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Tour de France Tour de France 2022: Stage 12 (Briançon – Alpe d’Huez, 165.1k)

The most ASO queen stage in the history of ASO queen stages. Will it be the sequel or the epilogue to today’s epic?

Profile
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Map
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Route description
The stage starts from Briançon, famous for its Vauban-era citadel atop which many Tour, Dauphiné have finished – sadly, it’s been a while since it’s been used as such. The neutralisation ends just before we hit yesterday’s route, and the first 80 kilometres follow this in reverse. The intermediate sprint comes extremely early, in Le Monêtier-les-Bains – not that it will have much of an impact in this year’s green jersey ‘battle’.
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As you can see, by this point the Col du Galibier has officially started. The summit of this easy side of the climb comes after 33.2 kilometres, so you can probably work out where the official start is on the profile below.
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The descent is briefly interrupted by the bump up to Col du Télégraphe. Much like Soulor after Aubisque, ASO don’t bother with categorising it – it wouldn’t be more than a cat. 4 in any case.
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After traversing through the Maurienne valley once more, the riders will reach the bottom of Col de la Croix de Fer about midway through the stage. Both the northeastern and the southern sides are very irregular and those are the two that will be tackled today, making for the same run-in as the previous two Huez stages.
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The descent is marked by two short rises, the second one of which ramps up to 12%. It brings us to the Oisans valley, famous for shattering the dreams of anyone who dares attack before Alpe d’Huez. Once Bourg d’Oisans is reached, the foot of the final climb is near. Last time up, in 2018, isn’t exactly the most fondly remembered – Kruijswijk’s long raid got closed down, the favourites didn’t attack each other until the last moment, and above all Nibali got knocked off his bike by an idiot supporter and had to abandon. Perhaps that’s why this is the longest (or rather, least short) layoff the climb has seen outside the 24 years between the first two ascents – for reference, this is the 31st Tour finish here.

Oh, right, the climb profile. Here you go:
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Final kilometres
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The spectacular 18th-century Pont d’Asfeld in Briançon.
 
Best guess:

It will be a classic stage.

JV will let the break go not caring to bring it back (not letting UAE, DSM or INEOS get more then 1 riders each in it if even that).

They will ride a train till Alpe d’Huez and the GC-contenders will not make huge differences (Alpe d’Huez being hardest at the beginning and no one being willing to attack with most af JV still there).

Alpe d’Huez is a beautifull finish, but rarely a great scene for epic battles. There is just to far from the second to last mountain untill Alpe d’Huez.
 
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Reactions: Sandisfan
Another massacre between the favorites but TV director won't show us anything because he needs to show the frenchies in the break on quatorze juillet.
To be fair they picked it up after that atrocious shots on Telegraphe where the race just exploded. I have seen much worse - Im confident that the Giro woulda shown the break while Rogla-Vingo did Pogacar dirty on Galibier.
 
I didn't know how to word it ok :laughing:
-> The best since 2006.

 
Most likely scenario is Jumbo to go Jumbot after today and leave the break win whilst WVA and Benoot pace the peleton over the mountains.

I could see them or Ineos try and test Pogacar and UAE on Galibier to see how he responds and if he looks weak, they might go for the kill.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Sandisfan
Most likely scenario is Jumbo to go Jumbot after today and leave the break win whilst WVA and Benoot pace the peleton over the mountains.

I could see them or Ineos try and test Pogacar and UAE on Galibier to see how he responds and if he looks weak, they might go for the kill.
Very prestigious and exhausting stage. A win from the breakaway may be considered heroic.
 

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