Tour de France 2023 Favourites stage 13: GC riders or attackers on Grand Colombier

foto: Cor VosIt's all about the Grand Colombier on the thirteenth day of action. The 17.4 kilometres long climb to the line rises at 9.2% in the final 3.4 kilometres. Jonas Vingegaard versus Tadej Pogacar or a successful breakaway? (Slideshow route/profile)

The climb to the Observatoire de la Lèbe is a long uphill drag, but the slope is very modest – 16.4 kilometres at roughy 3%.

Actually, the Lèbe climb is the only uphill secton in the run-up to the Grande Finale on the Grand Colombier. So it really comes down to the finish climb. It’s a 17.4 kilometres long uphill slog with an average gradient of 7.1%. The first 7 kilometres go up at 8.4% before it flattens out until the last 3.4 kilometres throw in 9.2%.

But it’s cycling and nothing is set in stone. Yes, it should be easy to control the breakaway, but that’s not a guarantee that the control actually will be excuted. So, attackers could give it a shot also and maybe even succeed.

Probably, Jumbo-Visma will not mind if the breakway succeeds and the time bonuses on the line are gone, while UAE Emirates will want the breakaway on a leash in order to launch Pogacar and his fast legs on the summit of Grand Colombier.

Favourites 13th stage 2023 Tour de France

*** Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard
** Giulio Ciccone, Thibaut Pinot, Ben O’Connor, Felix Gall
* Michael Woods, Pierre Latour, Mattias Skjelmose, Matteo Jorgenson

Another interesting read: route 13th stage 2023 Tour de France.