Sports Poets Society

Come sul Ventoux due anni fa: una scena già vista, sempre sui Pirenei, ancora il 14 luglio. Stessa frullata vincente di Chris Froome, meno agile ma se possibile ancora più fluida e potente; solo che stavolta a Nairo Quintana, l'unico big a resistere, non ha sanguinato il naso. Nella tappa che ha sancito l'abdicazione di Nibali, a questo Tour mai è pervenuto, Froome si è preso la decima tappa e una bella fetta di Grande Boucle. Lo Squalo era già saltato a poco più di 10 km dall'arrivo - inedito da questo versante - di La Pierre Saint-Martin. Il Pistolero Contador poco dopo, ai -7 km. Seicento metri più avanti, la maglia gialla, perfettamente assisitita da Thomas e dal redivivio Porte, è invece scattata con un'azione irresistibile. Froomie ha fatto il vuoto ed è andato a vincere a braccia alzate con 59" secondi su Porte, conteso sul mercato da BMC e Orica GreenEdge , e sul podio è parso - forse - più commosso che mai. I distacchi - pesanti - fanno pensar...

188 km | Wednesday July 15 | Start 11:45 – Finish 17:17 CET STAGE FACT No Tour stage has finished at Cauterets since 1995: French housewives’ favourite Richard Virenque took the glory, but his victory was overshadowed by the death of Fabio Casartelli after he fell on the nearby Col de Portet d’Aspet. The third-category finishing climb of the Côte de Cauterets is hardly the toughest obstacle of this year’s race, but coming after 5 other climbs including the Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet , its 10% sections over 6.4 km are likely to make plenty of legs sting.  A stage of two halves With two third and one fourth-category climb in its opening 100 kilometres , the first half of stage #11 wouldn’t look out of place as the medium distance route of your local club’s annual cyclo-sportive. But the action will surely get as heated as mid-July blacktop as the renowned Aspin and Tourmalet mountain passes are tackled in quick succession . Riders will pass through the La Mongi...

167 km | Tuesday July 14 | Start 12:25 – Finish 16:32 CET STAGE FACT Cofidis directeur sportif Stéphane Augé used to head up and down the finishing climb for mountain training during his years as a pro rider It’s the first big summit finish of the Tour following an air transfer down to the south of France for the riders ( spare a thought for the team bus drivers ) and the first rest day in Pau . Something always happens on a rest day in Pau — generally a positive dope test — so we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for a break in tradition and for chefs in the Tinkoff-Saxo hotel to keep beef off the menu .  Summit finish This is the Tour’s first time up the long climb to La Pierre-St-Martin . Famous for its underground sinkhole, the ski resort is near the top of a col by the same name that crosses into Spain. The climb is hors catégorie — 15.3 km at 7.4% average but with typical Pyrenean variations in gradient . It’s a tough cookie to cut the ribbon on the high mou...