The Stage
A tantalising taster of the next two days to come that will decide the race, and a chance to make inroads before then over what can only be described as attacking territory.
The Route
Begins going slowly uphill, heading out of Sisteron via the D4, bypassing Volonnes and Malijai before turning left onto the D8 at Carmejane and then the Le Chaffaut-Saint-Jurson.
The road has been rising all this time and there’s an intermediate sprint in Préfaissal which comes after its own little bump itself before more steady climbing onto the D907 on Chateauredon and then through Passage à Niveau and then the Chaudon-Norante and then Barrême.
The Climbs
There are six climbs on the menu today, and five of them are within 76.5 kilometres. The Col des Lèques is the first proper climb: 6.6 kilometres at 5%. There’s then a very steep drop into Castellane, and another climb upto the La Garde which also becomes a switchback into the Col des Luens (6.9 kilometres at 4.7%) and then some minor lumps and bumps before the riders tackle the Col Bas, which is 1.7 kilometres long at an average of 7.2%. It’s the day’s high point, before a swift drop down to Gréolières.
Afterwards, there are two intermediate climbs on the way down, before the finale; (Côte de Cipières: 2.8 kilometres at 5.6%, and Côte de Gourdon: 3.8 kilometres at 4.2%)
The Finish
The first Category 1 climb of the race is the shortest; There is just 1.8km to be climbed of Côte de la Colle-sur-Loup but it averages 10% and it tops out just 8.5 kilometres from the finish. It’s the last categorised climb of the race but not the last climb to Saint-Paul-De-Vence is 3kms and a not significant 5.7% before the run into the line.
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The Winner
Could come from a break, although there are a lot of riders who could have a serious interest in the stage glory and bonus seconds late to the line as well as winner’s bonuses. Being a punchy climber is probably a major advantage.
The Favourites
Julian Alaphilippe is perfectly poised, and the Quick-Step man is clearly hitting his best form. The quickest in a reduced sprint, a strong team will also be a big benefit for later although this is ideal territory for a late attack, perhaps later than on stage 3 where he couldn’t find someone with similar power and eventually succumbed to a counter-attack.
Several sprinters made it into the front group on the descent that day but this is too hard. Gorka and Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida), Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal), Tony Gallopin and Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2R), Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana), Adam Yates and Esteban Chavez (Mitchelton-Scott) along with Marc Soler (Movistar) are better to focus on.
