Stage 1 - Bruxelles > > > Spa - 201 km
Monday, July 5, 2010
Bruxelles Spa - 201 km
•Km 98.00 - Côte de France - 2.2 km climb to 6.2 % - Category 4
•Km 128.5 - Côte de Filot - 3.9 km climb to 4.5 % - Category 4
•Km 136.0 - Côte de Werbomont - 4.5 km climb to 3.5 % - Category 4
•Km 161.5 - Côte d'Aisomont - 4.5 km climb to 5.2 % - Category 3
•Km 167.5 - Col de Stockeu - 3.0 km climb to 5.9 % - Category 3
•Km 189.0 - Col du Rosier - 6.4 km climb to 4 % - Category 3
Stage 1 - Bruxelles > > > Spa - 201 km
Monday, July 5, 2010
Hilly - A sporting perspective
A nod to the “Ardennes classics”
The race gets down to the nitty-gritty a bit more with this stage of rolling valleys and a nod to the “Ardennes Classics” as it follows a part of the routes for the Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège… There are no very hard slopes, but it may be sufficient to eliminate the major sprinters, like Cavendish, whereas Freire could have more joy. In my opinion, at the finishing line there will be a pack of around fifty riders. But it’s a rugged route on which all sorts of things could happen. In 1995, it was on a stage similar to this one that Miguel Indurain attacked on the ‘bumps’ of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and broke away with Johan Bruyneel.
(letour.com)
June 27 post:
On this the third day of the Tour, we'll have the first KOMs of the race.
Starting at yesterday's finish in Brussels, the Tour continues southeast where the route will get progressively hillier as it heads over the same roads used by the Ardennes classics, Fleche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
In total, there are 6 category 4/3 climbs over the second half of this stage. These climbs are not too difficult, but the roads are narrow so it will be interesting to see how many sprinters remain when the stage finishes in Spa. Jens Voigt believes this will be a dangerous stage with so many fresh guys attempting to ride at the front of the race on narrow roads. The last 2 km are flat/slightly uphill. Apparently, "a Mecca in the world of thermal spas", the host finish was appropriately named Spa during Roman Times. — Steve
Lots of hills normally used by Ardenees classics in the second half of the stage but none are very difficult .
A monument to Eddy Merckx at the top of the second last climb of stage 2, Cote de Stockeu. Merckx doesn't like this monument, he says monuments should only be unveiled after a person dies.
(steephill.tv)
The Stage started at 12:00 pm local time (Rotterdam is 6 hrs ahead of US EDT); ~71 km raced this far, ~130 km to go.
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