No meter flat in dizzying Alpine stage

Typically, the penultimate stage of the Tour de France brings a definitive decision. This year, however, things are a bit different. Tomorrow, there will be no sprint in Paris, but instead, an all-important individual time trial awaits. Nevertheless, the twentieth stage will see fierce competition among the riders in the general classification. Four categorized climbs await the riders over 133 kilometers from Nice to the summit of Col de la Couillole. There will be no flat meters; it's all up and down.

Stage twenty will remind many cycling fans of another French stage race, Paris-Nice. Not only does the race start in Nice, but three of the four mountains have played major roles in recent editions of the Race to the Sun. Starting from Place Masséna, the heart of the city, the riders head north for a route that involves about 4,700 meters of climbing.

The official climbing begins just fifteen kilometers into the stage on Col de Braus. This 10-kilometer climb averages a gradient of 6.6%. Compared to what lies ahead, this could be seen as a warm-up. A descent of another ten kilometers leads the riders to the foot of the second climb, Col de Turini (20.7 km at 5.7%), a substantial obstacle. The summit comes after nearly sixty kilometers of racing.

A steep descent leads down to Roquebillière. There, without much delay, the next climb awaits: Col de La Colmiane (7.5 km at 7.1%). The stated length of the climb somewhat understates the effort required. Starting counting from Roquebillière, the climb covers about 20 kilometers at 5%. However, officially it's recognized as 7.5 kilometers.

After this deceptive climb, legs will be heavily fatigued and sweat will be pouring. Yet, there's one last climb remaining. A descent of twenty kilometers towards Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée precedes this final ascent. Col de la Couillole is a behemoth, stretching 15.7 kilometers at 7.1% gradient. The climb doesn't feature extreme steep sections but never levels off either.

In the 2023 Paris-Nice, this climb served as the finale of the race's last stage. About six kilometers from the top, Tadej Pogacar, David Gaudu, and Jonas Vingegaard broke away from the rest of the pack. Pogacar then sprinted to victory in the final few hundred meters, securing his overall lead. In Paris-Nice, this battle occurred after six days of racing. In the Tour de France, it's a whole different ball game. Who will have the strongest legs after three weeks of racing? Will someone take a decisive step towards overall victory here?

20 Jul 2024	Tour de France - Stage 20
11 Mar 2023	Paris-Nice - Stage 7
11 Mar 2017	Paris-Nice - Stage 7