La Tour-du-Pin (France) (AFP)
All lights are green for the arrival in the Alps: the riders of the Tour de France got back in the saddle on Tuesday for the 16th stage at La Tour-du-Pin, towards Villard-de-Lans, relieved that the day of rest revealed no positive cases of Covid-19 within the 22 teams.
At the signal of Christian Prudhomme, back in the N.1 race car after a period of quarantine due to positivity to the coronavirus, 156 runners launched at 1:22 p.m. in the heat on the 164 kilometers of the first stage of a triptych alpine until Thursday.
The slopes not severe enough or long enough on this first alpine day should not offer a battle between favorites, quick to observe before the moment of truth of this Tour de France on Wednesday: the scarecrow that is the brutal Col de la Loze .
"This is a stage more dedicated to backpackers than to general classification runners," confirms race director Thierry Gouvenou.
"Especially in view of the menu the next day ..."
The mid-mountains of Chartreuse and Vercors on Tuesday are undoubtedly also the penultimate field of expression for the attackers with the stage towards La Roche-sur-Foron on Thursday.
The fight to take the breakaway may therefore be bitter from the start of the race.
© 2020 AFP