After two exhausting days in the Alps and one day of rest, the Tour de France peloton is back in the saddle on Tuesday 18 July with the only time trial of this edition, between Passy and Combloux, in Haute-Savoie. This relatively short individual time (22.4 kilometres) is far from an ideal profile for runners.
For good reason: the coast of Domancy (2And category), the top of which is about three kilometers from the finish, will be on the road for the runners. A hard climb 2.5 kilometers long – with an average gradient of 9.4% and sections of 15% – and became famous thanks to the title of world champion conquered here by Bernard Hinault in 1980.
“The fact that there are few time trials will increase the general classification”said Mauro Gianetti, sporting director of Tadej Pogacar’s UAE Emirates team, in the fall of 2022, when the course was unveiled. The Italian was right. After two weeks of racing, only ten small seconds separate the Slovenian, winner of the 2020 and 2021 editions, from the Dane Jonas Vingegaard, yellow jersey in Paris in 2022.
From the beginning of the Tour on 1um July in Bilbao (Spain), the two leaders of the group are almost always wheel to wheel. Between Passy and Combloux, on their time trial bikes, Pogacar and Vingegaard will this time be alone against themselves and against the clock. An important note: as leader of the general classification, the Dane will be the last to start, at 17, two minutes after the Slovenian. He will therefore be able to benefit from the splits of his main opponent and, if he has the means, to adjust the effort according to the pace adopted by Pogacar.
Before the start of the Tour, Christian Prudhomme summed up the 16 challengesAnd stage : “This is an opportunity for those starting yellow to assert their superiority or for their rivals to launch a reconquest that could last all week. » The event boss’s ideal scenario still holds up…
The departure times of the main runners
In bold the French riders.
- 13:05 Michael Morkov (Dan., Soudal Quick-Step), red lantern, first rider to start
- 13:46 Biniam Girmay (Ery, Intermarché -Circus-Wanty)
- 2:16 pm Benoit Cosnefroy (AG2R Citroen)
- 2:33 pm Christopher Laporte (JumboVisma)
- 2.39pm Victor Lafay (Cofidis)
- 15:21 Mathieu Van der Poel (NB, Alpecin-Deceuninck)
- 4:00 pm. Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal fast pace)
- 16:06 Egan Bernal (Col., Ineos Grenadiers)
- 4.15pm Mathieu Burgaudeau (total energy)
- 4:16 pm Warren Barguil (Arkea-Samsic)
- 16:19 Wout van Aert (Bel., Jumbo-Visma)
- 4:22 PM Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ)
- 16:32 Emanuel Buchmann (Germany, Bora-Hansgrohe)
- 16:34 Mikel Landa (Spain, Bahrain Victorious)
- 4:36 pm Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ)
- 16:38 Thomas Pidcock (United Kingdom, Ineos Grenadiers)
- 16:40 Felix Gall (Author, AG2R Citroën)
- 4:42 pm William Martin (Cofidis)
- 4:44 pm david gaudu (Groupama-FDJ)
- 16:46 Simon Yates (UK, Jayco Alula)
- 16:48 Pello Bilbao (Spain, Bahrain Victorious)
- 16:50 Sepp Kuss (USA, Jumbo-Visma)
- 16:52 Jai Hindley (Aux., Bora-Hansgrohe)
- 16:54 Adam Yates (UK, UAE-UAE)
- 16:56 Carlos Rodriguez (Spain, Ineos Grenadiers)
- 16:58 Tadej Pogacar (Slo., United Arab Emirates-Emirates)
- 17:00 Jonas Vingegaard (Dan., Jumbo-Visma)
