The Tour is still in the Alps and the menu of the day promises to be as indigestible for the runners as that of the day before. It’s a roller coaster profile that awaits the peloton, which won’t have a moment’s respite before ending the day at the foot of the highest point on the continent. The strongest will still fight.
Les Gets The Gates of the Sun – Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc 179 km
Departure of the caravan at 11.20 a.m. – Fictitious departure at 1.05 p.m. – Arrival scheduled for 6.20 p.m.
The figure: 17%
Above all, do not underestimate the Côte des Amerands before climbing towards Saint-Gervais at the end of the day. The climb is only classified in 2nd category, but its maximum gradient is calculated at 17%. It’s like climbing a wall just before climbing the Bettex towards Saint-Gervais. Woe to those who have lost their legs.
The leaders will explain themselves over these few hundred meters. But the skimming will take place before for the others. Five passes are on the program for the day with average gradients between 5 and 7%. The runners will be looking forward to the next day for the rest day.
Our favorites
We take the same and start again. This Saturday, the two bosses Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar left the victory to Carlos Rodriguez. Twenty-four hours later, they will still explain themselves to the summits, ravage the competition and arrive in the lead at Saint-Gervais. In which order ? That’s the right question because there are bonuses to be taken and in such a tight Tour every second is a blessing. Unless one of the two fails, which we don’t see happening, the last two winners of the Tour will not let anyone take the race on their own.
The tracer’s eye, Thierry Gouvenou
“The stage is a little longer than the day before, with 180 km. The first part is less hard than what we had on Saturday. Everything is done to see the development of a breakaway. Then, we will have a nice sequence with the Forclaz de Montmin, the Croix Fry and the Aravis. In the final, after the descent of the Domancy coast, we tackle the climb of Saint-Gervais le Bettex with the Amerands coast and its passages at 17%. Let’s not forget that we arrive at the end of the second week with tired bodies. And there, the differences will perhaps be tenfold. »
