Stage 19 Mountains
EMBRUN > ISOLA 2000
Friday, 19 July | 144.6km | Start: 11:30 Finish: 15:44
This year’s Altitude Stage is, without doubt, the hardest day of the entire race, with a trio of peaks over 2,000m needing to be crossed, including the highest paved through road in Europe, and by extension in Tour history.
Today’s route
It’s a gentle opening 20 kilometres for the peloton from the start in Embrun, but after that comes several hours of suffering. The 2,109m Col de Vars (18.8km at 5.7%) is the first col to be crested, and then it’s onto the monstrous Cime de la Bonette, a mythical 2,802m climb last used in the 2008 Tour.
It's 22.9km long, averages 6.9%, but has gradients that are considerably tougher for the most part and rear up to above 10% in the final kilometre. Windswept, barren and devoid of almost all vegetation, the road encircles the peak’s summit before it reaches the race's highest point.
A lengthy descent of 40km is followed by the day’s final challenge: the 16.1km climb to the ski resort of Isola 2000. Sections of its road feature gradients with double-digit ramps at the beginning and an overall average of 7.1%.
What to expect
A breakaway, probably a big one and definitely containing those with eyes on the King of the Mountains jersey, will clip off the front on the first climb, but a short stage might see one of the GC teams setting a fast pace from the off in order to inflict maximum damage.
There’s too long between the Bonette and Isola 2000 for a maillot jaune contender to attack on the barbaric climb, so expect them instead to make their move when the ski lifts at Isola come into view.
Keep an eye out for any sprinters that fall behind the autobus today. They’ll be hoping it forms on the lower slopes of the Col de Vars, but if a sprinter is left out on his own, the threat of the time cut will be hovering over them all day.
Riders to watch
This is a major test for Remco Evenepoel and Tadej Pogačar, two riders who have admitted in the past that they’ve often struggled when the air gets thinner and the altitude tips over 2,000m. Jonas Vingegaard, on the other hand, has made these high mountain stages his speciality. It's worth keeping an eye out for Juan Ayuso, too: UAE-Team Emirates’s yo
