Following the first mountain top showdown at La Super Planche de Belles Filles and another dominant performance by Tadej Pogačar, the Tour de France heads into Switzerland through the weekend, offering a taste of what’s to come in the high French Alps early in the second week.
The stages to Lausanne on Saturday and then higher in the Alps to Chatel on Sunday, will indicate what we can except when the riders tackle the Megève runway finish on Tuesday, the mighty Col du Galibier and Hors Category climb to the finish on the Col du Granon on Wednesday and then the Galiber again on Bastille Day, along with the Col de la Croix de Fer and Alpe d’Huez.
At the moment Tadej Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates squad are in control of the 2022 Tour de France but the Slovenian’s lead is still a matter of seconds rather than minutes. Even the two time winner cannot relax with Jonas Vingegaard and his Jumbo-Visma team so strong. Ineos Grenadiers too still have multiple cards to play in Geraint Thomas, Adam Yates, Dani Martínez and perhaps even Tom Pidcock.
The stages to Lausanne and Chalet will be the next tests of Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates squad – the seven riders who will have to work hard to protect him on the rolling Swiss roads while the management will have to design the tactics so that Pogačar can go on to defeat multiple challenges and challengers.
Pogačar is perhaps facing the biggest test of his Tour de France reign and seems to know it. The world is watching to see if the Slovenian ever makes a mistake and if it can cost him victory at the 2022 Tour de France.
The next two stages will be like the opening rounds of a title fight, with jabs and body blows rather than a knock-out punch. But even a good jab can score points and reveal weaknesses that can be exploited later, so Pogačar and his team will have their guard up and their own punches ready to throw.
Across the Jura to Lausanne uphill finish, then higher still to Chatel
Saturday’s 186.3km stage from Dole to Lausanne takes the Tour de France across the French Jura mountains before a descent towards Lake Geneva and the uphill finish near the football stadium above the city centre.
It seems a perfect day for a breakaway, as GC contenders and their teams try to recover from the efforts of Friday’s stage and prepare for the High Alps looming on the horizon.
Those brave enough to go on the attack will have to climb up to the Jura plains, via the Côte du Maréchet and the Côte des…
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