Tour de France 2009: Stage 19 preview

• Friday, 26 June 2009
• Andy McGrath
• 0 Comments

Tour de France 2009, stage 19 preview logo

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When Friday July 24
Where Bourgoin-Jallieu – Aubenas
How long 178km

IMPACT ON THE CLASSIFICATIONS
Yellow Jersey 1/5
Green Jersey 2/5
Polka-Dot Jersey 2/5

STAGE DESCRIPTION
This is likely to be the last shot for the chancers and barodeurs of the bunch. Tour favourites and climbers will have Mont Ventoux on their minds, while sprinters will be deterred by the race’s arrival in the Massif Central, signified by the second-category Col de l’Escrinet, which comes 16 kilometres from a maiden Tour finish in Aubenas. Indeed, in the day’s breakaway, it’s likely to be a frenetic pursuit match on the final kilometres of the Escrinet, all the way down to the finish line.

STAGE FACTS

• Neither Bourgoin-Jailleu or Aubenas have been villes étape in the Tour de France before.
• A few kilometres to the east is Montélimar, where Jens Voigt won a transition stage in 2006.
• The Col de l’Escrinet is 14 kilometres long at an average gradient of 4.1%.