Thursday, July 18, 2019

Wine & Food of LeTour 2019: Stage 12: Toulouse > Bagnères-de-Bigorre

Where are we? Bagnères-de-Bigorre: How about a piano concert?  Letour says: In June 1997, Pierre Reach made the news by hauling a piano by helicopter to the summit of the Pic du Midi for a concert at 2,800 metres above sea level. The event launched the double adventure of the György Sebök International Academy and the Piano-Pic Festival, created in 2007. The initiative was born from a common idea by ​​Christophe Baillet and Pierre Reach to set up an international festival of classical music mainly devoted to piano, coupled with an international academy animated by the artists invited to the festival. Since then, nearly 100 students have come from all over Europe to study with piano, violin and cello masters ... Many prestigious artists have passed on their musical knowledge to young students, starting with Gyorgy Sebök who has left his mark on the academy. 
The festival, meanwhile, deploys its concerts in the most prestigious sites in the Pyrenees: the Bagneres Temple, the churches of Campan, Gerde, Baudéan and the Abbey of Escaladieu and of course Pic du Midi. The architectural and musical magic creates each year an unforgettable alchemy in the hearts of music lovers.
Specialties: garbure, Bigorre black pork, Trébons AOP onion, spit cake, pie, Madiran wine (AOC)

 The stage: Is it an exaggeration to say that the real GC race starts today? Yes because obviously all of the kilometers ridden so far count. But also, no, because welcome to the Pyrenees Tour de France 2019, we've been waiting for you. In response, the break of the day is, well, enormous:
Peter Sagan, Gregor Mühlberger, Daniel Oss and Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe), Michael Morkov (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Oliver Naesen, Tony Gallopin and Matthias Fränk (Ag2r La Mondiale), Sonny Colbrelli, Iván García Cortina and Dylan Teuns (Bahrain-Merida), Imanol Erviti (Movistar Team), Pello Bilbao (Astana), Dylan Groenewegen and Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma), Alberto Bettiol, Simon Clarke and Tom Scully (EF Education First), Matteo Trentin and Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), Greg Van Avermaet and Serge Pauwels (CCC Team), Rui Costa and Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates), Fabio Felline and Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), Michael Matthews, Nikias Arndt, Cees Bol and Nicolas Roche (Team Sunweb), Pierre-Luc Périchon and Julien Simon (Cofidis), Tiesj Benoot, Roger Kluge and Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal), Lilian Calmejane (Total Direct Energie), Andrea Pasqualon (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Edvald Boasson Hagen and Michael Valgren (Dimension Data) and Kévin Ledanois (Arkéa-Samsic). 
Why, yes, that is about 40 riders. You'll note a mix of sprinters simply looking to survive the day within the time cut and opportunists who hope to contend for the stage or at least gain king of the mountain points.
With 100 kilometers to go, their gap was about four minutes.  Abandonments so far on the stage: Dennis and Nizzolo. 

 At the intermediate sprint:
1. Peter Sagan, 20 pts
2. Sonny Colbrelli, 17 pts
3. Alexander Kristoff, 15 pts
4. Jasper Stuyven, 13 pts
5. Daniel Oss, 11 pts
6. Cees Bol, 10 pts
7. Tony Gallopin, 9 pts
8. Julien Simon, 8 pts
9. Nikias Arndt, 7 pts
10. Tom Scully, 6 pts
11. Simon Clarke, 5 pts
12. Pello Bilbao, 4 pts
13. Ivan Garcia Cortina, 3 pts
14. Matteo Trentin, 2 pts
15. Matthias Frank, 1 pt

The peloton was at 4’50’’. Immediately afterward, riders would begin dropping from the break.


 Some trivia for the day: This is the 66th time of the Tour de France to the col de Peyresourde. It's the fourth most visited big climb after the Tourmalet (82 times), Aspin (74) and Aubisque (73). The most visited Alpine climb, the Galibier, will be done for the 60th time next week.
  
With 50 kilometers to go, Simon Clarke had 50'' lead over the Tim Wellens group.
Meanwhile, a bit of a mystery:
 
We were rapidly reaching the many groups on the road portion of the stage:  
Suffering on the stage one of my favorites: Nibali, apparently suffering from the same stomach ailment that caused Dennis to abandon.
Catching Clarke at the front Trentin. Not far behind Yates, Roche, Gallopin, and Frank.
 
Bilbao briefly caught them, but was dropped very quickly, only to make it back up. The peloton was perhaps saving energy for the upcoming time trial.

 
On they went:
 

From earlier:
  
Winning from the three man group: Simon Yates!

Stage:
 

GC:
1
 52h 26' 09''
2
 + 01' 12''
3
 + 01' 16''
4
 + 01' 27''
5
 + 01' 45''
6
 + 01' 46''
7
 + 01' 47''
8
 + 02' 04''
9
 + 02' 09''
10
 + 02' 33''

        
The wine:  Domaine Ameztia Irouleguy
From the San Francisco Wine Trading Company 

They say: The Costera family has been producing wine since the 17th century, most of which was sold off. In 2001 Jean-Louis Costera built a new facility with the intention of crafting world-class Irouleguy and they haven't looked back. The wine has golden apple, ripe pear, hints of honeysuckle and a stony minerality.

 The food:  Garbure, from Food52
Serves: 6 to 8 
  • 2 cups dried white beans
  • 2 pounds smoked ham hock
  • 1/4 cup rendered duck fat, or extra-virgin olive oil, or unsalted butter (4 tablespoons)
  • 6 carrots, halved crosswise and cut into 1 1/2-inch (4-centimeter) sticks
  • 5 leeks, white and pale green parts, coarsely chopped
  • 4 onions, quartered
  • 5 garlic cloves, halved
  • 1 medium Savoy cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
  • Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pig's tail, optional
  • 6 small to medium russet potatoes
  1. Put the beans in a medium bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches (5 centimeters). Let soak overnight in a cool place. In a separate bowl, cover the ham hock with water and let soak overnight in the refrigerator.
  2. The next day, heat the duck fat in a very large pot, over medium heat. Add the carrots, leeks, onions, garlic, and cabbage and cook until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the ham hock and add to the pot, along with the pig’s tail, if using. Cover with water and bring to a low boil, then cover, lower the heat, and simmer until the ham hock meat is very tender, about 3 hours.
  3. Drain the beans and add to the pot, along with the potatoes. Simmer until the beans and potatoes are cooked and tender, about 1 hour longer. Transfer the ham hock and pig’s tail, if you have it, to a cutting board. Remove the meat, discarding the skin and bones. Shred the meat into the soup and serve.
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