The race returns to the Alps with an intriguing stage that’s open to many, assuming UAE agrees to them stay away.
Denim in Nîmes: not much action to write home about, the wind didn’t get up and so a brief solo flurry from Thomas Gachignard was enough to get him the day’s combativity prize, beating the Uno-X driver who almost drove his the other team car in the convoy after a Mario Kart mix-up on a roundabout.
The sprint was textbook copy from Alpecin-Deceuninck, lining out the field. Mathieu van der Poel accelerated with 400m to go, seeing the world champ working like this is like spotting a Lamborghini in a building supplies yard with timber being tied to the roof rack. By the time Jasper Philipsen launched he was ahead of the rest and stayed clear. Job done.
The day’s drama came with a crash for Biniam Girmay, he made it to the finish but the improbable “Philipsen has to win and Girmay not to score” scenario for the points competition became reality. Girmay stays in green but now leads by just 32 points with 20 points available at each of the intermediate sprints. The pair have been inseparable, three stage wins each and the gap in part by Girmay’s win at the intermediate sprint on Stage 15 after the Peyresourde.
The Route: 178km and 2,850m of vertical gain. It’s out of Saint-Paul on the road to Nyons and then a long valley road to Verclause. The Col de la Saulce starts here, unmarked but 16km uphill with some 5-6% sections. After Serres another valley road to Gap. The Col Bayard is a big main road but hard going at over 7%.
The Finish: déjà vu? This combo of climbs is identical to the finish used in the 2016 Critérium du Dauphiné. The Col du Noyer (“Walnut Tree Pass”) is hard with irregular gradients and a series of hairpin bends with stunning views of the valley below. The upper slopes are particularly steep. They’re followed a fast, technical 6km descent and then it’s straight to the finish, 4km at 5.9% on a bigger “ski station” road but the first kilometre is steeper.
The Contenders: some hard climbing and a finish that isn’t so steep? Tadej Pogačar (UAE) of course fits the bill. Today ought to suit the breakaway though, UAE are ahead and might as well defend although Nils Politt riding down the breakaway and Pogačar taking the stage and time bonus is a form of defence, no?
Today’s stage comes just before bigger Alpine stages so some pure climbers might prefer to wait but it’s risky to turn down a stage. The route with the long gradual approach and the flatter finish suits someone with a bit of a punch, think Stephen Williams (IPT) or Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) but former’s form isn’t obvious and the latter has to get over the Noyer. Carlos Verona (Lidl-Trek) fits too. Ben Healy (EF) is a pick if he can go solo, team mate Richard Carapaz is better suited to upcoming days but can try too. The real fit is Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X) but to get in the break, to see off the others and get a first big win, a big ask.
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Pogačar, Healy, TJH |
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Grégoire, Verona, Carapaz, Williams, Gaudu |
Weather: 32°C and sunshine.
TV: KM0 is at 12.45pm CEST and the finish is forecast for 5.10pm CEST. Tune in early for the scenery and the breakaway action. Gap and the Col Bayard are at 3.50pm, the start of the Col du Noyer 4.30pm.
Postcard from the Buëch valley
It’s common to see the Alps and Pyrenees juxtaposed every July. The Pyrenees are retro rural charm, the Alps are concrete ski stations and industry. Caricatures, but viewed via the prism of the Tour there’s logic given the race does visit some of the big ski stations in the Alps and takes major valley roads; even if it does visit the Tourmalet and often goes to Andorra too. Still there’s selection bias here because the Alpine resorts bid for the race so that’s what most people see of the Alps if viewed by the Tour.
Today’s stage visits some of the quieter parts of the French Alps, although before any geologists leap to the comments, yes the Prealps as well. Gap is a big town and the Col de Bayard a big traffic artery but turn off for the Col du Noyer and on a sunny day the view from the climb is spectacular. The Dévoluy and nearby Champsaur Alps are underrated for cycling and in large part because the Tour visits rarely. In short if you want to visit the French Alps and have some quiet roads to yourself, with nature galore and breathtaking scenery then there’s plenty just off today’s route. The kind of place you can send your own postcards from or post to Instagram.