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Tour de France Tour de France 2022: Stage 10 (Morzine Les Portes du Soleil – Megève, 148.1k)

The most farcical Alpine stage design in history sees the peloton head for Megèvergine di Mercogliano. At least the Formula 1 start had comedic value, this is just sad.

Profile
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Map
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Stage description
The stage starts from the ski town of Morzine, forever synonymous with that stage in 2006 to us cycling fans. The route is somewhat downhill in the early stages, making for a very fast opening to the day, then the road turns uphill for a drag featuring a KOM that’s once again hilariously placed and with incorrect slopes on the official profile.
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A long, gradual descent back to Lake Geneva, at Thonon-les-Bains, ensues, then the riders start an even longer, more gradual drag up to Col de Jambaz. Only the final part is categorised for no apparent reason, it really feels like ASO rushed some things this year…
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Another long descending false flat brings us to the next easy climb, Côte de Chatillon-sur-Cluses from a different side than usual.
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After the descent into Cluses, a long valley section starts, culminating in the intermediate sprint in Passy-Marlioz.
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Just after this, the final climb starts. I have absolutely no words, the 2020 Dauphiné featured two really good stages with the exact same finish location and for the Tour, this is what ASO are serving up. Anyway, it consists of the two profiles below, the final one only as far as the Altiport (they finish on the runway) 500 metres before its end. Also, another bizarre KOM placement, it’s in La Livraz.
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Final kilometres
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17th-century Pont Vieux in Cluses.
 
If it weren't for the fact that it comes before the key stages, I'd say ambush stage, à la Fuente Dé or Formigal.

Besides, I was going to make a joke about this being the least Sepp Kuss climb ever deemed steep enough for Sepp Kuss, after the 2020 Dauphiné, but that had the side which began with the Côte de Domancy rather than just being all at gradients that make Montevergine di Mercogliano look like the Mortirolo.
 
The Basil Poledouris score for Conan the Barbarian is never annoying! It's totally Epic.

Also, just take a look at how long that stage was, i.e. unreal by modern standards:


Yeah, this was the profile:
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242km is wrong, it was actually 252km. About 5000m of elevation. And the day before they did about 178km and 4500 meters of climbing.

Hehe, that reminds me of Wonderlance's(?) signature:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljQWDcQ7Ai8

Haha, I just love going through these pre 2010 Youtube videos of sports moments. Nothing beats horrendous quality paired with either some epic music or random pop songs.
 
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Nothing will happen GC wise. Maaassive stages follow this one. Even as aggressive as Pogi is, he'd be smart enough to know there's no point of wasting energy.

However, I predict furious battle for the breakaway, so perhaps break makes the stage fun. Should be nice views at least.
 
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