Key events
And what of the points classification, AKA the green jersey?
General classification: top 10 before stage 10
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 32hrs 17min 04sec
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike): +2min 42sec
3. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG): +3min 27sec
4. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe): +3min 30sec
5. Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek): +3min 34sec
6. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team): +3min 55sec
7. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe): +4min 00sec
8. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious): +4min 21sec
9. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek): +4min 57sec
10. Egan Bernal (Netcompany-Ineos): +9min 12sec
Let’s take a look at the Tadej Pogacar show general classification.
Preamble
There is an old Tour de France adage that riders never quite know how their legs will feel after a rest day. Some might feel relatively refreshed and ready to tackle seven categorised climbs on today’s 166.6km route. But after a punishing and fiendishly hot first week, others will merely be looking to survive: especially the sprinters, whose reward for grinding through 3,800m of vertical ascent today is a flat stage tomorrow.
The mountainous terrain between Aurillac and Le Lioran on stage 10 looks ripe for a strong group of climbers to escape the peloton’s clutches and battle for victory. But Tadej Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates-XRG were shutting down attacks down left, right and centre in the first week, aiming to keep things under close control for the race leader and his lieutenant, Isaac del Toro.
The intermediate sprint comes after just 25.5km of racing, so expect Lidl-Trek to control early on and set up Mads Pedersen for maximum green jersey points at Lacapelle-del-Fraisse. After that, if an escape group that Pogacar deems acceptable gets up the road, perhaps we will see a breakaway being given a relatively long leash. But if the race refuses to settle down before the categorised climbs begin – the top of the category-three Côte de Pailherols arrives after 68km – it promises to be another gruelling day for all concerned.
Neutralised start: 1pm CET/12pm BST
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