Stage 15 of the 2024 Tour de France will take place on Bastille Day, the national day of celebration in France, and cover 197.7 km from Loudenvielle to Plateau de Beille. It will be a tough, mountainous stage containing 4,800 meters of overall elevation gain.
Loudenvielle is a picturesque commune located in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France in the heart of the Louron Valley. The village sits at the foot of the Col de Peyresourde, approximately 10 km from the Spanish border. It is a popular resort for tourists, and has camping sites, while also having hiking paths and is tucked away along Lake Génos-Loudenvielle. Plateau de Beille is a ski resort first featuring at the Tour de France in 1998.
There will be a total of five categorized climbs on the day. The first climb the riders will encounter is the Category 1 Col de Peyresourde, lasting 6.9 km at an average gradient of 7.8%. The second major climate is the Category 1 Col de Menté, lasts 9.3 km at a 9.1% average gradient. The third categorized climb will be the Category 1 Col de Portet-d'Aspet covering 4.3 km at an average gradient of 9.6%, making it the shorted, but steepest climb of the day, while the fourth categorized climate with be the Category 1 Col d'Agnes, lasting 10 km at an average gradient of 8.2%.
The final climb, the Plateau de Beille, goes towards the summit finish of the stage and will certainly separate the pack. The climb is categorized as the most difficult, Hors Catégorie, and lasts a total of 15.8 km with an average gradient of 7.9%. This means that the final climb to Plateau de Beille is expected to be decisive, with its length and average gradient of 7.9%.
On the occassion of Bastille Day, French riders may be particularly motivated to go for the stage win, or at least put in an initial break in the early kilometers. Look out for French riders such as Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies), Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) and Bruno Armirail (Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale).
The stage also includes time bonuses of 10, 6, and 4 seconds will be awarded to the first three riders across the finish line, meaning that the top three in the general classification, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma–Lease a Bike), Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), will also be riders to watch, particularly in the final 20 km, as these bonuses can be integral to an overall win in the general classification on the final day.
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