2012 Tour de France: André Griepel gets his 3rd stage victory in Cap d' Agde

Cap d'Agde

André Griepel won a tight sprint in Cap'Agde today with Peter Sagan a close second. Bradley Wiggins tried to lead out Edvard Boassen Hagen for the sprint victory but he didn't quite have the necessary speed and was overhauled by Griepel and Sagan in the last hundred metres. Sagan's second place has added considerably to his lead in the Green Jersey as Matthew Goss was not in the Yellow Jersey peloton, which numbered only 43 riders by the finish. 

As I suspected might happen Mark Cavendish was dropped on the Mont Saint-Clair and was too far back to make it into the leading group. Cav will have to wait until Monday's finish in Pau for another chance of adding to his sole stage victory in this year's Tour. There were no changes to the Overall Leaders, so Bradley Wiggins has another day in Yellow. In the Green Jersey Peter Sagan now has 296 points with André Griepel on 232 points, Matthew Goss (203) and Mark Cavendish (129). Barring accidents Sagan's lead looks unassailable.    

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

  

Cap d'Agde: attraction and revulsion

 

The setting sun on the harbour

I have long tried to avoid the French coastline – Atlantic or Mediterranean – in July and August. However, this year we needed to go to Cap d'Agde to pick up a friend, so it seemed sensible to spend a a few days there. Certainly the comings and goings in the harbour are interesting to watch as the light can be lovely at times, especially as the sun sets.

However, trying to get in or out of the place by car can be hellish with jams in all directions. On arriving on Saturday we ran into a  series of jams and similarly today there was a jam on the way out. The only consolation being that the jam to get near to Agde and Cap d'Adge stretched for miles up towards Bessan.  I suspect that to avoid the jams you need to travel between midnight and 4am. Once inside the Cap I suspect the trick is just to stay put and making sure you arrive with plenty of interesting bottles to broach.

Nez à queue...

Some fortified place we past on the way to Sauternes this afternoon...

Some southern views

Looking down on the valley just to the west of the little town of Maury

(above and below)

Cucugnan in the southern Corbières (above and below)

Countryside near Cucugnan

Sunset over the harbour@Cap d'Agde