Every morning, during this Tour de France 2020, we invite you to decipher the stage of the day through three essential things or not, to know about the course and its characteristics.
This Tuesday the peloton snorts, for the 4th stage, between Sisteron (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) and Orcières-Merlette (Hautes-Alpes).
The first moment of truth?
For Thierry Gouvenou, the technical boss of the Grande Boucle, the course is conducive to the first major explanations between leaders.
“The first arrival at the top is something important,” he emphasizes.
If the stage is not too difficult, we still looked for climbs that will hurt the legs before the final climb (including those of 3rd category of Aullagnier and Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes).
In Orcières, we will be at an altitude of 1,825 m.
It can count.
"
Luis Ocana's masterpiece
On July 8, 1971, the Spaniard Luis Ocana, the great rival of Eddy Merckx, then double winner of the Tour de France (1969, 1970), will embark on an issue of which the Tour caravan is still talking about fifty years more late.
Left alone, he will be ahead of two Belgians, Lucien Van Impe by 5'52 "and Eddy Merckx by 8'42".
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In the general classification, Merckx was then relegated to fifth place, 9'46 '' behind the Spaniard from team Bic.
The Tour seems promised to the latter.
But a few days later, a terrible fall in the descent of the Col de Menté forced Ocana to retire.
That year, Merckx will win the third of its five Tours.
Ocana will have her revenge by winning the 1973 Tour.
On July 12, 1971, a terrible fall in the descent of the Col de Menté forced Ocana to retire during the Revel-Luchon stage.
Bancet / Icon Sport Collection
Steven Rooks the last
For the fifth time, the Alpine resort is the scene of the Tour's arrival.
The last rider to win there succeeded 31 years ago in a time trial.
The Dutch Steven Rooks (PDM) then won between Gap and Orcières Merlette ahead of Marino Lejarreta, Miguel Indurain, Pedro Delgado and Greg LeMond, the future winner that year.