procycling

The race restarts on the National Day, and it will be as hot as the first week which cooked many riders who will spend Monday in an ice pool. The temperature will not decrease until Thursday perhaps, or Friday more surely, when it will not even be cool but just 'more normally' hot.

Weeks are shorter now, 6 days only. This one starts with a medium mountain stage, then presents 2 easy days, before getting harder over 3 mountain days, with a finish on top on the two week-end stages.

Standings after week 1

General Classification:

While the Slovenian detached a bit already, there are still many contenders (8) for the podium, and they all are expected favourites.

1. Tadej Pogatchar 🇸🇮 UAE
2. Jonas Vingegaard 🇩🇰 Visma: +2′42″
3. Isaac Del Toro 🇲🇽 UAE +3′27″
4. Remco Evenepoel 🇧🇪 Bora: +3′30″
5. Juan Ayuso 🇪🇸 Lidl-Trek: +3′34″
6. Paul Seixas 🇫🇷 Decathlon: +3′55″
7. Florian Lipowitz 🇩🇪 Bora: +4′00″
8. Lenny Martinez 🇫🇷 Bahrain: +4′21″
9. Mattias Skjelmose 🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek: +4′57″
10. Egan Bernal 🇨🇴 ineos : +9′12″

Points classification (Green jersey):

1. Mads Pedersen 🇩🇰 Lidl-Trek: 268 pts
2. Biniam Girmay 🇪🇷 NSN: 223
3. Tim Merlier 🇧🇪 Soudal-QS: 213
4. jasper Philipsen 🇧🇪 Alpecin: 191
5. Max Kanter 🇩🇪 Astana: 172
6. Olav Kooij 🇳🇱 Decathlon 110

Mountain (Polka Dots jersey)

Few points were scored so far.

1. Tadej Pogatchar 🇸🇮 UAE: 28 pts
2. Jonas Vingegaard 🇩🇰 Visma: 19
3. Lenny Martinez 🇫🇷 Bahrain: 16
4. Alex Baudin 🇫🇷 EF: 13
5. Valentin Paret-Peintre 🇫🇷 Soudal-QS & Paul Seixas 🇫🇷 Decathlon: 12

Stages

Stage 10, Tuesday 14

167 km, D+ 3800 m

The stage in the Massif Central looks a bit like the previous (Ussel) stage, but the climbs are significantly more substantial and there is even less flat for recovery, so a breakaway of climbers more than punchers can be expected (if UAE doesn't decide to win it from the peloton).

Press to the finish profile

Stage 11, Wednesday 15

161 km, D+ 1100 m

This is a sprinters stage.

Press to see profile and map

Stage 12, Thursday 16

179 km, D+ 1400 m

This one is a bit more hilly than the previous one, but those hills look far from enough to prevent another sprinters stage.

Press to see profile and map

Stage 13, Friday 17

206 km, D+ 2300 m

After 2 days of sprint, we are progressively getting back in business with this pilgrimage into the land of Pinot. Because the following two days will be finish-on-top stages, this one is likely to be granted to a breakaway. As always these days, it means that a ton of riders will try to join it. The two (not very difficult) climbs only start after 150 km of slightly hilly terrain, and this is the longest stage in this Tour.

Press to see the map and the profile of the main climb (Ballon d'Alsace)

Stage 14, Saturday 18

155 km, D+ 3900 m

This Alsatian mountain stage is a loop in the Vosges. It climbs again the same side of the Ballon d'Alsace that was climbed the day before. The almost final Haag Pass is basically a different road to get to the same point as the Grand Ballon climbed early in the stage.

Press to see the map and the profile of 2 climbs (Grand Ballon & Haag)

Stage 15, Sunday 19

184 km, D+ 4100 m

This weeks ends up as this year's Dauphiné did (when Del Toro (🇲🇽 UAE) beat badly the rest of the field). The final climb is the same but the whole course which starts in the Jura mounts, before bypassing Geneva by staying on the French side, is very different, much more varied.

Press to see the map and the profile of 2 climbs (Croisette Pass & Solaison Plateau)