Tour de France Tour de France 2025 Stage 20: Nantua-Pontarlier (184.2k)

[Heston]

No way anyone from the top 10 will be allowed in the break.

Campenaerts from the break.

 

[hayneplane]

I wouldn't even try. Kudos for pulling it off.

As for the race, the riders are tired and the pace of this Tour off the charts. So even though its not the usual high mountains it still has a (small) potential to be dangerous for GC. Problem will be tired GC teams.

So most likely a break takes this. As for who, I'll take a punt and pick Rogla.

It can be a trap stage for someone like Felix Gall who often struggles with positioning and the up down up nature of shorter punchy hills.

Most gaps are far too big for any change now.

Should be a nice stage in isolation as a one day hilly classic but not likely to shuffle the top 10.

 

[Amazinmets87]

This stage would have far more potential if the GC was close.

 

[Gratemans]

Well this turned out to be a decidedly "meh" Tour. The first week was kind of enjoyable. But it turned pretty stale soon after. These last two days hold some promise of being entertaining at least.
Great poll by the way.

Spoiler

The correct answer, of course, is Vino

 

[QueenStagiaire]

This stage finishes quite early, maybe they need the extra hour for the transfer somehow.
Edit: Or they needed to absolutely ensure no schedule collision with the TdFF start.

 

[Tonton]

I respectfully and (in a friendly) way react to the OP:

Doing what it take$ to get a stage is a big investment, routes designed with investment in mind are always disappointing. People will see castles, lakes, forests: I hope that the investment will bear fruits because the French Jura is a place to see. Great cheeses, unique wines...

A Grand Taureau finish would have been more interesting with added climbs along the way...meh...terrible finish. What's to fight for? Not much, the bag is tight. I really hope that the break gets this. In the Jura, that would be fit. A brave can win.

 

[dgodave]

.....Great poll by the way.

Spoiler

The correct answer, of course, is Vino

Meh. The poll lacks sheep, vaches, donkeys or really any cute farmyard animals.

 

[CyclistAbi]

In the past two stages Rogla purposely fatigued the aliens and is now ready to strike for real.

 

[houtdffan]

how has Gouvenou not been fired into the sun as of yet after this abomination?

 

[SHAD0W93]

Astana’s time to shine, then think Quickstep will be up in the break. For Pogacar make or break time on if he’ll steal green from Milan. Vingegaard if he wants KoM needs to get every point, which is good for his GC bid if he actually tries for first.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Astana’s time to shine, then think Quickstep will be up in the break. For Pogacar make or break time on if he’ll steal green from Milan. Vingegaard if he wants KoM needs to get every point, which is good for his GC bid if he actually tries for first.

Lot of teams will want to be in the break, as always. I can pretty much guaranty that Pogacar wants to steal the green jersey just as much as Vingo wants to steal the KOM jersey, which is to say virtually no want at all.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Lot of teams will want to be in the break, as always. I can pretty much guaranty that Pogacar wants to steal the green jersey just as much as Vingo wants to steal the KOM jersey, which is to say virtually no want at all.

Vingegaard has been trying to gobble up KoMs when on offer but he’d need all the remaining points to overcome the deficit.

 

[search]

I wonder if Wellens will get to go in the break. Really, Politt should get a chance as well, but I doubt it. Either them winning or Roglič not trying for the break should do it for you.

I didn't watch too closely yesterday, but it looked like Wellens was leading the bunch for most of the stage, while Politt got a bit of an easy day? It was exactly the other way around before Wellens won his stage.

Should hopefully be another good final two stages this weekend. Apart from the (lack of) GC battle, it has been an entertaining Tour.

 

[Roku]

I think Narvaez deserves a chance to fight for a stage. He would be my UAE bet for today's break. He was instrumental to Pogi in Hautacam. Also Jegat in the break to make the Top10 and hopefully Barré is able to make it to have someone from Wanty to cheer for a change.

PS: Kudos to Rackham for remembering that stage. Also a thought to Andrei Kivilev who was so close to a TdF podium thanks to that break.

 

[KZD]

Disappointing parcours for the last Saturday of the Tour.

This has breakaway written all over it. If this is on a good day it would be a good stage for Nys for given Trek rider's shape, I will go with Simmons.

 

[cen]

Mohoric today (big cope)

 

[Miha81]

I hope Mohoric finds some legs

 

[D. Pecher]

I wonder if Wellens will get to go in the break. Really, Politt should get a chance as well, but I doubt it. Either them winning or Roglič not trying for the break should do it for you.

I doubt that Roglic will be in the break. This is one of those stages where the break can easily end up 15 or more minutes ahead of the peloton, so no rider with less than thirty minutes on the yellow would be allowed into it, at least if the teams' tactitians are worth their salary.

After blowing up so badly yesterday, I doubt Roglic would have the legs in any case.

 

[Boehmand]

All I want is a 4-man break consisting of Politt, Campenaerts, Abramachine and Asgreen - and a peloton desperately trying to catch them all day

 

[MagliaNera]

I really like these hilly transition stages late in the Tour. Suddenly 15 teams are struck by collective FOMO so it's raced like a classic, just without any big favorites.

This will also be final the showdown for the only classification that really matters: The Ben Healy vs Quinn Simmons battle for Super Combative.

 

[RedheadDane]

I really like these hilly transition stages late in the Tour. Suddenly 15 teams are struck by collective FOMO so it's raced like a classic, just without any big favorites.

14 teams are without a win.

 

[dobrien]

I really like these hilly transition stages late in the Tour. Suddenly 15 teams are struck by collective FOMO so it's raced like a classic, just without any big favorites.

This will also be final the showdown for the only classification that really matters: The Ben Healy vs Quinn Simmons battle for Super Combative.

Same here; really enjoy a profile like this, lots of different types of guys can win. It's a shame the GC battle is completely over but as a stand alone road race with a potentially career making (or at least season making) TDF stage win at the end this race will most likely will be wildly entertaining. I happen to really enjoy the battles between the 'mere mortals' (only relative to guys like Pog, obviously, compared to the rest of us they're all supermen!); if one can get over the fact it's not Flanders or Roubaix it's some great racing!

Simmons has been super aggressive the whole race in addition to doing his share of the donkey work for Milan; I would love to see that rewarded. Regardless of what some people think of the guy imho it would be a very deserved win. Whether he wins or not he's had a big Tour and really appears to have stepped it up a notch.

Politt or Campanaerts winning would also please me greatly.

Everyone and their mother is going to want to be in the break and it is likely to be a chaotic and entertaining stage; bring it on!

 

[Boehmand]

I really like these hilly transition stages late in the Tour. Suddenly 15 teams are struck by collective FOMO so it's raced like a classic, just without any big favorites.

This will also be final the showdown for the only classification that really matters: The Ben Healy vs Quinn Simmons battle for Super Combative.

Do forget tomorrow, I think the usual chill "parade riding" will be quite limited and that we will get real racing a lot earlier than we normally do

 

[Boehmand]

Do we think Picnic will try something with Onley today - or is 1:03 too much for them to even attempt it?

Personally I'd love to see them go all in for it, with 5 minutes to Gall they have nothing to lose really.

 

[Gigs_98]

Campenaerts