Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Saturday 14 July 2012

2012 Tour de France: St Paul Trois Châteaux - Cap d'Agde

Summer jams around Cap d'Agde

Driving into Cap d'Agde in the summer can be horrendous at the best of times with miles of traffic jams. With the Tour de France finishing there today I suspect it will be appalling! 

Sète and Mont Saint-Clair from the north (Etang de Thau – famous for its oyster beds). 
Riders will descend this side. 

Today is another transition stage (217K) from the Alps towards the Pyrénées. Often these stages have been won by sprinters and in recent years Mark Cavendish has enjoyed several wins. Today ought to be a stage for either Cav or André Griepel but...? The but is the short but very steep ascent over Mont Saint-Clair in the centre of Sète just 23K from the finish. If Cav can get over that OK then the chances for his second stage win in this Tour ought to be good. Peter Sagan will be there, too, but Sagan is yet to beat Cav in a sprint.   

The other factor could be the wind that has in previous years – notably 2009 – split the peloton. However, looks as though the wind will be behind the riders in the final section by the Mediterranean so it may be less troublesome.   

 Cap d'Agde

  




No comments: