Stage 9 Preview and Profile 2013 Tour De France

 

The first big mountain stage is behind them. Team Sky and their leader Chris Froome put the hammer down, and it is up to the challengers to try and reclaim what he took from them on Saturday.

The stage 9 profile covers five Pyrenean mountains

Stage 9 is the last in the Pyrenees

Now they have stage 9, and more mountains to contend with.  Stage 9 takes the riders 168.5 kilometers from Saint-Girons to Bagneres-de-Bigorre. On the way they will climb five mountains, four of which are category-1 climbs. The first climb is a cat-2 that comes early, about 23k into the stage, and it will make a fine point of attack.

Almost immediately after that, comes the cat-1 Col de Menté (7k at 7.7%).

After about 20k of relatively easy roads that lead to the intermediate sprint in Bagneres de-Luchon, come three consecutive category-1 climbs that all top 1500 meters in altitude. Not gargantuan, but tough enough to do some damage to the field. This will thin out the peloton a good deal.

 

The Peyresourde profile

The middle climb is the long and steady Col de Peyresourde. They will be climbing from the opposite direction that they climbed it in stage 16, last year. This side is 13.2k at 7%. From the Peyresourde, there will be no respite whatsoever. The fourth climb is the cat-1 Col de Val Louron-Azet. It logs in at 7.4k at 8.3%.

The last and worst climb is the cat-1 La Hourquette d’Ancizan. It tops out with about a 30k descent to the finish in Bagneres-de-Bigorre. It is the fourth cat-1 in a row, and is listed as 9.9k long, averaging 7.5% incline. Look for an elite group to go over the last climb and race down the early part of the descent putting as much time behind them and whoever is trying to chase.

The final climb before the 30k descent to the finish

That 30k descent looks like enough room for dedicated riders to get back on to a lead group, but after all the climbing I would not expect too many besides the cream of the crop to be there to contest the finish. It looks to me like a good stage for Rui Costa of Movistar, Roman Kreuziger or Nicolas Roche of Saxo-Tinkoff, Michal Kwiatkowski of Omega Pharma, or maybe Mikel Nieve of Euskaltel. It will come down to the men who recover best after the stage 8 effort.

I definitely expect to see Froome, Valverde, and Contador there at the finish, and probably Mollema, Fuglsang and Dan Martin as well. I would say Evans, Pinot and Hesjedal, too, but like I said, it will come down to how well they all recover overnight.

MY PICK: Rui Costa (Movistar)





 

Stage 8 Report and Results - Ax 3 Domaines 2013 Tour De France

 

Stage 8 from Castres to Ax 3 Domaines - 195k;

High mountains (flat first 125k, then 2 big climbs);

Weather: sunny, hot (32 c/90 f), very light wind;

188 riders started.

Stage 8 Profile. Two big Pyrenean climbs.

I mentioned on stage 5 that none of the “big three” sprinters had won a stage yet, while they had six between them by stage 6 last year. Well, Mark Cavendish, André Greipel and Peter Sagan must have been listening, because 1-2-3 they each won a stage consecutively over the last three days. They did not leave much scraps for the others, and two talented fast men won’t get any more at all. Sprinters Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ) and Alexander Kristoff (Katusha)** has both retired from the race due to injuries sustained in the first week. Now that all three of the big names have a stage each, they have some mollification, and it is time the climbers get their shot. 

**UPDATE: The report on Alexander Kristoff abandoning was false. The Katusha sprinter is still in the race.

They get their shot today on the road to Ax-3-Domaines; except for the few who did not make it past the first, crash-filled week. Lotto team leader Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Garmin road veteran Christian Vande Velde, and Astana lieutenant Janez Brajkovic and domestique Fredrik Kessiakoff were four of the ten casualties of the first week. 

Their teams will go on. Astana still has Fuglsang, though the absence of Brajkovic and Kessiakoff will be a handicap. Lotto turns their attention away from General Classification contention and toward stage wins, with focus on giving Greipel whatever opportunities remain.  Garmin have an injured Hesjedal, but other options exist with Andrew Talansky, Dan Martin and others.

Stage 8 heads south, toward Spain

Chris Froome goes into stage 8 as the best placed rider of the overall favorites. He is 8 seconds behind the leader, Daryl Impey. Froome has the following advantages over the other favorites: Alberto Contador :06; Ryder Hesjedal and Andrew Talansky :14; Alejandro Valverde :17; Cadel Evans and Tejay Van Garderen :23; Joaquim Rodriguez :25; Bauke Mollema :34; Thibaut Pinot :39; Jakob Fuglsang :53; Igor Anton 1:21; and of course, Robert  Gesink is out of it at nine minutes back.

French police spent two hours this morning searching the Radioshack-Leopard team camper. This after Radioshack’s older Schleck brother, Frank, learned that the team would be dumping him, just as he is ready to come back from his suspension for the adverse Xipamide finding. Radioshack is fulfilling its sponsorship commitment this year, but Trek will be taking over as lead sponsor for the team in 2014.

TO THE ACTION:

Km0:  At the drop of the flag Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) attacks. 

He is quickly joined by Jean-Marc Marino of Sojasun. Rudy Molard (Cofidis) and Christophe Riblon (Ag2R) are trying to bridge the gap up to the 2 leaders...

Stage 8 Preview and Picks 2013 Tour De France

 

Into the Pyrenees!

 

The HC Col de Pailheres

The first week of the Tour De France is over. Now comes the overall contenders’ first real test of condition. Stage 8 takes the riders into the Pyrenees, over the 15k-long, Hors Categorie (Above-category, or HC) Col de Pailheres, and then drops down for the final climb to the finish: the cat-1 Ax 3 Domaines. 

It is a chance for a climber who is out of the General Classification contention to try a brazen attack for a breakaway stage win. It is also the first big mountain stage where the overall GC contenders get to test each others’ legs.

[For those of you who have not been able to watch the race on NBC Sports, stage 8 will be broadcast live on NBC’s regular broadcast network on Saturday.]

Sometimes the top overall contenders wait until the last climb to attack each other. But there are always some riders who will go out in an early break, and other plucky ones who will try to escape on the penultimate climb. Either way, we are in for a treat on stage 8.

Stage 8 on the map

Stage 8 heads south, into the Pyrenees

Stage 8 Profile

The first real climb comes after about 125k of flat roads. Officially, the Col de Pailheres is 15.3k long and has an average gradient of 8%. But the peloton will be riding generally uphill—though on a lighter grade—for about 20k before they hit the official base of the climb. It has some very steep sections near the bottom, and another 10%+ section over the penultimate kilometer to the summit. The climb will take the field over 2000 meters of elevation before the long descent to Ax-Les-Thermes. 

The HC Col de Pailheres climb profile

From Ax-Les-Thermes at 770m the riders will climb the 8k cat-1 to Ax 3 Domaines at 1375m high. The final climb is listed as 7.8k at 8.2%. It is steepest in the middle, and from the top where the KOM marker is, the riders will have a kilometer and-a-half of relatively level road to sprint to the finish line. That 1.5k could be the difference between a pure climber like Joaquim Rodriguez or Igor Anton winning the stage, and a climber with a fast finish like Alejandro Valverde or Tejay Van Garderen.

The final climb to Ax 3 Domaines

I doubt we will see any vicious attacks coming from the GC men on the first big climb. I would think it more likely that they will wait for the last climb, and not attack each other until then. Stage 9 on Sunday is going to be a serious leg-drainer, and I would expect a lot of guys will want to save as much energy as possible for that climbing bonanza before the rest day on Monday.

Regardless of what happens, we’ll be in the Pyrenees, and that makes me happy.

I think this is a good stage for Chris Froome to put the hammer down right away, and establish his domination. If he cannot--or if he is allowed to, and chooses to take it easy--a number of guys could step up and take this stage. Bauke Mollema has been flying under the radar the whole first week. I would like to see him challenge Froome on Saturday. I am also curious to see how Andrew Talansky does on the first high mountain stage. Valverde, Rodriguez, Evans should all be among the high finishers.

My pick for stage 8, however, is going to the 30-year-old Spaniard from Team Saxo-Tinkoff, Alberto Contador. He came in to the Tour “at 90%” and, as usual, expects to gain form over the course of the race and be at 100% for the final week in the Alps. So I might not normally pick him for a win this early, but I just have a feeling that el Pistolero won’t be gun-shy on the only mountaintop finish in the Pyrenees.

Stage 7 Report and Results 2013 Tour De France

205.5 kms from Montpellier to Albi

Medium mountains, flat finish;

Hot, sunny, temps around 30 c (High 80’s f); light wind;

 

Stage 7 on the map

2-man break: Jens Voigt (Radioshack) and Blel Kadri (ALM);

-132k: Voigt and Kadri lead by 5:00;

I figured at least one of the mountain jersey hunters would make the break today. Kadri is that man.

-126.8k: the lead is 4:20

As Daryl Impey of Orica GreenEdge is wearing the yellow race leader’s jersey today, the broadcaster I am watching played the song that was playing on the Orica team bus this morning. “Impi”, they said, is sort of an unofficial South African anthem. They are enjoying their recent successes, including putting an African into the yellow jersey for the first time in the Tour’s history.

Stage 7 Profile

*Christian Vande Velde has been nursing some wounds for a few days now. He went down again in a crash today at km11, so he and his Garmin team have decided to take him out of the race. It’s a shame because this was to be the 37-year-old’s last Tour De France. He is the eighth retiree, and the second American to retire from the race so far.

Voigt and Kadri are in the lead together, riding up the first categorized climb;

Stage 7 Preview 2013 Tour De France

Stage 7 continues west and cuts inland to Albi

Stage 7 is another rolling, medium mountain stage. It is also another 200+km stage, and is the last chance for a non-climber to snatch the maillot jaune. The following day, stage 8 will end with the mountaintop finish at Ax 3 Domaines in the Pyrenees, where the climbers get their first chance to take over. But first, they must survive the 205 kilometers of stage 7 from Montpellier to Albi on another hot, sunny day. 

The number of injured riders in the peloton suggests that we may see more getting dropped tomorrow, if not tomorrow, then certainly on Saturday. Already, several teams have lost key men to injuries and illness: Lotto Belisol lost their leader, Jurgen Van Den Broeck, who suffered a knee injury in stage 5. (Too bad, I had high hopes for the Dutch All-rounder.)

Team Astana have already lost three of their nine riders: first Kashechkin and Kessiakoff, and now Janez Brajkovic—Fuglsang’s main man for the mountains, and an overall threat himself. 

The stage 7 route and key points

FDJ lost their top sprinter, Nacer Bouhanni, and Ag2R said goodbye to Maxime Bouet on stage 6, too. The Garmin-Sharp Team is hobbled, with Ryder Hesjedal, their de facto leader going into the race, riding on a broken rib and teammate Christian Vande Velde also recovering from crash injuries. They still have the Andrew Talansky and Dan Martin cards to play, but we will find out on Saturday who won’t be competing for overall victory.

Four categorized climbs populate the bulk of the middle of stage 7.  None are particularly tough, though. The category-2 Col de la Croix de Mounis is the toughest on the stage, and it is passed with over 100k left to ride.

 

Each climb offers a viable attack spot in my opinion. We will see if an early break goes on the first climb, how much time they are given before the peloton starts to reel them in. With a big mountain finish coming the next day, I would not be surprised to see attacks on any or all of the categorized climbs on stage 7.

Stage 7 Profile

This is a good stage for mountain jersey chasers to try and wrest the polka dots off of Pierre Roland’s back.  At the end of the day however, I believe the sprinters will chase down the break and force another bunch sprint, because the last little climb comes with 35k still left to the finish.  

My pick: Mark Cavendish. He was angry after missing out on stage 6, and you can bet that his Omega Pharma team will be focused and determined to give the Manxman a great leadout in Albi.