Saturday, July 20, 2024

Tour de France 2024 Stage 20: Nice to Col de la Couillole


Where are we? On the coast! In the Alpes Maritime. 

Nice: From the local tourist site: The city of Nice is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its beauty, history, architecture and natural spaces.: Indeed, the capital of the French Riviera has seen the four letters of its name inscribed on the World Heritage List as “Riviera Winter Resort City”. At a glance, you can see why it is called “Nissa La Bella”.
Explore this exceptional urban ensemble of 522 hectares. The perimeter includes :
  • The entire coastline, from the Promenade des Anglais to the foot of Mont Boron. All this while passing by the Quai des États-Unis, the Quai Rauba Capeù, and the Port of Nice.
  • The must-sees: Place Masséna, Colline du Château and Quai des Ponchettes.
  • The heart of Nice with the pedestrian zone, the Carré d’Or and its luxury boutiques, the musicians’ district, Avenue Jean Médecin, and the Promenade du Paillon, a veritable green lung in the city centre.
  • The Libération district, its fish market. Visit also the Gare du Sud, a place of life and festivity that nestles behind a sublime historical façade.
  • The listed area also includes some exceptional gems. Among them, the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, the Cimiez hills, its arenas, and its sublime gardens.

Le Tour Specialties: pissaladière, fougasse, socca, brissaouda, tapenade, salade niçoise, pan bagnat, porchetta, trulle, ratatouille, daube niçoise, bellet (wine)

Col de la Couillole: Here we are at another ski resort. 

Le Tour specialties: Mercantour cheeses (carline, miche gavotte, tommes). Specialities from Nice.

Christian Prudhomme says: The Paris-Nice regulars will be racing over familiar terrain, but that won’t make things any easier if the contest for the Yellow Jersey is still raging, particularly over such a short distance. Battle could commence as early as the climb to the Col de Braus. There will then be no respite on the climbs of the Cols de Turini, de la Colmiane and finally de la Couillole, the final ascent extending for 15.7km at an average gradient of 7.1%. We’ll all be holding our breath!

The stage: Another day with quite a battle to form the break. Not a surprise as it will be the final break of the race and 10 teams have yet to win a stage: Ineos Grenadiers, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Lidl-Trek, Bahrain Victorious, Movistar, Groupama-FDJ, Decathlon-AG2R, Israel-Premier Tech, Uno-X, Cofidis.
The start had been, well, chaotic. There were splits in the yellow jersey group, with only 17 riders left in that group and only 3 out front. That trio consisted of Armirail, Kelderman and Mas.
As they continued, the yellow jersey group reformed with 40 or so riders.
There would be more attackers as they climbed and Champoussin would be dropped. Eventually the two front groups would merge, leaving 7 at the front. 
They would be joined by Stuyven, Geniets, and Johannessen.
The group of 10 would continue and with just over 30 kms to go would have almost 3 minutes on the main peloton.
I admit that I am humming to myself "The final mountain" to the tune of the Final Countdown.
As the climbed, the gc group sped up and the break started to fall apart. Only 20 were left in the gc group.
In front, Carapaz and Mas. There were only 12 riders left in the gc group.
They were down to 6 in the gc group: Landa, Evenepoel, Vingegaard, Pogačar, Almeida, and Jorgenson. When would Evenepoel attack? The gap to the front dup was only 1:30.
Finally, Evenepoel, But there would be a regrouping. Landa would drop from the group. Five kms to go and it was at a minute. Together again, Vingegaard and Pogačar, who would soon reach Carapaz and Mas. Mas would drop, as would Carapaz.
Sigh. Pogacar with ease.



The wine: Clos Saint-Joseph Cotes de Provence Blanc de Blancs 2019
From the importer: Roch Sassi farms limestone slopes along the banks of the Var river about thirty minutes north of Nice, where commanding peaks tower over the little village of Villars-sur-Var. Like a cross between Provence and Savoie, the climate—and the wines he produces—marry both Mediterranean and Alpine influences. In Roch's white, a blend of Rolle, Ugni Blanc, Sémillon, and Clairette, you'll find lovely sun-ripened fruit and a fleshy texture, true to its southern origins. And yet the precision, freshness, and minerality (and alcohol content!) are more reminiscent of whites from further north, where the Alps exert their cool, crystalline influence on local wines. Roch has a truly unique terroir, and his methods allow it to come through in full. Organic and biodynamic farming, native yeast fermentation, aging in neutral vessels... There is complexity and class, and even the capacity to age and evolve for a few years. This jewel is unlike any Provençal white you'll encounter, and it will leave you salivating and in awe.

The food: Socca!
A personal favorite. I have used this recipe with great success, but essentially chickpea flour, water, oil and herbs or spices cooked in a hot pan.  You can make it a bit fancier with toppings or add ins or keep it very simple. Either way, I find ti hard to wait for it to cool enough to eat. 
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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousJuly 21, 2024 at 7:09 AM

    Thanks for the tips. We will be sure to check out!

    ReplyDelete

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