Tour de France 2023 Favourites stage 14: Climbers with descending skills

foto: Cor VosThe 14th stage is a hearty mountain meal with an elevation gain of almost 4,300 metres. Six climbs are served, five of which classified, before a techincal finale on descent down. So, wanted: good climber and ditto descender. (Slideshow route/profile)

To arrive at the foot of the feared and revered Col de Joux Plane the riders have to conquer the Col de Saxel (4.2 kilometres at 4.6%), Col de Cou (7 kilometres at 7,4%), Col du Feu (5.8 kilometres at 7.8%), Col de Jambaz (6.8 kilometres at 3.8%), and Col de Ramaz (13.9 kilometres at 7.1%). The Joux Plane itself is a brutal test – 11.6 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 8.5%. Which is all the more intimidating with the realisation that the second half is virtually entirely double digit material.

The summit of the de Joux Plane is not the start of the downhill finale. The riders stay at altitude for a couple of kilometres – first false flat down, then false flat up – before the descent is extremely technical and difficult. The last few hundred metres in Morzine climb at 3% to the line, which could be important in a sprint.

Attackers or GC riders? We would say the first category, but it could be the other way around just as easily.

Favourites 14th stage 2023 Tour de France

*** Thibaut Pinot, Marc Soler, Giulio Ciccone, Mattias Skjelmose
** Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Pello Bilbao, Tom Pidcock
* Ion Izagirre, Julian Alaphilippe, Dylan Teuns, Matteo Jorgenson

Another interesting read: route 14th stage 2023 Tour de France.