Tour de France 2010Stage 10 - Chambéry > > > Gap - 179 km
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Stage Previews
Medium Mountains - A sporting perspective
Memories of Beloki
On this stage, Le Tour will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of France annexing Savoy. The Côte de Laffrey climb, on leaving Vizille, is very difficult. The Col du Noyer pass is also very complicated. Yet, this does not mean it is typical high-altitude racing. The descent is very winding: let’s not forget how badly Joseba Beloki fell in 2003, when he wanted to avoid Vinokourov gaining too much time on him. To avoid the Spaniard, Lance Armstrong was obliged to take a short-cut through a field.
(letour.com)
July 12 post:
The final day in the French Alps is a hilly stage that will likely see a break succeed after the difficult, mountainous stage 9.
Starting from Chambéry, Stage 10 will see the peloton head south passing by Grenoble and over cat 1, cat 3 and cat 2 climbs before the descent into Gap. This is Criterium du Dauphine country and all three of the these cities are frequent start or stops during the month of June for the Tour de France warm-up race. Although Chambéry has hosted twenty Dauphine stages, this is only the second time it has entertained the Tour de France.
Gap, on the other hand, is a crossroads town which Napoleon put on the map and the Tour de France continues to use frequently. This year will mark the 20th time Gap has hosted a Tour stage and it is the location of one of the most dramatic moments in Tour de France history. No one will forget the scene of Lance Armstrong cutting across a field in 2003 to avoid Joseba Beloki, who skided and highsided on the melting asphalt during the descent into Gap, breaking several bones and effectively ending his career:
Astana's Alexandre Vinokourov won't forget that day either because he won the stage while riding for T-Mobile. A Frenchman will especially want to win stage 10 because July 14th is Bastille Day. — Steve
Gap, the capital of the Hautes-Alpes region, is hosting its 20th Tour de France stage this year.
photo credit: Feuillu
(steephill.tv)
Beloki's crash & burn; Armstrong's trip through the field
Tour de France 2010Stage 10 - Chambéry > > > Gap - 179 km
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
DépartCHAMBÉRY
• Once a stage town
• Population: 60,000
• Prefecture of Savoie (73)
Chambéry often provides accommodation for the Tour caravan, but up until now had only hosted the start of a stage in 1996 that finished in Les Arcs. Luc Leblanc won there after a day in which Stéphane Heulot lost the yellow jersey to Evgueni Berzin. The town already boasts a cycling tradition as the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré was organised here 20 times. In 1989, Greg LeMond won the World Championship here, thus confirming his comeback success attained on the Tour three months earlier.
Between the lake and mountains, Chambery boasts a slight air of Italy as well as a unique and delicious charm. Its slate roofs, coloured façades and historical heritage combine and contrast with those of its buildings in more of a modern architectural style. On the road to Italy and the great Alpine valleys, this city so dear to Jean-Jacques Rousseau is one of the most dynamic in the Rhône-Alpes region and part of an agglomeration with a population of 125,000. It is a reference in the solar energy sector, as well as for its urban planning and booming associative and cultural scene. The Eureka Gallery and its Espace Montagne exhibition on the mountains help visitors to better understand and appreciate the Alps, especially the protected areas and surrounding mountain ranges. At the edges of the Chartreuse and Bauges regional nature parks, the city also plays host to the headquarters of the Vanoise National Park. Furthermore, 2010 is an outstanding year for Chambery. The former capital of the House of Savoy is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its annexation by France, which will be marked by a wide-ranging programme of celebratory, cultural and sporting events.
Arrivée
GAP
• 19 times a stage town
• Population: 40,000
• Prefecture of Hautes-Alpes (05)
Gap has been the scene of magnificent wins by riders like Géminiani, Nencini, Bernard, Zabel and Vinokourov. The Prefecture of Hautes-Alpes was also the start of legendary Tour stages that finished in Briançon, successively won by Bobet, Coppi and Bahamontes. Since then, starts from Gap have tended to finish in Alpe-d’Huez, as in 1991 (victory of Gianni Bugno) and in 2006 (Frank Schleck). The most dramatic image associated with a stage in Gap nevertheless remains that of Lance Armstrong cutting across a field in 2003, following Joseba Beloki’s fall.
Gap, a city with a population of 40,000 and the prefecture of the Hautes-Alpes area, marks the limit between the northern and southern Alps. It is located on the famous Napoleonic route linking Golfe-Juan to Grenoble. With legendary amounts of sunshine, wide open natural spaces, Gap is both home to lavender and edelweiss! Gap is a place for sport in all seasons. Indeed, half of its inhabitants belong to a club. Ten minutes from the city centre, Gap Bayard is a vast plateau ideal for cross-country skiing in winter, whilst in the summer, it plays host to a superb golf course. On the 50 km of the Balcons du Gapençais tracks, families can often be found mountain biking. Gap-Charance is a park open all year round with nature study trails and a garden boasting 600 varieties of ancient roses. Gap-Tallard is the leading French spot for aerial sports: parachuting, paragliding, hang-gliding, hot air ballooning, gliding, etc. Gap-Céüze is a rock climber’s paradise with its 5 km of cliffs.
In Gap, the life of the city is a palette of colourful small squares and pedestrian streets, statues, fountains and coloured façades. Cycling will again have pride of place on Sunday 22nd August, when the Alpigap event takes place.
(letour.com)