Bastille Day. A stage on 14th of July is bound to be special. So much so that, this year, the peloton have to wait one more day before enjoying the first rest day, as this Monday marks France’s national day. Saying the race will deliver fireworks on such occasion might be a cliché - but expect the riders, and especially the French, to deliver.
The course of stage 10, across Massif Central, is an invitation to go on the attack. Local heroes will give everything to show the best version of themselves on a short - 165.3km - and explosive - 7 categorised climbs, 4,450 metres of elevation (the 4th highest value in this edition) - course. One can expect a brutal battle for the breakaway, with the Côte de Loubeyrat (cat. 2) to be tackled early in the stage. From that point, there will be virtually no flat section all the way to Le Mont-Dore.
The battle will go on and on as every team - not only the French - will aim to make the most of the day’s climbs to seize an opportunity to shine. It’s not the hardest course, as Tadej Pogacar put it on Saturday, but it is bound to be raced full gas all day long - and Remco Evenepoel is “looking forward to it”. Will it favour early attackers? Or will the GC contenders take it all? It’s almost impossible to predict. But one thing is certain: we’ll see fireworks on Bastille Day.
