PARIS
The 2020 Tour de France route unveiled in Paris on Tuesday set pulses racing with a host of mouth-watering stages in prospect, here AFP looks at five of them:
Seeking to emulate the thrill of the 2019 Tour organisers have lit the fuse of the 2020 route with bonus seconds up for grabs on the penultimate climb and at the finish line. It is hoped someone of the ilk of Julian Alaphilippe will attack from distance and seize both the initiative and the yellow jersey in the low Alps behind Nice, thereby establishing an attacking mind set.
This second Pyrenean stage is possibly the toughest on the Tour with a first 11km climb at over nine percent of the Col de la Hourcere, just the first of four climbs and a treacherous, winding descent to the finish line.
Never before has a stage started on one island and finished on another as this Atlantic coast extravaganza does. The organisers are hoping for wind on the day to create breaks in the peloton as it weaves through the narrow roads of the coastal marshes.
This summit that has never figured before culminates with an old ski piste maintenance road converted into a 7km bike track. It has flat sections and 20 percent inclines that would never have featured on a real road. The peak stands at 2300m where a 360 degree view offers selfie fans the chance of a snap with Mont Blanc in the palm of their hand.
Right in French hero Thibaut Pinot’s backyard Tour organisers have placed the only time trial of the event saying they prefer shoulder-to-shoulder racing. The run up to the hugely popular Planche des Belles Filles in the Jura starts out flat and has a long incline before a final 6km ascent that rounds off the action of the 2020 Tour, making it clearly a decisive moment and which saw champion Egan Bernal’s jaw drop in admiration when unveiled.
Main contenders for 2020 Tour de France
After the unveiling of the 2020 Tour de France AFP takes a look at the chief contenders to win the 107th edition:
Egan Bernal (Ineos/COL)
Julian Alaphilippe eyes the route for 2020
His jaw may have dropped when he saw the 20th stage individual time-trial during the presentation, but the iron-willed 22-year-old Colombian is a pure climber, and there are 29 mountain climbs or hills at altitude marking out the confident champion from the Andes as the most likely winner.
Chris Froome (Ineos/GBR)
AFP / Alain JOCARDWith seven Grand Tour wins under his belt Froome is the great champion of his generation. His astonishing attitude towards his grave accident in June shows deep strength and self-belief. Not just a pure climber but a great leader too Froome insists he wants a fifth title or to help a team-mate win the title if he can’t. He appears to be on target to race in the Tour and Ineos principal Dave Brailsford would surely race him if recovered.
Primoz Roglic (Jumbo/SLO)
The former ski-jump champion from Slovenia came third at the 2019 Giro after the rest of the contenders ganged up on him due to his clear physical superiority. Seeing his hopes go up in smoke the timid powerhouse came back to storm the Vuelta a Espana largely by pulversing the field during the time-trial. He will race at the head of the Jumbo team alongside new signing Tom Dumoulin.
Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo/NED)
Having long shown a preference for the Giro, which he won in 2017, time is running short for Dutch master Dumoulin to win a Tour de France. So his timely switch to emerging power team Jumbo for next season offers the converted time-triallist a perfect platform for a tilt at the title. His confidence, intelligence and all around ease with the media and other riders mark him out as a natural leader.
Thibaut Pinot (FDJ/FRA)
AFP / Alain JOCARDPinot is loved by most who know him due to his highly emotional nature, a factor that has often played against him in the heat of battle. But it is this French flair that local fans hope will carry the pure climber to victory with the 20th and likely deciding stage at La Planches des Belles Filles in his home region of the Jura. FDJ will axe their team around the man who skipped away from the entire field in the Pyrenees last year before ripping a thigh muscle in the Alps.
Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck/FRA)
Having set the Tour de France on fire with his rampaging attacks in 2019 Alaphilippe has put himself on the contender map. He can destroy rivals on a short climb, and leave his rivals behind on a long perilous descent. He also has the quality of being able to manage the high stress situations where a rider has to battle through pain. 2018 champion Geraint Thomas called Alaphilippe the darling of France, and the former soldier can be counted on to leave it all out there on the big day.
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