Stage 12 Preview

 

Bourg-de-Péage - Mende, 210 km

 

Stage 12 to Mende looks fairly sedate when compared with the profiles of the Alps and upcoming Pyrenees. But there is a sting in the tail here - the final ascent of the Montée Laurent Jalabert,(after the Frenchman’s famous Bastille Day win there in 1995)

This Category 2 climb comes after 200km of racing with four categorised climbs before it.

• Km 31.0 - Côte de Saint-Barthélémy-le-Plain - 10.7 km climb to 3.1 % - Category 3
• Km 59.0 - Col des Nonières (NONIERES) - 5.7 km climb to 3.8 % - Category 3
• Km 96.0 - Suc de Montivernoux - 13.7 km climb to 4.4 % - Category 2
• Km 133.0 - Côte de la Mouline - 3.9 km climb to 5 % - Category 3
• Km 208.5 - Côte de la Croix-Neuve (Montée Laurent Jalabert) - 3.1 km climb to 10.1 % - Category 2

The final climb is just 3.1km long but at an average gradient of 10.1% is a brutal finish.

Alberto Contodor knows the climb into Mende quite well, in the 2007 Paris Nice on Stage 44 when he showed signs of what was to follow later in the season, he ripped into the climb and announced himself as a major tour contender in a big way with a blistering win.  The same Montée Laurent Jalabert climb featured on Stage 4 of this years Paris- Nice and it was again Contador who launched an attack that no one could match to take the stage and put himself in the lead.

A Breakaway may succeed on this stage if the right combination is allowed to get away, expect KOM point hunters like Pineau to go out looking for maximum points and keep himself in the polka dots before the high mountains and big points are on offer.

However if some of the teams fancy one of their riders having a go up that final brutal climb the pace might ramp up and the breakaway get caught.  Schleck and Contador have proved very even so far, but this is climb that suits Contador more than Schleck - high gradient where he can use his acceleration and quickly put time into rivals.  Even if the breakaway does succeed this short climb may have a bearing on the result - i expect Contador and Schleck to mark each other here - I think Contador is waiting for the big hills and he knows that although he is 41 seconds behind, Schelck needs closer to 2 minutes going in to the time trial.  All he has to do is stay with him,  however in light of past performances on this same road, i almost expect Contador to try and take back 20 or 30 seconds with a big attack here - even if it is just to test Schleck out.

 Contador wins Stage 4 of the 2010 Paris Nice