Tour de France 2024 Favourites stage 9: Strade Bianche à la Tour
foto: Cor VosGravel roads in the Tour de France – not everyone's chuffed about them, but one thing's for sure: they're going to add a dash of extra excitement to the race. The riders tackle 14 white roads and some climbs over a 199 kilometres course with 2,000 metres of elevation. Who's going to come out on top? (Slideshow route/profile)
Well, not everyone’s happy about it… Actually, the team managers of the GC contenders aren’t thrilled – punctures, mechanical issues, you can’t rule them out -, but the general public loves it. Why? Drama is always around the corner. And let’s be honest, that’s one of the charms of the race. Just like heroics. And the battle. And the beauty and the pain of suffering.
The Strade Bianche sparked a renewed interest in racing on rough roads. Naturally, riders who’ve proven themselves in the Italian gravel classic are the main contenders for the stage win. Pogacar won Strade this spring after a solo break of 81 kilometres. He was also the best in 2022. But it’s unlikely the GC contenders will be fighting for the win. The course just isn’t challenging enough for that.
There’s a fair chance that an attacker is going to celebrate in Troyes. On the other hand, the last 50 kilometres are completely flat, so a sprint from a small peloton isn’t out of the question either.
How the race unfolds also depends on the standings. Therefore, we’ll update this article during the Tour de France.
Favourites 9th stage 2024 Tour de France
*** Tom Pidcock, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert
** Pello Bilbao, Davide Formolo, Maxim Van Gils, Romain Grégoire, Bryan Coquard
* Jasper Philipsen, Mads Pedersen, Arnaud De Lie, Gianni Vermeersch, Valentin Madouas
Another interesting read: route 9th stage 2024 Tour de France.
Tour de France 2024 stage 9: route, profile, video
Click on the images to zoom
Watch the highlights of recent races here:
Leave a comment
No comments yet, your opinion is most welcome.
Related articles The Route - Tour de France 2024 Riders - Tour de France 2024 Favourites - Tour de France 2024 Winners and records - Tour de France GC Favourites - Tour de France 2024 More articles Tour de France 2024: Live report stage 4
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 4: Pinerolo - Valloire
Tour de France 2024 Favourites stage 4: GC clash on the Galibier
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 5: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - Saint-Vulbas
Tour de France 2024 Favourites stage 5: For fast men #2
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 6: Mâcon - Dijon
Tour de France 2024 Favourites stage 6: For fast men #3
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 7: Nuits-Saint-Georges - Gevrey-Chambertin
Tour de France 2024 Favourites stage 7: ITT masters step up
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 8: Semur-en-Auxois - Colombey-les-Deux-Églises
Tour de France 2024 Favourites stage 8: For fast men #4
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 10: Orléans - Saint-Amand-Montrond
Tour de France 2024 Favourites stage 10: For fast men #5
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 11: Evaux-les-Bains - Le Lioran
Tour de France 2024 Favourites stage 11: Brutal onslaught in Massif Central
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 12: Aurillac - Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Tour de France 2024 Favourites stage 12: For fast men #6
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 13: Agen - Pau
Tour de France 2024 Favourites stage 13: For fast men #7
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 14: Pau - Pla d'Adet
Tour de France 2024 Favourites stage 14: Attackers in the Pyrenees
Tour de France 2024 Route stage 15: Loudenvielle - Plateau de Beille
Tour de France 2024 Favourites stage 15: GC riders in the Pyrenees
Cycling Calendar 2024
Vuelta 2024: The Route