Having left the Alps, the climbing isn't over for the riders, with 2,900m of elevation gain on this hilly 184km penultimate stage.
We reckon the ups and downs and the uphill finish rule this out as one for the pure sprinters and might favour a breakaway from those with something left in their legs.
Stage 20: Nantua > Pontarlier
- Date: 26 July
- Distance: 184.2km
- Elevation gain: 2,900m
- Stage type: Hilly
Route profile
Route map
After the exhilaration of the past days, it’s time to take a breather ahead of the Paris finale.
Nantua, in the southern foothills of the Jura mountains, has only once hosted a stage of the Tour, back in 2017 when Richie Porte crashed horribly on the descent of the Mont du Chat approaching the finish in Chambéry.
Hopefully, with a stage to suit breakaway riders, the finish is more restrained this time – just not as laid back as the peloton was on the road to Pontarlier in 2001.
Erik Dekker, as part of the break that year, crossed the line 35 minutes ahead of the peloton, which with a strict interpretation of the rules, would have disqualified the entire peloton for being outside the time cut.
It would have been quite the call from the race jury on stage eight!
“At this stage of the Tour, there’ll still be some in-form riders who haven’t yet managed to claim a victory bouquet,” says race director Christian Prudhomme.
“They’ll all be keen to get into the breakaway, but the selection process will be tough, thanks especially to the ascent of the Col de la Croix de la Serra.
“The hilly profile of the final third of the stage will give the strongest riders the chance to break away and finish solo or in a small group in the capital of absinthe.”
What's to drink in Pontarlier?
Situated at over 800m in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, Pontarlier was on an ancient route between Burgundy and Switzerland. It's still on a principal road route between the two.
The town fuelled the artists and writers of the late 19th and early 20th century as a centre of the production of absinthe, prior to the drink's ban in 1915. It's made a reappearance in the last 30 years or so, thanks to stricter food safety regulations and is again brewed in the town.
Claimed to have hallucinogenic and addictive properties thanks to the inclusion of wormwood, we wouldn't recommend the 'green fairy' for your bidon.
One to watch: Ben Healy
Ben Healy has an incredible Tour de France. After soloing to victory on stage 6 and launching another attack on stage 10, the EF Education-EasyPost rider secured the yellow jersey and became the first Irishman to do so in 38 years.
Although he'll be keen to retain his GC ranking, we wouldn't be surprised if he rolled the dice once last time.
