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The Tour de France turns into a Classic for a day on Sunday, because the riders face 14 sectors of gravel roads throughout stage 9 and struggle for each a prestigious stage victory and each attainable second within the common classification.
It will likely be a day of whole biking, when the struggle for the yellow jersey combines with a battle for the stage victory amongst the Classics contenders.
Tadej Pogačar will certainly attempt to achieve extra time on Jonas Vingegaard, Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel, whereas Mathieu van der Poel, Wout Van Aert, Alberto Bettiol, Tom Pidcock, Michael Matthews, Matej Mohorič and double stage winner Biniam Grimay struggle for the day’s extra less complicated spoils.
The two battles may mix GC and stage ambitions in a intelligent workforce tactic or may blow up and destroy a workforce’s total hopes on this 12 months’s race. It might be just like the day Cadel Evans gained within the rain and dirt on the Tuscan gravel within the 2010 Giro d’Italia or like Vincenzo Nibali’s assault on the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix in 2014.
Rather a lot is at stake on the chemins blancs.
Jonas Vingegaard is worried that an onslaught by UAE Team Emirates and Pogačar may finish his Tour de France probabilities, whereas Evenepoel seems to have embraced gravel racing in Grand Tours because of his love for the Tour.
“It’s going to be one of many largest moments of the 12 months. We’ll must be centered from kilometre zero till the end,” Evenepoel predicted.
The presence of cobbles and gravel in Grand Tour divides opinions greater than marmite on toast.
“I’m undecided if it’s the following take a look at of this 12 months’s Tour, or if it’s only a gamble. I’d name it the following gamble as a result of I’m probably not in favour of that,” Red Bull-Bora-Hansgeohe Head Sport Director Rolf Aldag mentioned, summing up the sentiment of his workforce chief Primož Roglič, who’s arguably the least suited of the big-four Tour contenders on the usually aggressive racing on the gravel.
Evenepoel misplaced any likelihood of success within the 2021 Giro d’Italia after shedding time on the gravel stage however is much stronger and much better ready for Sunday’s stage. He sits simply 33 down on Pogačar and the yellow jersey.
“I’ve carried out a recon and a few sectors are laborious, with steep begins however it’s a really stunning gravel stage,” Evenepoel mentioned forward of stage 9.
“It’s arguably not a stage that may win you the Tour however when you have dangerous luck within the improper second, it may imply you lose the Tour.
“There will not be huge gaps between the GC favourites or perhaps not even any gaps however we’ve to be ready and prepared for a giant day of racing,” Evenepoel concluded.
Pogačar performed down his ambitions and attainable aggression however this might be a thoughts recreation earlier than making a giant assault. After all, Pogačar gained this 12 months’s Strade Bianche with an 82 km solo assault.
“I’m wanting ahead to it. I did a recon, so I do know what’s ready for us. I don’t suppose it’ll be decisive however you have to be even sharper and much more centered,” the Slovenian warned.
“You have to be cautious on every gravel sector, on every entrance and every exit from the gravel. Then maybe there’s wind and rain perhaps. There’s going to be lots of issues that may trigger a crash or depart you caught behind. It’s not going to be decisive however you possibly can lose the Tour on Sunday should you crash or puncture on the improper time.”
The 199km stage begins and finishes in Troyes and covers a twisting loop to the southeast within the champagne vineyards and so the rolling hills of central France.
The first of the 14 gravel sectors or ‘les chemins blancs’ as they’re recognized in France, comes after simply 47.3km and the final is simply 9.6km from the end. There is a complete of 32,2km of gravel roads, with the ultimate six sectors within the closing 30km.
The French winery gravel roads are smoother than the strade bianche of Tuscany or the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix however are an actual take a look at of rider’s bike expertise, their worry threshold and their ambitions. The stage additionally contains 2,000 metres of climbing via the winery and nation roads.
Bike dealing with expertise, braveness and positioning and workforce safety will likely be very important elements within the race.
World champion and Paris-Roubaix winner Mathieu van der Poel has all these expertise and extra. He is anticipated to excel on the chemins blancs and will blow up the GC battle if anybody tries to go together with him.
Van der Poel all the time rises to nice events and so will race to win.
The Dutchman will likely be effectively supported by his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates. Søren Kragh Andersen, Axel Laurance and former gravel world champion Gianni Vermeersch, with Jasper Philipsen maybe having a ‘jolly’ position, whereas additionally backing Van der Poel’s bid to win the stage.
Bettiol leads EF Education-EasyPost’s ambitions, alongside Richard Carapaz and a clearly on-form Ben Healy.
“There will likely be a race inside the race, which makes it even more durable and extra traumatic. The racing is extra harmful when you’ve gotten GC guys and thin climbers racing towards the Classics riders,” Bettiol warned in an unique interview with Cyclingnews.
“We’ll see how laborious the GC riders need to race and blend it with us Classics guys.
“Pogi is aware of how one can journey on the gravel, and much better than Vingagaard and Roglič. So UAE would possibly use that to shake up the GC. It might be a danger for them to attend for the mountains, the place they won’t be capable of blow up the race.”
Stage 9 Sprints
- Intermediate dash, km 83.5
Stage 9 Climbs
- Côte de Bergères (1.7km at 5.2%) cat. 4, km 51.7
- Côte de Baroville (2.8km at 4.8%) cat. 4, km 69.6
- Côte de Val Frion (2.2km at 5%) cat. 4, km 107.5
- Côte de Chacenay (3km at 4.3%) cat. 4, km 121.2
Stage 9 White Road Sectors
- Chemin de Bligny à Bergères (2,000m), km 47.3
- Chemin de Baroville (1,200m), km 67
- Chemin des Hautes Forêts (1,500m), km 96.8
- Chemin de Polisy à Celles-sur-Ource (3,400m), km 105.2
- Chemin de Loches-sur-Ource à Chacenay (4,200m), km 118.6
- Chemin du Plateau de la Côte des Bar (2,200m), km, 131.9
- Chemin de Thieffrain à Magnant (3,900m), km 140.8
- Chemin de Briel-sur-Barse (2,200m), km 151.9
- Chemin du Ru de Paradis (1,200m), km 165.7
- Chemin de Fresnoy-le-Château à Clérey (1,800m), km 169
- Chemin de Verrières (1,500m), km 175
- Chemin de Daudes (1,900m), km 178
- Chemin de Montaulin à Rouilly-Saint-Loup (2,200m), km 182.3
- Chemin de Saint-Parres-aux-Tertres (3,000m), km 189.4