Stage 21 Time Trial
MONACO > NICE
Sunday, 21 July | 33.7km | First rider starts: 13:40 Last rider finishes: 18:30
Due to the hosting of the Olympic Games in Paris preventing the traditional final-day processional stage on the Champs-Élysées, a historic day is in store on the Mediterranean coast.
Today’s route
Not since 1905 has the Tour finished outside of Paris, and it’s also the first time since 1989 that the race ends with an individual time trial. Beginning in the principality of Monaco – home to several Tour winners such as Tadej Pogačar, Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas – this is not an easy time trial: after only 1,500m, the road turns skyward with the 8.1km ascent of La Turbie that averages 5.6%.
A short descent precedes the short, sharp climb of Col d’Eze, used almost every year in Paris-Nice, before a final 17km downhill, then flat, stretch onto the Promenade des Anglais on the Mediterranean coast. The winner’s podium celebration will also be held on the famous seafront.
What to expect
Most talk pre-stage will be whether or not the overall contenders will tackle the first half and the 700 metres of elevation on their road bikes before switching to their time trial machines for the remainder. Some might judge La Turbie as a power climb that doesn’t require a more agile and lighter road bike, but others will not want to risk using their time trial machine for the entire duration of what is essentially a mountain TT.
Stage 21 profile
Even if one rider already has what looks like a firm grip on yellow, it was only four years ago that Tadej Pogačar famously overturned a 57-second deficit to Primož Roglič on the penultimate day’s time trial to win the race by 59 seconds. Anything is therefore possible.
Riders to watch
Time trial world champion Remco Evenepoel is the obvious favourite, but Roglič, Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard have all won mountainous Grand Tour time trials, so the gaps between the overall contenders might not be as big as if it were a flat race against the clock.
With the climbing too much for the TT specialists like Stefan Küng and Filippo Ganna, the winner is almost certain to be a GC contender who is finishing the race in peak form. Will his three weeks at the Giro count against Pogačar, and favour a rider like Roglič with fresher legs?
