PAU, France, July 8 (Reuters) - The Tour de France favourites are set to face their first major high-altitude test on Thursday as the 113th edition of the race passes over the legendary Col du Tourmalet in the final stage of the Pyrenees segment.
The peloton will ride 186.2km between Pau and Gavarnie-Gedre during stage six, tackling 4,100 metres of climbing across five categorised climbs including the uphill finish. The Col du Tourmalet summit is located 38km from the finish line.
Race organisers lightened the Pyrenean route compared with previous editions, as they want the race to remain undecided until the very end. For that reason, the Alps will offer much harder stages in the Tour's third and last week.
Nonetheless, the Col du Tourmalet — one of the most storied climbs in Tour history — remains a key battleground.
"I think that the all-rounders and climbers will tick this one off, because there’s a chance that the survivors of the morning breakaway might go on to win just a stone’s throw from the majestic Cirques of Gavarnie," the race organiser's sports director Jean-Michel Monin said.
"I don’t think the general classification contenders will necessarily tick that one off, but depending on the gap at the top of the Col d'Aspin (located 30 km before the Col du Tourmalet), perhaps the teams supporting them will set a fast pace on the Tourmalet, which is a tough climb."
Three years ago, the Col du Tourmalet's top being situated 47km from the finish line did not prevent Jonas Vingegaard from launching an attack on the iconic climb, only to be dropped in the final ramp later that day.
Julien Jurdie, sports director of Decathlon CMA CGM, expects an intense battle among the big names.
"We know it is one of the hardest climbs on the Tour de France. I can't believe UAE or Visma won't do anything on the Tourmalet," Jurdie said, referring to Tadej Pogacar's and Jonas Vingegaard's teams.
"All the ingredients are in place for a nice battle between the overall favourites. I think that 'Pogi' wants to test his main rivals."
UAE Team Emirates-XRG's CEO Mauro Gianetti downplayed the stage's significance.
"It's an important stage, but I don't think there will be big gaps," he said.
(Reporting by Vincent Daheron in Pau; Editing by Toby Chopra)
