It is not necessary to go to the colossal passes of the Alps to do a great mountain stage. The fifteenth stage is the best test. The cyclists will climb five ports, three from First, one from Second and one Third, and will accumulate a difference in level of 4,483 meters. It will therefore be, a priori, the second toughest day on the ground, only behind the 17th, in the great Alps.
The Lower Alps are made up of short passes. Except for the Col de la Croix Fry, none exceeds 10 km of ascent. But all very explosive and intense. The five cols of the day have at least one kilometer above 9%.
Everything starts from Bluffy’s sprint, at km. 72. The ports are grouped in the last 100 kilometers and the hardness is increasing. The highlight are the climbs to Amerands and Le Bettex, already in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, two passes -the first is a wall- that are linked by a small section of descent.
The finish is identical to that of stage 7 of the Dauphiné in 2018. That day Adam Yates, now Pogacar’s teammate in the UAE, won with a spectacular attack in the last 100 meters although he could not jeopardize Geraint’s overall victory Thomas. It is the fourth and last summit finish of this Tour and the culmination of the first three days in the Alps before the second day of rest.
