Stage 17: Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc to Courchevel – 166 km
Date: July 19, 2023
Stage type: Mountain
What to watch for: If the fight for yellow is still close, the bonus seconds on top of Col de la Loze could come into play.
Stage summary: Four categorized climbs and the narrow, twisty bike path up Col de la Loze define this final day in the Alps. A small descent means this isn’t technically an uphill finish, but that descent is short enough that any time gaps over the top of Col de la Loze are likely to stick until the finish line.
Stage 17 covers more than 5,000 m (16,400 ft) of climbing. The final three kilometers of the Col de la Loze are the most difficult, hovering around 10%. After that, a 6.5 km descent into Courchevel is capped by a short, incredibly steep (18%) kick up to the altiport.
Dane Cash’s picks: Prior to the time trial, I would have given Tadej Pogačar the edge here but it feels like all bets are off after Jonas Vingegaard’s crushing performance. In any case, it feels like it will likely be one of those two winning this stage, or maybe Carlos Rodríguez if he can sneak up the road while they’re staring at each other.
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