Stage 19: Embrun - Isola 2000, 144.6k
There are barely 200 kilometres to cover in the final three days, and yet this is by far the hardest triptych of the race. This stage is the first part of this decisive trilogy, taking in the summit of the European cycling season, and also the best designed mountain stage of the race.The route
This final Friday starts in Embrun, the capital of the upper Durance valley from Roman times until it was outpaced by Gap. Most of its history is rather similar to that town – founded to safeguard the Montgenèvre route, the same two devastating sackings – except that it was much more important, serving as a provincial capital for part of the Roman era and subsequently as a bishop’s seat until the French Revolution. The loss of this status, coupled with the growth in importance of the Col Bayard route, seem to have contributed to its decline relative to Gap. For the Tour, it is also not as useful a stopoff, although this will still be its seventh stage start (six of which have come since 2008, when it had two stage starts).
The first 20 kilometres are still relatively easy, a section that ends with the intermediate sprint in Guillestre.
Here, the riders join the route of the decisive final mountain stage of the 2016 Giro – in fact, both stages are the same except that that stage started in Guillestre and came through Isola 2000 at 15k from the line rather than finishing there. From here on out, the stage follows two-and-a-half cycles of the following pattern: big climb, big descent, then a false flat downhill until the next climb starts. The first of these climbs is the easiest, and it’s both untraditional and undeserved for Col de Vars to be a HC.
After passing through the Ubaye valley once more, it’s on to the highest pass (not paved road, as is often incorrectly claimed) in Europe, Cime de la Bonette. It is in a bit of an isolated spot, and as such has only seen the Tour four times so far (for the last time in 2008, and most recently from this side in 1993, which was essentially a supercharged version of this stage with Izoard before the same final three climbs). And here’s another aspect in which this Tour mirrors the Giro: the highest climb is handing out additional mountain points – in this case, double the amount awarded on other HCs.
And then, it’s time for the big MTF. It isn’t quite as hard as Bonette and the steepest stuff comes early, making it a good pick for a big MTF this late in the race. It also definitely should have been a HC, and the fact that it isn’t confirms that we’re back in the ‘GC riders winning the polkadots without even trying’ phase of the ‘ASO don’t know what they want from the KOM competition’ cycle. I give it a maximum of five years until the ‘the polkadots shouldn’t be won by riders who are nowhere near the best climbers’ phase recommences.
Isola 2000 is the southernmost of the main ski stations in the French Alps, and also the only useful base of anywhere near this altitude that’s anywhere near Nice. This makes it a popular base for altitude training, which is the only thing the peloton will know it from as the only pro race that’s ever finished here was that 1993 Tour. Once again, it isn’t exactly the most idyllic place in the Alps.
What to expect?
Col de la Bonette is probably the single best place to attack from range in this year’s Tour, so this could be a cracker if the GC situation is right. If nobody is willing to attack in places that aren’t the upper slopes of MTFs, on the other hand, this could be a day where the main GC riders all finish together, but that’s the kind of risk you have to take when designing your final mountain bloc.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram