Tour de France 2020 Favourites stage 13: Huge clash in the Massif Central

The course is an open invitation for GC riders to test their rivals. Following a flat opening the route goes either up or down for the rest of the day, although mainly up. Four ascents stand out. The first one is the Col de Ceyssat, 11.8 kilometres long and sloping at 5.9% while the peak is crested after 35.5 kilometres. Almost 50 kilometres further into the race the riders crest the Côte de la Stèle after a 7.1 kilometres climb at 5.5%.

The Grande Finale of stage 13 consists of two climbs in short succession. First the Col de Neronne – 3.8 kilometres at 9.1% – and after 6 kilometres on the flat the uphill torture continues on the Pas de Peyrol. This is a 5.4 kilometres climb with an average gradient of 8.1%, but, more importantly, the last 2.4 kilometres to the line go up at more than 11.5%.

Anyway, these climbs are merely the icing on the cake, as stage 13 is a ceaseless parade of uphill sections.

Given the steep finale punchy climbers are expected to come to the fore. Guys like Yates, Simon and Adam, are strong on virtually vertical roads, while Geraint Thomas was the first GC rider in last year’s La Planche des Belles Filles stage.

A clash of GC riders is on the cards, but it remains to be seen if they will battle it out for the stage win or merely to put time into each other. After all, we are half-way through the Tour de France and chances are that attackers are given the opportunity to reach the foot of the Col de Neronne/Pas de Peyrol combo with a firm lead. In that case, we are treated to a finale on two fronts: one for the stage win, one for the GC.

Favourites 13th stage 2020 Tour de France

*** Primoz Roglic, Geraint Thomas, Adam Yates, Thibaut Pinot
** Chris Froome, Egan Bernal, Julian Alaphilippe, Tom Dumoulin
* Romain Bardet, Nairo Quintana, Tadej Pogacar, Miguel Ángel López

Take a look at the route of the 13th stage on the Tour de France.