Key events
As a reminder, here’s how the general classification for the yellow jersey looks:
General classification: top 10 after stage nine
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Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) 33hrs 17mins 22secs
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Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick-Step) +54secs
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Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) +1min 11secs
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Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 17secs
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Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 34secs
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Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +1min 46secs
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Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNL) +2mins 49secs
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Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +3mins 2secs
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Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +3mins 6secs
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Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) +3mins 43secs
There’s also an official stage 10 briefing by Continental and French former professional cyclist, Thierry Gouvenou. He said:
Stage ten of the Tour de France [is] Ennezat to le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy, 165km, with a total of 4,450m of elevation gain. All day long, the riders will face a relentless series of climbs and mountain passes. Including, for example, Croix Saint-Morrand and the Croix de Saint-Robert.
We’ve made the most of the climbs available in the Puy de Dôme region, and the route even skirts around the Puy de Dôme itself. Only those in peak condition will hope to shine on a course like this.
The finish is at the summit of the Puy de Sancy, a final climb of more than 3km at an 8% average gradient, very straight, very wide – it’s easy to lose your bearings on a climb like this, and we might see quite a few riders crack. The general classification contenders will be aiming for both the stage win and to gain time overall.
This is what general director of the Tour de France, Christian Prudhomme, has to say about stage ten:
A mountain stage on Bastille Day, and one that’s likely to create some fireworks as there are seven second-category hills or passes on the menu. Anyone who missed the 2023 Tour will be able to catch a glimpse of the climb to the Puy-de-Dôme, as the riders will tackle the first few kilometres of it early in the stage. After that, there’ll be no respite until the final climb to the resort of Le Mont-Dore. The 3.5km climb averaging 8% will bring the total vertical gain for the day to 4,400 metres!
Here is the route profile of stage 10:
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Stage 10: Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy, 165km
Here’s a look at today’s stage, Monday 14 July: Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy, 165.3km, with William Fotheringham’s preview:
Just the eight categorised climbs today in the Massif Central; mainly second category but totalling 4,450m of vertical ascent. This is the first major showdown among the favourites, and at least a couple could see their hopes of winning end here. With climbing from the get-go it will be full on from the start; for the win look to a puncheur like Ireland’s Ben Healy. It’s Bastille Day so the French will bust a gut and leave empty-handed.
Preamble
It’s Bastille Day! France’s national day and an opportunity for the Tour de France riders to put on a show for the crowds of fans expected to line today’s route. The peloton have 165.3km to cover in this mountain stage from Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy – the last before a rest day tomorrow – and will face seven category two climbs and one category three climb. In total, the riders have 4,450m of elevation on the cards. There’s also and intermediate sprint at 44km in.
It’s going to be a hard day at the end of a long first week for the peloton. It’s expected that the route and profile of today’s stage will bring the GC contenders to the fore and be a test to see who’s serious about the maillot jaune and who’s falling short. So, keep an eye on Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) – the current yellow jersey leader – and his main rival Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), who took a suprise stage win the last time the Tour came to the Massif Central. But Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quickstep) is second placed in the GC at the moment, so is also one to watch. And don’t foget the French rider in the peloton, such as Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ), who would love to be in the action on Bastille Day.
Before the action starts at 1.10pm CEST (12.10am BST), here’s a recap of yesterday’s stage:
