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After a first part allowing to appreciate the wild and unique beauty of the Côte de Granit rose, the course heads inland towards a mouthwatering final section: the double climb up the Côte de Mûr-de-Bretagne will be an unforgiving judge especially because the riders will start the climb almost stopped, without that momentum that the former course had to offer.
Warren Barguil, best climber of the 2017 Tour should have all eyes on him as he takes off from his birth area. But he shouldn’t be in the spotlights at the finish: by the Château des Rohan, the sprinters certainly won’t want to miss out on this first opportunity they have to express themselves on this edition.
This journey through Argoat, the beautiful inland Brittany entirely set in the Gallo country and going from one side to the other of the Ille-et-Vilaine area is another fine opportunity for the sprinters. Unless if audacious riders make the best of the hilly forrest roads or windy conditions on the few unsheltered uplands to remain clear of the hungry pack.
The first week of the Tour hadn’t offered such a long individual time-trial since 2008, year of the last Grand Départ in… Brest! Geography commanded to break an eventual litany of flat stages and this gift to the time-trial specialists shows our will to vary the scenario and reshuffle the established positions.
A brief stage in two parts. A touch of sweetness and wonder first going by the splendid Renaissance castles, uncomparable gems of the Val de Loire heritage. Power then when the teams protecting the interests of their sprinters will increase the pace to reach the finish.
The following day of a “sprint-course”, the Tour will vary the pleasures offering its longest stage for 21 years. But length doesn’t mean languor: all along another cultural journey (Bourges, Nevers, Bibracte, Autun…), the Morvan will offer 3,000 m of elevation to the menu and a spicy finish up the demanding Signal d’Uchon on the course of the Tour for the very first time.
After 2009 and 2018, the finish at Le Grand-Bornand will once again be conditioned by the Romme – Colombière climbing sequence. But this time it’ll be preceded by the climb up to Mont-Saxonnex (5,7 km at 8,3%) first ascent towards the Plateau de Solaison, and will therefore offer a triple climb on a distance of over 20 kms at close to 9%. Of course it’ll be a day for the best climbers!
We had promised that we would rapidly return to Tignes to erase the frustration of the missed rendez-vous of 2019. The Tour will respect its word by going up the Col du Pré for the second time and of course the majestic Cormet de Roselend before heading up the long final ascent that sneaks up under the dam all the way to the Val Claret.
At the footstep of the Savoie resorts, the quality of its infrastructures and its welcoming atmosphere makes Albertville the perfect host city. But this time, the doorway to the Alps will not send the riders towards the summits. By heading to the valleys of Isère and of the Rhone, the course is clearly made for an explanation between the sprinters.
Five years after a windy visit, the Tour returns to the Giant of Provence that has become a Regional Natural Parc, for a double climb (including the almost unprecedented one going through Sault) and a finish at the bottom. A fine way to salute the initiative of the Conseil départemental of Vaucluse that refurnished the summit road for cyclists.
After a journey along the magical Gorges de l’Ardèche that will for the first time be entirely visited by the Tour, this stage should end with a bunched sprint in Nîmes, like in 2019 with a similar finish. One will however have to be extra careful: the wind could be a key factor on wide open roads and echelons could occur.
From the Roman arenas that are considered as the most well preserved in the world to the medieval city part of the UNESCO world heritage, this stage will follow the course of history. It also tells us that despite what the geography seems to suggest, never has a finish by the Carcassonne towers finished with a bunched sprint. Good news for the audacious!
Rather calm until Lavelanet, the journey into the Pyrenees rapidly becomes a roller-coaster ride as of Montségur: the citadel of vertigo and its rough climbs, then the Col de la Croix des Morts and Col de Saint-Louis that the riders will reach by riding on the spectacular Viaduc de l'Escargot, will sharpen the appetite of the hungriest climbers.
A start in Céret for the first ever time, a first stop in the Pyrénées-Orientales area since 2009 and Thomas Voeckler’s victory in Perpignan, a journey through Prades, Font-Romeu, the col de Puymorens, the Port d'Envalira and Beixalis with slopes that are as tough to climb as they are tricky to descend: the Principality will crown a real king of the mountains.
The Yellow Jersey contenders could enjoy a moment of truce and the hilly stage profile seems to favour breakaway riders who will still be fresh enough in this third week of racing. They will have to shake up the race if they don’t want to miss out on one of the last clear opportunities of shining.
The Tour resumes from the bottom of the Pyrenees to face them differently with this stage that has two faces, with a big chain ring on over 100 kilometres before taking on three major obstacles in a row: Peyresourde, Val Louron-Azet and to finish off, the 16-km climb at an average gradient close to 9% of the unforgiving Col du Portet. Big efforts required for what promises to be quite a show.
Dense, tense, selective with the climbs up two giants of the Pyrenees: the Tourmalet and Luz Ardiden, where the verdict of the final mountain battle will be known. The climbing type leaders will have to find a way to gain enough time in the GC on those who are better in time-trials.
On the traditional “Landes stage”, one logically predicts a bunched sprint based on the number of sprinters still in the race after surviving the mountains. But will they be able to master the events and circumstances? Redesigned and coming after three weeks of racing, it could also suit a courageous adventurer.
The prestigious vineyard setting will make the athletic performance all the more impressive and will remind many of the Bordeaux-Pauillac time-trial in 2010 when Fabian Cancellara had beaten Tony Martin by 17 seconds. And drama should be well present on the day as the end of Tour time-trials have that vocation to decide who will conquer that final Yellow Jersey.
Chatou is the happy “chosen one” for this fourth consecutive start of the final stage in the department of the Yvelines that will carry on doing so until 2023. The Yvelines has become a land of cycling, it has indeed welcomed the start of Paris-Nice for ten years now and will be hosting the discipline (road, track, mountain bike and BMX) for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
