Courchevel, July 19, 2023 – Il Tour de France 2023 is in the hands of Jonas Vingegaard. Total collapse of Tadej Pogacar, who arrived six minutes late from the Dane in Courchevel, and the general classification ended with the Slovenian delayed by more than seven minutes. Everything was decided at the Grand Boucle and in the end Vingegaard’s strength emerged in the last two decisive stages between the time trial and the Col de la Loze. The Slovenian’s surrender certifies his rival’s superiority in a classification that today sees abysmal gaps with Pogacar at 7’35”, Yates at 10’45” and Rodríguez at 12’01”. The convoy continues with the eighteenth stage, which has no climbs but is designed for the sprinters remaining in the race who will have two opportunities for sprints before the Champs Elysees on Sunday 23 July.
Path
185 kilometers from Moutiers to Bourg en Bresse and only two Gpm at the halfway point. The stages for sprinters are back at the Tour de France after the time trial and the mountain stage of Courchevel. The chance will be for the remaining sprinters in the race even if the green jersey is firmly on Philipsen’s shoulders. Let’s see the route. After Moutiers about 50 kilometers of absolute plains, then the climb of the Cote de Chambery le Haut of 1.6 kilometers at 4.1% at kilometer 62. Here the stage becomes a little more nervous with the classic ups and downs of the French territory with locality Le Bourget du Las and Belley, before the second Gpm located on the Cote de Boissieu which measures 2.4 kilometers with an average gradient of 4.7%. Here the stage flattens out again with a lot of plain going from the flying finish line of Saint Rambert en Bugey at kilometer 132 of the race. Final still flat apart from a small tear in Ceyzeriat which shouldn’t affect a probable sprint finish.
Favorites
Stage to make the group catch their breath after the great efforts of the last few days. It will be an opportunity to manage energy and propitiate a sprint finish. Back to favorite Jasper Philipsengreen shirt, from Alpecin, followed by Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek, Wout Van Aert of Jumbo, Jordi Meeus della Bora, Bryan Coquard of Cofidis, Biniam Girmay of the Intermarché, Dylan Groenewegen of Jayco and Luca Severed of Arkea Samsic.
TV schedules
A fast stage is expected with estimated averages between 43 and 47 km/h. Start of the stage at 13.35, Cote du Chambery le Haut between 14.54 and 15.02, Cote de Boissieu between 15.49 and 16.02, flying finish between 16.25 and 16.40 and arrival between 17.31 and 17.53. Full live on Eurosport 1, Sky channel 210, streaming on Discovery Plus and Dazn. Free-to-air live broadcast on Rai Due from 2.00 pm with Afternoon Sports, then live coverage of the stage from 2.45 pm and extensive post-race until 6 pm.
Read also – Vingegaard mortgages the Tour: Pogacar collapses
