Despite its status as Europe’s highest pass, it’s infrequently employed – this is only its third appearance since 1963, and just the second time ever it’ll climb the south side from Bonneval-sur-Arc. There’s no more stressful a week in cycling than the opening week of the Tour de France and the riders will welcome the downtime of the first rest day in Albi. Average speed of the Tour de France (1950-2019) highlighting years the winner was disqualified [oc]. The total prize pool for the 2018 Tour de France was a whopping €2.29 million. google_ad_client = "ca-pub-2062310126166513"; On its last visit in 2017, it hosted its first-ever summit finish (Warren Barguil winning to complete his remarkable Tour), but today the race continues, following a familiar route down to Briançon, France’s highest city. News & Opinion, Bike Tech Essays Stuff We Like, Rider Histories With 40km to go, the advantage of the leading quartet didn’t exceed 20’’ as sprinters’ teams Lotto-Soudal, Deceuninck-Quick Step and Jumbo-Visma got organised early. Mountains classification leader Romain Bardet in his polka-dot jersey can be seen in the background. This means an average speed increase rate of 0.42% each Tour. There’s nothing particular sinister about the 7.5 percent average gradient of the 12.9km Iseran, besides the toughest kilometre (10.2) being its penultimate. FINAL KILOMETERS. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) on stage 7 of the 2019 Tour de France ... "I pushed the lowest average power ever in a Tour de France stage ... only to see the bunch suddenly ramp up the speed… Thanks! Photo: ASO/Alex Broadway, Complete stage 16 results, stage story, photos, stage map & profile, Caleb Ewan is the day's fastest man. As for the stage, the peloton climbs gradually over 70km to reach a height of 883m just after the half way point at the summit of the Col de Mévouillon. The Tour de France could still go ahead despite more sanctions on mass gatherings by the French government. Thibaut Pinot takes a brilliant win at the Tourmalet. Today is the sort of post-mountain stage transition day that some fans will question belongs in a 21st century race. KOM: A Guide to Merckx won a record-equaling five Tours in his career and 2019 marks the 50th anniversary since his first. The peloton covered 34.4km in the first hour. Thursday, July 18: Stage 12, Toulouse - Bagnères de Bigorre, 209.5 km, Complete stage 12 results, stage story, photos, stage map & profile, Complete stage 11 results, stage story, photos, stage map & profile, Monday, July 15: Stage 10, Saint Flour - Albi, 217.5 km, Complete stage 10 results, stage story, photos, stage map & profile, Wout van Aert takes stage ten. The route goes higher than the previous stage, breaking 1,000m on the Côte des Guillaumanches, but it’s shorter and not nearly as difficult. The Tour de France held a team time trial for the second stage. Billed as the highest Tour de France in history, the race begins decidedly low with this loop in Brussels (elevation: 13m). Below are a few stats to remember for next time your friends ask ‘what is the top speed in the Tour de France?’ Jeremy Roy later showed that he had managed to set a high speed of 127kph/79mph on the descent of the Cote de la Comella, while Marcus Burghardt of BMC took the bragging rights managing to aero-tuck his way to 130.7kph/81.2mph. A freewheeling attitude towards cake is the popular theory, however. It was around this juncture of the 2018 race when many of the top sprinters in the world were being unceremoniously booted out of the race, with a succession of time cuts missed. The Vosges are a low mountain range, but race director Christian Prudhomme is testing riders early in the race, taking them over – via the 1st category climb to Le Markstein ski station – the highest point of the region in the Grand Ballon (1,336m). It will depend on how the race pans out, because the route does favour a breakaway. The winner (Geraint Thomas) received €500,000 while every rider that participated in the Tour at least went home with €400 in addition to their salaries. But they get judged on results – and this is one their team managers and sponsors will have had marked for them since the start of the season. /* bottom text banner, created 2/9/09 */ Now it’s been restored to its former glory, free of tyranny of motor vehicles. Read about the entire route of the 2019 Tour de France. No rain is forecast. Today has solo move written all over it, as the peloton finally heads into the Alps ahead of three successive gruelling stages. After the sprinters on the Champs-Elysées, the climbers on the Col de l’Izoard pass and then at Grand-Bornand, this time the punchers will be in the limelight,