The two previous climbs are also scheduled for Sunday 13 September. To be precise, the riders enter the route of the Tour de France`s 15th stage after 34.8 kilometres.
The opener of the race is nothing special. The riders clip into their pedals in Saint Vulbas to set off on a virtually flat journey for 68 kilometres. Then the profile changes dramatically. The Montée de la Selle de Fromentel is a test of 11 kilometres with an average gradient of 8.5%. The last 3 kilometres are especially demanding, as they go up at 11.5%, 14.5% and 12.5% respectively.
The finish is a stone’s throw away when the race reaches the top of the Montée de la Selle de Fromentel, but instead of going straight on the riders turn left to descend into Lochieu and tackle the Col de la Biche. This 6.4 kilometres climb at 8.9% features two kilometres at over 10% in the middle section.
The riders have been circling the Grand Colombier since tackling the Montée de la Selle de Fromentel. Eventually the route goes all way to the top. The riders enter the climb in Culoz and on this side it adds up to 17.4 kilometres, while the average gradient sits at 7.1%. The Grand Colombier is hard and irregular with a number of double digit sections, including the last 400 metres before the finish line.
Thibaut Pinot soloed to victory on the Grand Colombier in last year’s Tour de l’Ain.
The intermediate sprints come with 3, 2 and 1 seconds, while time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds are awarded to the first three riders on the line.
Another interesting read: results 3rd stage 2020 Tour de l’Ain.
Tour de l’Ain 2020 stage 3: route, profile
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