Saturday, July 20, 2019

Wine & Food of LeTour 2019: Stage 14: Tarbes > Tourmalet Barèges



Where are we?  Tarbes: Speaking of places we have been to before, let's go back to the horse farm: The friendship between man and horse in the Pyrenees dates back more than 20,000 years, as evidenced by the painted horses in the Niaux cave (Ariège), which are very reminiscent of the Mérens horses that are the best known breed in the region. It was, however, the Hussars who transformed Tarbes into a garrison town and to whom the national stud, created in 1806 by imperial decree, owes its existence. For many years it provided mounts to the army’s most skilled horsemen. Located in a nine-hectare park, this stud was one of the few to receive a visit from the emperor, two years after its creation in 1808. It now offers a harmonious and remarkable collection of Empire style, which includes examples of local traditions such as wooden frameworks, solid oak stalls and floors laid with pebbles from the Adour. Since the restoration carried out in 1995, the Maison du Cheval has housed a museum. In addition to traditional activities, the Tarbes stud, which hosts the annual Equestria festival, offers guided tours and themed entertainment. The best aspect, though, is that the stud’s heritage is being well maintained, nurturing regional breeds like the Mérens horse and the Pyrenean donkey, but especially the Anglo-Arab breed that the stud has been largely instrumental in developing over the past century. In 2016, the stud farm was taken over by the municipality, who launched a vast renovation campaign.
Specialties: foie gras, garbure, Tarbais beans, spit cake.

 Tourmalet Barèges: LeTour has some suggestions on how to spend the day: A day at the Pic du Midi begins with a memorable climb by cable car from La Mongie. A first section leads to the intermediate station of Taoulet. Change platforms, another cabin awaits you for the second, most spectacular part of the trip, with a maximum flyover of 320 meters. Then you reach the top and gain direct access to the panoramic terraces with a breath-taking view of the chain of the Pyrenees stretching over 300 km. With the help of panoramic tables you will learn to identify the summits while the interpretation tables help discover the environment of the Pyrenees. Enrich your knowledge of the mountain with the long views installed on the terrace. Enjoy a presentation of the panorama explained by guides. You can even watch the sun without danger with our coronograph.
A stop at the planetarium makes the change of scenery even more spectacular.I n a planetarium, there is no screen but a huge dome above your head. Sitting in comfortable reclining chairs, you will be swept away on a journey to the stars and beyond. The Planetarium of Pic du Midi is located under the Baillaud dome, a place full of history and science. It is the oldest astronomical installation of the observatory. It was transported to the Pic on the back of men and mules for two years, in 1907 and 1908. After a century of research and astronomical discoveries, the Baillaud dome has a found a new life by housing the highest planetarium in Europe.
Specialties: Mutton of Bareges-Gavarnie (AOP), garbure, black pork of Bigorre, Tourmalet beehives, onion of Trébons (AOP), beer of Pays Toy








 The stage: Well now, this is a fun way to start a day in the Pyrenees:

 

Nibali has said, repeatedly, that he is only here for stages. His fans may also dream of a king of the mountains challenge. Soon, the duo would have company: Calmejane, Gesbert, Haller, Henao, Kamna, Ladagnous, G. Martin, Mohoric, Sanchez, Sicard, Taaramae, Verona, Vuillermoz, Wellens, and Zakarin.
With 84 kilometers to go, they had a gap of 2:40.
As they ride, yet another reason to be sad we can't get Eurosport on tv here. And, yes, I do often watch it on pirate streams but just look:
  

As they climbed, riders were being dropped both from the breakaway group and from the main peloton. It would be a very unpleasant day for the grupetto.I will make my annual plea: please, on stages like this, a designated grupetto camera.
In the peloton, Movistar came to the front to drive the pace. Did they have plans? Ahead: Nibali, Kämna, Wellens, Zakarin, Verona and Sanchez were away up the hill with 4.5km remaining to the top.
Some big names were dropping, including Bardet and the Yates twin picked to excel in this race, Adam.
Also exciting: the sight of spectators having to hold a cow back from the road:

 

At the front of the race: Wellens and Nibali with Wellens taking maximum kom points.
 

They were rapidly approaching the final climb as Sicard surged ahead.
Twenty kilometers to go and only Calmejane and Gesbert remained between Sicard and the yellow jersey peloton 2km before the bottom of the Tourmalet. Time gap was 1'20''.
On they went with Gesbert catching and passing Sicard.Thirteen kilometers to go and he had 35 seconds over the Movistar led peloton. It was time to watch the riders drop. Bye Dan Martin. Bye again Adam Yates. After lots of pacemaking, bye Amador.
After all that work from his team, Quintana was struggling. Yikes. A teammate would go back to help pace him.
Still hanging on was our yellow jersey leader.  Go Ala go!
With Gesbert caught, Barguil launched an attack. 
As the group continued to shrink, I was worry about Alaphilippe, who was hanging out at the back of the group.
     

The men left: Gaudu, Pinot, Landa, Valverde, Fuglsang, Van Baarle, Poels, Bernal, Thomas, De  Plus, Bennett, Kruijswijk, Alaphilippe, Mas, Urán, Buchmann, Porte, Mollema were 15'' behind lone leader Warren Barguil.
Dropping: Porte and Mas. Also Poels. Looking to be struggling as well: Valverde.
Bye Alejandro. 
With 3km to go, there were 12 riders in the lead:  Pinot, Landa, Fuglsang, Bernal, Thomas, De  Plus, Bennett, Kruijswijk, Alaphilippe, Urán, Buchmann and Barguil. Dropping right after I typed that: De Plus.
Goodbye Fuglsang and Barguil (again).
Struggling: Geraint Thomas!
Surging ahead: Pinot for the stage win Next in Alaphilippe!
Well now, that was a stage worthy of a Saturday.

Stage:
1
 3h 10' 20''
2
 + 00' 06''
3
 + 00' 06''
4
 + 00' 08''
5
 + 00' 08''
6
 + 00' 14''
7
 + 00' 30''
8
 + 00' 36''
9
 + 00' 38''
10
 + 00' 53''


GC:


 

The wine: Vignobles Arbeau Negrette On l Appelle 
From CopakeWineWorks
Just north of Toulouse in southern France, north of the Pyrenees one finds the appellation of Fronton. In Fronton the principle grape is Negrette, and the appellation’s decree is that each Fronton wine be at least 50% of the variety. 

This was bright cherry and kind of gulpable. Plus, a really appealing label, which lists all the names Négrette is known by, concluding: "et ici, chez elle, à toulouse, on l'appelle négrette" (and here, in its home, in Toulouse, we call it Négrette).

 The food: You can only see spit cake listed so many times before you need to find out more, The BBC tells me that: Made by pouring layers of batter on a rotating conical-shaped mould over an open fire, the cake on a spit, called le gâteau à la broche in French, is a typical Eastern European recipe. But according to legend, when Napoleon's soldiers were withdrawing from their invasion of Russia in 1812, they brought it back with them to France. There, the recipe had been transmitted orally, with no written record of the original version. Although the cake is considered rare, according to Slow Food, the tradition is alive and well in two French regions: Hautes-Pyrénées and Aveyron.

 (serves 120 people)

Ingredients:120 eggs3kg sugar3kg flour3kg butter2 litres rum2 cups RicardWhile the fire is being prepared, mix the egg yolks with half the sugar. Add the rum and Ricard, and then fold in the flour. Stir in the melted butter. Separately, beat the egg whites, adding the remaining sugar once soft peaks form. Continue beating until they look like ‘snow’, and then combine with the yolk-sugar mixture until a deep yellow dough is formed.Cover the big, conical-shaped wooden mould with baking paper and place it on a spit in front of the fire, turning it constantly. After about an hour, begin gently pouring the dough on it. Continue adding the dough and turning the spit for about five hours.
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