The Stage
The second day in the Pyrenees and perhaps the most explosive of the tour. This is a real short blast, with the Tour taking a note from many other stage races including the Vuelta especially.
For Bastille Day we have just 101km of racing and three category 1 climbs. Starting from Saint-Girons, we climb from the start but not at a categorised or serious level, with an intermediate sprint for the fastmen at Seix – just 13kms in. There’s about 13km more – in total we have 25.5km of false flat before we start climbing with the Col de Latrape.
It’s short by these standards at 5.6km but averages a good 7.3% and won’t be easy for anyone here – especially on such a short stage. The descent can be viewed below, but it will be fast and furious.
The Col d’Agnes is 10km at 8.2% and a huge tactical test mid stage. The opening 3kms average 9.2% but from then on there’s no part of the climb which isn’t less than 6% and this is perfect team territory, another chance for Sky to repeat their powerful dose today when they were on the front from start until near finish.
There’s a long descent – another feature of a very important day, which can be viewed here:
20km before we reach the final climb of the day and the most brutal one.
The Mur de Pérguère averages 7.9% for 9.3km but most importantly, brings a wall like finish that is three kilometres, mirroring the final of yesterday. The final 3.3km average 12.5 but regularly reach above that, including sections at 16 and 18%.
The Finish
The Mur de Pérguère descent is technical and very claustrophobic in racing terms. The first part of the descent needs hard pedalling which is tough for those dropped on the way up, although gravity plays a bigger part when you drop past the Col de Marrous.
Here as an amateur video of the descent:
This was used in 2012 as an attacking point for Luis Leon Sanchez, who went onto win the stage from a breakaway. Go to 51.23 in the video below to see the climb and the descent fully.
We then just go down into Foix, straight into the Town and pretty much go only downhill although having a time triallists ability or teamates will help a bit. The technical run in goes past the Route de Foix, the Route Jean de Galliard, Rue de la Resistance and then the Avenue de Lareida before a sharp turn to the finish.
The Contenders
Regardless of who wins the stage, all eyes will be on the main contenders. Chris Froome was dropped towards the end yesterday on the extreme finish Peryagudes and said he didn’t have the legs but that was an extremity and today is very different. Also whilst it’s a stage set to smash the race to pieces, he has the best team with only one rider that has anything like the same
However the new yellow jersey Fabio Aru will see this as another chance to attack here given the packed nature of the stage and he took 20 seconds from Froome on La Planche De Belles Filles so is clearly in great form and super fresh. A fine descender, his sprint is the issue and also the lack of real helpers following crashes to Fulsang and the departure of Cataldo.
Romain Bardet has looked very strong and unlike Aru they have a strong team that can push up and downhill. This stage must scream Bardet and it would be a surprise if he doesn’t try given the small gap between him and Aru of just 25 seconds.
Rigoberto Uran will be disappointed at his penalty for taking a water bottle from the crowd as he was second yesterday and should be closer than 55 seconds but he’s one of the best climbers in the race right now and crucially has the best sprint and condition of any of the GC men as his win at Chambery showed.
Dan Martin is alongside him but apparently he is still feeling Sunday’s efforts – that said he didn’t appear to show it too much and this different stage suits him a lot.
Mikel Landa could have perhaps should have won the stage yesterday, and is sure to be there again although if Froome is not dropped at the Pérguère then he may be on team duty.
Simon Yates rode incredibly to limit his losses to Louis Mentjes to only a handful of seconds as he complained of being off form and today will be another conservative ride of that is the case.
The Break
One will try to form, although the short length of the stage often doesn’t help matters. That said, there’s king of the mountains points on offer and of course the flat finish will suit a good deal of the contenders.
On Bastille Day we shall see Frenchmen go for the attack and Warren Barguil would be the top break pick, as the best climber, although it would help him to get into the main move first. Lillian Calmejane is more suited by these sorts of stages than the high mountains for now as the Vuelta shows and should go up well, whilst Tony Gallopin showed up well when going to Chambery, can descend very well, and has a power sprint too.
Tiesj Benoot has been showing up brilliantly and rode a huge race to be 23rd yesterday. Assuming he recovers, it would be folly for him not to try and go again given the finish. He can climb with the best of them, and certainly with the best any breakaway can offer too. Thomas De Gendt still has time to try and get more mountains points so expect to see him going too, he looked strong for much of yesterday.
BMC are getting into the breaks now and Nico Roche has already tried again. He can sprint well enough to win from a small group and might well be given free rein again.
Jarlinson Pantano should be given the leeway now with Contador out of the running for Trek and with Quintana not likely to gain any time, perhaps today is the day for Carlos Betancur or another rider to be let in?
Serge Pauwels said yesterday that he’d try to get into the break today, alongside Brian Smith on Eurosport, and with Steve Cummings needing time to recover.
The Weather
It won’t be of any issue according to forecasts, which is good.
