Special envoy to Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne
Time for (very serious) things with the first stage in the Jura, preamble to crossing the Alps and a summit finish. A day that could leave traces in the legs and do damage to the general classification with a compact route in the Ain to the foot of the Grand Colombier, an ascent of 17.4 km at 7.1%. The first kilometers are certainly the most difficult to swallow with passages at 12%. The presence of trees allows runners to be in the shade for part of the climb, but beware of the last extremely steep hectometres. There may be a way to make the difference to scratch a few seconds and mark the opponents psychologically. Three years ago, Tadej Pogacar won at the top ahead of Primoz Roglic after a day that was marked by the rout of Egan Bernal who lost 7’20 ” on the finish line .
The fictitious start will be given at 1:45 p.m. The actual start will be given at 1:55 p.m. and the arrival is scheduled for around 5:21 p.m. with an average speed of 40 km/h.
France 3 from 1.25 p.m. then France 2 from 3 p.m.
“136 kilometers is short. The only difficulty will be the ascent of the Grand Colombier. I see an explanation between the cadors. It really is a tough climb. The first part gives the impression of climbing like a snail and the peloton will suffer. Afterwards, we come out of the woods and it’s a little more rolling. It is certainly not the hardest side we climb but it is still tough. I will bet on Pogacar because every time he has the opportunity to attack, he does. On this compact route, I don’t see a breakaway going to the end like at Puy de Dôme. And if there is, they won’t have time to get far ahead.”
Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne is a charming medieval village which bears the nickname of Little Venice of the Dombes. We stroll with wonder in these alleys lined with half-timbered houses, taking bridges and flowery footbridges. The Chatillonnais men and women speak with pride of the old 10th century castle and the hospice which houses the Tradition et vie museum. A visit to the apothecary allows you to discover a magnificent collection of 120 earthenware pots from Meillonnas. You can also discover the house of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul and the miniature train museum. If you are lucky enough to be there on market day, go there with your eyes closed, it has been ranked 3rd most beautiful market in France. A stop at the arboretum is a must for plant lovers: 350 varieties of trees are present there.
The Grand Colombier is a nest for high-level athletes: Maxime Bouet (cycling), Christophe Lemaître (athletics) and Simon Desthieux (biathlon) are local children. Do not hesitate to take a trip to the Château de Montvéran dating from the 14th century and a detour to the old town of Culoz.
In Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne, opt for goujonnettes of carp to accompany the aperitif before tasting frog legs, one of the specialties of the Dombes. At the Grand Colombier, discover savory, a walnut and onion tart that you can accompany with a glass of wine (bugey, dogfish or seyssel for example).
If you were propped up on your couch on Wednesday to watch the Tour de France stage on France Télévisions, perhaps you have heard Laurent Jalabert use this expression twice, which means that a rider is far above the others. We could not better describe the performance of Jasper Philipsen, winner of his 4th stage in the 2023 edition in the sprint.
Example: “It’s a foregone conclusion, he’s smoking a pipe in front of the peloton, no one will be able to take the victory away from him.”
