On the 191.5 km that separate Châtel-Guyon (Puy-de-Dôme) from Puy Mary (Cantal), this Friday, runners will be constantly going up or down.
The promise of a lively stage and an explanation between the favorites during a particularly steep final.
A 191 kilometer slide
It is a real mountain stage, the hardest of this Tour if we refer to the difference in height: 4,400 meters.
This ride in the Massif Central, through Puy-de-Dôme and Cantal, has no less than six climbs, the last of which with arrival at the top, could establish a hierarchy between the favorites.
The Col de Neronne (3.8 km at 9.1% average) risks doing damage before the final climb to Puy Mary-Pas de Peyrol (5.4 km at 8.1%).
The route inspired by the Strava app
Thierry Gouvenou, the technical director of the Tour, traced this difficult stage by examining the data of the Strava application, used by 75% of the riders in the professional peloton and thousands of amateurs.
He did the same in 2019 during the 8th stage leading to Saint-Etienne (3800 m of elevation gain) won by the Belgian Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) and which allowed Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck - Quick Step) to take back the yellow jersey.
On Strava, the Dutch Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb) holds the record (KOM for King Of Mountain) for the ultimate difficulty of the day, the Puy Mary-Pas de Peyrol (in 14'55) in front of Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) in 14'57 "and Romain Bardet (AG2R) in 14'58".
Voeckler adorned himself in yellow
This July 10, 2011, between Issoire and Saint-Flour, Thomas Voeckler decides to shake up the peloton, escapes and widens the gap in the company of four riders.
The Spaniard Flecha, stuck by a car from France Televisions, throws the Dutchman Hoogerland into the barbed wire and the two men will end up very late.
The Spaniard Luis Léon Sanchez beats the French Sandy Casar and Voeckler in the sprint at Saint-Flour.
The latter dons the yellow jersey he wears ten days, as in his first epic seven years earlier.
He finished fourth in the Tour won by Australian Cadel Evans.