Monday, July 4, 2011

Friday's TDF Stage 7




Another quick stage to finish out the week for us. With the short up and downs in this stage I've decided we're going to copy last Tuesday nights class. That's a warm up, followed by 3 5 minute intervals (30sec all out/30sec recoveries).



Stages 8&9 of the tour take place over the weekend but we'll probably squeeze them into next Monday's ride as Stage 9 is the first serious day of climbing in the tour and I'd hate to deprive my classes of that! But for now, let's focus on Friday...here is the profile.


July 8 Stage 7: Le Mans to Châteauroux, 218km (135.5 miles)

This is another long stage, but much flatter, heading south from the Loire valley to a flat finish in Châteauroux — where Mark Cavendish won his very first Tour stage three years ago. There are some sharp turns and a roundabout in the final 5km, but the lead-out trains set up by the teams of the leading sprinters should prevent any late attacks from succeeding.

THE SCOOP: This stage will almost certainly provide the last (and best!) mass sprint finish of the Tour’s opening week, though the overall contenders will again have to avoid crashes (on two sharp turns and the roundabout) before reaching the 3km-to-go marker.

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