tour de france stage 20 preview

Tour de France 2022 stage 20 preview: a final time trial unlikely to affect the standings

All you need to know about the route, timings, and what to expect from stage 20

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Stage 20 of the Tour de France 2022 is a 40.7 kilometre time trial which starts in Lacapelle-Marival and ends in Rocamadour.

Time trials at the end of a Grand Tour are almost as much about who has survived the three weeks the best as they are about the specialist skills of the discipline and this will be no different for the yellow jersey contenders

When is stage 20 of the Tour de France taking place?

The Tour de France stage 20 takes place on Saturday, July 23. The first rider is off at 12:05 BST, with the last rider commencing their race at 16:00 BST.

How long is stage 20 of the Tour de France?

The Tour de France stage 20 will be 40.7 km long.

Tour de France 2022 stage 20: expected timings

Tour de france 2022 stage 20: route.

Starting close to the magnificent chateau established in the 12th century in the Lot town of Lacapelle-Marival, the riders will head off north-west towards Aynac, the route twisting through woodland and undulating a little all the time. The bends are sweeping for the most part, enabling the riders to negotiate with minimal loss of speed.

Continuing on towards Gramat, there are long straights where the strongest rouleurs should make significant gains. After Couzou they turn north and with Rocamadour now the objective, the road descends for a couple of kilometres, twisting down through a limestone valley to reach the foot of the first of successive climbs. The Côte de Magès climbs for 1.6km at a mere 4.7%, but the strongest riders will make gains here. 

They’ll be quickly onto a descent that twists through woodland. Flashing down the hillside on the opposite side of the valley to the town, the riders will start up the more testing climb of the Côte de l’Hospitalet, which averages close to 8% for a kilometre and a half.

Useful Tour de France 2022 resources

• Tour de France 2022 route
• Tour de France 2022 standings
• Tour de France 2022 start list
• Tour de France 2022 key stages
• How to watch the Tour de France 2022 on TV
• How to watch the 2022 Tour de France
• Past winners of the Tour de France
• Tour de France leader's jerseys
• Tour de France winning bikes

Tour de France 2022 stage 20: what to expect 

This time trial is not as rolling as last year’s and will suit the specialist time triallists. The two hills towards the end won’t faze them too much either. The Magès isn’t difficult at all, but they will have to keep something back for the Hospitalet in Rocamadour, which could take a toll on those who’ve pushed too hard.

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Tour de France 2022 stage 20: riders to watch

Wout van Aert won the equivalent time trial last year, beating Kasper Asgreen by 21 seconds, with Jonas Vingegaard another 11 seconds back in third. Swiss Stefans Küng and Bissegger filled the next two places, and this test should suit their powerhouse qualities a little more. World champion Filippo Ganna will be highly fancied too. And maybe Geraint Thomas if he leaves his gilet on the bus!

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Peter Cossins has been writing about professional cycling since 1993, with his reporting appearing in numerous publications and websites including Cycling Weekly ,  Cycle Sport  and  Procycling - which he edited from 2006 to 2009. Peter is the author of several books on cycling - The Monuments , his history of cycling's five greatest one-day Classic races, was published in 2014, followed in 2015 by  Alpe d’Huez , an appraisal of cycling’s greatest climb. Yellow Jersey - his celebration of the iconic Tour de France winner's jersey won the 2020 Telegraph Sports Book Awards Cycling Book of the Year Award.

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Tour de France 2023 stage 20 preview - a penultimate test in the Vosges

This year's Tour de France does not feature its usual time trial on the penultimate stage, instead, it is a day in the mountains

Words: Stephen Puddicombe

Photos: Zac Williams/SWPix.com

Distance: 133.5km Start location: Belfort Finish location: Le Markstein Fellering Start time: 13:30 CEST Finish time (approx): 16:54 CEST

What immediately stands out looking at a map of this year’s Tour de France route is just how concentrated in specific areas it is. The entirety of Provence and most of Occitanie have been overlooked, while today is basically the first time the race has ventured into the northern half of the country. In keeping with how this Tour has prioritised climbers, one thing that has been comprehensively included are the nation’s five mountain ranges, and today the race completes the full set with a visit to the Vosges.

The Vosges will today host the penultimate day of the Tour de France which, for the first time since 2019, will be a mountainous stage rather than an individual time trial. With six climbs packed into just 133.5km, this is a return to the kind of short but intense climactic mountain stages that have produced so much drama in Grand Tours over the last decade or so, notably in 2015, when Nairo Quintana managed to drop Chris Froome and come within just over a minute of snatching the yellow jersey away from him. The potential for dramatic late upheavals in the GC race is potent, as while there’s a limit to how much time even weaker time trialists can realistically lose against the clock, a bad day in terrain like this could in theory see a rider lose minutes. 

Stage 20 profile sourced via ASO

There are stages with considerably more climbing than the 3,600m taken on today, but arguably none where the ascents come as thick and fast as they do here. Aside from the ceremonial finale in Paris, this is the shortest road stage of the Tour, and there are barely any flat sections between the constant climbing and descending to calm things down.

The only lengthy section of valley road comes after the descent of the first and longest climb of the day, the Ballon d’Alsace. After that, the stage is characterised by a series of shorter but steeper obstacles, with three climbs ranked between category two and three all coming in quick succession. This is the kind of territory that’s ripe for an ambush if teams want to try and isolate a rival, while also inviting bold long-range solo attacks with the absence of any flat stretches to render riding alone too much of a disadvantage; but riders must be aware that the most difficult two climbs are saved for last: Petit Ballon, which lasts 9.3km and rises at 8.1%, followed by Col du Platzerwasel, which may be shorter at 7.1km but has an even steeper gradient of 8.4%. It was on this pair of mountains that Annemiek van Vleuten launched her stunning attack to win the inaugural Tour de France Femmes last year, and the same climbs are poised to determine the ultimate fate of the men’s race. 

This is the final chance for any riders who excel in uphill terrain, as well as the final decider in the GC standings. With only seconds between the riders outside the podium places, it’ll be a fight for the best finish they can get. 

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) is second on GC behind Jonas Vingegaard by 7:35 after the Col de la Loze, where he lost his legs. He’ll be wanting to redeem himself and may target a stage win here. After two stages where he’s been able to take it slightly easier, he will go into stage 20 feeling refreshed. He'll require is team to keep a breakaway in check, which may be a near impossible task with so many teams invested in hunting a stage win. He may instead allow his teammates to go up the road, providing opportunity for Marc Soler or Rafał Majka in particular.

Mattias Skjelmose or Giulio Ciccone may try and go for the stage win for Lidl-Trek, while the latter will certainly be on the hunt for king of the mountains points. Wout Poels , who will want to add a fourth win to Bahrain-Victorious’ tally and a second of his own, is an adept climber for a parcours like this. Uno-X may choose to send Tobias Halland Johannessen into the break. He’s had some good results so far in his debut, and what better way to top it off than with a stage win. 

Julian Alaphilippe has been an almost ever-present in breakaways this Tour, and will no doubt try and take the last chance possible to get a stage victory. With the weight of Soudal-Quick-Step's stage drought lifted by Kasper Asgreen on stage 18, Alaphilippe may feel less pressure to deliver and that could help his chances.

Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) may look to head out into the break again as he did on stage 19. He would have been hoping for a better GC finish in this year’s Tour than where he is currently, 13th place. He's made no secret about wanting a second career stage win, and a tough day in the climbs will suit him better than Friday's flatter stage.

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) will be eyeing up the final chance for a stage win and will most certainly try to get into the break as he hunts for a stage victory in his home region. Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën) has looked strong in the past few stages, but has narrowly missed out on a first-place position. He and fellow Australian Jack Haig  (Bahrain-Victorious) are both exceptional climbers and well suited to this stage.

Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) is sitting in third place on the GC, but has Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) 1:16 behind him and will also be wanting to get himself on the podium. Both are in phenomenal form and can climb tough stages like this, so Yates will need to keep a close eye on the Ineos rider if he wants to keep his podium place.

Prediction 

After a sensational performance on stage 19, we think Ben O'Connor has the form to deliver a stage win on the penultimate day of the Tour.

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Tour de France

Tour de france stage 20: an all-out climbing battle with one day to go, one last chance for the specialist climbers of the tour to gain time over rivals with better time trial abilities..

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Stage 20 — Saturday, July 20 Nice to Col de la Couillole Distance: 132.8km (82.5 miles) Profile: Mountain stage

Stage 20: One last chance for the specialist climbers

Tour race organizers have put on another big climbing stage for the race’s last day in the mountains; the riders will slug it out over four ascents during the 133km from Nice to the summit of the Col de la Couillole.

On roads and climbs familiar to fans of Paris-Nice, the peloton will begin in the 10km Col de Braus soon after the start. They will race onwards to the Col du Turini (20.7km at 5.7 percent) and the Col de la Colmiane (7.5km at 7.1 percent), with the day’s final climb of the Couillole 15.7km in length and just over seven percent.

With only a time trial to follow, the climbing specialists will do what they can to gain time, knowing that the final yellow jersey — or indeed a place in the top-10 — could hinge on how well they fare on the Tour’s last day in the mountains.

Tour de France race organizer Christian Prudhomme: “The Paris-Nice regulars will be racing over familiar terrain, but that won’t make things any easier if the contest for the yellow jersey is still raging, particularly over such a short distance.

“Battle could commence as early as the climb to the Col de Braus. There will then be no respite on the climbs of the Cols de Turini, de la Colmiane and finally de la Couillole, the final ascent extending for 15.7km at an average gradient of 7.1 percent. We’ll all be holding our breath!”

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Tour de France - Stage 20

Big penultimate day of climbing set to decide the winner and podium at the Tour de France

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• Dates 22 Jul
• Race Length 133 kms
• Start Belfort
• Finish Le Markstein
• Race Category Elite Men

The 2023 Tour de France will effectively be decided in the Vosges mountains with the penultimate stage of the race from Belfort to Le Markstein Fellering taking in six categorised climbs within just 133.5km of racing. In total the riders will endure 3,600m of climbing on a day that will finalise the GC standings.

This has the makings of an epic day in the Tour de France with race organisers ASO pulling out all the stops to create a hugely difficult stage that leans itself towards an attacking all-or-nothing day in the mountains. Whether the GC riders take up the challenge and aim to leave everything out there on the road remains to be seen but the terrain is certainly there for them.

The stage leaves Belfort, a regular Tour hotspot, and heads north towards the first major ascent of the Ballon d’Alsace (11.5km at 5.3%). A major battleground at the 1905 Tour de France, this climb will provide the opportunity for GC riders to set out their stall and potentially send teammates up the road for later. The Col de la Croix des Moinats (5.2km at 7%) and Col de Grosse Pierre (3.2km at 8%)  - both of which are category 2 climbs - are tackled in quick succession before the stage continues east towards the third category Col de la Schucht. From there the riders face a long descent into Munster before the final two climbs of this year’s Tour are brought into view. First up is the first category Petit Ballon. The climb stretches out to 9.3km at an average gradient of 8.1% and there’s no recovery whatsoever. A technical descent follows to the foot of the final climb of the stage and the Tour with the Col du Platzerwasel (7.1km at 8.4%) set to provide the last opportunity for riders to alter their GC positions. Joaquim Rodríguez, Sylvain Chavanel and Annemiek van Vleuten have all left their mark on this climb in recent years and the yellow jersey contenders will be hoping to do the same once again.

There are several stretches of the climb that tilt towards 10% before the crest is made; the riders have an 8.5km section of undulating roads that lead towards the finish on Markstein. ASO’s aim with this stage is to encourage a dog fight between the GC riders on the final two climbs. The early climbs will no doubt weaken even the strongest teams in the race so it’s entirely possible that we could see a battle royale on the last meaningful test before Paris.

You can watch live and on-demand coverage of stage 20 of the Tour de France on GCN+ via the GCN app, website and connected devices. Plus, tune into The Breakaway for expert pre- and post-stage analysis from Orla Chennaoui, Dan Lloyd, Adam Blythe and Robbie McEwen. As always, territory restrictions will apply.

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Tour de France 2022 stage 20 preview: Route map, profile and start times for individual time trial today

The 2022 Tour de France has one final competitive stage before the procession to Paris on Sunday: a 41km individual time trial from the small clifftop village of Rocamadour in southern France to Lacapelle-Marival, a small town known for its impressive chateau.

Stage 20 has regularly been an ITT in recent years in the hope of throwing up some late drama at the end of the Tour. That was certainly the case two years ago when Tadej Pogacar beat Primoz Roglic in dramatic circumstances, but it would take something truly extraordinary here given the stranglehold Jonas Vingegaard has on the yellow jersey.

The Dane leads by more than three minutes overall and realistically just needs to navigate the relatively flat course safely in order to be assured of his first Tour de France crown. Pogacar will likely go on the attack in search of an unlikely victory, but Vingegaard has proved himself no slouch on a time trial bike, beating the Slovenian in both of last year’s ITTs at the Tour, and surely it is just a formality that he wraps up his win.

Geraint Thomas is almost assured of third place on the podium in Paris, which will complete the set for the Welshman having won the race in 2018 and finished runner-up to his teammate Egan Bernal the following year. It has been a measured, intelligent ride by the 36-year-old, who was told at the beginning of the Tour he would be riding in support of teammates Dani Martinez and Adam Yates but who has proved the only Ineos card in the general classification.

Yves Lampaert won the other ITT of this Tour, the opening stage in Copenhagen. The favourite here is Ineos’s Filippo Ganna, a flying machine when it comes to time trials who has won the past two world championships.

Stage 20 route map and profile

How to watch on tv and online today.

Tour de France coverage can be found this year on ITV4, Eurosport, Discovery+ and GCN+ (Global Cycling Network).

Live racing each day will be shown on ITV4 before highlights typically at 7pm each day. ITV’s website lists timings here .

Eurosport and GCN+ will show every minute of every stage. More on Eurosport’s coverage here and the GCN+ coverage here .

It is also being shown on Eurosport’s Discovery+ streaming service, with broadcast info here .

General classification after stage 19

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma) 75hrs 45’44”

2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) +3’21”

3. Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) +8’00”

4. David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) +11’05”

5. Nairo Qiuntana (Team Arkea-Samsic) +13’35”

6. Louis Meintjes (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux) +13’43”

7. Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) +14’10”

8. Romain Bardet (Team DSM) +16’11”

9. Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan team) +20’24”

10. Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) +20’32”

Time trial start list (local time)

Tour de France: Stage 20 Preview

The final showdown. on the alpe. for the first time, 24 hours from paris. but not before the 30km long col de la croix de fer. all in 110.5 kilometres..

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Tour de France Stage 20 Preview

A last hurrah in the mountains with a short and lively stage in the Vosges. There’s a prestigious stage win, places in the top-10 in play, the polka dot jersey is still up for grabs with Felix Gall able to challenge Giulio Ciccone, unless Jonas Vingegaard runs away with everything.

A bout de souffle : end to end action, this was a classic stage and the only thing missing was action on the GC but in the moment that didn’t seem to matter, there was never a lull. At one point Adam Yates was caught out on the wrong end of a split, later Jonas Vingegaard tried to play le patron and calm things down but got ignored.

A break of eight riders eventually got away, the proverbial elastic had snapped. Then Israel, EF and Uno-X started chasing and if they’d missed the move this looked like a dreaded punishment chase but up ahead the riders were flagging, their heads bobbing, the legs chopping at the pedals, so much so that Nils Politt broke his chain and was out of the front group and this seemed to tip the balance, the gap fell to thirty seconds. After the intermediate sprint a group that had contested the points continued and bridged across and we had 33 riders in the lead.

Victor Campenaerts and Simon Clarke slipped up the road and the pair got a minute’s lead but then Clarke got cramp and Campenaerts was left by himself and slowing. On the day’s final climb Kasper Asgreen launched and Ben O’Connor and Matej Mohorič went with him, they caught and passed Campenaerts and had a good lead. Behind the group was chasing hard but also with some hesitancy, the presence of Van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen weighing on them as to work hard could be to gift them the win, while there was Mads Pedersen and Christophe Laporte too. Laporte tried to get across and Van der Poel came with him but it was to close him down and with hindsight this probably denied Alpecin-Deceuninck an option on a fifth stage win as if the Dutchman got across he had a shot at the win, and could sight tight for the sake of Philipsen.

O’Connor tried a long sprint but he doesn’t have the jump, third place seemed inevitable. Asgreen chased with Mohorič on his wheel and the Slovenian drew level and the pair threw their bikes at the line. In a stage full of action and suspense this continued once the riders had crossed the line with tension to identify the winner and it was Mohorič. If you haven’t heard his post stage interview , you probably should.

This was a stage of exceptional quality and while it still feels too soon to judge already it’d be something to look forward to if Eurosport-GCN could announce that one wet, wintry evening in November they’ll replay the whole stage from start to finish again.

The Route : 133.5km and 3,450m of vertical gain. A flat start out of Belfort to Giromagny and then the Ballon d’Alsace, 11.5km at 5.2% and steady for the most part with just a steeper middle section and similar descent.

The Croix-des-Monats is a very narrow road but they pick up a big road for the descent, again for the Col de Grosse Pierre, another small road that winds up before a joining bigger road but this time no real descent, just the passage across to the Col de la Schlucht. The descent off the Schlucht is long and fast, and like much of the Tour route, has been freshly resurfaced. The slope eases on the approach to Munster and there’s a small flat section out of town, a chance to move up, to eat and drink.

The Col du Petit Ballon is the odd-one-out of the big climbs in the Vosges, a forest backroad compared to the big wide boulevards. It’s 8% for 9km but because there’s a flat section that the profile doesn’t show most of the time the slope is 9% or more and opens with some 10-14% ramps which will eject some tired riders at the start. It gets easier towards the top and then comes the descent, there are warning signs for cyclists but the danger’s more in the bumpy road surface, keep both hands on the bars and it’s ok.

The Finish : the Col de Platzerwasel is as it looks on the profile, it starts straight out from the descent and climbs with alternating sections of 9% and 6%. It’s all on a wide road with gentle bends and it rolls by fast. Over the top and the climbing isn’t finished, there’s a kicker to come. The final three kilometres are flat and lead to Le Markstein, the tiny ski station.

The Contenders : Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE) are obvious picks, if the Slovenian has recovered from the Alps then his sprint is suited to the flat road in Le Markstein but of course Vingegaard can pre-empt this and launch before and while his team have dominated the race, they’ve only had one stage win so far.

Can the breakaway make it? It’s a short stage so there’s not much room to build up a lead and the two final climbs suit a chase too. Still plenty of riders are going to try and some in the top-10 overall have room to move. The likes of Simon Yates (Jayco-Al Ula) and David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) have skills for sprint in a small group.

Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) can win the stage but for him the Petit Ballon could be his finish line. The second category climbs offer 5-3-2-1 points, the first category climbs 10-8-6-4-2-1 points and Ciccone is six points ahead of Gall and seven ahead of Vingegaard. Still he’s quick for a sprint in a small group. Ineos have it hard to get Carlos Rodriguez on the podium but we’ll see if they can spare Michał Kwiatkowski for the breakaway, if he can manage the Grand Colombier he could be ok today.

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) is the local rider and of course he’s a contender but his form’s good, not scintillating. It’s a chance to say adieu to the roadside fans, at least until he joins them and their BBQs next year so expect banners and signs galore.

Weather : sunny but not hot, 22°C and lower altitudes and cooler high up.

TV : KM0 is at 1.45pm and the finish is forecast for 5.00pm CEST . Don’t miss a pedal stroke as it’s the last day of non-stop action in this Tour.

47 thoughts on “Tour de France Stage 20 Preview”

Can not see anyway Jumbo or UAE will risk anything, so the breakaway should have this. A better stage for Ben O’Connor (who seems to have finally found some form) then yesterday, or anyone who has some energy left.

I came to mention that post stage interview; gracious, heart felt, beautiful.

I agree! Humble, intelligent, honest. I’ll be looking out for Mohorič’s rides in the future. Rest in peace Gino

Just watched it, it was wonderful. What a cracking stage!

His mention that you feel you betray your fellow riders when going for the win after riding so hard together was fantastic. A heartfelt interview from a guy who is very humble for his talent.

I agree. That interview left me with tears in my eyes. Will admit rhat I cannot support the team he rides for but what a honest, heartfelt interview.

Mohoric looked to win it with his superior throw based on the photo and the head on replay, which appeared to show Asgreen’s throw coming after the line. They probably owe O’Connor a pint, though maybe they would have held off the chasers as a duo.

What a great Tour with the 4, 5 & 6 GC positions still undecided before the last real day of racing. Like FDJ and Marc Madiot (and unlike JV), I’ll have a cold beer ready.

The above refers to a L’Equipe story where JV and FDJ had shared a rest day hotel, following which JV’s Plugge commented on FDJ having beer on their table, and seemingly implying a lackof rigour in the FDJ team. Marc Madiot replied as only he knows how defending his team and a little rest day conviviality.

https://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Marc-madiot-groupama-fdj-repond-a-richard-plugge-jumbo-visma-c-est-minable/1409518

Thanks for this nice story. Classy from Mr. Madiot.

I’d ask Ghislain Lambert what’s more worrying between beer and beetroot…

Bloody hell, what an rant! I don’t know what Plugge said, but without that context it seems like quite the overreaction, even if it’s none of Plugge’s business. Is the lack of results getting to Madiot, especially against the background of the controversial team selection and success of other French teams?

The difference between two cultures though the oddest part was Plugge raising the subject. Unnecessary provocation and bad manners.

What chance that Jayco Alula, Ineos, Bahrain Victorius push the pace hoping Pogacar cracks again leaving a podium place up for grabs?

Can’t see it as if Pogačar got a pasting in the Alps, he’s had a few days to recover by now and even in the TT he was ahead of the rest. But if they did it would be exciting.

We’ll know in a few hours. I imagine Simon Yates is the rider most willing but would his team be up for the risk? And would the other teams co-operate for a bit.

Mohorič ‘s tears after the race and his description of just how brutal professional cycling can be for the also-rans was pretty moving. A lot of suffering goes into our entertainment.

Given how close the finish was, and how he threw his bike over the line with a well-timed lunge, I’m curious as to whether a stage has ever ended in a dead heat?

From memory can’t think of one but it’s happened in other races. Now with the photo finish camera they can tell tiny differences, yesterday’s 6cm / 4 milliseconds was relatively wide for the technology they have.

I don’t understand how WVA & Pidcick wasn’t a draw

“but the danger’s more in the bumpy road surface, keep both hands on the bars and it’s ok.” Contador crashed on these roads back in 2014 while drinking on the descent.

True, it was the Petit Ballon as well.

And not even a sentimental ring for Thibaut?

It’d be the fairy tale ending but hard to see, and as ever chainrings are for winning.

Gall had no rimg as well so there’s hope

No sentimentality in this blog, as it seems. He will be my sentimentality pick in today’s PCS game though.

It’s not “Yates²”, rather “Yates x2”. The former would mean Yates times Yates which doesn’t make sense because there isn’t a Yates amount of Yateses, rather just 2 Yateses.

Ha, was waiting for this. It takes up less space so the pick of one chainring contenders doesn’t spill over into a second line… and everyone understands it.

Ah, so it isn’t a footnote?

Ciccone v gall v vingo got the kom jersey.

For not got, bloody predictive text!

Cmon Giulio one more climb.

I love these mega breaks – I’ve been watching since the mid 90s and I’m sure in the past the big breaks were generally made up the domestiques and less teams. Seems now they are stacked with quality with mulitiple grand tour stage winners. What has changed the last few years?

Here’s hoping for a do or die long one from Pogi.

Except even Chris Froome’s 2018 solo Giro mountains rampage over 80+km ‘only’ brought a 4-minute time swing. So TG probably needs to start his attack in the neutral zone (assuming JV doesn’t crash during the stage or hasn’t got ill)

* 4 mins to Dumoulin. Yates was the leader going into the stage.

Why is the tour never going for some stages in the nearby black forest? Passes are plenty and similar to the vosges (a little more difficult). Authorities would not pay for it I guess.

It would be nice. I hope the Badén authorities are willing to spend a few euros on this one day.

On my computer screen, that photo has Mohoric’s bike at 6.3cm but Asgreen’s is only 5.8cm… was Asgreen going so fast that he lost because of relativistic length contraction?

Mohorič reached the line first but went through it slower.

ha. just looked again and saw that when you mentioned it. Mohoric claims the seat dropper post helped him win MSR…is this new frame extender tech for sprint finishes to be unveiled? :0)

The finish line foto is not a “normal” foto. See: http://inrng.com/2012/04/photo-finish-camera/

Ah thanks, I should have known Inrng had it covered.

Excellent racing yesterday. What a Tour de France flat stage can be, when the best rouleurs and classics guys do what they do best.

Alaphillippe’s in the break again today–last day of his mountain training camp.

“Nils Politt broke his chain….” Hmm…Understand that if it happened to me given the amount of time spent maintaining my bike. But on a TDF bike? Points towards the delicate nature of current components. Think I’ll stick with the old stuff.

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2022 TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE 20 ROUTE PREVIEW

July 23rd - 25 miles - Individual time-trial

Tour de France Stage 20

Performing well in a time trial at the end of the Tour always requires a certain kind of alchemy, deriving from a rider’s degree of freshness after three weeks of racing, the extent of their motivation given their possible finishing position in the overall classification, and their intrinsic qualities in this solo discipline. Added to that, in 2022 there will be a final with two climbs on the way to the high point of Rocamadour.

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2022 TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE 21 ROUTE PREVIEW

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2023 Tour de France Stage 20 Preview

Belfort > Le Markstein 133km

The final proper stage of the race is an absolute beauty, it’s such a shame the battle for the yellow jersey is over. Just 133km in length, it contains 3518m of climbing and barely any flat.  

Weather  

Another lovely day with temperatures in the mid 20s. 

The Climbs  

Ballon d’Alsace starts after just 12km of racing, it’s quite a hard cat 2 climb. 

Next up is Col de la Croix de Moinats, short and steep. 

Then it’s Col de Grosse Pierre, another short and steep climb. 

Petit Ballon is the start of the finale of the race. This is the hardest climb in the stage. 

The final climb of the day is Col du Platzerwasel, it crests with 5km to go. 

Tactics  

Welcome to Thibaut Pinot country. He’s had his eyes set on this stage for months, but does he have the legs required to challenge for the win? He’s one of many riders who’ll attack on the first climb of the day and hope to never see the peloton again, but the problem for the likes of Pinot is what UAE and Jumbo-Visma have in store. Are UAE going to commit to Pogačar? Will they fire Adam Yates up the road? Do Jumbo-Visma want the stage win? 

Vingegaard won the TT, but the winner of the yellow jersey always likes to win a mountain stage. Jumbo-Visma are down to 7 riders as Van Aert left the race to be at the birth of his second child, will they be able to control the stage with the remaining riders? If you’ve been watching the race you’ll know the answer to this is yes. Christophe Laporte is climbing mountains like Alberto Contador; he’s flying up these climbs faster than most of the riders in the peloton. They’ve also got Van Hooydonck, van Baarle, Kelderman, Benoot and Kuss, and seeing as the stage is a short one, the team will be confident of being able to chase the break and set up a stage win. 

If the break is going to survive, they need to go faster than the peloton, there won’t be any gifts in this stage. The size, and composition, of the break will be interesting, most riders sitting 3 rd  and lower will be keeping a close eye on which riders are looking to jump. All riders in the top 10 will be keen on holding onto their position, and possibly moving up a spot or two. So, if a rider like Bilbao tries to go for the break, Simon Yates and Rodríguez will have to respond. Going for the break is a risk, this is a very hard stage, if Jumbo-Visma chase it down those who used up energy early in the stage could blow up and drop like a stone.  

We’ve also got a big fight for the polka dot jersey. Ciccone has a six-point lead over Gall, with Vingegaard sitting just one point behind. There’s 18 points in the first 80km of the race, but the two cat 1 climbs late on are worth 20 points. The Italian needs to make sure he gets in the break and takes the 18 points on offer early in the stage, but if Gall is also in the break, he’ll have to fight for it. Gall won the Queen stage, if he can finish in the top 10 and win the polka dot jersey, he will have enjoyed an unbelievable race, he should be going for it. 

What about UAE? They’ve got two stage wins and sit 2 nd  and 3 rd  on GC, but they would like another stage win and hope that Pogačar can recover to go for his second win. He looked terrible on Wednesday, I can’t believe he’ll be able to fight for the win, his focus should be on trying to hold on to second place. Their best chance of a win would be from the breakaway, someone like Majka would be a good option. 

Jonas Vingegaard  – how much does he want the stage? I think he’d love to take a win in the yellow jersey. They might be down one man, but Jumbo-Visma are incredibly strong, they’re also interested in winning the team competition. It’s a short stage, and despite all the climbing, it’s a day they can control. Once on the first climb, expect to see the team come to the front and start to set a strong pace, everyone else will just have to see if they can hold on.  

Tadej Pogačar  – I don’t see him being able to recover in time, he should be concerned about trying to hold on to 2 nd  place on GC. 

Adam Yates  – will he be bold and go for the break? I think this is unlikely, but he won’t win from the GC group. If Pogačar has another bad day, he could end up 2 nd  on GC, which would be an amazing result for him. 

Simon Yates  – wasn’t strong enough to win on Wednesday, but he wasn’t too far away. He took time that day, which is going to be a problem for him in this stage. If he goes for the break, it will trigger a chase from Ineos and UAE as he’s a threat to 4th and 3 rd  on GC. I think his chance for a stage win has now passed. 

Felix Gall  – he was brilliant on Wednesday; I hope to see him going for the break, fighting Ciccone for the KOM jersey. He’s far enough behind the top 5 to not get chased down, and given his current shape, he’s got a good chance of fighting for another stage win. 

Thibaut Pinot  – it would be amazing to see him winning on home roads, but his shape doesn’t seem good enough just now. 

Prediction Time  

Jumbo-Visma to do Jumbo-Visma type things. 

A dominant win for  Jonas Vingegaard .

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• Giro d'Italia

PREVIEW | Tour de France 2023 stage 20 - Tadej Pogacar's chance for revival and Jonas Vingegaard's final obstacle to seal yellow jersey into Paris

Preview . The Tour de France has seem incredible spectacle almost everyday this year. It's the final mountain stage this Saturday, the riders will tackle many climbs in the Vosges on stage 20 for a final last bit of climbing fireworks.

The final mountain stage of the Tour de France takes the riders into the Vosges for a short but very explosive day. The race is not over yet, and a lot can be done in these 133 kilometers which feature 3400 meter of climbing, in the terrain that decided the Tour de France Femmes last year. The Vosges are the final mountain range to be tackled and this difference in terrain could be race changing.

Click here to win $11,125/€10,000/£8,675 with only $1,11/€1/£0,87 with the Fantasy Tour de France stage 20 (RtL).

Estimated start and finish times for Tour de France stage 20: 13:30-16:55CET

Matej Mohoric denies Asgreen back-to-back Tour de France stage wins on crazy day more akin to a Spring Classic

The Ballon d'Alsace (11.5 kilometers, 5.3%) will open things up for the day, and the middle section of the stage will see several hilltops and descents, hard terrain to control. It will all lead to a final combination of climbs however. The ascents summits with 110 kilometers to go, it's the first of many.

There will then be four hilltops, three categorized, but fatigue will build up throughout these, and attacks may come. The toughest of which is the Col de la Croix de Moinats which is 5.2 kilometers at 7.9%. This will however be largely a transition section.

Prize Money Tour de France 2023 - Full guide to how €2.308.029 will be split between teams

The stage is to be decided on the final two climbs. Petit Ballon (9.3Km; 8.1%) will provide terrain to attack seriously, summiting with only 24.5 kilometers to go. It is steep and has the distance, the final climb is not harder and being the final opportunity, serious moves may come here.

The riders will only have a very short and fast descent before the final climb of the race which is the Col du Platzerwasel, 7.1 kilometers at 8.4% which summit very close to the finish at Le Markstein, to conclude the battle for the yellow jersey. The summit of the climb comes with 7 kilometers to go, from there on the riders follow a plateau into the finish.

The Weather

She blows! The wind will be strong on the final day of competitive racing at the Tour. Strong southwestern wind will be felt on the day, this could be fun and lead to explosive racing as the first 80 kilometers are almost fully with cross and tailwinds, ideal for attackers, besides the difficult terrain. On the opposite side there may be a headwind in the final two climbs and run-up to the climbs.

Route Analysis | Profiles & Route Tour de France 2023

The Favourites

Jonas Vingegaard - Jumbo-Visma only have to arrive at the finish safely. Let breakaway go, let Pogacar go, let everyone go, Vingegaard has the climbing legs and nothing points for a falter, so all he needs to do is stay upright and take it calmly in the descents. Jumbo will surely give freedom for some of it's riders to get in the breakaway and chase the stage win, there is no need to push the pace as everyone has already been distanced. If other teams work however he may have the chance to go for the stage win, winning a mountain stage in yellow is suffering he will want.

Tadej Pogacar - Has he recovered? I will say yes likely, he had a bad day in Loze but likely he'll have improved in the meantime, and this type of stage will suit him. I argue that racing will be wild and he may even attack in the first climb or early on in the day. Podium is certain as long as he's not having another terrible day, a stage win he's already had, and no point on trying to have a direct battle again with Vingegaard. If he's in the mood for fun he can attack early, this race has delivered an incredible show and that could be the perfect way to wrap it up.

Top 10 Fight - The fight for the podium opened with stage 17's breakaway. Last two days have further inspired breakaways. But like in the Loze stage, riders will be fully aware that they can jump spots - and possibly a stage win. The fight seemed to be only between Adam Yates and Carlos Rodríguez but no longer. Simon Yates , Pello Bilbao and Jai Hindley are within two minutes of Rodríguez. Even if not to climb up the GC, getting in a breakaway may be to equally protect their spots. The lower Top10 in Felix Gall , Sepp Kuss and David Gaudu are all contenders to make these moves.

Tour de France 2023 Medical Report | Update stage 19

So you can't really figure a structure for this day. The fight for the win was so ahead of the rest of the field, that plenty Top10 contenders have frequently sneaked into breakaways and then have their own internal battles, and their success motivated offensive racing. The GC fight is there (you can add Guillaume Martin who's 11th in the standings), outside of that, it's all for the stage win. Giulio Ciccone may be the exception, he is in a very tight battle with Felix Gall and Jonas Vingegaard for the KOM classification.

Fatigue and third week form will be crucial on this day. Some riders have built up perfectly for these days, whilst others are on their knees after a gruesome race that has been tough from start to finish. Add Jonathan Castroviejo, Thibaut Pinot, Chris Harper , Rafal Majka, Ben O'Connor, Mattias Skjelmose, Wout Poels , Tobias Johannessen, Michal Kwiatkowski , Ion Izagirre, Michael Woods, Krists Neilands and Gregor Mühlberger to the mix and you've got a perfect recipe for an explosive day.

TV Guide - Where and When to watch Tour de France 2023

Prediction Tour de France 2023 stage 20:

*** Felix Gall, David Gaudu, Chris Harper ** Jonas Vingegaard, Pello Bilbao, Wout Poels, Michal Kwiatkowski * Tadej Pogacar, Adam Yates, Carlos Rodríguez, Jai Hindley, Sepp Kuss, Jonathan Castroviejo, Tobias Johannessen, Ion Izagirre, Michael Woods, Thibaut Pinot

Pick : David Gaudu

"Maybe it's time for Pogacar to make a choice" - Adrie van der Poel argues that classics focus hinders Tadej Pogacar at Tour de France

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Sat 18 May 2024

Sun 19 May 2024

Tour de France 2023 Route stage 20: Belfort - Le Markstein

Belfort hosted the Tour de France on more than a dozen occasions, mostly as a starting venue. In 2019 the race went to Chalon-sur-Saône, where Dylan Groenewegen sprinted to victory.

While clipping into their pedals in Belfort, sprinters will be aware that they have no change to triumph this time. The riders traverse the Vosges Mountains and tackle the Ballon d’Alsace (11.5 kilometres at 5.2%), Col de la Croix des Moinats (5.2 kilometres at 7%), Col de Grosse-Pierre (3.2 kilometres at 8%), Col des Feignes (5.1 kilometres at 2.5%, not classified) and Col de la Schlucht (4.3 kilometres at 5.4%) in the first 80 kilometres.

A downhill of 18 kilometres leads into the Munster Valley before it goes back up again on the Petit Ballon. Tension is expected to rise in the 9.3 kilometres climb at 8.1% before reaching its zenit on the Col du Platzerwasel. The last climb of the Tour is 7.1 kilometres long and averaging 8.4%.

After traversing all these mountains the finish is situated in Le Markstein, a ski station 8 kilometres after the Platzerwasel. That last section is undulating.

La Markstein was included twice in the Tour for men – 2014, 2019 -, but it never before served as a finish for the biggest cycling event on the planet.

The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds.

Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 20 2023 Tour de France.

Another interesting read: results 20th stage 2023 Tour de France.

Tour de France 2023 stage 20: routes, profiles, more

Click on the images to zoom

Tour de France Stage 21 Preview: Cav Goes For the Outright Record in Paris

Can the resurgent sprinter become the Tour’s leader in all-time stage wins?

Stage 21 - Chatou to Paris - 108.4km - Sunday, July 18

The final stage of the Tour de France is almost always its shortest road stage, but it packs a lot in: celebration, performance, and competition.

It’s never a difficult course. The countryside around Paris simply doesn’t have a lot of big climbs, and anyway, it’s never been the Tour’s nature to throw a grueling final stage at the racers. The day always starts with some ceremony to honor the winners, but also every rider who manages to finish. There’s a long neutral rollout, and even after the official race start, there’s not much in the way of attacking.

Instead, riders take their turns at the front for photo opportunities and celebratory clinks of plastic champagne flutes. You’ll see overall leader Tadej Pogačar and his UAE-Emirates team all up front for a group pic (#backtoback), and then you’ll likely see Mark Cavendish celebrating his green jersey and four stage wins. You’ll see celebrations from Bahrain-Victorious, who won the teams classification, and from whomever gets picked for the overall Combativity Award (likely someone like Matej Mohorič or Julian Alaphilippe). Wout Poels and Jonas Vingegaard will probably offer a smile or two in their polka-dot and white jerseys, but it could be a bit forced since they’re basically keeping those warm for Pogačar, who also leads those classifications.

When the pleasantries finish, the real racing will begin. The final stage is somewhat formulaic, but not devoid of interest. You will see:

• A possible early breakaway, likely composed mostly of riders from teams that did not win a stage on Tour. While a break pretty much never survives on the final stage, it’s a last chance to get a sponsor logo on TV.

• The pace will get pretty hot as the riders draw to the center of the city and the eight finishing laps (6.8km each) on the Champs-Élysées circuit, which loops between the Arc de Triomphe and the Jardin des Tuileries. If there’s no early break, then the yellow jersey’s team traditionally leads the pack on the first crossing of the finish line.

• Any early break will get caught, likely on one of the initial circuit laps. There’s an intermediate sprint on the third lap, and it’s possible that BikeExchange will still be trying to take green for Michael Matthews here.

• A second, later breakaway will go in the closing laps. This one won’t get more than 20-30 seconds, max, and will also likely be caught. The pace will be, uh, brisk: 30-35mph.

Riders To Watch

This one’s going to be all about the sprint finish. The Tour has now finished on the traditional Champs circuit for 47 straight years (with the exception of the 1989 time trial, which also finished here, but not as a circuit). Since the Tour moved to the Champs circuit in 1974, only six times has the stage seen a breakaway rider win, and just three times since 1980 (including American Jeff Pierce in 1987). The most recent was Alexandre Vinokourov in 2005.

So if it’s all about the sprinters, it’s all about Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s Mark Cavendish, winner of four stages already and tied with the legendary Eddy Merckx (at 34) for most Tour stage wins all-time . To take the record outright, he faces a group of rivals whittled by attrition over the past three weeks; roughly half the sprinters who started in Brest have gone home due to injuries, time cuts, or other objectives (the Olympics, for Mathieu van der Poel).

His biggest challengers will likely be Matthews, Alpecin-Fenix’s Jasper Philipsen and Jumbo-Visma’s Wout van Aert. Dark-horse contenders include André Greipel (Israel Start-up Nation), Cees Bol (DSM) and Danny van Poppel (Intermarché-Wanty). Greipel has announced he’s retiring after this season, so he’ll be extra motivated to repeat his 2016 victory on the Champs, his last at the Tour.

With the finish line coming 300 meters later, that will change tactics slightly. In previous years, with just 400 meters to the line from the last corner, positioning was crucial: riders had to be in the first 5-10 riders onto the Champs to have a shot at the win. Now, with almost twice that distance, and on a slightly uphill stretch, riders can come from a little farther back, trying to capitalize on a longer leadout and waiting to launch their final kick. Every sprinter in the race has doubtless strategized over this change, but how it plays out will be fascinating to see.

As for the green jersey: if (big if) Matthews somehow manages to nab 5-10 net points over Cav in the intermediate sprint, then it sets up a possible sprint showdown for green. Matthews is currently 35 points back of Cav in the points standings. A win would net 20 (the winner gets 50 points, second place gets 30, and third place gets 20).

It’s an exceedingly slim chance; only four times has the jersey changed hands on the final stage, and each time the gap prior to the stage was only a handful of points. Matthews would need to essentially win the intermediate sprint with Cav notching no better than third, and then win the stage, with Cav again no better than third. It’s mathematically possible, so we’ll mention it, but it hasn’t happened all Tour and almost certainly won’t here.

When To Watch

The Tour almost always has a marathon transfer to Paris the morning of the final stage, and this year is no different: 600km by plane from Bordeaux. So it starts late: 10:15 a.m. Eastern. Unless you want to watch the festivities part of the stage, it’s probably not worth tuning in until they enter the finishing circuits, at noon Eastern. You’ll catch the late break, any Matthews-Cav fireworks in the intermediate sprint, and of course the finish itself, just after 1 p.m. ET.

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Tour de france 2022 – the essential preview.

All you need to know about the route, contenders, and storylines for the 109th edition of the Grande Boucle

When the route for the 2022 Tour de France was revealed last October, Tadej Pogačar , winner of the past two editions, was thrilled to see such a testing but balanced route. "It's pretty great," said the Slovenian. "From the first stage to the last stage, we have everything: sprints, echelons, cobbles, big climbs, small climbs and time trials.”    

Ten days out from the Grand Départ , Pogačar remains the favourite for the 109th edition of the Tour de France, with all his rivals still trying to find a weakness in his armour and a way to defeat him during the three weeks between Copenhagen and Paris.  

Pogačar's multitude of talents and his ability to race aggressively appear perfectly matched to the route of the 2022 Tour de France.

The first week of racing has been described as a series of Classics, and Pogačar’s victories at Strade Bianche, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and Il Lombardia, along with his aggressive ride and fourth place at this year’s Tour of Flanders, indicate he could gain time on many of his rivals even before the first mountain stage.

Tour de France 2022: Results and news Tour de France 2022 route revealed Tour de France 2022 - Analysing the contenders

The 2022 Tour also returns to La Planche des Belles Filles, where Pogačar cruelly snatched victory from Primož Roglič in 2020, and then heads into the high Alps with tough mountain finishes on the Col du Granon and at L’Alpe d’Huez. There are then further mountain finishes at Peyragudes and Hautacam in the Pyrenees.

The route, however, is bookended by time trials, with a short 13.2km opener in Copenhagen and a rather more pivotal 40.7km test in Rocamadour ahead of the procession to Paris on July 24. 

Only Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain and Chris Froome have won three consecutive Tours. The 2022 race is arguably Pogačar’s Tour to lose but history has taught us that anything can happen during the three weeks of the Tour de France.

It will be up to Roglič and his Jumbo-Visma co-leader Jonas Vingegaard - along with Ineos Grenadiers' trio of Adam Yates, Dani Martínez and Geraint Thomas - to find a way to defeat Pogačar, while a host of other contenders hope for a miracle.

The Tour de France 2022 Route

The 109th Tour de France starts on July 1 in Copenhagen, Denmark and ends in Paris on Sunday July 24 after 3328km of racing. As Pogačar suggested, the 21 days really do include every aspect of bike racing.  

For the first time since 2017, the Tour begins with a city-centre time trial in the capital, followed by two flat stages across the country from Roskilde to Nyborg and then south from Vejle to Sønderborg. The riders will fly to France on Sunday evening after stage 3 and enjoy an extra rest day before starting the real lap of France.

Copenhagen is arguably the best bike city in the world, where 1.4 million people a day travel by bike - more than in the whole of the USA. The Danish capital will celebrate cycling during the Grand Départ, with a party atmosphere expected for the opening time trial.

The 13.2km city-centre course includes 18 corners and visits the Little Mermaid and other landmarks but Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) will have little time to enjoy the views as he dives through the corners at close to 54km/h. The world time trial champion is the favourite to win and so pull on the first yellow jersey but could be challenged by Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and other time triallists willing to take risks in the corners.

The overall contenders will also be fighting for every second, with Roglič hoping to gain a psychological advantage on Pogačar, while everyone else tries to limit their losses on the two Slovenians.

The opening road race stages of the Tour are always tense, crash-filled affairs and stage 2 to Nyborg should be no different. The road along the northern coast will be spectacular, as will the final 18km on the Great Belt Fixed Link bridge that connects Zeeland with Funen. If the wind is blowing, then positioning will be vital to avoid crashes in the peloton, while echelons could form on the exposed roads and on the long bridge to the finish.

The 182km third stage should be a calmer affair and a sprint finish, with Fabio Jakobsen (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl), Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix), Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) and their respective lead-out trains to clash in a high-speed finish.

Racing returns on Tuesday July 5 with stage 4 near the northern French coast via an inland loop between Dunkirk and Calais. The 171km stage includes several hills and the Cap Blanc Nez climb on the white cliffs just 10km from the finish.

Things get far more serious for the overall contenders on stage 5, which includes 11 sectors and a total 19.4km of Paris-Roubaix cobbles. They come in the second half of the 153.7km stage and could, like in previous years, cause crashes, significant time gaps, heartbreak and glory for the winner.  

“It can go terribly wrong or it can go okay. You won’t win the Tour here, but you can lose the Tour,” Pogačar predicted after his reconnaissance of the route.

Alps, Pyrenees, and a final TT

After tackling the cobbles a 220km hilly stage in Lorraine lies in wait before the first summit finish of the race – the stage 7 test up to Super Planche des Belles Filles.

La Planche des Belles Filles was first climbed in the 2012 Tour de France when Chris Froome won the stage and Bradley Wiggins took the yellow jersey, and last in 2020 when Pogačar broke Roglič's heart. This year is again a ‘super’ Planche des Belles Filles finish, with the line atop the very peak of the mountain after an additional gravel track.

Two hilly transfer stages during the weekend take the Tour to Lausanne and Aigle in Switzerland before the second Monday rest day and a climb into the high Alps. Stage 10 is short at 148.1km but ends with a 19.2km climb to the summit finish on the Megève runway, where Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) won a stage at the 2020 Critérium du Dauphiné.

Stage 11 is much tougher and includes the spectacular Lacets de Montvernier before the mighty Col du Télégraphe and Col du Galibier. The stage ends for just the second time in Tour history with a mountain finish on the Col du Granon. It is a breathtaking 2413m high and saw the battle royal between Greg Lemond and Bernard Hinault in 1986.

Stage 12 is held on Bastille Day and will be a celebration of France as well as Grand Tour racing. The 165km stage returns to the Col du Galibier via the easier side and then climbs the Croix de Fer before celebrating the 70th anniversary of a finish on L’Alpe d’Huez and  Fausto Coppi’s victory in 1952. The legendary hairpins will surely be packed again with fans from around the world as the likes of Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) and Romain Bardet (Team DSM) fight for a French stage win.

The Tour route heads out of the Alps via Saint-Etienne and a finish on the Mende Plateau, where Steve Cummings famously won on Mandela Day for MTN-Qhubeka in 2015. Another long, hot transfer stage takes the peloton onto Carcassonne for the third rest day, with the Pyrenees in view as the riders try to rest up.  

Stage 16 to Foix in the foothills seems perfect for a breakaway before the back-to-back mountain-top finishes in Peyragudes and then Hautacam. Four passes are packed into the second half of the 129.7km stage 17, which finishes like in 2017 on the spectacular mountain runway finish at Peyragudes that featured in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies.

The final mountain stage of this year’s Tour comes on stage 18, and includes two Hors-Catégorie climbs – the Col d’Aubisque and the finish up to Hautacam - plus the mid-stage Col de Spandelles (10.3km at 8.3%). The 13.6km final climb up to Hautacam will be the last chance for the pure climbers to gain time before Saturday’s 40.7km time trial across the Lot department in Southwestern France.

Who knows who will have survived to this point and who remains in contention for overall victory and podium places. The time trial will decide the final placings, with the 1.5km climb up to the line on time trial bikes the final moment of drama in this year’s race.

As per tradition, the final stage around Paris on Sunday evening is a celebration of cycling, with only the sprinters and their lead-outs focused on the final sprint up the Champs Elysées. This year’s final stage 115km stage is preceded by the first stage of the Tour de France Femmes, marking a symbolic but historic handover as the women’s cycling makes a huge step forward.      

Riders to watch

Tour de France technical director Thierry Gouvenou carefully designs the race route but, as the saying goes, it is the riders who make the race.

We have entered the Pogačar era and the 23-year-old Slovenian could add a third title to his palmarès as he strives to join the greats of the sport with five victories.

Can anyone beat him on a course that seems perfect for him? It will be a tall order but there are plenty of real contenders even in the absence of Egan Bernal and a number of riders who have recently caught the COVID-19 virus.  

The Critérium du Dauphiné and the Tour de Suisse traditionally reveal who is and who is not on form for the Tour de France but modern training methods and altitude training camps are changing riders’ approach to July.

Pogačar opted to spend longer training in Livigno and then dominated the five-day Tour of Slovenia before a week of recovery in the Slovenian mountains. He seems to have worked hard and warned he has improved year on year.

"We’ll see if being as good as in 2021 is enough this year. I feel stronger, I’m leaner, have more power and feel psychologically more confident," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport .  

Pogačar will also have a team to back his ambitions in 2022 after a series of astute signings by UAE Team Emirates. Despite recent COVID-19 cases, the core of the team should include Brandon McNulty , Rafa Majka , Marc Soler and George Bennett , plus key riders for the flat stages.  

Jumbo-Visma arguably have a team to match UAE Team Emirates and have the luxury - or potential headache - of having Roglič and Vingegaard as joint team leaders. That could spark some internal rivalry but also means more options if one of them loses time in the first week.

Roglič seemed to roar back to his best to win the Dauphiné after a knee injury in the spring, while Vingegaard appeared the strongest, on form and equally as ambitious. Both are excellent time triallists and so will be a threat to Pogačar until the very end of the Tour. 

Jumbo-Visma will be chasing stage victories and the green points jersey with Wout van Aert and are convinced they have not bitten off more than they can chew. The Belgian will surely win a number of stages and could even wear the yellow jersey early on, adding to Jumbo-Visma’s success but perhaps also complicating a shot at overall victory. The balance of power at Jumbo-Visma will be one of the stories to watch in July.

Ineos Grenadiers lowered their expectations but not their ambitions after Bernal’s terrible training crash in Colombia earlier this year. They have Dani Martínez, Adam Yates, Tom Pidcock and Geraint Thomas but the Colombian struggled in Switzerland last week, while Yates and Pidcock were hit with COVID-19.  

Thomas seemed set for a domestique role after struggling with injury and COVID-19 during the winter but emerged as the strongest to win the Tour de Suisse. Could it be his year after all? If it isn’t, then a victory by Ganna in the opening time trial and a few days in the yellow will be some kind of consolation.

The spat of COVID-19 cases left a question mark over Aleksandr Vlasov , with Sergio Higuita ready to deputise at Bora-Hansgrohe after finishing runner-up at Suisse. Julian Alaphilippe (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) is also struggling to be at his best after his nasty crash at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. 

Indeed, beyond the battle royal between Pogačar, Roglič and Vingegaard, and Ineos Grenadiers, there is a real opportunity for a podium finish. Ben O’Connor (AG2R-Citröen) emerged to take a deserved fourth place in 2021 and impressed at the Dauphiné, while fellow Australian Jack Haig will lead Bahrain Victorious alongside Damiano Caruso in the absence of Mikel Landa. Enric Mas (Movistar) has been a quietly consistent presence in recent years and is a threat if he can avoid crashes.

A Frenchman has not won the Tour for 40 years and it seems unlikely this year, with Pinot and Bardet targeting stages. David Gaudu leads Groupama-FDJ’s overall hopes but will surely lose time in the time trials.

The sprinters and baroudeurs

Of course, the Tour de France will be more than just a GC battle for the yellow jersey. There are perhaps four or five sprint opportunities and perhaps as many stages suited to breakaways.

Baroudeur and breakaway riders to watch should include Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) after his exploits at the Tour de Suisse, Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies), Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious), plus Bauke Mollema and Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo).  

Van Aert will have to beat pure sprinters such as Jakobsen, Ewan, Philipsen and a resurgent Bennett and Sagan, to win the green jersey because of the big points haul awarded to stage winners.

There will be no place for Mark Cavendish if Jakobsen stays healthy and the Dutch rider can count on Michael Mørkøv and other teammates for a quality and well-executed leadout. Everyone else will have to find more speed and better technique if they want to beat Jakobsen and so win the sprints at the Tour.

Of course, everyone will line up in Copenhagen on July 1, hoping to make it to Paris on July 24 and celebrate being part of the biggest race of the season.

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Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters , Shift Active Media , and CyclingWeekly , among other publications.

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A stage-by-stage look at the 2023 Tour de France route with profiles, previews and estimated start and finish times (all times Eastern) ...

Stage 1/July 1: Bilbao-Bilbao (113 miles) Hilly Neutralized Start: 6:30 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:15 a.m. Quick Preview: The Grant Départ is held in the Basque Country as the Tour’s first three stages start in Spain. There are five categorized climbs, though none of the highest difficulty, with 21 King of the Mountain points available and 50 green jersey points. An uphill finish could neutralize the top sprinters.

TOUR DE FRANCE: Broadcast Schedule

Stage 2/July 2: Vitoria-Gasteiz-San Sebastián (130 miles) Hilly Neutralized Start: 6:15 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:04 a.m. Quick Preview: Five more climbs with the toughest coming near the end of the longest stage of the Tour. If no breakaways are successful, the sprinters will be rewarded with a flat finish.

Stage 3/July 3: Amorebieta-Etxano-Bayonne (120 miles) Flat Neutralized Start: 7 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:27 a.m. Quick Preview: The first flat stage brings the Tour into France along the Bay of Biscay coastline. Could be Mark Cavendish’s first prime opportunity to break the Tour stage wins record he shares with Eddy Merckx.

Stage 4/July 4: Dax-Nogaro (114 miles) Flat Neutralized Start: 7:10 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:12 a.m. Quick Preview: Another flat stage, this one finishing at France’s first purpose-built motor racing venue, the Circuit Paul Armagnac, with the final 1.9 miles taking place on the track.

Stage 5/July 5: Pau-Laruns (103 miles) Mountain Neutralized Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:21 a.m. Quick Preview: The first of eight mountain stages that will collectively visit France’s five biggest mountain ranges. This one is in the Pyrenees with three summits in the second half of the day followed by a flat run-in to the finish. Expect the overall standings to shake up.

Stage 6/July 6: Tarbes-Cauterets (90 miles) Mountain Neutralized Start: 7:10 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:08 a.m. Quick Preview: The first of four summit finishes of this year’s Tour. Summit finishes are usually where the real yellow jersey contenders separate from the pack. Could be the first duel between 2022 Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard and 2020 and 2021 Tour winner Tadej Pogacar.

Stage 7/July 7: Mont-de-Marsan-Bordeaux (110 miles) Flat Neutralized Start: 7:15 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:07 a.m. Quick Preview: Flattest stage of the Tour with a single fourth-category climb. Cavendish won the last time a Tour stage finished in Bordeaux in 2010.

Stage 8/July 8: Libourne-Limoges (125 miles) Hilly Neutralized Start: 6:30 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:07 a.m. Quick Preview: A transition day as the Tour heads to the Massif Central. A 5% uphill in the last 700 meters might mean this is not a sprinters’ day.

Stage 9/July 9: Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat-Puy de Dôme (114 miles) Mountain Neutralized Start: 7:30 a.m. Estimated Finish: 12:05 p.m. Quick Preview: A summit finish -- to a dormant volcano -- before a rest day is sure to shake up the overall standings. Puy de Dôme returns to the Tour after a 35-year absence.

Stage 10/July 11: Vulcania-Issoire (104 miles) Hilly Neutralized Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:19 a.m. Quick Preview: The hilliest day of the Tour. Begins at a volcano-themed amusement park.

Stage 11/July 12: Clermont-Ferrand-Moulins (110 miles) Flat Neutralized Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:19 a.m. Quick Preview: The last flat stage until the 19th stage. If Cavendish hasn’t gotten a stage win yet, the pressure will start to mount.

Stage 12/July 13: Roanne-Belleville-en-Beaujolais (103 miles) Hilly Neutralized Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:21 a.m. Quick Preview: Even with three late climbs, don’t expect a yellow jersey battle with back-to-back-to-back mountain stages after this.

Stage 13/July 14: Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne-Grand Colombier (86 miles) Mountain Neutralized Start: 7:45 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:12 a.m. Quick Preview: On Bastille Day, the second and final beyond-category summit finish of this year’s Tour. The French have incentive to break away on their national holiday, but this is a climb for the yellow jersey contenders. A young Pogacar won here in 2020.

Stage 14/July 15: Annemasse-Morzine (94 miles) Mountain Neutralized Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:18 a.m. Quick Preview: Another selective day in the Alps, with each climb seemingly tougher than the last. The downhill into the finish could neutralize attacks from the last ascent.

Stage 15/July 16: Les Gets-Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (110 miles) Mountain Neutralized Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 12 p.m. Quick Preview: The last of three consecutive mountain stages features the last summit finish of the Tour. The eventual Tour winner could emerge here given the next stage’s time trial is only 14 miles.

Stage 16/July 18: Passy-Combloux (14 miles) Individual Time Trial First Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:36 a.m. Quick Preview: After a rest day, the Tour’s lone, short time trial will be punctuated by a late climb. Only twice in the last 50 years has there been just one time trial (including team time trials and prologues).

Stage 17/July 19: Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Courchevel (103 miles) Mountain Neutralized Start: 6:20 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:03 a.m. Quick Preview: The first of two mountain stages in the last week of the Tour. It’s the most difficult of the eight total mountain stages with more than 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) of elevation gain, capped by the beyond category Col de la Loze just before the descent to the finish.

Stage 18/July 20: Moûtiers-Bourg-en-Bresse (116 miles) Hilly Neutralized Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:31 a.m. Quick Preview: About as flat of a “hilly” stage as one gets. Should still be a day for the sprinters who made it through the mountains.

Stage 19/July 21: Moirans-en-Montagne-Poligny (107 miles) Flat Neutralized Start: 7:15 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:11 a.m. Quick Preview: An undulating stage with a relieving descent toward the end. The last kilometer goes up a 2.6% incline, which could take the sting out of some sprinters.

Stage 20/July 22: Belfort-Le Markstein (83 miles) Mountain Neutralized Start: 7:30 a.m. Estimated Finish: 10:54 a.m. Quick Preview: The last competitive day for the yellow jersey is highlighted by two late category-one climbs that could determine the overall champion should it be close going into the day.

Stage 21/July 23: Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines-Paris (71 miles) Flat Neutralized Start: 10:30 a.m. Estimated Finish: 1:28 p.m. Quick Preview: The ceremonial ride into Paris, almost always a day for the sprinters. Should be the final Tour stage for Cavendish and Peter Sagan, who both plan to retire from road cycling after this season.