Tour de France 2024 – Stage 19 Preview

Stage 19 of the 2024 Tour de France ascends into the lofty heights of the Alps. The three climbs of this 144.6-kilometer stage from Embrun to Isola 2000 all rise above 2,000 meters, making the “thin air” an additional challenge for the riders. The highlight of this toughest Alpine stage is the Cime de la Bonnette. At 2,802 meters, it is the highest paved road in France. However, the battle for the Yellow Jersey will likely culminate on the final climb to the Isola 2000 ski resort.

Stage 19 | 19 July | Embrun to Isola 2000 | 144.6 km | 4,400 m elevation gain

Over half of the day will be spent climbing as the riders make their way from Embrun to the mountain finish at Isola 2000. The 144.6-kilometer stage includes three major climbs, totaling 4,400 meters of elevation gain, all of which reach over 2,000 meters in altitude.

The stage begins in Embrun, with the first sprint point located in Guillestre at kilometer 21.1 on undulating terrain. Shortly after, the road ascends to the first climb of the day. The Col de Vars is an 18.8-kilometer Hors Categorie climb with an average gradient of 5.7 percent. The climb to 2,109 meters is not uniform. The first part is relatively steep, then after eight kilometers, the gradient decreases briefly. After this, the gradient is just under three percent, and there is a short descent before the incline increases to six to eight percent.

From the summit of Col de Vars, the riders descend for 20 kilometers to the small town of Jausiers. At the base of the next Hors Categorie climb, they will begin the seemingly endless ascent over the Col de la Bonnette Restefond (2,703 meters) to 2,802 meters, where they will do a “loop” on the Cime de la Bonnette – the highest paved road in France.

The climb is 22.9 kilometers long with an average gradient of 6.9 percent, including three steeper sections with gradients over nine percent. The last of these ramps is between Col de la Bonnette Restefond and Cime de la Bonnette.

Whether the riders will enjoy the 360-degree panorama at nearly 3,000 meters or be focused on more pressing matters remains to be seen.

From Cime de la Bonnette, the road descends for 40 kilometers to Isola (904 meters). Near the Italian border, the final climb to the Isola 2000 ski resort begins. This climb is 16.1 kilometers long with an average gradient of 7.1 percent, leading to the finish at 2,024 meters. The first part of the climb includes particularly steep ramps.

Favorites Check: Stage Win and Yellow Jersey

Will Stage 19 bring another showdown for the Yellow Jersey? Will Jonas Vingegaard and his Team Visma | Lease a Bike attack Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) once more, or will Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) seize the opportunity?

Had Vingegaard’s preparation gone smoothly, his team would have highlighted this stage. Vingegaard excels in altitude and long climbs, which have traditionally troubled Pogacar. But Pogi has matured and improved. Longer climbs no longer seem to faze him. His body’s “altitude memory” has surely improved over the past year. For instance, during the Giro, he showed no signs of weakness on climbs over 2,000 meters.

Could a breakaway win this stage? Few would have bet on that at the start of the Tour. But now the situation is different, and it’s uncertain what form Vingegaard is in or who still has the power to challenge the Yellow Jersey.

A breakaway will certainly form, but whether it will succeed is up in the air. Richard Carapaz likes altitude, but going in a breakaway three days in a row might be too much even for the Ecuadorian Olympic champion.

The leader, Tadej Pogacar, has his own view on Stage 19: “We will think defensively first and then see how the legs feel on the last climb. But we have to be prepared for something; it is the Queen stage. It is a stage you want to win. We will see fireworks and maybe some changes in the standings.”

Stage 19 Classifications

Sprint Points

• Guillestre | Kilometer 21.1

King of the Mountains

• Col de Vars (2,109 m) | Hors Categorie | Kilometer 42.6
• Cime de la Bonette (2,802 m) | Hors Categorie | Kilometer 87.5
• Isola 2000 (2,024 m) | Category 1 | Kilometer 144.6