The mountainous program of the day starts with the discovery of the Col de la Hourcère which will immediately precede the climb to the Col de Soudet.
For the seventh time since the beginning of the Tour, the riders will ride at an altitude of over 1,500m. They will then battle it out on the extremely steep climb up to the Col de Marie Blanque before heading back down to Laruns.
The first week of Tour De France 2020 ends in style- with another mountainous ride through the Pyrenees.
According to organisers, this 153km-stage comprises of five categorized climbs, the last of which—the super-steep Category 1 Col de Marie Blanque—summits just 18km from the finish line in Laruns.
Cyclists will be flagged off in Pau, which has hosted the Tour de France more than any other city except for Paris and Bordeaux.
Hours later the cyclists will encounter the day’s first climb, the Category 4 Côte d’Artiguelouve comes soon after leaving town, and should serve as the perfect place for riders hoping to join the day’s long breakaway to escape.
The second half of the stage begins with the Category 1 Col de la Hourcère (11.1km at 8.8 percent), a steep climb that should begin to thin down both the breakaway and the leading peloton.
This climb offers a false summit, with the Category 3 Col de Soudet (3.8km at 8.5 percent) starting only a few kilometers off the top of the Hourcère.
The race will explode on the day’s final ascent, the Category 1 Col de Marie Blanque (7.7km at 8.6 percent), a short but steep climb whose final 4km all have an average grade over 9 percent.
It’s here that both the stage and the fate of the Tour’s yellow jersey should be decided, as riders off the front attack to try and win the day, while the Tour’s overall contenders try and capitalize on whichever rival they feel is having a bad one.
Stage 9 ends with a descent off the top of the Marie Blanque followed by a few kilometers along the valley road to the finish line in Laruns.
source https://taarifa.rw/stage-9-of-tour-de-france-2020-kicks-off-shortly/
