The high mountains return to the Tour de France with this Friday marking the opening day of a trio of alpine stages. The day features a relatively short 138-kilometer trek that begins in Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne and climbs to the legendary Grand Colombier, a climb classified as a monster of the mountain with gradients that stretch from 7.1 percent to as steep as 17.4 percent in places. This phase is designed to shake up the general classification and crown a new stage winner who can handle the brutal ramps and the high-altitude finish. In a dramatic showdown, Pogacar pressed the pace and tested every contender, while Roglic lingered close, ready to answer any move and pounce when a moment window appeared. The atmosphere around the Colombier was electric as riders battled not just the clock but the clock’s ruthless ticking on a climb that has long defined the race’s mountain narrative. A number of teams managed to orchestrate attempts to disrupt the bunch, but the ascent ultimately favored those who could sustain power at altitude and time trial-esque efforts in the final kilometers, setting up a chapter in this year’s competition that spectators will remember for the grit and the strategic depth involved. (Source: Tour de France organizers)
The peloton faces a demanding thirteenth stage following a day of tactical moves and late surges. On the previous day, the Spaniard Ion Izagirre, riding for Cofidis, captured the victory on stage twelve, a 169-kilometer ride from Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais. The Basque rider sealed his second victory of this 110th edition of the Grande Boucle, proving again that endurance and smart sprinting can coexist with climbing prowess. His performance added a fresh dynamic to the general classification chase and reminded competitors that every day in the Tour demands a new plan, a new risk, and a new response from the teams eager to defend or overturn the standings. (Source: Tour de France organizers)
As the race unfolded, the battle for overall supremacy remained intensely contested. In the early stages, Jonas Vingegaard of Jumbo-Visma and Tadej Pogacar from UAE Team Emirates both showed intent to strike. They attacked the peloton to test the limits of the rivals and to press for a decisive advantage. Yet when the gravity of the mountain climbs pulled the field back together, the advantage swung toward a small group capable of keeping the tempo and making the right strategic calls. In the final reckoning, Vingegaard remained 17 seconds ahead of Pogacar, a gap that illustrated the stubborn resilience of the Dutch rider and the continued threat posed by the Slovenian champion. Behind them, Spaniards Carlos Rodríguez of Ineos Grenadiers and Pello Bilbao of Bahrain Victorious completed the fourth and fifth places in the general classification, respectively, signaling that the Tour’s mountain phase is shaping a potent contest among potential podium finishers who can both climb and ride with aggression when the road trends uphill. (Source: Tour de France organizers)