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

[Devil's Elbow]

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.

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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.

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…

Another long descending false flat brings us to the next easy climb, Côte de Chatillon-sur-Cluses from a different side than usual.

After the descent into Cluses, a long valley section starts, culminating in the intermediate sprint in Passy-Marlioz.

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.

Final kilometres

17th-century Pont Vieux in Cluses.

 

[MrTea1976]

What is that first KoM?!?

 

[Kaptain Kool]

iki I kind of like the stage. I think that Cat 4 climb at 4% could see some top end GC action, especially with only a 30km valley before the final climb. No point in holding anything back, too, since the climb to Megeve is shallow enough that it'll feel like riding on an escalator.

 

[Red Rick]

UAE to pace for Pogacar.

 

[Netserk]

There's ~56 km from Morzine to Megève, so they could have made this an ITT. Just saying.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Is this an early draft for a Giro designed for Filippo Ganna?

Anyway, some guy in the break will be at 5 minutes on GC so UAE keeps them at 3 minutes because Pog won‘t allow them to show weakness. Lennard Kämna will win this bike race.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Stage 10, 25 years ago. One quarter of a decade, how time passes:

Edit: Yikes, annoying music.

 

[Andre]

Hard to pick this one...Pidcock? Roglic? Teuns? A good climber with some kick towards the end.

 

[Netserk]

Stage 10, 25 years ago. One quarter of a decade, how time passes:

Edit: Yikes, annoying music.

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

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

 

[Rackham]

Stage 10, 25 years ago. One quarter of a decade, how time passes:

Edit: Yikes, annoying music.

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:

1	ULLRICH Jan	Team Telekom		100		7:46:06
2	PANTANI Marco	Mercatone Uno		70		1:08
3	VIRENQUE Richard	Festina - Lotus		50		,,

 

[Libertine Seguros]

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.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

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:

1	ULLRICH Jan	Team Telekom		100		7:46:06
2	PANTANI Marco	Mercatone Uno		70		1:08
3	VIRENQUE Richard	Festina - Lotus		50		,,

Yeah, this was the profile:

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.

 

[Netserk]

But I'm a bit surprised that they took the easiest road to the altiport. Normally, ASO would love to use Côte de Domancy or Côte des Amerands (and perhaps Côte des Chozeaux like in 2016 too).

 

[Netserk]

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.

 

[red_flanders]

Interesting choices for the stage. Plenty of climbing to come. Could be very interesting, could be a snoozer.

Great mountain biking in this part of the world...

 

[Bavarianrider]

Should have been a MTT. Pefect climb for that.

 

[sir fly]

The situation in the points classification takes a bit away from the stage's potential.

 

[Sciatic]

2nd rest day

 

[Netserk]

2nd rest day

3rd

 

[YavorD]

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.

 

[Amazinmets87]

The tempo will shed weaker GC contenders. Top 10 to 20 range.

I can't see the break not making it.

 

[MrTea1976]

Interesting choices for the stage. Plenty of climbing to come. Could be very interesting, could be a snoozer.

Great mountain biking in this part of the world...

They arguably have the world's two best mountain bikers on the Tour...

 

[red_flanders]

They arguably have the world's two best mountain bikers on the Tour...

Well. Going uphill. I’m talking more enduro.

 

[Red Rick]

Let's be real this is considerably easier than the famed and stereotyped Montevergine, and I think the difference is pretty critical. There's also 0 difficult climbs to actually do something crazy.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

It's actually impressive to fit that many shitty flat climbs into one stage.
Can't wait to find out if the brutal first 2.9% climb will be the one were Hirschi drops or if Poggi is so gracious to wait until the 3.8% beast before he merciless flogs his horses to chase the break for no reason.