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The Age has compiled a profile of the climbs of the tour, which was so pov I had an apoplexy (nearly). I mean, what are these guys being paid for. John Hartigan can beakerall he wants about bloggers etc but Jeff Jarvis is right about newspapers’ need to evolve or die.
Anyway, so I thought I’d put this into graphical terms for you. It makes it a lot easier to comprehend the pain these guys will go through.
STAGE 7: Barcelona to Andorre-Arcalis, 224km
- Km 32.0 – Côte de Montserrat – 4.1 km climb to 3.8 % – Category 4
- Km 97.0 – Port de Solsona – 5.8 km climb to 4.3 % – Category 3
- Km 127.0 – Col de Serra-Seca – 7.7 km climb to 7.1 % – Category 1
- Km 136.5 – Port del Comte – 3.1 km climb to 5.3 % – Category 3
- Km 224.0 – ANDORRE ARCALIS – 10.6 km climb to 7.1 % – Category H
After 6 days of boring-as-batsh!t flat stages and time-trials (zzzzzz!), we finally get to where the real men start to lay smack down.
There are two interesting looking passes in this stage – the Cat 1 Col de Serra Seca and the HC Andorre-Arcalis.
At this point I’ll be in cold wintery Melbourne gazing upon the sunny delightful Pyrenees with much anticipation (and dreaming of a possible Veulta trip in 2010).
The climb from Organya to Andorre Acarlis – about 70km of “up” to ascend around 1700m – nothing too crazy, but the last 10km is at 7.1%. Now I don’t reckon that’s too crazy, but 200ks of racing it will be tough.
We’ll likely see some sneaky KOM attacks, especially by the orange-livieried Basque mountain ninjas – but the GC contenders will just mark time here, awaiting the week-3 French Alps.
STAGE 8: Andorre-la-Vieille > Saint-Girons, 178km
- Km 23.5 – Port d’Envalira – 23.2 km climb to 5.1 % – Category 1
- Km 102.0 – Col de Port – 11.4 km climb to 5.5 % – Category 2
- Km 132.5 – Col d’Agnès – 12.4 km climb to 6 % – Category 1
A couple of Cat 1s and a whole lot of downhill in this stage. I reckon from the top of the Cat 1 Port d’Envalira, there’ll be a 60km race to the bottom of the Col de Port. Especially if a breakaway gets cracking.
The Col d’Agnes – ~1300m over 20km – is not super hard, but again, will be tough at race pace.
Could a breakaway survive intact, or a sole breakout cover the downhill 27km to the finish. Descending skill could get some time gap here.
STAGE 9: Saint-Gaudens > Tarbes – 160.5 km
WOW. Truly epic.
- Km 60.5 – Col d’Aspin – 12.3 km climb to 6.4 % – Category 1
- Km 90.0 – Col du Tourmalet – 17.1 km climb to 7.4 % – Category H
I really wanted to get to the Pyrenees this year, but couldn’t spare the time (I am shredquesting in Hawaii and Tahoe next Feb and March), so will have to keep the D’Aspin, Tourmalet and Hautacam for next time (when we do the entire tour plus an extra 2 weeks of hill-slaying).
I have no idea how this will play out. Maybe a mid-tier contender could pull some time out, or a soloist, no idea. I don’t think any GC contenders will do anything interesting here, given we have some pretty gnarly climbing in the Alps. They’ll just be marking each other for now (I think), with Menchov doing his steely stuck-to-the-wheel thing.
Maybe a Schleck will attack?
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Comments:
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i love these races, thanks for the info.