Tour de France Stages 10 to 15 Route Preview: As the dust settles on the first nine stages of the 2024 Tour de France and the gravel roads of Troyes, we still have Tadej Pogačar in yellow and the other ‘Top Three’: Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglič waiting in the wings. Here we look at the next six stages of week two.
First week highlights – Tour de France 2024
Stages 10, 12 and 13 could end in a sprint, but also a break could surprise the fast finishers. Stage 11 has six categorised climbs, four of them in the last 40 kilometres, a break could go for the stage victory, but there should also be a GC battle. Next weekend, stages 14 and 15 are full on mountain days. Saturday finishes on the summit of Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet after 152 kilometres, before that there is the Tourmalet (Cat.HC) and a Cat.2 climb. Then on Sunday we have four Cat.1 climbs and the finish is on the Cat.HC climb of Plateau de Beille.
Will the ‘Big Four’ battle in the second week?
2024 Tour de France Week 2 Stages:
08/07 – Rest day in Orléans
09/07 – Stage 10: Orléans – Saint-Amand-Montrond (187km)
10/07 – Stage 11: Evaux-les-Bains – Le Lioran (211km)
11/07 – Stage 12: Aurillac – Villeneuve-sur-Lot (204km)
12/07 – Stage 13: Agen – Pau (171km)
13/07 – Stage 14: Pau – Saint-Lary-Soulan/Pla d’Adet (152km)
14/07 – Stage 15: Loudenvielle – Plateau de Beille (198km)
15/07 – Rest day in Narbonne.
2024 Tour de France map
Tuesday July 9, Stage 10: Orléans – Saint-Amand-Montrond (187km)
The 10th stage from Orléans to Saint-Amand-Montrond is 187 kilometres long with no classified climbs, but this won’t be a rest. There could be a surprise as echelons are possible as the Tour turns south. If the sprinter’s teams can pull the race together there will be a sprint finish in Saint-Amand-Montrond.
Stage 10 profile
Wednesday July 10, Stage 11: Éveaux-les-Bains – Le Lioran (211km)
The Tour gets into the Massif Central on stage 11 from Éveaux-les-Bains to Le Lioran. The peloton covers 211 kilometres with four short, steep climbs in the last 50 kilometres with a total of 4,200 metres of climbing. The Col de Néronne (3.8km at 9.1%), Puy Mary Pas de Peyrol (5.4km at 8.1%), Col du Perthus (4.4km at 7.9% ) and the Col de Font de Cère (3.3km at 5.8%) will shake up the finale. None of the climbs are long, but they are steep, with sections of up to 12%. After the summit of the Col de Font de Cère there are 2.5 kilometres to the finish. The road to the finish is mostly downhill, but the last few hundred metres ramp up to 6%.
Stage 11 profile
Thursday July 11, Stage 12: Aurillac – Villeneveu-sur-Lot (204km)
The stage from Aurillac to Villeneveu-sur-Lot starts with some climbing, but after 90 kilometres the stage is fairly flat. Most if not all the sprinters will still be in the peloton, although a break will have gone up the road. The rest of the stage is not flat, but there are no real climbs. For a flat stage, the sprinters will have to suffer in the first half, which will blunt their finishing speed. The Côte de Saint-Mamet-la-Selvetat (3.6km at 3.9%) is the first climb, then after 10 kilometres of mixed roads, there is the Côte de Saint-Médard-de-Presque (4.2km at 5.3%). More rolling roads take the race to the Côte de Rocamadour (2.1km at 5.5%) and the Côte de Couzou (1.7km at 6.3%).
Stage 12 profile
After those climbs the sprinters can be brought back to the bunch (they hope). The route is not flat to the finish, but the hard bit if behind them. There could be a bunch sprint, but 2 kilometres out there is a short ramp of 3%, before 5 flat kilometres to the finish in Villeneveu-sur-Lot.
Friday July 12, Stage 13: Agen – Pau (171km)
The Tour now hears towards the Pyrenees. There are several hills in the last 50 kilometres that will put the sprinters in trouble, but should give the ‘puncheurs’ a chance to escape. There are two categorised climbs:. The Cat.4 Côte de Blachon (1.8km at 5.5%) and the Côte de Simacourbe (2.5km at 5.2%). There are then rolling roads before the descent to Pau. The final will be fast, but will there be any sprinters at the front?
A day for the ‘puncheurs’
Saturday July 13, Stage 14: Pau – Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet (152km)
On day fourteen the peloton will be back in the high mountains. The Pyrenees will rule the stage from Pau to Saint-Lary-Soulan: The Pla d’Adet will see the action in the final part of the stage. The Tourmalet and the Hourquette d’Ancizan will deal the body-blows.
Stage 14 profile and Strava map
The fourteenth stage starts with 70 flat kilometres, but from then on it will be torture for the non-climbers. The monstrous Col du Tourmalet (19km at 7.4%) is followed by the Hourquette d’Ancizan (8.2km at 5.1%), summited with 30 kilometres to go. There is no rest after the descent as the last 10.6 kilometres climb at nearly 8%. The Pla d’Adet (10.6km at 7.9%) has steep ramps of over 10% in the first 7 kilometres. The road flattens for a kilometre, but the final part of the climb is at nearly 9%. The GC battle should be full on.
There should be fireworks on the climb of Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet – Nibali in 2014
Sunday July 14, Stage 15: Loudenvielle – Plateau de Beille (198km)
On the big French holiday of the 14th of July, the Tour races over 198 kilometres from Loudenvielle to the top of Plateau de Beille. There are five categorised climbs with a total of more than 5,000 metres of climbing. The Col de Peyresourde (6.9km at 7.8%) comes straight after the start, then the Col de Menté (9.3km at 9.1%) and Col de Portet-d’Aspet (4,3km at 9.7%) follow. After those steep challenges there are about 60 kilometres of easier road.
Stage 15 profile
The second half of this stage has the Col d’Agnes (10km at 8.2%) and the final climb to Plateau de Beille (15.8km at 7.9%). There are almost 16 kilometres of climbing to the finish at an average of almost 8%. As this is the eve of the second rest day, you can expect riders to give it everything and of course the French will want a home winner on Bastille Day.
Monday 15 July – Rest Day No.2 – Gruissan
Rest day two in Gruissan
The route of the Tour de France 2024 #TDF24
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