Tour de France 2016 - Stage Dates and Updates: Year of the Climbing Sprinters and All-Rounders
Gone are the days when pro peloton have aces with specific area of specialization, like those Tour de France season when Erik Zabel will attack on flats and Richard Virenque will own the mountains. It can be argued that here comes the new generation of climbing sprinters or traditionally called all-rounders who can both zoom past the finish line in fashionable sprints but can also easily climb the Alps when needed. Especially so because of this year's Grandest of Tours features 56 categorized climbs, including the treacherous and iconic Mont Ventoux and Col du Tourmalet that the iconic Octave Lapize braved in 1910. Lapize survived the climbed only to call the organizers "assasins" because the steep climb is a near-death experience.
For sure, before the traditional finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 24, the 3,519 kilometers hardcore race for pedal pushers still has a lot in store to amaze the spectators. Given that we are now midway the race and down to 2 more stages out of 21. The latest of these drama is when the crowd-favorite and race leader Chris Froome tangled into a crash up in Mont Ventoux, broke his bike and literally sprinted the remaining kilometer on foot.
The Climbing "Sprint"
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Froome was squirreling his way up Mont Ventoux to widened his lead and strenghten the grip on yellow jersey when the bizzare incident happened. He collided with a tevevision bike that was covering the race, down goes with him Richie Porte and Bauke Mollema. Worried to give away the ticking clock to rivals, Froome ran as fast as his cleated shoes can carry him to a neutral service car and secured a bike but had to swap the ill-fitted bike when his team support finally arrived.
Froome initially lost more than a minute and dropped to the 6th on the general classification, 53 seconds behin compatriot Adam Yates but the race jury reinstated Froome givinng him a 47 seconds gap ahead of Yates, with Mollema third at 56 seconds tailing and Nairo Quintana at one minute and one second back.
Meanwhile, Yates concedes to the ruling saying that everyone saw the crash and given the same situation happened to him while wearing the yellow jersey, he would want the same outcome.
The Challenge of the Mountains
From stage 14 to 21 of the tour seems to be the game for riders who can climb really good, considering that only the Montélimar to Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux apart from the ceremonial ride from Chantilly to Paris Champs-Élysées on the final race day. The rest are either mountain of hilly stages. The worst to come is the Apls.
Analysts, say that this is paving the way for all-rounders like Froome, and Bauke Mollema. It can be a debated that this is going to be a tight race to the finish since the other three holding the top post right now are excellent climbers including Yates, Quintana and AG2R La Mondiale's ace Romain Bardet.
Meanwhile, let us watch the excitement in store for us fans based on the following schedule:
July 15: Stage 13 — Bourg-Saint-Andéol to La Caverne du Pont-d'Arc, 37.5 km, Flat time trial
July 16: Stage 14 — Montélimar to Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux, 208.5 km, Flat
July 17: Stage 15 — Bourg-en-Bresse to Culoz, 160 km, Mountain
July 18: Stage 16 — Moirans-en-Montagne to Bern, 209 km, Hilly
July 19: Rest Day — Bern
Alps start
July 20: Stage 17 — Bern to Finhaut-Emosson, 184.5 km, Mountain
July 21: Stage 18 — Sallanches to Megève, 17 km, Hilly time trial
July 22: Stage 19 — Albertville to Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc, 146 km, Mountain
July 23: Stage 20 — Megève to Morzine-Avoriaz, 146.5 km, Mountain
July 24: Stage 21 — Chantilly to Paris Champs-Élysées, 113 km, Flat
Start: 10:35 a.m. ET
