A rugged day across the Auvergne featuring narrow, rural roads and a passage through Brioude where Romain Bardet grew up and a Tour de France host town later this year. The final climb with 20km to go is steep and irregular and should ruin the day for several sprinters again.
Month: June 2019
Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 1 Preview
A short loop around the Cantal region and its extinct volcanoes. The best bit is the climb of the Puy Mary, too early for TV but a spectacular road before a finishing circuit fearing a climb that will rumble any sprinters short of form. Note the early finish today to avoid a TV schedule clash with the tennis in Roland Garros.
Critérium du Dauphiné Preview
Last year saw Geraint Thomas win en route to his Tour de France success. This time Chris Froome leads a long list of those hunting for a big win this season and looking to test their form ahead of the Tour de France.
A Different Route To TV For The Ardennes Races
There was no live TV coverage of women’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Flèche Wallonne and now the new criteria from the UCI means events must have a minimum of 45 minutes of TV coverage to be part of the World Tour. There have been reports that race owner ASO could drop these events from the World Tour calendar leading to angry responses from many who want to see progress rather than regress. What if there could be a political solution to this?
The Moment The Giro d’Italia Was Won
Richard Carapaz is solo on the Colle San Carlo on Stage 14, he’s got a slender lead of 20 seconds but behind a team mate in Mikel Landa is marking Vincenzo Nibali and Primoz Roglič and they’re both marking each other. Carapaz maintained his advantage on the descent and once on the valley road to Courmayeur the “Locomotive of Carchi” pressed on, hunched low on his bike, hands in the drops and taking for every second he could. It put him in the maglia rosa and he never trembled for the remaining week.
Giro Stage 21 Preview
A time trial to conclude the 2019 Giro d’Italia and the top-3 should change with Primoz Roglič overtaking Mikel Landa today.
Giro Stage 20 Preview
The final mountain stage and a Dolomite roller coaster culminating in the finish on Monte Avena