The 2024 Tour de France is set to be a distinctive edition, commencing with its Grand Depart in Florence and Emilia-Romagna, just across the Italian border. For the first time in many years, the race will culminate away from Paris, as riders head to Nice for the grand finale. Spanning from June 29th to July 21st, let's delve into what awaits on the upcoming stage.
The queen stage? Perhaps in a different edition yes, I wouldn't say it's the case here, but it is just a brutal mountain stage to wrap off the second week. With the rest day ahead the riders will not save themselves on a day with four first-category climbs and an HC summit finish. There will be 5000 meters of climbing and it is the stage with the most climbing meters.
The riders tackle the Col du Peyresourde right from the start of the 198-kilometer day. This is a proper mountain stage, the kind that the Tour now rarely offers. Right from the gun the peloton rides up one of the Tour's most famous climbs which is 7 kilometers long at 7.8%. Expect action here, with the climbers going crazy off the front.
After descending the riders tackle the Col de Mente. I reckon this is the hardest climb of the day but it ends with around 150 kilometers to go still. It's 9.4 kilometers long at 8.6%, steep and very constant with a lot of switchbacks towards the summit.
After the descent comes the Col de Portet d'Aspet, the steepest climb of the day which is 4.4 kilometers long at 9.7%. Although it's very difficult, the descent requires maximum attention as it is very technical and dangerous. It ends with 133 kilometers to go. The following hour provides an opportunity to rest and prepare for the stage finale.
The Port d'Agnes follows, it's 10.1 kilometers long at 8.2%, another brute. This climb ends with 49.5 kilometers to go and the pace can seriously ramp up at this point in the day. A very technical short descent leads the riders to the uncategorized Port de Lers which is 4.4 kilometers long at 5.4%, and this one ends with 41 kilometers to go.
Very quickly the riders reach the base of Plateau de Beille. Funnily, despite being very difficult, the summit finishes atop this ascent in 2011 and 2015 barely created any differences among the GC contenders. An interesting scenario, but at the end of a 200-kilometer and 5000 climbing meters-stage it may not be the same this time around.
The climb is 15.7 kilometers long at 7.8%. It has it's steepest points, above 10%, from 8 to 6 kilometers to go and the main attacks could happen here. But overall it's a hard climb that is relatively constant and with plenty switchbacks. Everything is set for a mammoth GC battle.
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Prediction Tour de France 2024 stage 15:
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