After the first rest day of the 104th Tour de France in Dordogne, the race will resume, as the field will depart from the Nouvelle-Aquitane commune of Perigueux.
Once the peloton has departed from Perigueux, riders will travel 178 kilometers before reaching the finish line in the commune of Bergerac.
After the grueling climbs and high altitudes of Stage 9, which spread the field out almost immediately, Stage 10 will likely be a fast, chaotic, and sprinter-friendly day.
Once the stage begins, the peloton will ride a gradual uphill for the first 26.5 kilometers, before reaching the highest point of the day in the market town of Thenon, at an altitude of only 261 meters.
After passing through Thenon, riders will descend 200 meters over the next 22 kilometers to Thonac.
The 50 kilometers after Thonac are filled will small ascents and descents, with the field reaching the first of two category 4 climbs on the day at the 97 kilometer mark.
The first categorized climb of Stage 10 will take riders up the Cote de Domme, which boasts a 3.3% average gradient for 3.5 kilometers.
20 kilometers after riders have summited at Cote de Domme, they will reach the commune of Saint-Cyprien. At Saint-Cyprien sits the single intermediate sprint of the day, which should shape up to be a dress rehearsal for the final bunch sprint at the finish line. The intermediate sprint in Saint-Cyprien will be suited for the pure sprinters, as the route descends 13 meters in the final 2 kilometers to the line.
Once the field has passed through Saint-Cyprien, they will reach the final climb of the day at the Cote du Boisson-de-Cadouin. This climb will be shortest and steeper than the first climb at the Cote de Domme, measuring 2.1 kilometers at a 5.6% gradient.
After summiting at the Cote du Boisson-de-Cadouin, the final 40 kilometers to the finish in Bergerac should be high tempo and high intensity, with teams looking to get their sprinters in the best position for the final 1 km to the line.
Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) has had an emphatic start to the 104th Tour de France, capturing three of the first nine stages. On this shorter, relatively flat, and low altitude stage it would be hard not to count Kittel as the favorite for the win on Stage 10. The German sprinter has unquestionably proven that he is the fastest rider in the Tour to this point, and the finish in Bergerac sets up well for Kittel. Stage 10 will be the first stage after two days in the mountains, so we will see how Kittel and his Quick-Step Floors teammates have recovered and reconvened for shorter, higher tempo day in the saddle.
Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) and Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) are two riders to watch, as they sit 2nd and 3rd in the points classification behind Marcel Kittel. Neither Matthews nor Greipel has recorded a stage victory at this year's Tour de France, but both riders have been highly consistent and remain close to Kittel in the green jersey standings. Greipel is a true veteran, and known globally as one of the world's most powerful sprinters, but so far has not been able to find the positioning and top end speed in the final kilometer. Matthews is in his fourth year as a World Tour rider, and captured his first Tour de France stage victory on Stage 10 last year. Both riders have proven they have the talents to win a stage at the Tour de France, and have shown this year that they can contend at the top of the points classification. Stage 10 could be the day that either Matthews or Greipel are able to put everything together in the final kilometer and cross the line first in Bergerac.
Other riders to watch in the final kilometers of Stage 10 include Alexander Kristoff (Katusha-Alpecin), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data), Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida), and Nacer Bouhani (Cofidis).
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