Tour de France Tour de France 2024: Stage 19: Embrun - Isola 2000, 19/07 144.6k

[QueenStagiaire]

Can we please have a pedantic argument about if the Cime de la Bonette is the highest pass road in Europe? The actual pass is lower than multiple climbs like Iséran, Stelvio etc. while the road to the top is not a pass but a circular ring road around the mountain top starting and ending at the pass.

 

[Rob5091]

Mr Ring brings up the Highest road in Europe competition -
https://inrng.com/2024/07/tour-de-france-stage-19-preview-isola-2000/

Tackle the route and you’ll large signs at the start and top that boast “the highest road in Europe” but the Pico Veleta in Spain’s Sierra Nevada goes beyond 3,000m and it’s not the highest road in the Alps either as the Austria’s Ötztaler Gletscherstraße is 30 metres taller.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

To get any kind of excitement back into the GC, Vinge will need to take 90s on Pogi today....
So instead I'm hoping for some breakaction with Healy and Carapaz involved.

 

[fbjim]

With the "is this really a Queen Stage" talk, I wonder if the Tour actually does stages that everyone agrees would be a "queen stage" anymore. As of late it's been more "multiple difficult mountain stages" rather than a single stage everyone agrees is The Mountain Stage of the race.

Even something like Granon in 2022 you could argue wasn't the "actual" queen stage versus the disappointing Galibier/CdF/AdH stage.


that said, i think this is the closest in a while, even if i think PdB is actually the hardest stage of the race.

 

[ice&fire]

Can we please have a pedantic argument about if the Cime de la Bonette is the highest pass road in Europe? The actual pass is lower than multiple climbs like Iséran, Stelvio etc. while the road to the top is not a pass but a circular ring road around the mountain top starting and ending at the pass.

You missed the pedantry of the accurate definition of a pass.

 

[Andon]

To get any kind of excitement back into the GC, Vinge will need to take 90s on Pogi today....

Yes, the 90s are back! Oh wait, you meant 90 seconds

 

[Berniece]

This is an extremely hard day, and the last chance for Visma. If it doesn’t happen today, it won’t happen tomorrow.

 

[fbjim]

Just like Courchevel last year, I don't really think it's entirely up to Visma. It's up to Pogacar. Remember that he blew up on Loze before the attacking even began, though he had shown signs of weakness earlier. Haven't seen it yet, but it's obviously a possibility.

 

[danielovichdk2]

Boring tour all together. Too dominant by a guy that won the Giro with two fingers in the nose and make his competition in the TdF look like amateurs. It's the double GT success that makes me question the humanity and at such a level.

It's becoming tiresome to watch. And we all know how the story goes. When something looks too good, it usually is. Same goes for Jonas.

Pog too take charge here and will take 5 minutes on Remco. Jonas to explode and drop out of top 5.

Tour is done. Either way it has been an extremely boring.

 

[svit]

No Rogla no competition ...

Today Pogacar will put additional minutes to Remco, who will also put some minutes to Vingegard, who will lose a few minutes. Landa will make the race for the podium interesting.

 

[OJRvE]

The climb is taken in the reverse direction to 2008 but what about the Cime? Is it always raced from one side or does it depend on the side of the Col the riders comes from.

 

[Taxus4a]

Remco for the stage victory. Let's hope Tadel and Vingo crack, and Remco can take yellow.

Long descents. even if he showed he can climb with the best a monster as la Bonnete, becouse he has no problems with altitude and becouse the slopes except las km are no so step, he will lost a lot of energu in every corner of the descent and Isola has a decent slope to drop him.

His stage was yesterday. He miss the oportunity, today we will answer some questions but the battles in Jonas-Pogacar for le Tour, where lot os questions are to answer

 

[BullsFan22]

Boring tour all together. Too dominant by a guy that won the Giro with two fingers in the nose and make his competition in the TdF look like amateurs. It's the double GT success that makes me question the humanity and at such a level.

It's becoming tiresome to watch. And we all know how the story goes. When something looks too good, it usually is. Same goes for Jonas.

Pog too take charge here and will take 5 minutes on Remco. Jonas to explode and drop out of top 5.

Tour is done. Either way it has been an extremely boring.

Sorry, but why watch?

 

[KZD]

So this is it, the most anticipated climb of the Tour is coming, Cime de la Bonette.

If Vingegaard is true to his word, he will try to attack Pogačar is some way so I expect Visma to pace and try to go for the stage win with him. However I do expect Pogačar to be able to follow and later counter to get his fourth stage win of this Tour. As for Remco, I think he will try to follow Vingegaard and if possible drop him somewhere on the Isola climb something that could actually happen based on what we saw on stage 17.

The breakaway can still have a chance if Vingegaard is on a bad day and Visma doesn't pace but I think this is one for the GC riders.

 

[staubsauger]

This is the difference between the 1998 Tour de France & the 2024 Tour de France.

In 1998 Plateau de Beille was the introduction for what would occur up towards Galibier - Les Deux Alpes. In 2024 Plateau de Beille already was the apex for the double as nothing flips up towards Bonette - Isola 2000!

I stay to be corrected of course. Then, it's another epic stage in the Alps!

 

[Colombiano Cadence]

Am I the only one who thinks the break has a great chance today? Which team has the horses to control this. UAE, but with Yates and Wellins looking under the weather, it is looking more iffy. Visma, not convinced. Who rides the valleys?? If UAE want Pollit to do that they will have to ride the climbs pretty slowly, same with Visma for WVA and tratnik.
If EF have Healy and Carapaz in the break then someone like Healy could really smash the valley roads.

 

[Poursuivant]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1814203964407075191

View: https://x.com/laflammerouge16/status/1814203964407075191

 

[staubsauger]

So more Galibier - Les Deux Alpes / Bonette - Isola 2000 type stages?

Tourmalet - Luz Ardiden literally confirmed for the 2025 Tour de France?

These stages either work out completely or not at all, depending on the general classification situation. So they're always a gamble ending up hot or cold.

 

[Colombiano Cadence]

I miss the relatively flat stages with a wall in the finale - Ulissi, Gilbert, Ala, type stages - bring them back

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

This stage is 100% at the feet of Pogi.

Not only to that he badly wants this stage as the prestige that follows.
But more as a footprint and response to a fateful stage for him now a couple of years ago - he is going to bury Vingo.

Though massive HC climbs today, it's a super-short 144k - almost as insulting as the super-short stage Telegraphé-Galibier with finish at l'Alpe a decade ago (was it 2011 don't remember - the year Contador went full gas from the gun).

The 11th stage of the 1993 edition was more sensible, about 180k including Col d'Izoard before the three final climbs of today.

If I have to finally say something positive, it is the choice of side to climb Restefond. Have climbed up to the Cîme myself several times and the road from Jausiers is IMO the hardest compared to the south path from the bottom of the Auron climb. Moreover the descent to the valley from today's summit and southwards is a bit more forgiving.

So I don't expect Visma/Jonas to be successful in making a difference on the gruelling climb all the way up to the Cîme.

And if Jonas waits until Isola 2000, he has not only lost the stage but the Tour.
But that's how it will be with today's stage design.
And that, frankly, suits me well, Pogi deserves this.

But under the circumstances - most predictable stage in centuries.
I can safely concentrate fully on my work today.

 

[staubsauger]

I miss the relatively flat stages with a wall in the finale - Ulissi, Gilbert, Ala, type stages - bring them back

These type of riders exist no longer, since even in the Ardennes classics this type of races not longer exist either. Apart from the Fleche Wallone.

Alaphilippe kinda was the last unicorn!

 

[Berflamand]

So more Galibier - Les Deux Alpes / Bonette - Isola 2000 type stages?

Tourmalet - Luz Ardiden literally confirmed for the 2025 Tour de France?

These stages either work out completely or not at all, depending on the general classification situation. So they're always a gamble ending up hot or cold.

No he's talking about more stages like stage 17 and 18, so more medium-mountain/baroudeur stages.

That would be great because there's usually a lot of breakaway action on these stages but also potential for GC-action.

 

[solo80k]

I hope Jonas is able to deliver some juicy punches during this stage and distance Pogaheimer. If not, the remaining stages are almost useless.

Come on Jonas, show the world you are the best climber!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Am I the only one who thinks the break has a great chance today? Which team has the horses to control this. UAE, but with Yates and Wellins looking under the weather, it is looking more iffy. Visma, not convinced. Who rides the valleys?? If UAE want Pollit to do that they will have to ride the climbs pretty slowly, same with Visma for WVA and tratnik.
If EF have Healy and Carapaz in the break then someone like Healy could really smash the valley roads.

From what I've seen of Healy so far he knows how to smash the peloton, he just hasn't learned how to join/work with a break effectively. Much to my dismay.

 

[staubsauger]

This stage is 100% at the feet of Pogi.

Not only to that he badly wants this stage as the prestige that follows.
But more as a footprint and response to a fateful stage for him now a couple of years ago - he is going to bury Vingo.

Though massive HC climbs today, it's a super-short 144k - almost as insulting as the super-short stage Telegraphé-Galibier with finish at l'Alpe a decade ago (was it 2011 don't remember - the year Contador went full gas from the gun).

The 11th stage of the 1993 edition was more sensible, about 180k including Col d'Izoard before the three final climbs of today.

If I have to finally say something positive, it is the choice of side to climb Restefond. Have climbed up to the Cîme myself several times and the road from Jausiers is IMO the hardest compared to the south path from the bottom of the Auron climb. Moreover the descent to the valley from here southwards is a bit more forgiving.

So I don't expect Visma/Jonas to be successful in making a difference on the gruelling climb all the way up to the Cîme.

And if Jonas waits until Isola 2000, he has not only lost the stage but the Tour.
But that's how it will be with today's stage design.
And that, frankly, suits me well, Pogi deserves this.

But under the circumstances - most predictable stage in centuries.
I can safely concentrate fully on my work today.

Pogačar doesn't really need to go on Bonette already though. Unless he senses that he can fully sink Vingegaard due to weakness!