Tour de France Tour de France 2021, Stage 15: Céret – Andorre-la-Vieille, 191.3 km

[gregrowlerson]

Anyway, Beixalis is a good climb at least. Would have preferred Collada de Gallina but I get max 1 thing I want per stage.

You also get a descent finish.

By the way, what does GT's mum think about England's chances today?

 

[Mayomaniac]

Anyway, Beixalis is a good climb at least. Would have preferred Collada de Gallina but I get max 1 thing I want per stage.

Beixalis before a Mtf on Port de Cabus or even Arinsal wouldn't be bad.

 

[Netserk]

Beixalis before a Mtf on Port de Cabus or even Arinsal wouldn't be bad.

Yes, Cabus was rumoured, iirc the finish were to be at Col de la Botella.

 

[Pantani_lives]

This would definitely be a really tough stage if you had to ride it yourself. 2400 m is the highest point of the Tour and fatigue will set in after more than two weeks of hard racing with many crashes, changing weather and shabby hotel rooms.

On the other hand the final 45 km only contains one climb, so it's doubtful whether the GC riders will dare to attack before that. Pogacar doesn't need it, and Carapaz and Vineyard have already found out that attacking before a long descent isn't particularly rewarding. I expect 20-30 riders to stay together until the final climb. Then it will break down into little groups, a bit like on the Mont Ventoux. Wednesday and Thursday will provide better opportunities for a decisive GC attack.

For the stage win I would expect some of the usual guys in the break. Van Aert needs to start attacking if he wants to win both green and polka dots. Nibali, Valverde, Fuglsang, Chaves, Quintana, Lopez, D. Martin, Buchmann, Rolland and Gaudu all need to salvage their Tour with a stage win, but there are only four mountain stages left. Let's hope that, like yesterday, fortune will favour the brave.

 

[Cookster15]

Pogacar was dropped by Roglic in last years TdF in the final metres of stage 17 to Col de la Loze which was 2,300 metres but a MTF. As Port d'Envalira isn’t a MTF I fear Pogi’s rivals will play it safe and nothing will happen.

Agree that we likely need to wait until stage 17 to see decent GC action.

Maybe a break wins this.

 

[Red Rick]

Tbh I think Beixalis-Cabus still isn't hard enough and it just neutralizes Beixalis.

 

[Red Rick]

Pogacar was dropped by Roglic in last years TdF in the final metres of stage 17 to Col de la Loze which was 2,300 metres but a MTF. As Port d'Envalira isn’t a MTF I fear Pogi’s rivals will play it safe and nothing will happen.

Agree that we likely need to wait until stage 17 to see decent GC action.

Maybe a break wins this.

Pogacar won the highest stage in the Vuelta in 2019, and he laughed while riding away from everyone in Tignes.

I sincerely doubt altitude is the issue, perhaps apart from lower air desnity accelerating overheating.

I don't remember the temperatur on the Col de La Loze stage tbh. But I think if Pogi has a "weakness" relative to his usual performance it's either heat or it's very long/steep climbs. But both weaknesses are relatively small.

 

[sir fly]

If the gradients and altitude don't impress you just stick to the vertical meters gain and the stage will appear perfectly fine.

 

[Earns1985]

Quintana and Woods will be the first ones to attack..

 

[sir fly]

Japanese champion attacking from the gun!

 

[perico]

Nairo’s decline is baffling. He looks so flat even when he tries to follow an attack, like a car that takes 10 minutes before you get the engine running.

Now you have to figure out whether it can be repaired or whether it’s time to get a new one.

 

[bob.a.feet]

The stage looks really interesting until you read the gradients.

Still somewhat interesting because although it may be crap, it's unusual crap rather than standard crap.

Also, I like high altitude because it looks beautiful - though someone did say they're riding on motorways, which is not beautiful.

I think it would be a good stage if there were no teams, but that's a bad excuse considering there's been teams in the Tour for over 70 years now and the route architect was surely aware of that. Surely.

Nibali for the win.

 

[perico]

Envalira is an interesting climb when it’s climbed directly from Aix-Les-Thermes. It’s never that steep and not all that hard on paper but it is long and grinding. This route kind of neutered it.

 

[Bonimenier]

Odds on Bouhanni getting thrown out of the race for hanging on to the car today?

 

[Eclipse]

Thank god Nairo is still there, if he was legitimately off the back as commentary started suggesting I think i might have just requested my account to be deleted

Great crowds

 

[Pricey_sky]

Odds on Bouhanni getting thrown out of the race for hanging on to the car today?

10,000/1

 

[Breezy1985]

Meanwhile I'm legit confused about people thinking this stage design is fine.

I just dont worry either way. We have seen a million times now that its the riders and race situation that make or break every stage

 

[gregrowlerson]

Postlberger finally does something!

 

[Eclipse]

Genuinely hadn't realised pöstlberger was at the race >_>

 

[RedheadDane]

So... Teuns is on the attack, and Theuns is dropped.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Nostalgia
Valverde & Nibali in the big escape group

 

[gregrowlerson]

Genuinely hadn't realised pöstlberger was at the race >_>

Well, he has failed to make it across the gap.

 

[T-Nielsen]

Ffs JV wtf?

 

[Bonimenier]

Vingegaard still has mountain goat Teunissen with him as domestique. The others are up the road.

 

[Earns1985]

Interesting chasing group now.. a lot Ineos and Jumbo..