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EFE · Road Competition · 09/19/2020
After 19 stages and almost 3,500 kilometers on the legs, the final time trial of the Tour de France arrives, the one that will leave the general individual classification of the 107th edition of the gala round in view.
The 36.2 kilometers between Lure and La Planche des Belles Filles are not a classic chronicle. Its last 6 kilometers rise to a height that in less than a decade has become one of the myths of the century-old `Grande Boucle.
Its ramps, with an average gradient of 8.5%, will test the strength reserves of the runners more than their abilities to fight the clock. But since the first part is flat, it cannot be considered a time-scale either.
This is an unusual exercise for the members of the squad, which introduces an extra factor of uncertainty, together with the response of the bodies already at the limit for three weeks.
It is of little use that most of the participants already know a port that has appeared on the Tour menu 4 times, with victories for the British Chris Froome (2012), the Italians Vincenzo Nibali (2014) and Fabio Aru (2017) and the Belgian Dylan Teuns last year.
The latter had to go looking for his triumph at the end of a long break in a stage that culminated 200 meters above the previous climbs, after a road with very hard ramps was paved, a section that will not be climbed this time. .
Unlike previous editions, it is a fight without references, apart from their own, which can cause fainting in those cyclists who do not know how to calculate the effort and put their body to the limit.
To be the culminating point of a day whose first part is very technical, almost flat, before ascending the Col de la Chevestraye, which is not scoring.
As soon as they enter the municipality of Plancher les Mines, the terrible ascent of terrible ramps begins, of 20% in the final section, where alone in front of the asphalt they must go to look for the stage victory and the best possible position in the general.
After that hell, and only subtract the triumphal walk of the winner through the Champs Elysées of Paris, to celebrate the champion.
The Slovenian Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) faces the time trial with 57 seconds of income over his compatriot Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates), 1 minute and 26 seconds over the Colombian Miguel ngel Lpez (Astana) and already more than 3 minutes over the Australian Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo) and the British Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott).
Route of stage 20
Stage 20 profile
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