Le Tour 100 – Stage 7

Montpellier to Albi

Distance: 205.5 kilometers.

The first quarter of the stage is rolling hills, but then you start climbing. First is the category 3 Col des 13 Vents, which is followed immediately by the toughest climb so far, the category 2 Col de la Croix de Mounis. After about 25 km up at 800 meters, you drop down for the sprint. That is followed by the category 3 climb up the Côte de la Quintaine and then 20 km to the category 4 Côte de Teillet. After that climb there is a 35 km downhill race to the finish in Albi.

Peter Sagan finally won a stage after being second on several of them. His team set the pace and reduced the number of sprinters available to challenge him at the end. The climbs just took it out of many of them who lacked the support that Cannondale provided Sagan.

Blel Kadri also received help from his team to take the Polka Dot Jersey by a single point as the climb up Col de la Croix de Mounis was the real focus of the stage. That’s where Kadri took the Polka Dots and where Sagan was set up for the stage win.

This stage was a prime example of how important teams are to the success of individual riders. The ‘domestiques’ sacrifice their strength and race positions to promote the cause of their team’s principal rider.

Daryl Impey ( RSA – OGE – 185 ) [Yellow] 27h 12′ 29″
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 011 ) [Green] 224 points
Blel Kadri ( Fra – ALM – 087 ) [Polka Dot] 12 points
Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 153 ) 5 [White]

Team: Orica-GreenEdge ( OGE – 181-189 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 011 )
Combative: Jan Bakelants ( Bel – RLT – 042 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Daryl Impey ( RSA – OGE – 185 )
2 Edvald Boasson Hagen ( Nor – SKY – 002 ) + 00′ 03″
3 Simon Gerrans ( Aus – OGE – 181 ) + 00′ 05″
4 Michael Albasini ( Sui – OGE – 182 ) + 00′ 05″
5 Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 153 ) + 00′ 06″
6 Sylvain Chavanel ( Fra – OPQ – 152 ) + 00′ 06″
7 Christopher Froome ( GB – SKY – 001 ) + 00′ 08″
8 Richie Porte ( Aus – SKY – 006 ) + 00′ 08″
9 Nicolas Roche ( Irl – TST – 097 ) + 00′ 14″
10 Roman Kreuziger ( Cze – TST – 094 ) + 00′ 14″

The Rest of the Top 30:

11 Alberto Contador ( Esp – TST – 091 ) + 00′ 14″
12 Michael Rogers ( Aus – TST – 098 ) + 00′ 14″
13 Andrew Talansky ( USA – GRS – 178 ) + 00′ 22″
14 Ryder Hesjedal ( Can – GRS – 171 ) + 00′ 22″
15 Daniel Martin ( Irl – GRS – 175 ) + 00′ 22″
16 Thomas Danielson ( USA – GRS – 173 ) + 00′ 22″
17 Alejandro Valverde ( Esp – MOV – 121 ) + 00′ 25″
18 Rui Alberto Costa ( Por – MOV – 124 ) + 00′ 25″
19 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas ( Col – MOV – 128 ) + 00′ 25″
20 Andrey Amador ( CR – MOV – 122 ) + 00′ 25″
21 Przemyslaw Niemiec ( Pol – LAM – 148 ) + 00′ 30″
22 Cadel Evans ( Aus – BMC – 031 ) + 00′ 31″
23 Philippe Gilbert ( Bel – BMC – 034 ) + 00′ 31″
24 Tejay Van Garderen ( USA – BMC – 039 ) + 00′ 31″
25 Amaël Moinard ( Fra – BMC – 035 ) + 00′ 31″
26 Eduard Vorganov ( Rus – KAT – 109 ) + 00′ 33″
27 Jan Bakelants ( Bel – RLT – 042 ) + 00′ 33″
28 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni ( Esp – VCD – 204 ) + 00′ 33″
29 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver ( Esp – KAT – 101 ) + 00′ 33″
30 Daniel Moreno Fernandez ( Esp – KAT – 106 ) + 00′ 33″

Did not start:
Janez Brajkovic ( Slo – AST – 061 )

Did not finish:

Adriano Malori ( Ita – LAM – 146 )
Christian Vande Velde ( USA – GRS – 179 )

Note: Wikipedia has a simple article on the Mountain classification used on the Tour. The basic fact is that climbs fall into five types, with the four numbered types decreasing in difficulty as the numbers get larger, and then there is the Hors Catégorie, literally “without category”, which generally makes you look for an elevator or Sherpas.

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