Tour de France 2020 | Stage 9 (Pau - Laruns, 153 km)

Inquitus · 06-09-2020 7:18am #1

The second half of the Pyrenees. This stage is harder than it looks, but the 8k of flat at the end might neuter action.

Map

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Timetable

Start: 12:15

Côte d'Artiguelouve: 12:49/12:50/12:50

Col de la Hourcère: 14:17/14:23/14:28

Col de Soudet: 14:31/14:37/14:44

Intermediate sprint: 14:54/15:02/15:09

Col d'Ichère: 15:20/15:29/15:39

Col de Marie Blanque: 15:53/16:05/16:16

Finish: 16:15/16:27/16:40

Climbs

The opening third of the stage is mostly flat, with only the cat. 4 Côte d'Artiguelouve early on. Things become very serious after that, with the Col de la Hourcère making its debut in the race. I'm amazed it hasn't been rated HC, it's harder than many other 'new' HC climbs of recent years.

It's immediately followed by the final 3.9k of Col de Soudet. How this isn't a cat. 2 is beyond me, and the Col d'Ichère is also hard for a cat. 3. The final climb of Col de Marie Blanque follows shortly after. There was a time when ASO used it very frequently, but it's been ignored by the Tour since 2010, although the queen stage of the 2016 Vuelta did use it. It's a fairly similar climb to Mur de Péguère, but it's closer to Laruns than Péguère is to Foix. The final 4k average 11.6%, definitely hard enough to break up the GC group if anyone wants to turn the screw.

General classification after Stage 8

Adam Yates
Primoz Roglic + 0.03
Guillaume Martin + 0.09
Romain Bardet + 0.11
Egan Bernal + 0.13
Nairo Quintana s.t.
Miguel Ángel López s.t.
Rigoberto Uran s.t.
Tadej Pogacar + 0.48
Enric Mas (spa) + 1.00
Points classification after Stage 8

Peter Sagan 138
Sam Bennett 131
Wout van Aert 106
Bryan Coquard 106
Alexander Kristoff 93
Mountains classification after Stage 8

Benoît Cosnefroy 35
Nans Peters 31
Ilnur Zakarin 25
Toms Skujins 24
Quentin Pacher 20
Young riders classification after Stage 8

Egan Bernal
Tadej Pogacar + 0.35
Enric Mas + 0.47
Sergio Higuita + 2.35
Neilson Powless + 31.36

Borrowed from here

Inquitus · 06-09-2020 7:27am

The 8km slightly uphill run in really seems to discourage a solo attack on the final climb.

lawrencesummers · 06-09-2020 9:55am

The descent for sprint points could be interesting

happytramp · 06-09-2020 10:20am

lawrencesummers wrote: »

The descent for sprint points could be interesting

Hopefully there's a large break and Sagan is out of the picture by then.

Don't want WVA getting any closer either.

Panrich · 06-09-2020 10:26am

happytramp wrote: »

Hopefully there's a large break and Sagan is out of the picture by then.

Don't want WVA getting any closer either.

Surely the last two days have to have emptied his tank. I mean WVA here by the way.

lawrencesummers · 06-09-2020 10:36am

Panrich wrote: »

Surely the last two days have to have emptied his tank. I mean WVA here by the way.

I wonder about that alright, with the alps still to come have Jumbo been doing to much work. I suppose we will get out answer when we get to the Grand Colombier this day week.

at1withmyself · 06-09-2020 12:05pm

Dan Martin attaching to form a break! Its been a quiet one so far for him, also interesting to see Ineos trying to get in the break.

at1withmyself · 06-09-2020 12:13pm

Not letting anyone anyway so far, anyone suffering yesterday will hurt today. Fabio Aru already 1.0km back so will be no help to podagacar today

retalivity · 06-09-2020 12:19pm

This is going to be energy sapping ahead of the climbs.

PatM65 · 06-09-2020 12:20pm

Sagan and some of the Bora guys well to the fore. I reckon he's hoping to tag onto any promising break to get to the intermediate sprint.

06-09-2020 12:20pm

DQS need to be careful Sagan doesn't get away here.

at1withmyself · 06-09-2020 12:22pm

Funny shot there of poor Fabio with what looked like the broom wagon following him.

Edit, it was the broom Wagon, poor lad has had no form since leaving Astana.

06-09-2020 12:25pm

I feel for Aru, he's had a disaster run for 3 years now. He's only 30.

Boscoirl · 06-09-2020 12:35pm

Had meant to be on the side of the road for this stage today

MPFGLB · 06-09-2020 12:36pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I feel for Aru, he's had a disaster run for 3 years now. He's only 30.

Its hard to watch alright

When he first appeared in the peloton he was backed to win several GTs and for awhile he looked like he could...but in 2018 he lost it all

We have seen so many top talents startout so welland then endup retiring early

I hope he made enough money

at1withmyself · 06-09-2020 12:45pm

PatM65 wrote: »

Sagan and some of the Bora guys well to the fore. I reckon he's hoping to tag onto any promising break to get to the intermediate sprint.

I imagine it suits Sagan better if there is no break as he can probably remain with them on them climbs for the intermediate sprint?

First climb starting shortly so hopefully something will get away for Sam's sake!

06-09-2020 12:47pm

Pinot attacking now trying to get away , good for him.

retalivity · 06-09-2020 12:47pm

Surely Aru will get back in with the sprinters once the climb starts?

Eamonnator · 06-09-2020 12:59pm

Am I right in saying, there'll be no points for either Sam or Sagan today?
That climb before the intermediate sprint appears too tough for either of them.

at1withmyself · 06-09-2020 1:00pm

retalivity wrote: »

Surely Aru will get back in with the sprinters once the climb starts?

Top far back now, I expect he'll abondons on the climb as he won't make the time cut today.

06-09-2020 1:07pm

Eamonnator wrote: »

Am I right in saying, there'll be no points for either Sam or Sagan today?
That climb before the intermediate sprint appears too tough for either of them.

They showed Sam in a group with Alaphilippe there a few minutes ago but I'm not sure where they are on the climb. I think theres enough ahead to mop up the points. WvA could take some though?