The Tour de France is a grueling 20 stage race that tests every aspect of a cyclist’s ability. Perhaps five of the most important stages come at the end of the tour. Beginning with Stage 15 in the Pomiers and ending at stage 20 on the Champs-Elysees. These five stages could make the difference in who takes home the coveted yellow jacket.
Stage 15: Pomiers – 187.5 km
Running from Port-de-Bares to Bagneres-de-Luchon, this stage takes riders through a series of climbs and descents, the most pivotal coming with a final climb, ending with a difficult decent of 21.5 kilometers. The key to this stage will be descending at a solid pace, as the finish line is a mere 3 km from the foot of the mountain. However, this is not made easy by the fact that roads are narrow and the turns are tight. This stage has only been run once in the Tour, back in 2007, and recently a tarmac surface was laid down specifically for cycling due to the grade of the descent.
Stage 16: Bagneres-du-Luchon – 199.5 km
Stage 16 travels over four difficult climbs from Bagneres-du-Luchon to Pau. The four mountain climbs in this stage through the Pyrenees are Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin and Peyresourde. This stage will be a difficult one as the riders climb a total of 15,000 feet. This is one of the major ascents of the competition and promises to play a large role in who will wear the yellow jersey by stage 20.
Stage 17: Pau - 174 km
After one day of rest the riders will be moving from Pau to Col du Tourmalet. This stage features the toughest climb of the tour and finishes at its highest point. The climb up Col de Tourmalet is a grizzly one, featuring a 25 km constant ascent, this particular climb is made for a consistent steady climber and will not favour attackers. This stage could be where Alberto Contador, the Spanish winner of the 2009 Tour de France, takes control. He has stated in the past that this is the most important stage of the race.
Stage 18: Salies-du-bearn – 198 km
Running from Salies-du-bearn to Bordeaux, this stage is built for sprinters. Look for some of the world’s fastest cyclists to take control in this stage, as the green sprinters jersey may not have yet been decided. In addition this stage is integral in winning the team classification and riders will be looking to take full advantage of the flat terrain. Because of these factors do not expect a break-away pack, instead look for a wild sprint to the finish as havoc erupts.
Stage 19: Bordeaux – 52 km
The only real time trial of this year’s tour travels from Bordeaux to Pauillac is stage 19. With this stage you should not expect any major changes but instead the solidification of the final placing. Contador himself is accomplished against the clock and should have no problem retaining his position through to Longjumeau.
Stage 20: Paris Champs-Elysees – 102.5 km
The final and most famous stage of the tour goes from Longjumeau to Paris and the Champs-Elysees. This year the stage is also the shortest and once again favours the sprinters. Historically the yellow jersey has all but been decided at this point, however that should not take away from the excitement of the winner being crowned and the champagne finally being popped in the centre of the French capital.
There is no doubt that the last five stages of the tour will play a major role in deciding who takes home the yellow jersey. Stages 15 to 20 feature a variety of different complexities riders will have to overcome. From descents to ascents and time trials to sprints, these five stages certainly will be very intriguing.
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