The route is tailor-made for Classics specialists. But it’s not a Classic, so how the race unfolds will be different. Odds are that the winner comes from the breakaway.
The riders clip into their pedals in Roanne to traverse the hills between the Loire and Rhône. It starts out with a false flat to Montigny and, following a short descent, climbing commences on the Côte de Thizy-les-Bourg (4.3 kilometres at 5.6%). With this the tone is set and the riders continue over the Col des Ecorbans (2.1 kilometres at 6.9%), Col du Fût d’Avenas (2.6 kilometres at 4.3%), Col de la Casse Froide (5.2 kilometres at 6.1%), Col de la Croix Montmain (5.5 kilometres at 6.1%), and Col de la Croix Rosier (5.3 kilometres at 7.6%).
There is still 26.5 kilometres remaining at the Croix Rosier. Mostly on descent, although some sections go up as well. Such as the Côte de Brouilly – 1.7 kilometres at 5.2% and with its summit 13 kilometres from the finish. That final section runs predominantly false flat downhill.
GC riders will want to keep their powder dry with the brutal stages ahead, while the route is too hard for the sprinters. Which opens up the way for the break to be successful.
Favourites 12th stage 2023 Tour de France
*** Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Mattias Skjelmose, Georg Zimmermann
** Matej Mohoric, Michal Kwiatkowski, Julian Alaphilippe, Matteo Jorgenson, Krists Neilands
* Magnus Cort, Neilson Powless, Jasper Stuyven, Stefan Küng, Fred Wright, Ruben Guerreiro
Another interesting read: route 12th stage 2023 Tour de France.
Tour de France 2023 stage 12: route, profiles, more
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