For the first time in its history, Rocamadour, jewel of the Dordogne valley, is hosting a stage of the Tour de France. Since it is an individual time trial, viewers will be able to savor the exceptional beauty of the region for a long time, where there is not only the famous Padirac chasm to visit.
A journey that gets complicated at the end
Sylvain Chavanel, with whom we covered the course of this penultimate stage, is formal: “It will require additional concentration. Because what counts is really physical freshness. We no longer reason in athletic potential, but in mental. The difficulties will be at the end of the course. At first, you will have to wind up the gear. But the end is really complicated. There are more than 1.5 kilometers of climb. It looks a bit like the 2020 course at the Planche des Belles Filles. A rolling start then a climb to finish. It’s really wanted on the part of the organizers to put the hardest part at the end. »
The favors: Filippo Ganna
The Italian from Ineos has hardly given a pedal stroke for ten days. It seems fresher than the immense Wout Van Aert which has, however, been largely exhausted in recent days. Even if with the Belgian from Jumbo Visma, you should never rule out the possibility of the best.
The eye of Thierry Gouvenou
“It’s a long time trial, which wasn’t very usual for us anymore. We would have liked it to be a little shorter but it was not feasible. It will therefore be 40.7 km. We know that the last time trial of the Tour can be fatal. We all remember the board of beautiful girls two years ago. The last two hills can break the rhythm of a super roller or derail someone who is at the end of their effort. We can expect variations on this type of test. The region is sumptuous, especially with the Dordogne valley. The essence of cycling is to highlight the territory. Here we have a perfect example: no one would think of organizing a tennis or football match in Rocamadour. But on the other hand, putting in a stage finish is perfect for showing the beauties of the region. »