Tour de France 2016, July 12, Stage 10: Escaldes-Engordany / Revel *SPOILERS*

Melodeon

Date: Tuesday 12th July
Type: Medium Mountains
Distance: 197Km
Start/Finish: Escaldes-Engordany / Revel


Stage Map:



Stage Profile:



Finale:



The General Classification after Stage 9:

Sam has regained the Lanterne Rouge!


Preview (© http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/):

After the long slog up the Port d’Envalira, the summit of which is the Andorran border with France, the riders plunge down the Arige Valley and through a very different part of the Pyrenees.

The Ariège is limestone country, where most of the rest of the mountain range is much older granite. It’s a place of deep gorges and lots of caves. It’s also one of the oldest inhabited places in France.

Once out of the Ariège, the route changes direction a lot, but goes generally north towards Revel, where there is a very tough climb before the finish. It is six kilometres long and quite steep in places. It won’t be a bunch sprint today.

This could suit somebody with an adventurous spirit. A determined early attack on the Envalira could potentially gain an audacious rider a lot of time.

Chris Froome (Sky) goes into the stage in the overall race lead after the 2016 Tour’s first rest day by a slim 16-second margin over Adam Yates (Orica-BikeExchange). Although Froome will have to be wary – a GC leader always has to be wary – today may be more about the green jersey than yellow. It seems like a good day for Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) to try and reclaim the points classification lead from Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data).

There may also be an early scrap for the KOM points on offer on the Port d’Envalira – expect to see a polka-dot clad Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) in the escape.

LIVE TV:
TG4 - 1.10pm
Eurosport 1 - 1.00pm
ITV4 - 2.00pm

HIGHLIGHTS:
TG4 - 9.00pm
Eurosport 2 - 6.00pm
Eurosport 1 - 8.30pm
ITV4 - 7.00pm

LE TOUR BY LEMONDE:
Eurosport 1 - 11.30pm

donfers

Dan to watch Froome get knackered chasing down Quintana's continuous attacks on the category three near the end and then to launch himself near the summit and gain 20 seconds on the GC contenders putting himself into yellow

Itziger

Last climb is '6 kilometres long'?? No it's not. Not much doing tomorrow I reckon. Too much other big stuff coming up.

dastardly00

Kind of disappointing that the highest point of the race (Port d’Envalira) won't have any impact on the GC.

The climb will be very exciting in terms of the battle for the polka-dot jersey though, it should be a great duel between Majka and Pinot.... pity they will have reached the summit long before TV coverage starts....

There should be live coverage from the start of the stage specifically for Port d’Envalira climb, and then take a break for a few hours until the riders are near the finish

fishfoodie

Froome to be crabbed up like this for 60km



If he was going, 'Wheeeeeeeeeeeee......", all the the way, even I might support him :D:D

gordongekko

Sagan FTW.

neris

donfers wrote: »

Dan to watch Froome get knackered chasing down Quintana's continuous attacks on the category three near the end and then to launch himself near the summit and gain 20 seconds on the GC contenders putting himself into yellow

I dont think quintana will do anything today or tomorrow except stick to froome, im going for thursday for NQ to do something to attack froome on ventoux. Today could be a breakaway day, vockler to do his usual ride like a demon only to blow up in the last 10km

68 lost souls

My bets for Sagan too

Brian?

Steve Cummings isn't a bad bet today.

eagle eye

It looks like a day for a breakaway. Steve Cummings is the type of guy I like for this stage if he is in the breakaway. Sagan will obviously be watching for breakaways too and it looks like his type of stage.

Meintjes and Barguil would like to make up time on Yates for the White Jersey and I don't think Sky would be too concerned at losing the yellow here for a couple of days to one of them.

I think there could be a lot of action today and it should be fun to watch.

I'll go with Tony Martin for this one though. I just have a feeling he is going to take off from the start today and he is a great descender so he could open up a nice gap and he has the ability to stay out there.

ThisRegard

I've been without TV or even reliable internet coverage since stage 4 so only managed to catch the previous stage highlights on a late night TV package, of which I fell asleep 2k or so from the end. But can anyone tell me how Froome managed to get yellow, or what stage it happened so I can read the thread?

Melodeon

ThisRegard wrote: »

I've been without TV or even reliable internet coverage since stage 4 so only managed to catch the previous stage highlights on a late night TV package, of which I fell asleep 2k or so from the end. But can anyone tell me how Froome managed to get yellow, or what stage it happened so I can read the thread?

T'was Stage 8, here you go:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057619843

Thud

is at 60kms of a descent after Envalira? I expect we'll see a few crashes today

eagle eye

Stage 8 is where he took the lead. The Eurosport live coverage of the race would be the best place to review it by reading I think.

I'll try and get a link for you and edit it into the thread if I can find it.

Just scroll down the page a bit and you can relive the commentary that was done. This is where I go if I can't access a tv for any stage.

http://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/tour-de-france/2016/pau-bagneres-de-luchon_mtc831094/live.shtml

dastardly00

https://twitter.com/MRasmussen1974/status/752794088643129344

dastardly00

So the stage has started, and as expected, there are attacks from the bunch left, right and centre (apart from the GC guys obviously).

Sagan, Nibali, Pinot, Majka are all attacking.

Such a pity there is no live TV coverage

dastardly00

Rui Costa reached the summit first and collects the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, awarded to the first rider over the highest pass of the Tour. And also 10 KOM points. None for Pinot or Majka.

Thibaut Pinot 80 points
Rafal Majka 77
Tom Dumoulin 50
Rui Costa 50
Thomas De Gendt 36
Daniel Navarro 36

Burial.

Contador has two separate breaks in his left leg. Almost certainly ruled out for the Olympics.

xxyyzz

Burial. wrote: »

Contador has two separate breaks in his left leg. Almost certainly ruled out for the Olympics.

Jesus, love him or hate him you have to admire him. He's one tough hombre.

Mikmon

Haha anyone see Cavendish's expletive laden rant there? Himself and Eisel drafting behind a car trying to get back on after a comfort break. Didnt like camera attention so shouted "What? I took a pi**! Fu**in wan*er!!" and making up and down motion with fist.

xxyyzz

Burial. wrote: »

Contador has two separate breaks in his left leg. Almost certainly ruled out for the Olympics.

No breaks but serious injuries all the same http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-ruled-out-of-olympic-games-after-tour-de-france-crash/?utm_content=buffer412e2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

gordongekko

Burial. wrote: »

Contador has two separate breaks in his left leg. Almost certainly ruled out for the Olympics.

Cycling news said it was a hamstring injury and will be back in 4weeks

retalivity

Dont think kreuziger will be going with him to trek!

neris

Th chateau de legarde looks like a nice fixer upper

dastardly00

Less than 80km remaining, 15 rider breakaway have a ~7 minute advantage:

Mikel Landa (Sky), Gorka Izagirre (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R-La Mondiale), Damiano Caruso and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Edvald Boasson Hagen and Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data), Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie), Luke Durbridge, Daryl Impey and Michael Matthews (Orica-BikeExchange).

neris

Sagan Just took the sprint points

dastardly00

Peter Sagan 217 points
Mark Cavendish 204
Marcel Kittel 182
Bryan Coquard 112
Michael Matthews 94

neris

Can we have a poll on one of the daily threads for who has the most annoying ads, eurosprt or itv4

Waitsian

dastardly00 wrote:

Mikel Landa (Sky), Gorka Izagirre (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R-La Mondiale), Damiano Caruso and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Edvald Boasson Hagen and Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data), Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie), Luke Durbridge, Daryl Impey and Michael Matthews (Orica-BikeExchange).

It's deja vu! We've seen many of these names in breakaways in previous stages, haven't we? Gotta love a trier.

dastardly00

mod9maple wrote: »

It's deja vu! We've seen many of these names in breakaways in previous stages, haven't we? Gotta love a trier.

I think this is probably one of the most high profile breakaways I can ever recall. Normally you get a few riders that you won't know too much about, but not today!

isitraining

Front group split with less than 20k to go.

Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R-La Mondiale), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data), Luke Durbridge, Daryl Impey and Michael Matthews (Orica-BikeExchange)

velo.2010

Hope Sagan duffs up the three Orica riders.

dastardly00

Sam Dumoulin looks like he is riding a kid's bike

retalivity

Surely an orica lad will take this!!

Leroy42

Sam Dumoulins bike looks really too small for him, his leg already extends at all.

godtabh

Orica got their tactics right today.

isitraining

That group knew that if it came to a sprint Matthews would win because he was so well protected all day. Really surprised Sagan, GVA and Eddie Bos didn't go for it before the last 1k.

Great work by Orica. Super result.

cunavalos

isitraining wrote: »

That group knew that if it came to a sprint Matthews would win because he was so well protected all day. Really surprised Sagan, GVA and Eddie Bos didn't go for it before the last 1k.

Great work by Orica. Super result.

Sagan couldn't really go all out and risk losing out on a high stage placing as the green jersey is the most important for him now (He already has his stage victory)
Similarly he couldn't let one of the Impey attacks stick as that would removed the possibility of a stage win.
His best option was to keep it together and hope that Matthews messed up his sprint or beat him in an outright sprint where even if he lost the sprint for stage honours he still would be in the hunt for second on the stage.

Your point about GVA and Boassen Hagen stands, they should have tried something in the closing kms

Brian?

cunavalos wrote: »

Sagan couldn't really go all out and risk losing out on a high stage placing as the green jersey is the most important for him now (He already has his stage victory)
Similarly he couldn't let one of the Impey attacks stick as that would removed the possibility of a stage win.
His best option was to keep it together and hope that Matthews messed up his sprint or beat him in an outright sprint where even if he lost the sprint for stage honours he still would be in the hunt for second on the stage.

Your point about GVA and Boassen Hagen stands, they should have tried something in the closing kms

Looked to me like GvA didn't have the legs. I fully expecting a big attack from him on the climb, once it didn't come his stage win hopes were pretty much gone.

Trojan

Fabulous text book finish from Impey and Matthews.

Love to know what Sagan was saying to Impey when he was up beside him after one of his attacks,

eagle eye

I thought over the last 10k that Bossen-Hagen looked the strongest, he made one tame enough effort to get away and never tried again. I was surprised because he must have know that there was no chance he could beat Sagan and Matthews in a sprint.

Eamonnator

Matthews was always going to win from that group. Sagan got the best result possible for him. I don't think anybody else had anything left.

dastardly00

Mikmon wrote: »

Haha anyone see Cavendish's expletive laden rant there? Himself and Eisel drafting behind a car trying to get back on after a comfort break. Didnt like camera attention so shouted "What? I took a pi**! Fu**in wan*er!!" and making up and down motion with fist.

Video of Cav after his 'comfort' break.
Carlton Kirby handled the situation well!

https://twitter.com/Eurosport_UK/status/752855742047064064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Darkglasses

Jesus, so sensitive. The cameras are the reason he can cycle for a living so comfortably.

TheBlaaMan

Some pretty emotional faces in the Orica cars after Bling's win yesterday

Matt White looked seriously relieved to have that win, apart from the usual pressure he looks like it meant a huge amount to the team