Tour de France 2022 Favourites stage 11: GC clash at the Granon

foto: Cor VosThe GC riders are expected to take the floor in the 11th stage. After a flat opener the last 80 kilometres are sheer agony. The finish climb is a monster of 11.3 kilometres with an average gradient of 9.2%. (Slideshow route/profile)

As if that’s not brutal enough, two iconic cols precede the climb to the line. The Télégraphe and the Galibier – respectively, 11.9 kilometres at 7.1% and 17.7 kilometres at 6.9%.

It doesn’t look like that at all in the first hour of racing. The route travels on the flat to the Lacets de Montverrier, which is a gentle way to stretch the legs. It’s steep, okay, but it’s short at the same time. Nothing to worry about. The route continues in similar style until things start to slide after 70 kilometres. That’s when the Col du Télégraphe looms.

Given the easygoing first phase, a group of riders with a diverse skillset is likely to make it into the breakaway. But not necessarily good climbers – in fact, quite the contrary. So, when the GC riders start tightening the screws on the climbs, the attackers are unlikely to survive. We expect the big guns to roll out their heavy weaponry on the Granon.

Favourites 11th stage 2022 Tour de France

*** Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard
** Aleksandr Vlasov, Adam Yates, Romain Bardet, Primoz Roglic
* Thibaut Pinot, David Gaudu, Nairo Quintana, Enric Mas, Michael Woods

Another interesting read: route 11th stage 2022 Tour de France.