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After a tough first week of racing claimed many scalps, the 2014 Tour de France enters its second week and the Vosges mountains. Join The Roar for live coverage of Stage 8 from 10:30pm (AEST).
Today’s 161 kilometre eighth stage throws a bone to the puncheurs and climbers, with three categorised climbs and a truly Fleche Wallone-esque finish.
The second category Col de la Croix des Moinats, second category Col de Grosse Pierre and third category Côte de La Mauselaine all squished in to the final 27 kilometres it should make for an exciting finale.
There should be a fierce battle for the King of the Mountains classification today, with 12 points up for grabs, two of which are at the finish line on the Côte de La Mauselaine. With Cofidis’ Cyril Lemoine currently sitting on six points, the Frenchman will likely need to involve himself in the breakaway to secure another day in the polka dots.
The Col de la Croix des Moinats will be the first challenge the riders have to surmount as they enter the final 27 kilometres of the stage. At an altitude of 891 metres it is not a particularly tall climb, however at a length of 7.6 kilomeres and an average gradient six per cent it is still a challenge.
After a five kilometre descent the riders will be greeted by the short, steep slopes of the Col de Grosse Pierre. While officially three kilometres long, at an average gradient of 7.5 per cent the Grosse Pierre is a deceptive climb, realistically closer to 1500 metres at an average gradient of over 11 per cent.
The summit of the Grosse Pierre to the finish line is only 11 kilometres, with roughly 8 of those descending, however the short and steep Côte de La Mauselaine begins soon after the riders stream past the two kilometre to go marker. Should an early attack over the Croix de Moinats or Grosse Pierre fail then the stage will be decided up the slopes of the Côte de La Mauselaine. At a length of 1800 metres at gradients above 10 per cent, with the average gradient a staggering 10.3 per cent, the finish will favour riders with an explosive kick.
With Team Astana and Vincenzo Nibali not particularly fussed about losing the Malliot Jaune to a bolter for a few stages to take pressure off the team’s resources, tonight could be a day for the breakaway. While there are other general classification contenders who could realistically challenge for the stage victory, they too could be more interested in preserving energy for the more difficult stages to come.
The stage seems well set-up for someone like Orica Orica-GreenEDGE’s Michael Albasini, a consistently good performer at Fleche Wallone, to try his luck in the breakaway. Although with Alberto Contador needing to make up time on his rivals, anything could happen if a chance presents itself to the Spaniard.
The unknown factor in the calculations for today’s stage will be Team Katusha’s Joaquim Rodriguez, a perfect candidate for the stage, whose condition is slowly and steadily improving.
It is sure to be a chaotic, energetic, drama-filled finale, so join me from 10:30pm (AEST) for tonight’s live blog.
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