Not one but three climbs. Why a trilogy? Simply because if you climb the first you can keep going, riding an Alpine sine wave across the Chartreuse range to follow a legendary race route.
Legendary? Yes because this has decided the result of the Tour de France several times. Many have not heard of this and the Chartreuse Trilogy is falling of the radar. Proof that a road’s status is dependent on regular visits by the Tour?
Esteban Chaves, Moreno Hofland and Rohan Dennis wear the leaders’ jerseys in a race. A glimpse of the future? No, it’s a scene from the past: the 2011 Tour de l’Avenir. The race is on this week. There are several stage races for U-23 riders that matter but none more so than this one. It’s length, international field and mountainous profile make it an essential rendez-vous. If it didn’t exist we’d have to invent it.
The USA Pro Challenge had Lexus as official vehicles. The Tour de France has Skodas.
Have you ever had ants in your legs and found yourself sporting a lightweight sock? Or did you end up pedalling with two legs on the same pedal?
The French cyclists and TV commentators often talk about le jargon cycliste but they don’t mean the technical terms such as watts per kilogram, haematocrit or press-fit bearings. Instead le jargon is a long list of poetic phrases and slang.
Daniel Mangeas is the voice of the Tour de France. If you’ve been to the race you’ll know his voice and even if your experience of the Tour is via English-language broadcasts you’ll have heard him as background noise during an interview or live commentary.
He will retire soon, finishing a run of 41 consecutive Tours. He’s another fixture of French cycling with his distinctive tone, a verbal torrent of statistics and encouragement. In a perfect twist he’ll end his career in the same place where it began, although this time by plan rather than accident.
With Vincenzo Nibali in command the race is on for the other riders to seize their chance. Can a Frenchman can finish on the podium in Paris? Yes because Romain Bardet and Thibaut Pinot are duelling for the white jersey, just 16 seconds separate them while Michał Kwiatkowski is 14 minutes behind. Barring a double disaster a Frenchman will stand on the podium on the Champs Elysées.
Enough smart answers, the real question is whether a Frenchman can finish in the top three overall? Bardet is third overall and Pinot fourth but there are three mountain stages and a long time trial to come.
It’s a result many in France want to see but there’s also wider support for this outcome. But could it be a big dream and a rude awakening awaits? On the rest day here’s a look at the GC contenders.
The Tour de France attracts about 12 million people to the roadside. That’s the biggest audience in the world. Subtract the foreigners on holiday and roughly 15% of the French population will watch the race, impressive given the route has to miss many regions each year.
It’s easy to imagine cycling as a wildly popular sport in France and assume the crowds flock to cheer on the champions. In fact the French are surprisingly indifferent to cycle racing. Whilst you might watch the race for its sprints and climbs, your average French viewer wants roadside freebies and helicopter panoramas on TV.
For once a genuine international brand was buying into pro cycling as a means of marketing but once it got the chance to quit, Belkin exercised a break clause. The team is now scrambling for a replacement sponsor and to hold onto its core riders.
Is this a sponsorship crisis or should we confront the fact that pro cycling isn’t a vehicle for an international marketing campaign?
All to play for. In recent years the final stage has been a bit of a let down, a fight for the stage win but a procession for the overall classification. This year it’s different with just eight seconds separating Alberto Contador and Chris Froome and time bonuses on the finish line.
A stage of two halves with a flat start followed by a hilly finish as the race changes terrain abruptly with a finish on roads that read more like a wine menu than a bike race. After some skirmishes and sprints now the race will change with some sharp climbing.