Tour de France stage 19 preview - The final blow in an explosive short mountain stage

Between the start in Albertville and the finish in La Plagne lie just 93,1 kilometres (after the adjustment of the route), but packed with 3,350 meters of climbing. All the cards are already on the table, but they can still be reshuffled. It’s a stage that will have the sprinters crying for help, and one where Pogačar might let out a fifth roar of celebration?

Start: 14:30 CET
Estimated arrival: 17:32 CET
Length stage: 93,1km 
Elevation gain: 3550m

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With the revised route, the intermediate sprint has also shifted. It now comes after 12.1 kilometres, in Villard-Sur-Doron. Jonathan Milan will surely want to take this one.

Due to the removal of the first two climbs, they now follow the ascending D925 before starting the Col du Pré after 17.5 km.

Col de la Pré (12.6km at 7.7%) 
Hors catégorie - 63.9km to go

Cormet de Roselend (5.9km at 6.3%) 
2nd category - 51.4km to go

The Col du Pré starts with gentler gradients, but the final 6 kilometers rise at a brutal 9.7%, featuring 15 hairpin turns, a true leg-breaker. There’s little time to recover, as the route continues straight towards the summit of the Roselend.

From there, over 50 kilometers still remain, including the long descent of the Roselend, where Johan Bruyneel famously crashed into the ravine in 1996.The descent mixes very fast straight sections with a few dangerous corners. At the bottom, 13.5 kilometers of gently descending valley await before the riders tackle the centerpiece of the stage: the climb to the ski resort of La Plagne.

La Plagne is a long and steady climb with 25 hairpin bends. You don’t climb it for the scenery, it’s one of those typical Alpine roads leading to a ski resort. But it still provides a perfect setting for an exciting battle for the stage win and the GC podium spots.

La Plagne (19.1km at 7.2%)
Hors catégorie

20°C in the valley, 14°C at the finish. Just like today, there's an increasing chance of a few afternoon showers but wind will be minimal. Forecasting the weather of the Alps is tricky. Summer is certainly not around the corner.

Visma will no doubt make their presence felt, a 3rd Tour win is out of reach, but this is a team that never gives up. They might have a plan for the Col du Pré. After ditching the plan today, what will their approach be tomorrow? Shortening the route makes it easier for UAE to control. This is a great opportunity for Pogacar to claim his fifth stage win. Is there even a chance for breakaway riders tomorrow?

Expect an explosive start, with early attacks coming thick and fast, and you can be sure some top-10 GC riders will be involved. Bora could choose to ride defensively for Lipowitz, but in this kind of stage, attack really is the best form of defense, especially since their main rival tends to struggle on long, grinding climbs like La Plagne, a climb that’s more in the style of the Madeleine. Lipowitz could simply mark Onley and try to drop him on the final climb, or at least hang on. I believe he can just drop him, don’t be fooled by the final climb today, Lipo wasted a lot of energy. Roglič, meanwhile, could play the attacking card. He’ll go all-in to try and overtake Onley and maybe even sneak onto the podium. And honestly, Bora wouldn’t mind seeing Roglič in 3rd and Lipowitz in 4th.

Speaking of possible attackers, you can definitely add Felix Gall to the list. He had a rough day today, it could have been a much better day for him, but saw his earned 3 minutes advantage over Onley melt away like snow in the sun, due to tactical games. He’ll want to go on the offensive again tomorrow. With his 6th place not really under threat, a stage win is a much bigger prize, but it's up to him and his team to decide which plan is best. The final climb suits him well, too.

We'll likely see the usual attackers tomorrow, but I believe Pogačar still wants one more stage win. UAE and Visma will keep the pace high, with possibly some attacks along the way, I think the breakaway will start the final climb with a small advantage. But holding on from there won’t be easy. A fifth stage win for Pogačar, with yet another brave ride from Vingegaard in second place. The battle for the third spot in GC will be decided in Lipowitz's favor. He's simply the better climber compared to Onley.

The name La Plagne sounds familiar, mostly because of Boogerd’s victory there, already 23 years ago. It was also the last time the Tour finished on this climb.

The Dauphiné did return in 2021, when Mark Padun shocked the cycling world with a stunning win.