2023-07-09 09:59:29
Before the first rest day of the Tour, the peloton arrives in the Massif Central on Sunday for a third day in the high mountains.
Posted on 07/08/2023 20:24 Updated on 07/09/2023 11:59
Reading time: 2 min.
Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma) observes Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) during the 6th stage of the Tour de France between Tarbes and Cauterets-Cambasque, July 6, 2023 (MARTIN DIVISEK / MaxPPP)
No Sunday rest for the Tour. The ninth consecutive day of racing, Sunday July 9, will be anything but a walk. The organizers have reserved for the runners a last big effort between Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat and the terrible climb of the Puy de Dôme, while the Pyrenees are barely digested. The final at altitude suggests a new fight between the yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard and his rival Tadej Pogacar. The daring might also be at the party in the breakaway… if the fatigue is not too much felt.
What is the profile?
35 years later, the Puy de Dôme is back on the Tour de France map. Finally, a new arrival at the top of the dormant volcano of the Massif Central. Asleep, the peloton will not be able to be during the 182.4 kilometers scheduled for Sunday, as the flat terminals will be rare. Although the start from Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, the town of Raymond Poulidor, should not be a problem, the rest of the program is made up of small bumps and incessant descents, with three third and fourth category passes in the second third of the course.
Before the highlight of the show, the arrival at the Panoramique des Dômes, following passing through Clermont-Ferrand. The puy de Dôme with its 13.3 kilometers of climb at 7.7% will offer sublime landscapes and a daunting finale. The last four kilometers will be the hardest, at nearly 12% average gradient.
The profile of the 9th stage of the Tour de France 2023, between Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat and Puy de Dôme (182.4km). (ASO)
Who are the favourites?
It is difficult not to see in this giant of Auvergne an ideal theater for a new tussle between the two monsters of domination that are Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar. The two men drew in the Pyrenees, the Dane the first uppercut towards Laruns during the 5th stage, before the hook of the Slovenian the next day towards Cauterets. No knockouts. still on the mark, but a serious desire to do battle, when Vingegaard only has a 25-second lead in the general classification.
The tandem might however let go of the ballast and leave the stage victory to the breakaways if they manage to take a sufficient lead before climbing the Puy de Dôme. Only a real climber will be able to shine on Sunday, and some of them are already far enough in the classification to have a good exit. The Jumbo-Visma might very well decide to give up the yellow jersey to another team to offload the burden of its day-to-day defense.
What are the schedules ?
1:24 p.m.: start of the broadcast on France 3 and france.tv
1:30 p.m.: fictitious start
1:45 p.m.: real departure (changeover to France 2 at 3 p.m.)
6:05 p.m.: scheduled arrival (at an average of 40 km/h) at the Puy de Dôme
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