Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Wine & Food of the Tour 2017 Stage 17

Where are we? La Mure / Serre-Chevalier  
La Mure: The Main town in a canton of Matheysine-Trièves in Isère. The local tourist site tells me that:
Also located on the Route Napoleon, at the junction between Gap and Grenoble, Oisans and Trieves, La Mure is a historic crossroads, popular since ancient times by travellers and merchants. Its central position between Matheysine, Pays de Corps and Valbonnais assures it of a certain economic dynamism and has done at least since the Middle Ages : this is attested to by the ancient market place and certain town centre houses such as the Maison Caral, with its interior courtyard, built in the XIIth Century. This building - the oldest in La Mure - today houses the Matheysin Museum.
Later, the Chateau de Beaumont (15th Century), with its large crenellated round towers, the Saint Pierre-Julien Eymard chapel (17th Century) in a mixed style with a strong Roman influence, and the Tour de l'Horloge (18th Century) are other remarkable monuments in the city.
Finally, the proud facade of the Hotel de Ville (1892) recalls the prosperity which La Mure enjoyed when the coal mining was at its height
Specialities: Murçon (sausage flavoured with caraway), tourte muroise (meat and mushroom pie), ravioles (pasta squares), goat's cheese, caillettes (faggots), broquetons (cheese and potato croquettes), Matheysin cheese.
Serre-Chevalier: Ski village alert. The musical tourist site tells me: There is more than just ski in Serre Chevalier … there is a rich heritage! Of course our ski resort is wonderful, but our valley hides many well kept secrets …
Walk around Monêtier under the snow, learn about the history of the hot springs and this warm water that flows accross the streets. Spend a little time in La Salle to have a look at the pieces of work that our artists from the XVth century have left for us to admire. Finally, realise that Chantemerle is indeed an old village that wasn’t build only for skiing!
A little break in a full week of skiing will feel good, and our villages will reveal their secrets to you.
Free guided tour are available every day of the week, at 10am and 2pm, and you are going to love it !
Specialities: Sausage with cabbage, cabbage pie, trout, wild plants, cabinetmaking and larch carpentry

 The stage: Christian Prudhomme's comment: Climbers battling it out for the Yellow Jersey will have two more days to express themselves, to change the outcome or comfort a decent lead and gain precious time. Heading towards Serre-Chevalier, we will give them the most prestigious of what the Alps has to offer: the Col de la Croix de Fer and then the Galibier back after a 6-year absence, going up the Télégraphe. It's now up to them.

Live:  We've been waiting for this one. Early in the stage, a crash with Barguil, Cummings and Kittel. They would all be back up and riding.



Included in that group: Sergei Pauwels (Dimension Data), Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), Nicolas Roche (BMC), Robert Kiserlovski (Katusha), Matthias Frank (AG2R), Jarlenson Pantano (Trek Segafredo), Jonathan Castroviejo (Movistar), Brice Feillu (Fortuneo-Oscaro), Tony Gallopin (BMC), Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie), Daniel Navarro (Cofidis), Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo), Pierre-Luc Perichon (Fortuneo-Oscaro), Amael Moinard (BMC), Rudy Molard (FDJ), Marco Minnard (Wanty Groupe Gobert), Esteban Chaves (Orica Scott), Cyril Gautier (AG2R), Michael Matthews (Sunweb), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Simon Geschke (Sunweb), Darwin Atapuma (UAE Team Emirates), Dylan Van Baarle (Cannondale-Drapac), Pawel Poljanski (Bora-Hansgrohe), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Alberto Bettiol (Cannondale), Ondrej Cink (Bahrain-Merida), Daniel Wyss (BMC), Ben Swift (UAE Team Emirates), Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie), Michael Gogl (Trek-Segafredo), Albert Timmer (Sunweb) 
De Gendt and Matthews would take the lead to eventually be joined by Navarro.
Behind Contador and Quintana would attack from the peloton, with Quintana, clearly struggling, unable to keep pace. Contador would reach the second group on the road just as Matthews was dropping back, his job done for the day.

Way behind, Kittel. Sporza announcers report that: "Kittel looks horrible. Vermote and Sabatini are with him. He’s got an icepack on his shoulder and he’s letting his arm hang as much as he can. DS Bramati has asked him twice if he wants to quit, but Kittel said no twice. He’s suffering, badly. He can’t even grab drinks with his right arm. He’s in so much pain, but his mental strength is incredible. If you know the route… It’d be a shame if the three of them finish OTT today. You never know what could happen, but I don’t see this ending well for Kittel. He’s already 6k behind the leaders… That’s a giant gap. I think he doesn’t want to quit in green. Finish the stage, but then it’s going to be out of time. He’s suffering at 8, 10 kph."

So pretty:







Then came the not unexpected news: Kittel abandonment. 
So much effort setting up Contador perhaps doomed by a very slow bike change.



Thirteen riders left in front: A. Contador, B. Feillu, S. Pauwels, B. Mollema, T. Gallopin, D. Navarro, M. Frank, P. Roglic, A. Moinard, C. Gautier, D. Atapuma, and A. Bettiol.






Up they would go and it was looking good for the lead group.



Pauwels would try to get away several times, but it would eventually be Roglic getting some space. Behind, an attack by Dan Martin, with no reaction from the yellow jersey group. Speaking of that group, it is very small, with all of the race leaders still there.
Time for more attacks: Bardet, followed by Froome and Uran. Aru looked to be in trouble, but would recover. Bardet again! Fun to watch. 
Ahead, Roglic summits alone.




And so they would go with Roglic hanging on for the win! Behind, the big news was the loss of time for Aru.






The wine: Les Grangeons de l'Albarine gamay
From Copake Wine
A repeat producer, because I wanted to try the Gamay.
From the producer:
Les Grangeons de l'Albarine Wine estate is composed nowadays of an approx. 5 acres vineyards, located on different sites of Bugey area. The main location is Argis south facing slopes, divided in two different terroirs: Le Chateau, and Paradis, cultivated with three grapes varities: Altesse (also known as Roussette) and Chardonnay  for whites, and Mondeuse for reds.
Another vineyard is located in Rossillon on gravely flat soils, with 50 years old gamay, chardonnay and aligoté. A third site is St Sorlin en Bugey , on slopes facing the Rhône valley, with old vines (60 years old) of gamay and altesse. Finally, a last plot is in Ceyzerieu, with 20 years old Maondeuse and Chasselas.
 
  The food: The local tourist site has some suggestions: 
This sounds comforting:
Gratin Dauphinois
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 1 kg Bintjes potatoes
- 20 cl single cream
- 60 cl milk
- 50 g butter
- salt, pepper, pinch of Cayenne pepper, 1 clove garlic
Peel and wash the potatoes. Bring the milk to the boil, take off the heat, add the salt, pepper and unpeeled garlic clove and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Cut the potatoes into 3 millimetre-thick slices (without washing them), lay in a saucepan, pour on the milk, bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.
Butter a gratin dish, fill with the potatoes and even them out.
Season the single cream with salt and a pinch of Cayenne pepper and pour over the potatoes. Finish off with the melted butter.
 


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