After the peloton reached the mountains for the first time on Stage 8, Stage 9 of the 2017 Tour de France will promise to give riders an even tougher test in the rugged French Savoie, with two mountain summits taking the field to altitudes over 1500 meters above sea level.
Stage 9 will take riders over 181 kilometers from the commune of Nantua to the city of Chambery in France's Savoie region.
Riders must be prepared to climb from the stage's departure, as the field will face a category 2 climb just 300 meters from the start.
The first climb at the Cote des Neyrolles will take the riders up an average gradient of 7.2% for 3.2 kilometers. The peloton will have little time to collect themselves at the summit, as the second climb of the day begins only 3 kilometers later up the Col de Berentin to an altitude of 1144 meters.
The peloton will quickly descend after their second climb of the day, and will reach their third climb 38 kilometers from the departure at the Cote de Franciens.
50 kilometers into the stage, riders will reach the base of the Col de la Biche, their first of three HC category climbs, which will take the field 10.5 kilometers at a 9% gradient until they reach the summit.
After a 15 kilometer descent from the summit at the Col de la Biche, the field will face an even steeper climb to the summit of the Grand Colombier. The climb up the Grand Colombier will cover 8.5 kilometers at just under an 10% gradient, and will take the riders above 1500 meters for the first time on the stage.
With 55 kilometers to go to the finish, riders will reach the single intermediate sprint checkpoint on Stage 9 in the commune of Massignieu de Rives.
Soon after the intermediate sprint, riders will reach the stage's penultimate climb up the Cote de Jongieux, before reaching their final, and most grueling, climb to the summit of le Mont du Chat.
The day's final climb will be the steepest and highest, as riders will navigate an average gradient of 10.3% for 8.7 kilometers and reach an altitude of 1504 meters above sea level.
Riders will quickly descend the switchbacks of Mont du Chat, with the stage's final 13 kilometers flattening out to the finish in Chambery.
Stage 9 will be a true day for the climbers, and could very well be decided by a solo attack by a rider on the final mountain pass.
Warren Barguil (Team Sunweb) has yet to make a major statement at this year's edition of the Tour de France, but the French rider has been unbendingly consistent throughout the early stages. Barguil is competing in his third Tour de France, and is a strong all-rounder who is comfortable in the mountains. Barguil can be a general classification threat, and since Team Sunweb has yet to capture a stage victory at this year's Tour de France, and stage victory by Barguil on Stage 9 could be a big statement for both himself and his team.
Robert Gesink (Lotto NL-Jumbo) is another rider who has received little fanfare at this year's Tour de France, but the veteran Dutch rider has what it takes to capture a victory in the mountains on Stage 9. Gesink finished second to Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie) on Stage 8, and if he was able to conserve his energy after the first day in the mountains, Gesink could look to capture his first stage on this year's Tour. Gesink currently sits in 4th place in the mountains classification and only 3 points back of leader Lilian Calmejane. Gesink could be eyeing the polka dot jersey, and a victory on Stage 9 would be a major push for the Lotto NL-Jumbo rider in the mountains.
Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data) will be another rider to watch on Stage 9. Pauwels has silently been a strong and consistent rider in the early stage's of this year's Tour de France. Pauwels currently sits 18th in the general classification standings, and with the absence of Mark Cavendish for Team Dimension Data, Pauwels could very well be looking to make a statement for his Dimension Data team.
Other riders to watch on Stage 9 include Martin Guillame (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Fabio Aru (Astana), and Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe).
Comments
Post a Comment