Cycling in Yorkshire
Cycling in Yorkshire
Stage 18 | Stage 19 | Stage 20
Stage 19 of the Tour de France 2022 is a 188km flat stage from Castelnau-Magnoac to Cahors. It's an opportunity for the sprinters who have survived the mountains, and a dress rehearsal for the Champs-Elysées.
It takes the peloton through the départements of the Gers, Tarn-et-Garonne and Lot. It could be hot in the Lot, and there'll be many a television shot of castles gone to pot in every conceivable spot. And vineyards.
This is the Stage 19 TDF 2022 Blog.
| Date | Friday 22nd July 2022 |
|---|---|
| Stage classification | Flat |
| Distance | 188.3km |
| Intermediate sprint | Auch |
| Climbs | Côte de la Cité Médiévale de Lauzerte (Category 4) Côte de Saint-Daunès (Category 4) |
There's an annoying video map of Stage 19:
This is the profile of Stage 19, Tour de France 2022:
| Caravan | Fast Schedule | Slow Schedule | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start Time (départ fictif) | 1105 | 1305 | 1305 |
| Start Time (départ réel) | 1110 | 1310 | 1310 |
| Intermediate Sprint (38.4km) | 1205 | 1400 | 1405 |
| Cote de Saint-Daunes (152.6km) | 1448 | 1629 | 1648 |
| Finish Line (188.3km) | 1539 |
1716 | 1739 |
Stage 19 starts in Castelnau-Magnoac.
(Castelnau-Magnoac means 'the new castle of a person called Magnon or Magnus'. It's a village of 768 people on the edge of the Plateau de Lannemezan. It has a C14th collegiate church, with a military-style bell tower that was once also a defensive tower in the ramparts of the village. There's a lake, formed by a barrage of the Gèze, where there are water sports in the summer).
The départ fictif is on rue de la Tour in Castelnau-Magnoac. The peloton heads towards the D929 route de Gers, and that's where the départ réel is. The D929 takes the riders to Chélan. This is the Gers département, and the route follows the river Gers.
Stage 19 goes through Panassac, Masseube, Labarthe, Seissan, Ornézan, Boucagnères and Pavie, before reaching Auch. The intermediate sprint is at Auch, after 38.4km.
Auch is the capital of the Gers départment. It gets its name from the Aquitanian Ausci tribe, who lived here before the arrival of the Romans (Wikipedia).
Until the French Revolution of 1789 Auch had Archbishops, who had the title of Primate of Aquitaine. The Sainte-Marie Cathedral is one of the main sights of the town.
Another attraction is the Tour d'Armagnac, dating from the 1300s.
The musketeer d'Artagnan, who featured in Alexandre Dumas' Three Musketeers, is based on a real person, the Count d'Artagnan. There's a statue of d'Artagnan in Auch, by the Escalier Monumental, place Salins.
Nicolas Portal, the late Team Sky Directeur Sportif, was born in Auch.
The route continues north from Auch, past the Hippodrome à Auch, on the N21.
The peloton heads through Preignan and Montestruc-sur-Gers to Fleurance. Here it leaves the N21 and the Gers. There are some lumps and bumps on the way to Saint-Clar.
Saint-Clar is a ville bastide, founded by Edward I, King of England and Duke of Aquitaine, in 1289. Villes bastides are built on a grid pattern, generally around a church and castle, and with defensive walls.
After Saint-Clar, the riders take on minor roads through Saint-Créac, Poupas, and Lachapelle. They approach the river Garonne, and cross it to Valence (also known as Valence-d'Agen).
France This Way says of Valence d'Agen, 'Without any major sights it is none the less a pleasant town with cafés and restaurants and a few shops.' Perhaps not the most glowing of references!
Agen (where the prunes come from) is a few paddle strokes down the Garonne, to the west.
Leaving Valence, the route is north east on the D953 alongside the Barguelonne to Lauzerte.
The Côte de la Cité Médiévale de Lauzerte is the first climb of the day: 2km at 6.2%, to a height of 235m, and Category 4.
The route continues to Montcuq (make sure to pronounce the 'q').
Montcuq dates to at least Roman times. It was a Cathar stronghold, but was taken by Simon de Montfort - who seems to have left an impression on a large swathe of south west France, albeit not a good one.
After Montcuq, the race goes through Saint-Daunès. This is the second and final categorised climb on the stage, the Côte de Saint-Daunès. It's 1.6km at 6.3%.
The riders are on the D45 from Saint-Daunès, then the D656 to Sauzet, and the D23 to Saint-Vincent-Rive-d'Olt on the banks of the river Lot. Stage 19 then continues on the D8 to Douelle and Pradines.
It approaches Cahors on allée des Rimades/Côte du Pape, continues on avenue Maryse Bastié, and crosses the Lot on pont Stéphane-Hessel. Next, the run towards the finish is alongside the Lot, reaching allée des Soupirs and bending round on quai Eugène Cavaignac, before a left onto boulevard Léon Gambetta.
The finishing straight is the D620 boulevard Gambetta, finishing by the Parking Charles de Gaulle.
Cahors is a city of around 20,000 people, nestled in a bend of the river Lot.
It started out as Divona of the Cadurci - Divona being a fountain, and the Cadurci the local Celtic people. It was conquered by the Romans in the 50s BC, and thrived under Roman control. Roman buildings included an amphitheatre, the remains of which are under Bd Gambetta.
In the Middle Ages, Cahors was home to bankers who charged interest on loans. The church regarded that as a sin (usury), and Cahors became synonymous with sin.
One of the main sights in Cahors is the Valentré bridge, built between 1308 and 1378.
Cahors is known for its red wine.
Mime artist Marcel Marceau, whose best-known character was Bip the Clown, died in Cahors in 2007.
It's not impossible that a breakaway could win Stage 19, but the most likely outcome is a bunch sprint. Potential winners include Wout van Aert, Caleb Ewan, Jasper Philipsen, and Fabio Jakobsen.
Who do you think will win Stage 19?
Rough Guide to France.
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