Tour de France 2019 Favourites stage 20: GC battle on mega-long last climb

The route is hard enough to shake up the overall classification. The route is just 130 kilometres long and still features 4,500 vertical metres. Usually, as race with these characteristics is sure to detonate the fireworks. Are we up for a 1994-like scenario when Armand De La Cuevas – placed 4th on GC – lost 20 minutes at Val Thorens?

The opener is flat, but it doesn’t take long for the road to point upward. Shallow gradients at first bute then it kick up until the riders reach the Cormet de Roselend at kilometre 36. The ascent is a proper way to get into the groove of the last mountain stage of this year’s Tour de France, as it climbs for 19.9 kilometres at 6.6%. Yes, that is long, but not as long as the last climb that the race holds up its sleeve.

But first the Côte de Longefoy: 6.6 kilometres at 6.5%. The route moves through the remote mountain village of Notre-Dame-du-Pré before descending back into the valley. Following 6 kilometres on the flat the last climb appears. The Val Thorens ascent rises steadily for 33.4 kilometres. With gradients hovering around 5.5%, the final haul up of the Tour should suit the likes of Geraint Thomas and Steven Kruijswijk.

Obviously, how the race unfolds depends largely on the GC, so we will update this article in due time.

Favourites 20th stage 2019 Tour de France

*** Steven Kruijswijk, Geraint Thomas, Thibaut Pinot, Egan Bernal
** Bauke Mollema, Vincenzo Nibali, Mikel Landa, Ilnur Zakarin
* Nairo Quintana, Wilco Kelderman, Fabio Aru, Emanuel Buchmann

Take a look at the route of the 20th stage on the Tour de France.

Tour de France 2019 stage 20: profile and last climb

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profile

Val Thorens