From 1,501 meters of the top of Grand Colombier, in the Jura mountains, you get a beautiful view of valley of the Rhône, the lake of Bourget, from the outlet of the cliffs of Val de Fier and you can see the alpine peaks in the far east. A postcard landscape that the 167 surviving cyclists of Tour de France they will not have time to reflect now in the course of the 12th stage where all the numbers will be decided and for the two great favorites to win the final, the leader Jonas Vingegaardlast year’s champion, and the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, winner in 2020 and 2021, returns to star in a new rivalry with the sun. Battle where we also have to be attentive to the fierce battle that exists for the third place on the podium, which is currently occupied by the Australian. Jai Hindleyand where the Spaniards sought carlos rodriguez and Bilbao hair.
An appointment where the cyclists arrive is very punishing and which leads to an explosive development of the stage – it is one of the shortest of this Tour and only presents as a climb on the last climb to Great Colombier, special category. Since its first ascent in the 2012 Tour de France, this colossus has become one of the most mythic and feared climbs of ‘Big Boucle’, although it has only been climbed six times and only once has the stage yielded a favorable outcome. It was in 2020, with Pogacar’s victory Roglic. It didn’t help ‘Handsome’ dress in yellow, but yes to remove Egan Bernal of pools for the final victory and a psychological blow against a ‘Rogla’ which resulted in the loss of the lead on a day that went down in the annals of Tour and cycling history: that of La Planche des Belles Filles.
Pogacar already knows what it takes to win here
The last time the Tour ended this big in the Jura mountains was in 2020. On September 13, Pogacar achieved a great victory – their second Tour win – after a stage to remember, and they did it for ahead of his countryman Roglic . With his win, ‘Pogi’ cut a few seconds off ‘Rogla’ and increased the pressure on him, until he lost the lead on the memorable stage of La Planche des Belles Filles
He Grand Colombier It has the necessary ingredients to mark the before and after in the future of the 110th edition of the Tour. It is considered one of the most difficult stages of the Tour, with its 17.4 kilometers of ascent at an average slope of 7.1% and ramps of up to 12%, where Pogacar will once again try to put the rider against the ropes. Vingegaard.
New rivalry Vingeaard-Pogacar
17 seconds separate them in favor of the Dane. The leader of Jumbo-Visma he won the game against the Slovenian in the first stage of the Pyrenean, but at the moment the Head of UAE Team Emirates He warmed up his legs and the ‘flying’ wrist from the fracture he suffered in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The next two duels fell to his side, the last in the final on the dormant volcano in Puy de Dome. In this new face-to-face, the question is how the group of favorites will arrive at the start of the climb to ‘Bugey’s Pyramid’, the nickname by which this mountain is known, and when the thunder box will be released. Taking to the stage, the two great names in the French peloton claimed to be ready for battle. “Big climb, if my legs work well I can attack, if not I’ll try not to waste time. It will be difficult and I will deal with it thoroughly. The last time I went up I won and I’m looking forward to going back”, admitted a confident Pogacar. Vingegaard, for his part, took the challenge of his great rival and assured that he is “ready for a new battle at Grand Colombier. I’ll do my best and let’s see what happens.”
It remains to be seen what will be the attitude of the cyclists to the climb to the Grand Colombier and what will be the result of the attack. This chapter could be decisive for the fate of the Tour or it could just start to tip the scales towards Denmark or Slovenia. And, as if this punishment wasn’t enough, before the second rest day the Tour ends its second week with two more big stages in the high mountains in Alpswhich has come to define the rugged nature of this edition of the race.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
