Tour de France: A Key Day for the General Classification
The 2024 Tour de France is set to face a crucial day for the general classification, with the first mountainous weekend of the competition on the horizon. The Revenant, Tadej Pogacar, and Remco Evenepoel will put their strength to the test, while Pogacar has warned that "It is Vingegaard who has to attack, not me."
The Pyrenees, known for their challenging terrain, will start with a bang, featuring the Tourmalet, Hourquette d’Ancizan, and the final special category climb to Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla D’Adet. This will be the first major high mountain stage of the 2024 Tour de France.
Bastille Day: A Queen Stage
The queen stage of the Tour de France will take place on Bastille Day, featuring five giants and almost 5,000 meters of elevation gain. The stage will start with the small ring in the middle of the climb to Peyresourde, followed by the descent and the chain of climbs to Col de Menté and Col d’Aspet.
Legendary Climb
The final stretch will come with the ascent to the Col d’Agnes and the final climb to the very tough Plateau de Beille. This legendary climb has been the scene of many memorable moments in the Tour de France, including Alberto Contador’s victory in 2007 and Purito Rodríguez’s win in 2015.
A curious fact is that of the five times the Tour has finished in a stage, in four of them the winner of the stage ended up in Paris as the yellow jersey. Marco Pantani in 1998, Armstrong in 2002 and 2004, and Alberto Contador in 2007 are among the winners who achieved this feat.
The general classification is set to be heavily influenced by the events of this day, with the contenders for the overall title facing a significant challenge. Will Pogacar be able to take advantage of his 1:14" advantage over Vingegaard, or will the Dane be able to launch a counterattack? The answer will only be revealed as the riders take on the treacherous terrain of the Pyrenees.