Special correspondent for Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil
Another big pedal stroke to give for the Tour de France peloton before enjoying a second day of rest on Monday. And what an alpine stage again after a daunting day on Saturday. A few figures to make you dizzy: five passes to climb collected in a hundred kilometers, with passages at 17% in the Côte des Amerands, all with 5000 meters of vertical drop! Tired bodies could explode on these slopes before the final climb to Le Bettex, regular and offering 551 meters of elevation over 7.2 km of ascent (at 7.2% on average). There is knockout in the air.
The fictitious start will be given at 1:05 p.m. The actual start will be given at 1:20 p.m. and the arrival is scheduled for around 6:17 p.m. with an average speed of 34 km/h.
France 3 from 12.55 p.m. then France 2 from 3 p.m.
“It’s a stage that is one of the classics of the Tour de France with sequences that the riders know perfectly. There should be no surprises. It will be a favorable playground for attackers and fighters because the start of the race is not too difficult. The fugitives will be able to take a little time on the group of favorites before the final runaway. On Saturday, the Jumbo-Visma wanted to get their hands on the stage but did not succeed. Pogacar will want to settle accounts after what happened in particular in the final to Joux Plane. I bet on him!”
Les Gets les Porte du Soleil is hosting the Tour de France for the first time as a stage town. A just reward because this resort in Haute-Savoie is a pioneer site for mountain biking in France with 80 km of marked trails. Apart from sports activities, you can go and discover the astonishing Museum of Mechanical Music comprising a collection of more than 900 instruments (chimes, clocks, music boxes, orchestrions, mechanical pianos, string instruments, barrel organs, automatons, phonographs. ..) or the carousel of wooden horses. Thrill seekers will go for a few scares on the toboggan run on rails.
Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, a very good memory for Romain Bardet who won in the resort in 2016. Victim of a fall on Saturday and forced to retire, the climber will not be able to repeat his feat this Sunday to seek a fifth victory in the Grande Boucle. To visit, the fortified house of Hautecour (12th century) but also the remains of Châtelet (fortified house of the 16th century).
In these Haute-Savoie resorts, dishes based on local charcuterie and cheese are king. You can opt for a few specialties such as bougnette (potato fritters) or farcement (savory cake made from potatoes, bacon and dried fruit) which will satisfy the most ferocious appetites.
Said of an action carried out by a team (or a rider) with a view to eliminating as many opponents as possible. Since the departure from Bilbao, the Jumbo-Visma and UAE Team Emirates teams have struggled to test the collective strength, to isolate the opposing leader. Without success for the moment despite the great maneuvers undertaken.
Example: “We are very careful today, the two front teams will want to clean up before crossing the Jura.”
