Tour de France stage 10 preview - A spectacle in the Massif Central on Bastille Day?

On Bastille Day, the riders face 165.3 kilometers and 4,408 meters of climbing, making it a brutal day in the saddle. The stage finishes in Mont-Dore, overlooking the highest peak of the Massif Central: the Puy de Sancy. With seven second-category climbs and one third-category climb, a total of 37 points are up for grabs for the polka dot jersey. Plenty of riders will be keen to join the break, but only the one with the best climbing legs will claim victory.

Start: 13:25 (CET)
Estimated arrival: 17:38 (CET)
Total length stage 10: 165.3km
Elevation gain: 4408m

Follow stage 10 from start to finish with our live report

Just past the seven-kilometer mark, the first climb of the day appears: the Côte de Loubeyrat. A flurry of attacks is expected here, and the GC teams and contenders should be ready and present.

Côte de Loubeyrat (4.4km - 6.3%)
2nd category - 153.8 km to the finish

After the summit, the route continues through hilly terrain, with an intermediate sprint at 44.4 km. It’s doubtful that Milan will have a chance to score points here. This section also includes an uncategorized climb of 6 km at 4.2%. The route is extremely winding all day, which makes things all the more challenging. There’s a good chance the breakaway battle continues here, but could a group already get away for good at this point?

After 50 km, the riders reach the foot of the Côte de la Baraque in Clermont-Ferrand, one of the hardest climbs of the day. 

Côte de la Baraque (4.9km - 7.1%)
2nd category - 110.9 km to the finish

The climbs come in quick succession, and if the GC teams keep pushing the pace here, only a small group is likely to remain at this point.

Côte de Charade (5.2km - 6.8%)
2nd category - 99 km to the finish

Almost halfway through the stage and approaching the end of what has been a brutal trio of climbs, on the eastern side of the Puy de Dôme.

Côte de Berzet (3.0km - 7.9%)
2nd category - 87.2 km to the finish

The middle section of the stage contains no categorized climbs, but it never truly flattens out in this stage. It also illustrates just how often the road goes up and down, causing the elevation to keep piling up.

In the final 50 kilometers, the riders climb well above 1,000 meters, with the roads continuing to wind through stunning scenery.

Col de Guéry (3.6km - 6.6%)
2nd category - 50 km to the finish

The only third-category climb of the day but at this point every uphill kilometer is tough.

Col de la Croix Morand (3.4km - 5.7%)
3rd category - 41.4 km to the finish

After the Col de la Croix Morand, a technical descent is followed by a rugged, uncategorized climb of 6.6 km at 4.8%. Ideal terrain for attackers looking to try something from the breakaway.

We’re now in the deep finale with the penultimate climb. It’s very steady, but after a tough stage, it will also take its toll. At 1,451 meters, this is the highest point of the stage.

Col de la Croix Saint-Robert (4.9km - 6.4%)
2nd category - 9.9 km to the finish

It’s a typical summit in the Massif Central, rounded in shape and open, with wide expanses of grassland

A technical descent leads to the final obstacle of the day: the Mont-Dore.

It’s the final sting in the tail of a punishing stage, a consistent climb averaging 7.8%.

Le Mont-Dore - Puy de Sancy (3.3km - 7.8%)
2nd category - finish

Unlike the other climbs, this one takes place on a wide road.

There’s still a corner 150 meters from the finish

A calm day, with temperatures around 28°C along the route and 22°C at the finish. Conditions are expected to stay dry throughout.

This stage definitely has the potential to be one of the toughest in this Tour, it’s very challenging terrain with no rest breaks. This is a stage where many scenarios are possible. What’s certain is that the first hour will be full of attacks. GC riders are likely to get involved as well, along with super-domestiques like Jorgenson, Kuss or Simon Yates, because this is a stage where Visma will likely want to try something to put UAE under pressure, it won’t be easy to control for them, especially with Almeida being out. So expect a aggresive Visma tomorrow. I'm also curious what plan Red Bull-Bora will have. With Lipowitz and Roglič, they can also take an aggressive approach.

The scenario I find most likely is that after one hour or two hours of racing, we’re left with a heavily reduced group. From there, a few strong attackers will break clear, and eventually a group of 6 to 12 riders will get away, with the stage winner among them.

From the breakaway, I think Michael Storer is a dangerous man for this stage. The level he's shown this season has been impressive, and he already proved in stage 6 that his form is on the rise. He'll be targeting specific stages in this Tour, and I believe this is one of them. You need to be a strong climber to win here, so he ticks all the boxes. Ben Healy will also be in the mix again, in his current top form, I have to put him forward as a major contender too. EF also has Powless and Baudin, but I think they might fall just short of winning the stage.

I’ve already mentioned the Visma duo Kuss and Yates, I expect one of them to be up there as well, and especially Yates could be dangerous on this terrain, which suits him perfectly.

At Bahrain, it depends on the form of the day for Lenny Martinez and how well Santiago Buitrago has recovered from his crash. I’m noting them down with a question mark, just like O'Connor, I’m not sure if he’ll find his best legs, but if he does, this is definitely a stage for him. I also expect the Movistar duo of Romeo and Castrillo to be active at the front.

If the race situation unfolds in such a way that the GC riders fight for the win, Pogacar is the main favorite, but I can't see him dropping Vingegaard in this stage. And if a big name gets into trouble, the chances increase that it will turn into a GC day.

This stage will also be terrible for the heavier riders. It's a short stage, and if it turns into a battlefield, I think a few riders might finish outside the time limit.