Lure > La Planche des Belles Filles
36km Saturday, 19 September Start 12:00 Finish 17:09
Finally, the Tour reaches its only time trial of any kind, taking place on what has become the last competitive day of racing as far as the yellow jersey is concerned.
■ Terrain
Today’s route is an intriguing test, the profile suggesting that it won’t favour specialists and should very much suit the strongest riders and climbers at the end of three weeks of competition.
This final section averages 8.5 per cent, but there are several ramps well in excess of that mark as the road climbs back and forth in wide sweeps through the forest.
■ Gameplan
Coming on the penultimate day of the Tour, this will be a hard time trial to judge. During last year’s only individual TT at Pau – eight kilometres shorter than this one and much closer to the middle of the race – lots of riders struggled on the final steep ramps up to the line, defending champion Geraint Thomas the most notable because the Welshman had been running close to the split times recorded by stage winner Julian Alaphilippe. The key will be to keep enough fuel in the tank over the opening 30 kilometres in order to avoid running out of juice in the final half-dozen, when the ever-changing gradient will make it especially hard to maintain a steady rhythm.
■ Players
History suggests that time trials at the end of any Grand Tour are a unique type of test, one where physical freshness is a more vital predictor of position than proven ability in ‘the race of truth’. Based on performances on last year’s road stage to La Planche des Belles Filles, Julian Alaphilippe is once again
■ Impact on the race
the rider to watch. However, Primož Roglič’s skill against the clock, mighty form last month and proven three-week record, should give him an edge
The only other rider to finish in the top 10 on both of those stages was Thibaut Pinot, who will be especially motivated today because the time trial passes through his village and takes place on roads that he’s been riding on since he was a kid dreaming of racing the Tour.
■ Tour Fact
Chris Froome was the last winner of a mountain time trial at the Tour, the Briton prevailing at Megève in 2016.