Stage 13: Bourg D’Oisans to Valence, 169.5km
Stage 13: Bourg D’Oisans to Valence, 169.5km
Today couldn’t be any more unlike yesterday. We have 152 riders now- all those left after the carnage of the Alps, and the stages preceding them. It’s a comparatively gentle stage- though of course, what wouldn’t be today?- and the riders are chatting and cruising. Last on the road is Lawson Craddock, who spent the mountains climbs in no small amount of pain. His teams brought on a new chiro, since, as he says with a grin, the last guy “got tired of working on him.” He’s remarkably chipper and energetic for a guy riding with a broken shoulder, and having lost his team’s leader. But he’s still there. He actually came in 42nd yesterday, which is just incredible.
Four riders in an early break, and the tour helicopters hang in the air over an enormous laboratory- a massive circular thing that apparently spins electrons faster than light speed. Paul Sherwin attempts to explain, before giving up and saying he’s going to defer to Bob Roll’s daughter, who’s an astrophysicist. Phil Liggett sagely agrees, commenting that “It’s a very nice, er…whatever it is.”
Cut to a French chateau.
Anyway, I’ve seen the video from yesterday now. Yes, it was a camera strap that brought Nibali down. The police bike was on the other side of the incredibly narrowed course. I still fucking despise people.
Oh- and some guy came out of the crowd, ran up to Froome, and hit him. I know he was arrested and taken out in handcuffs, but I hadn’t seen it before. Oh, and people were throwing water bottles at the Team Sky car. AAAAAUGH!
I fucking despise people.
ANYWAY.
So we have 52km to go, it’s a gorgeous day, about 85 degrees, and still four riders out in front. Thomas De Gendt, Tom Scully (who started the breakaway from the end of the neutral zone), Michael Schar and Dimitri Claeys.
24 miles to go, and FdJ is leading the peloton through gorgeous fields and orchards. Lotto Jumbo is up there, hoping to move their guy, Primoz Roglic, up. We’re passing yet more gorgeous scenery- a 12th century chapel, surrounded by carefully apportioned plots, and looking a little like slightly melted clay. And back on the course, Michael Schar has pulled away to lead solo. Tom Scully is chasing him, and De Gendt and Claeys have rejoined the peloton. Schar, of BMC, is a former Swiss National Champion. Just so you know.
Ah, Scully’s caught, too. So it’s one man against the peloton. How picturesque!
15km, now. 12. They’re going fast, and everyone’s trying to get their collective plan together. Schar only has 22 seconds on them, and the way the peloton is organising, he’s not long for this lead.
10km, and they’re passing the airport of Valence. It’s a little strange, after seeing so much pastoral landscape, to be around industry. But it also means the roads are wide, smooth highways, and that’s a pretty decent trade-off.
Dimension Data is coming up to the front to put John Degenkolb in a good place. Bora Hansgrohe is positioning Peter Sagan, of course. As he’s one of the last remaining great sprinters this year, it’ll be interesting to see how everyone lines up to challenge him.
Oooo, Mickey Schar can feel the peloton breathing down his neck. He’s only 8” in front- that catch is about to come. There’s pink there- Education First is lining up Taylor Phinney. Awww…Schar swings over to the side as the peloton overtakes him. Good job, man.
5.4km now. The pace is picking up, and- aw, man, Schar is now off the back of the race entirely. But up at the front, everyone’s together, sweeping through a right-hand turn into a narrower road, speeding up like water into a more straitened course.
40mph now, and they’re closing in on the safe spot: 3km to the end, where any crashes won’t lose anyone time. The sprinters, though, are coming in to work. Degenkolb is about 4th in the front, but Sagan is hanging all the way back. Toms Skuijns is on the front, leading the whole race until he pulls aside for a teammate to continue Degenkolb’s leadout.
Under the Flame Rouge- QuickStep is in the front with Phillip Gilbert breaking away! But he’s clear any more there’s Arnaud Demare and Alexander Kristoff and where the fuck did Sagan come from and WHAM, he’s won the stage! Sagan has another win!
Kristoff takes second, Demare takes third, Degenkolb at fourth, and Greg Van Avermaet rounds out the top five.
He’s a funny guy. Interviewed after the stage, Sagan is told he looks pretty nigh untouchable. “Yeah, looks like,” he wisely replies, “but it’s still important to come to party.”
He won’t take anything for granted.
Peter Sagan, wearing the best sprinter’s green jersey, celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 13th stage. Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images
Today couldn’t be any more unlike yesterday. We have 152 riders now- all those left after the carnage of the Alps, and the stages preceding them. It’s a comparatively gentle stage- though of course, what wouldn’t be today?- and the riders are chatting and cruising. Last on the road is Lawson Craddock, who spent the mountains climbs in no small amount of pain. His teams brought on a new chiro, since, as he says with a grin, the last guy “got tired of working on him.” He’s remarkably chipper and energetic for a guy riding with a broken shoulder, and having lost his team’s leader. But he’s still there. He actually came in 42nd yesterday, which is just incredible.
Four riders in an early break, and the tour helicopters hang in the air over an enormous laboratory- a massive circular thing that apparently spins electrons faster than light speed. Paul Sherwin attempts to explain, before giving up and saying he’s going to defer to Bob Roll’s daughter, who’s an astrophysicist. Phil Liggett sagely agrees, commenting that “It’s a very nice, er…whatever it is.”
Cut to a French chateau.
Anyway, I’ve seen the video from yesterday now. Yes, it was a camera strap that brought Nibali down. The police bike was on the other side of the incredibly narrowed course. I still fucking despise people.
Oh- and some guy came out of the crowd, ran up to Froome, and hit him. I know he was arrested and taken out in handcuffs, but I hadn’t seen it before. Oh, and people were throwing water bottles at the Team Sky car. AAAAAUGH!
I fucking despise people.
ANYWAY.
So we have 52km to go, it’s a gorgeous day, about 85 degrees, and still four riders out in front. Thomas De Gendt, Tom Scully (who started the breakaway from the end of the neutral zone), Michael Schar and Dimitri Claeys.
24 miles to go, and FdJ is leading the peloton through gorgeous fields and orchards. Lotto Jumbo is up there, hoping to move their guy, Primoz Roglic, up. We’re passing yet more gorgeous scenery- a 12th century chapel, surrounded by carefully apportioned plots, and looking a little like slightly melted clay. And back on the course, Michael Schar has pulled away to lead solo. Tom Scully is chasing him, and De Gendt and Claeys have rejoined the peloton. Schar, of BMC, is a former Swiss National Champion. Just so you know.
Ah, Scully’s caught, too. So it’s one man against the peloton. How picturesque!
15km, now. 12. They’re going fast, and everyone’s trying to get their collective plan together. Schar only has 22 seconds on them, and the way the peloton is organising, he’s not long for this lead.
10km, and they’re passing the airport of Valence. It’s a little strange, after seeing so much pastoral landscape, to be around industry. But it also means the roads are wide, smooth highways, and that’s a pretty decent trade-off.
Dimension Data is coming up to the front to put John Degenkolb in a good place. Bora Hansgrohe is positioning Peter Sagan, of course. As he’s one of the last remaining great sprinters this year, it’ll be interesting to see how everyone lines up to challenge him.
Oooo, Mickey Schar can feel the peloton breathing down his neck. He’s only 8” in front- that catch is about to come. There’s pink there- Education First is lining up Taylor Phinney. Awww…Schar swings over to the side as the peloton overtakes him. Good job, man.
5.4km now. The pace is picking up, and- aw, man, Schar is now off the back of the race entirely. But up at the front, everyone’s together, sweeping through a right-hand turn into a narrower road, speeding up like water into a more straitened course.
40mph now, and they’re closing in on the safe spot: 3km to the end, where any crashes won’t lose anyone time. The sprinters, though, are coming in to work. Degenkolb is about 4th in the front, but Sagan is hanging all the way back. Toms Skuijns is on the front, leading the whole race until he pulls aside for a teammate to continue Degenkolb’s leadout.
Under the Flame Rouge- QuickStep is in the front with Phillip Gilbert breaking away! But he’s clear any more there’s Arnaud Demare and Alexander Kristoff and where the fuck did Sagan come from and WHAM, he’s won the stage! Sagan has another win!
Kristoff takes second, Demare takes third, Degenkolb at fourth, and Greg Van Avermaet rounds out the top five.
He’s a funny guy. Interviewed after the stage, Sagan is told he looks pretty nigh untouchable. “Yeah, looks like,” he wisely replies, “but it’s still important to come to party.”
He won’t take anything for granted.
Peter Sagan, wearing the best sprinter’s green jersey, celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 13th stage. Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images