW.

 

[ontheroad]

This one is for Matthews, GVA strangely put a lot of effort into yesterdays stage. Had an outside punt on Callmejane @ 101.0 since the route goes past his home today and reckon he might have a go.

 

[jsem94]

Matthews.

What a BS weekend stage though.

 

[SafeBet]

I don't mind the stage per se. It's actually one of the few stages of this Tour open to many different scenarios.
Not ideal on a weekend though.

 

[markene2]

Sonny to win

 

[Tank Engine]

Greg vs Bling. Greg to win.

 

[Bicycle tramp]

Bling for the stage.

Parisian sprint for GC.

Cannondale for Froome.