Tragic floods in the Pyrénées: stage 9 of the Tour possibly threatened

[Linkinito]

Okay, so the principal alternative is just the replacement of the col de Menté (7 km @ 7.7 % - 1C) by the col des Ares (6 km @ 5.3 % - 2C). It will all depend of the state of the road in Saint-Béat. If the damage is too high or if the security cannot be guaranteed, Menté will be replaced.

All other climbs are maintained. But we'll need an official word in a few days to see if the stage is modified or not.

 

[Ferminal]

Someone will be hoping the Tourmalet road isn't repaired for another 12 months.

 

[winkybiker]

Anyway, I'd say remove Portet d'Aspet + Menté, replace them with Balès = problem solved. The first 4 km of Peyresourde are cut and the valley is avoided.

Yeah, ASO can make a stage harder. Remember 2008 when col de Larche was replaced by Agnel.

Yeah, that seems obvious. Instead of the Mente do the (slightly harder) Bales. This avoids St Beat and Luchon altogether.

 

[Kwibus]

Yeah, that seems obvious. Instead of the Mente do the (slightly harder) Bales. This avoids St Beat and Luchon altogether.

Don't get your hopes up. It will probably stay the same.

 

[Linkinito]

Don't get your hopes up. It will probably stay the same.

Yep, as the village of Saint-Béat is doing its best to clean up the road for the Tour in two weeks, I'm guessing it will be done until then. The route won't suffer from significant changes.

 

[Linkinito]

From La Dépêche:

"In Saint-Béat, the bridges are standing, traversable and the road of the col de Menté is perfect up to Boutx" : here's the good news that should have announced François Fortassin to Christian Prudhomme, the Tour de France director. The latter asked his friend, the senator of the Hautes-Pyrénées and old mayor of Sarp, to check the situation after the damage caused by the floods in this area of the Pyrénées.

François Fortassin, after having judged the satisfying state of the infrastructures in Saint-Béat, did make a comforting inventory of fixtures, while still claiming that "the general council of the Haute-Garonne will need to give their green light".

It seems Menté has more and more chances to be maintained on the route.

 

[The Hitch]

You really like sprints don't you?

He enjoys being the bad guy. Openly cheering for sprints (for Cav) when everyone else wants excitement.

I can see the attraction in that.