Special envoy to Calais
To discover
The general classification of the Tour de France
Tour de France 2022: discover the map and the route of the next edition
Profile of the stage: Dunkirk-Calais (171.5 km)
After the Danish triptych, place at the first stage on French soil in the North.
The games will be very open after a day of transfer and rest.
The profile of the route should be suitable for a puncher but the victory could also be decided in the sprint.
The first part of the route is quite flat but the terrain quickly becomes rugged in the Boulonnais with a series of small descents and climbs.
Only one uncertainty, the wind, which generally blows hard in the Pas-de-Calais and which could lead to breaks in the peloton with the edges.
Except that the forecasts are currently counting on light winds of less than 20 km/h and rather at the back... The team managers will keep an eye on the forecasts, especially since the last part of the route runs along the coast , will take place in the open,
from Cap Gris-Nez.
A final which will also include a 4th category climb, before a long descending false flat, to spice up the final excitement a little.
Profile of the stage: Dunkerque-Calais (171.5 km) ASO
Schedules:
The actual start is set at 1:30 p.m. and the estimated arrival at 5:35 p.m. with an average speed of 42 km/h.
The prognosis of... Christian Guiberteau (sporting director of the Cofidis team)
“Normally, the victory will go to one of the sprinter teams.
They will have one last opportunity to shine before they can claim victory again in a few days.
In addition, the weather will be mild, with little or no wind and therefore little risk of edges.
I will put a coin on Caleb Ewan (13th and 9th).
He is angry because at the start of the Tour, he was a little stuck on the sprints.
I still hope he won't take too many risks.
There is a small fourth category climb in the final, which can lead to a few banderillas but the first stages were not dantesque and the teams, like the sprinters, still have a lot of freshness.
Any attempt to leave should be muzzled.”
Not to be missed on the course:
A stopover in Dunkirk would not be a real getaway on a tour of the magnificent belfry, dating from the 15th century and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Not far from there stands the statue of Jean Bart, the legendary corsair from the port city.
Essential for all lovers of adventure stories and maritime warfare!
Military history has also left its mark on the town of Calais and its emblematic 12th century watchtower.
The belfry of the Town Hall dating from the 20th century, like its cousin in Dunkirk, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is worth a look.
It is impossible to ignore the tragic episode of the Second World War and the Memory 39-45 Museum, installed in the heart of the city in a former German bunker.
The statue of Jean Bart and the belfry of Dunkirk in the background.
Panoramic
The specialty to get your teeth into:
After the gastronomy of the Vikings, return to the specialties of northern France.
If you book a table in Dunkirk, ask for the potjeveesch, not necessarily in season in the middle of summer, but which will settle the stomach: pieces of chicken meat, pork and veal in jelly with a small portion of fries, of course.
In Calais, opt for a welsh, a dish originating in Wales, to be requested in the brasseries on the coast: a slice of toasted bread drizzled with dark beer with ham, cheese and mustard.
Extensive program.
If there's a little room left for dessert, go for the Calais, a coffee and chicory-flavored pastry.
The expression of the day: "Stuff the barrel"
Today, lighting of a not really glorious expression for the world of cycling.
Stuffing the barrel means using doping products.
Many variants exist: to jump the pot, to load the mule, to salt the soup or even to walk with 18 bolts, in reference to the bolts of this caliber used in the engines of the four-horses.
Ex: “I stuffed the cannon like never before, today the stage is for me guys.”
The Top 10 French stage winners on the Tour de France
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