Thursday, July 25, 2019

Wine & Food of LeTour 2019: Stage 18: Embrun > Valloire



Where are we? Embrun : Time for a cathedral: Notre Dame du Real cathedral. Built between 1170 and 1220, it is considered the most important religious monument in the French Alps. Its architecture is largely inspired from the Lombard tradition. The Porch of the Real, surrounded by two lions, housed for more than two centuries a fresco representing the Adoration of the Magi. Are especially noteworthy the 18th century altar in polychrome marble, the preaching chairs and the baroque altars. An organ offered by King Louis XI is being restored. The cathedral’s treasure, on display in the St Francis chapel, is an exceptional collection of sacred art from the 15th to the 19th century, revealing the past glory of the Embrun archbishops.
Specialities: honey, trout farms, cheese, venison, jam tarts, apple.

 Valloire: The local tourist site tells me that: In VALLOIRE, PAST AND HISTORY ARE IN ALL SPIRITS ... Since the Neolithic, men have occupied this valley that connects the Maurienne and Dauphine. They settled there and stayed because this land was welcoming and rich for them to live and prosper.
From 1850, the Valloirins get used to seeing the first tourists, young British doing a "tour" of Europe.
From 1911, large passenger cars (replacing the cars pulled by horses) pass the Galibier making the "Route des Grandes Alpes". Then follows a very first: the Tour de France cyclist, which will have the effect of promoting the village.
Valloire starts to equip itself for tourism with 4 hotels opened in 1914 and even winter (50 rooms)!
In the 1920s young valloirins began to learn with the military the practice of a sport still unknown at the time in France: skiing.
If it is necessary to make the trace, the valloirins then put the rackets broad made of a winching of ropes and use them in full winter in the very deep snow. Children use low-sled sorts made of planks to slide on the slopes.
 Specialties: diots of Valloire (made with carrots, red beets, beef), farcis valloirins (white cabbage dish with raisins, prunes and apples). Cheeses:  Borgé (with raw cow's milk), Tomme de Valloire (that of the Ferme du Pré Clos is recommended by Gault & Millau). La Galibier beer (the highest brewery in France) has won numerous international awards.





  

The stage: We have arrived at the Alps for the first of three brutal stages. Time to find out who really has the legs in the gc group. Experts think perhaps Pinot or Bernal. Many fans hope Alaphilippe will hang on. 
Our break of the day is again huge:
The 34 riders are:  Dylan Van Baarle (Ineos), Max Richeze (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Romain Bardet, Mikaël Chérel and Matthias Frank (AG2R-La Mondiale), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Merida), Matthieu Ladagnous (Groupama-FDJ), Nairo Quintana, Andrey Amador and Carlos Verona (Movistar), Gorka Izagirre and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana), Amund Groendahl Jansen and Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma), Alberto Bettiol and Michael Woods (EF Education First), Adam Yates, Daryl Impey and Chris Juul Jensen (Mitchelton-Scott), Greg Van Avermaet, Simon Geschke and Serge Pauwels (CCC), Sergio Henao (UAE Team Emirates), Julien Bernard (Trek-Segafredo), Nikias Arndt and Lennard Kämna (Sunweb), Pierre-Luc Périchon and Stéphane Rossetto (Cofidis), Tiesj Benoot, Jasper De Buyst and Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal), Paul Ourselin (Total Direct Energie), Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) and Amaël Moinard (Arkéa-Samsic).
The most interesting rider in the group, gc-wise is Nairo Quintana.  

After a crash on the downhill both George Bennett and Nicolas Roche remounted, but Bennett looked very awkward on his bike. 
With 100 kilometers to ride, the peloton was just over seven minutes behind that large breakaway group. Escaping from that large group: Bernard and Van Avermaet. 
  

On they went. Behind, Movistar came to the front of the peloton and their pace setting caused many riders to drop. 


 

Bardet, Caruso, Quintana, Lutsenko, Woods, A.Yates, Pauwels, Bernard and Kämna were in the lead with 56km to go with 6' lead over the yellow jersey group. That yellow jersey group was regaining riders. Fifty kilometers to go and the gap was around 5:45 to the front nine.
Ahead, the group had swelled to 16: Caruso, Bardet, Bernard, A. Yates, Woods, Quintana, Lutsenko, Pauwels, Kämna, Chérel, Van Avermaet, Geschke, Amador, Benoot, Wellens and Van Baarle. 
Here we go:
  

I highly recommend Will's twitter thread from yesterday to learn more about what the riders face today:
 

Thirty kilometers to go and the time gap between the 11 riders in the lead and the peloton led by Ineos was 5'. That lead group was shrinking, Yates the first to drop. Surging ahead: Quintana. Chasing him: Bardet and Lutsenko. 

 


No major attacks yet from that yellow jersey group. There it came. First, Bernal.
Thomas! Could Alaphilippe stay with these attacks from Ineos? He looked to be struggling. A reminder that he is an excellent descender.
Indeed, he would catch them on the descent and fly by. What a delight. That group would come back together.
Ahead Quintana looked to be cruising to the stage win with Bardet riding into the king of the mountains jersey. Near the finish, rain. We don't see it on camera, but word of a bad crash for Bennett.

Stage:



GC:
 


 The wine: Cocchi Barolo Chinato from Copake Wine Works
Cheating a bit here because I am a fan, but it is really not that far from today's stage. That said, I should probably be drinking genepi, but the reference below to cooling seemed right for the weather forecast.
From the producer: Born in Piedmont in the last century, it soon spread thanks to its taste, well balanced between bitter and sweet, and especially for the leading effect on the market of its name “Barolo”, that immediately positioned it among the noblest products compared to various other types of alcoholic drinks based on cinchona.
In Italy its consumption was encouraged by the fame it gained as therapeutic wine. A traditional remedy in Piedmont to cure many small sicknesses, especially in case of cooling. Drunk as a vin brulé, hot and invigorating, its antipyretic and digestive capacities were widely recognized. Serving it to the guests became a typical tradition of the farmers’ hospitality.
Over time, the use of this aromatized wine changed and today, in the general wake to recover traditions and naturality, it’s been rediscovered with new and interesting consumption styles.

 The food: Diots from the local tourist site:
  • 1 diot de Valloire (Composition: Cabbage - carrot - onions - beetroot - beef - pork bacon)
  • 1 beautiful carrot
  • 1 beautiful potato
  • 4 or 5 bay leaves
  • a dozen juniper berries
  • Salt pepper
  • Peel the carrot and the potato.
  • Cut them into quarters.
  • Put the diot, carrot, bay leaf and juniper berries in a saucepan, add warm water.
  • Boil about 25 min.
  • Add the potato wedges.
  • Cook another 35 minutes.
  • Serve hot and season to taste.
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