Tour de France 2016: Route Location, TV Schedule and Live Stream for Stage 12
Stage 12 of the 2016 Tour de France on Thursday is set to be a spectacular one, as the peloton will tackle the iconic Mont Ventoux on Bastille Day in what forecasters expect to be difficult weather conditions.
As reported by the Guardian's Williams Fotheringham, event organisers have already decided to avoid the top part of the legendary climb, where wind speeds of over 320 kph have been recorded. Strong winds plagued Wednesday's stage toward Montpellier, and the forecast for Thursday is even worse.
But even without the lunar landscapes and the summit of the Ventoux, Thursday's stage should still be great. The French riders tend to go berserk in search of glory on their national holiday, and the treacherous weather conditions could lead to major gaps on the lower slopes of the final climb.
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Date: Thursday, July 14
Route: Montpellier to Mont Ventoux
Stage Profile: High Mountains
Time: Noon (BST), 1 p.m. (local), 7 a.m. (ET)
Live Stream: ITV Hub (UK), NBC Sports App (U.S.)
TV Info: ITV 4 (UK), NBC Sports Gold (U.S.)
Preview
Mont Ventoux is a legendary climb, the type of ascent every fan of the sport dreams of conquering. Between the odd weather patterns, the long lead-up and the wide-open landscapes near the summit, it presents a host of different challenges, and some of the sport's biggest names have fought out dozens of great battles over the years.
Global Cycling Network profiled the mountain, pointing out the first few kilometers are a false flat—and that the toughest parts of the climb won't be on the schedule on Thursday:
The decision not to have the riders climb the entire mountain will disappoint a lot of fans, but it's understandable. Per Meteo France, wind speeds of 70 kph are expected at the base of the climb. Further up the mountain, speeds will be much higher. The temperature is also set to plummet.
As Fotheringham reported, general classification leader Chris Froome—the last man to win a stage on the Ventoux—agreed with the decision to cut the climb in half:
"I was looking forward to doing the Ventoux; it’s the most iconic climb on this year’s route. Everyone wants to see a good race, a good spectacle, but safety is paramount. I’d like to thank the organisers for putting safety first.
[…]
I don’t think it will change much. The climb to Chalet Reynard is very hard and there is a 200km stage beforehand, a lot of wind is predicted and the race could be split to pieces beforehand. It will make the racing even more intense because when we hit [the Ventoux] the climb will be shorter.
"
He's not the only one worried about the wind. Cycling writer Michael Hutchinson couldn't believe some people were still driving camper vans up the mountain:
Journalist Neal Rogers shared this short video, showing just how intense the winds can get on Mont Ventoux:
The finish line will now be at Chalet Reynard, which lies below the tree line. This means the riders will still face a handful of steep slopes, but they'll be more covered than they would be near the summit.
The decision to shorten the climb is a major blow to Movistar's Nairo Quintana, one of the peloton's best pure climbers and perhaps the only rider who can distance Froome in the high mountains. Froome has been steadily expanding his lead since the peloton entered Andorra on Sunday—the Ventoux gave the Colombian the perfect opportunity to catch up.
He'll have plenty more opportunities in the Alps—the last stages of this year's Tour look brutal—or even on Thursday, as the wind may cause more splits in the peloton. And if the riders are facing a headwind, some would break on the lower slopes of the Ventoux.
As ever, expect the local cyclists to ride with almost reckless abandon on Bastille Day, the most important racing day on the French calendar. And as the favourites try to shelter themselves from the wind and perhaps save some energy, the French riders may just have their best opportunity of winning a stage on their national holiday for the first time since 2005, when David Moncoutie took the victory at Digne-les-Bains.
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