Where are we? Heading to the Haute-Savoie
Oyonnax: The regional tourist site tells me that: Famous for its industrial know-how, Oyonnax nestles at the foot of the Jura Mountains in an outstanding natural setting which offers a multitude of possibilities for pursuing cultural activities and for getting away from it all whether winter or summer. Oyonnax, located 540 metres above sea level in the heart of the Jura Mountains, is also a city at the gates of the Haut-Jura Regional Nature Park: this region of lakes, forests and rivers is ideal for hiking in fine weather and Nordic activities in the winter, with several ski resorts close by (Hautes-Combes, Plateau de Retord, etc.).
Le Grand-Bornand: How could I resist? The local tourist site tells me that: ONCE UPON A TIME...THE COW ART In the year 2000, Le Grand-Bornand is 2000 inhabitants, 2000 cows, pastures at nearly 2000 meters altitude. So naturally, Le Grand-Bornand became THE CAPITAL OF COW ART! Imagine a little: an entire village that celebrates the cow: sculptures, paintings, photos, comics ... an artistic flock for the least unexpected!
At the option of a walk without beginning or end, find the works present in the village and Chinaillon. So, let yourself be guided!
Le Tour specialties
Oyonnax: Cerdon wine, Bugey and Jura wines, michon, pike quenelles with Nantua sauce, wine sausage, sugar pie, gum pie and praline pie from Pérouges, cheeses (comté, morbier, bleu de Gex, Ramequin du Bugey or la Tracle)
Le Grand-Bornand: farmhouse reblochon, white tomme, mountain charcuterie, cheese-based specialities (fondue, tartiflette, péla), matafan (potato fritters), farcement (sweet and sour potatoes), rissoles (pan-fried apple turnover), bescoins (aniseed and saffron bread traditionally offered on 15 August by the godfather to his godson).
Christian Prudhomme says: After 2009 and 2018, the finish at Le Grand-Bornand will once again be conditioned by the Romme – Colombière climbing sequence. But this time it’ll be preceded by the climb up to Mont-Saxonnex (5,7 km at 8,3%) first ascent towards the Plateau de Solaison, and will therefore offer a triple climb on a distance of over 20 kms at close to 9%. Of course it’ll be a day for the best climbers!
The stage: The weekend of climbing has begun and it was raining. So, it was likely to be a bad day for quite a few riders and we saw some struggling right from the start. Among those dropped, Roglic and Thomas. Up front, despite several attempts, a breakaway was yet to form. At the intermediate sprint, Colbrelli with maximum points, Cav already having been dropped. Under one hundred kilometers to go and the he Roglic group was almost three minutes behind and the Thomas group more than five minutes back.
There were also reports of a problem ahead:
Ninety five kilometers to go and there was a group of twenty one off the front, including Pogacar. However, they would be caught by the main peloton, so there was still no true break on the stage. Further behind, Roglic was smiling, but had been dropped by his group. One wondered if he would finish the day.
Ninety kilometers to go and Wout Poels was solo in the lead.
Good news! The truck had been moved.
Seventy six kilometers to go and Poels was forty seconds ahead of a group containing Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Søren Kragh Andersen, Tiesj Benoot (Team DSM), Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma), Simon Yates, Chris Juul-Jensen (BikeExchange), Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic), Mattia Cattaneo (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Michael Woods (ISN), Aurélien Paret-Peintre (AG2R Citroën), Ion Izagirre (Astana-Premier Tech), Sergio Henao (Qhubeka NextHash), Victor de la Parte (TotalEnergies) They would catch Poels.
Ahead:
Dropping from the front group, Valverde, apparently suffering in the cold.
As they continued, a rather frightening descent to watch, on wet roads.
Briefly into virtual yellow was Sören Kragh Andersen.
As they continued, Van de Poel dropping from the peloton. Also dropping, van Aert. That group was getting very small. Then came an attack from Pogacar, followed by Carapaz. He would keep going and drop Carapaz. At the top of the col de Romme, Woods had one minute over Quintana, Cattaneo, Poels, Martin, Yates and Izagirre. And, well, then simply a dominating performance by Pogacar, picking off rider by rider. Well, all of them except Dylan Teuns, who managed to hold on for the stage win.
Meanwhile, I was anxious about Cav.
General classification after stage 8Pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|
1 | Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates | 29:38:25 |
2 | Wout Van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma | 0:01:48 |
3 | Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana-Premier Tech | 0:04:38 |
4 | Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education-Nippo | 0:04:46 |
5 | Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma | 0:05:00 |
6 | Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers | 0:05:01 |
7 | Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:05:13 |
8 | Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:05:15 |
9 | David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ | 0:05:52 |
10 | Pello Bilbao Lopez De Armentia (Spa) Bahrain Victorious | 0:06:41 |
The wine: Franck Peillot Roussette du Bugey Altesse 2019The importer tells me that: The Bugey is a small viticultural area whose fame doesn’t extend much farther than the city of Lyon, where its sparkling Cerdon and Montagnieu have long been staples in bistros. Located in the eastern part of the Ain department, which is better known for its poulet de Bresse (the only French poultry with its own AOC) and its freshwater fish, the Bugey is a series of low altitude hills forming the most southern tip of the Jura range. In distance, it is closer to Savoie than to viticultural Jura, so, if mentioned at all, it is often considered a part of Savoie.
Winemakers in the Bugey beg to differ. They feel that their region has a soil and a climate all its own, which produce wines found nowhere else in France (Cerdon being the less obscure example of Bugey’s originality).Montagnieu is a village south of Cerdon, with premières côtes overlooking the Rhône valley, and most of its production is a white sparkling wine made from Chardonnay, Roussette de Savoie, Gamay and Jacquère. The grape Roussette is called Altesse locally, and it survives in the Bugey in a few patches of old vines, for it is not as hardy, reliable and productive as others. Only two young winemakers in Montagnieu, Franck Peillot and Benoît Dumont, produce still wines exclusively from this grape. By law, the wine, Roussette du Bugey, can contain any white varietal, in any proportion. That’s why Peillot’s is labelled 100% Altesse.Peillot, who took over his family estate in 1985 after working with his father since 1981, carries on the work of four generations before him.
Although he makes a sparkling Montagnieu from Chardonnay, Altesse, and Mondeuse, he vinifies all of his Altesse old vines as a still wine. With low yields and high ripeness, he is set to revive the wine that Jules Chauvet (a Beaujolais négociant, eminent taster and writer who has inspired a whole school of “natural winemaking”, notably in Morgon) put on a par with Château Chalon, Château Grillet and Yquem.Exaggeration aside, the varietal is thought to be a cousin of the Hungarian Furmint of Tokay fame and, even when vinified dry, it retains a fair amount of residual sugar.
The food: There is always a fondue stage. So heading back to our easy and tasty version:
8 oz. grated cheese
1 cup white wine (from the Savoie in this case)
As much nutmeg as K felt like grating
1 teaspoon corn starch
Heat wine over a medium-high heat until it begins to foam but does not boil. Add cheese gradually, stirring all the while. Grate in nutmeg and continue to stir until the mixture begins to thicken slightly. Add cornstarch and stir until the mixture thickens enough to coat your dipping items. Pour into a fondue pot and place over sterno to keep warm.
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