Tom Pidcock recons controversial Tour de France gravel stage alongside Laurens De Plus

Preparation for the 2024 Tour de France is already well underway and INEOS Grenadiers duo Tom Pidcock and Laurens De Plus have been busy taking a look at the controversial gravel stage that could prove key.

On his official X (Twitter) account, De Plus shares an image of himself and potential podium hopeful Pidcock, accompanied by an image of their Strava data.

Much has been made of the said stage to Troyes with both team bosses and riders raising concerns about the inclusion of gravel at a race like the Tour de France. Set for stage 9 of the 2024 edition of the race, there are a total of 14 gravel sectors amounting to 32 kilometres that could potentially make a significant difference to many general classification contenders.

In a twist on the age-old saying, you won't be able to win the Tour de France on stage 9 but you could definitely lose enough time that the Maillot Jaune is suddenly unreachable. Therefore the likes of De Plus and Pidcock will be hoping preparation pays off.