Sam Bennett's goal of returning to Tour de France success will hinge on a half dozen stages suited to his abilities in next year's race.
Details of the 2022 Tour were unveiled in Paris on Thursday morning and feature a well-balanced route comprising mountain stages, time trials, a rendezvous with the cobbles and several flat stages. It begins in Copenhagen on July 1st and has three stages in Denmark before heading to France.
The sprint stages are those which will appeal to Bennett, who is leaving the Deceuninck-QuickStep squad and returning to Bora-hansgrohe next season. He won two stages plus the green jersey in 2020 but was forced to miss this year’s race due to a knee injury.
“From first glance, it seems like a good one,” he told The Irish Times. “I am happy to see the Roubaix-style stage back in [the cobbled stage five to Wallers-Arenberg]. I think it is a very nice addition to the Tour de France, and it gives a stage for the Classic riders to really go for. But also, it makes sure that the general classification winner is a real all-round rider. I think it is nice that is in there, it gives the race something else.”
Six or seven stages look suitable for the sprinters, namely stages two and three in Denmark, stage four to Calais – which is the first day in France – as well as stage 13 to Saint-Etienne, stage 15 to Carcassonne, stage 19 to Cahors and the concluding stage on the streets of Paris.
Bennett is more versatile than many of the other sprinters, which could leave him still in contention if others are dropped on lumpy terrain.
“There seems to be a fair amount of sprint stages,” he continued. “Obviously being a sprinter I’d like a bit more. But yeah, some nice windy stages, so they will be difficult sprints. It seems like a nice one. Also, starting with a prologue, I think it makes things a little less stressful for a bunch sprint, because when the first stage is really for the yellow jersey, it can cause silly crashes. So having a prologue to really get into the race is quite nice.
“At first glance, I like the look of it.”
Sprint opportunities aside, the race opens with an immediate test of the general classification contenders, in the form of a 13km individual time trial in Copenhagen. The cobbles on stage five will be another test, as will the first mountaintop finish two days later at La Super Planche des Belles Filles.
A trio of hilly stages follow, interrupted by a rest day at Morzine, after which the battle for the yellow jersey will heat up with three Alpine stages. The lumpy race to Mégève on July 12th will be followed by summit finishes at the Col du Granon and the legendary Alpe d’Huez on July 13th and 14th.
A rest day at Carcassonne will precede a number of stages in the Pyrenees, with the mountains stage to Foix and the summit finishes of Peyragudes and Hautacam likely to play a crucial role in determining the final yellow jersey. Ditto for the penultimate stage, an undulating 40km time trial from Lacapelle-Marivale to Rocamadour.
Tadej Pogacar, who won the Tour de France in 2020 and 2021, gave the route a thumbs up.
“It’s pretty great, it’s a complete course,” said the Slovenian rider. “From the first stage to the last stage, we have everything: sprints, echelons, cobbles, big climbs, small climbs, time trials. I’m really looking forward to it. I’ll do some recons because it will be necessary after we saw what’s on the plan. I’m pretty excited.”
Women’s Tour
Significantly, Tour organisers ASO also announced the first women’s Tour de France for many, many years. The organisers had previously held a women’s race called La Course in recent years, but this tended to be just one day in length. The new eight-day Tour de France Femmes will begin in Paris on the same day the men’s race finishes there, take in the Vosges mountains and gravel roads around Troyes, and peaking with a final day summit finish at the Super Planche des Belles Filles climb.
“The challenge hasn’t been to create a race but to create a race that lasts, one that will be sustainable and with us in 100 years,” said Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme.
Tour de France Femmes race director Marian Rousse, a former pro cyclist, said she was glad to see the race happen. “Women’s cycling has evolved year after year and it’s an honour to be part of it.”
Five key stages:
Stage 11, Albertville to Col du Granon:
The 149km stage may be relatively short, but it is ferocious. The riders will dig deep to scale the 2,642m high Col du Galiber, followed by the 2,413m Col du Granon. The high altitudes will almost certainly mean some riders crack and may play to the strengths of some of the Colombian riders who are more used to living, training and racing at such altitude.
Stage 12, Briançon to Alpe d'Huez:
Bastille Day always produces attacks from French riders and they will be particularly motivated to try for the early break on a day finishing atop the famous Alpe d'Huez. It is returning for the first time since Geraint Thomas won in 2018, and the day's course will be a replica of the stage where Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault went shoulder to shoulder in 1986. They will head up the Col du Galibier and the Col de la Croix de Fer prior to the final ascent to the top of Alpe d'Huez.
Stage 17, Saint-Gaudens to Peyragudes:
The 130km mountain stage takes four key climbs, namely the Col d'Aspin, Hourquette d'Ancizan, Col de Val Louron-Azet and then an 8km final climb ending with a steep ramp to the line. The finish is on the runway which featured in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies.
Stage 18, Lourdes to Hautacam:
One day later the riders will tackle another gruelling mountain stage, which represents the final chance for the climbers to gain time prior to the final time trial. The peloton will encounter the Col d'Aubisque and the Col des Spandelles en route to the concluding ascent of Hautacam.
Stage 20, Lacapelle-Marivale to Rocamadour time trial:
The 40km race against the clock is on undulating terrain and lacks any long climbs which would make things easier for the lighter riders. If a specialist climber is leading the race with a small lead, he will be on edge looking at the course profile, while any all rounder within striking distance may fancy his chances of seizing yellow.
Tour de France 2022:
Stage 1, Friday July 1st: Copenhagen individual time trial, 13km
Stage 2, Saturday July 2nd: Roskilde to Nyborg, 199km
Stage 3, Sunday July 3rd: Vieje to Sonderborg, 182km
Rest day, Monday July 4th: Lille
Stage 4, Tuesday July 5th: Dunkirk to Calais, 172km
Stage 5, Wednesday July 6th: Lille to Wallers-Arenberg, 155km
Stage 6, Thursday July 7th: Binche to Longwy, 220km
Stage 7, Friday July 8th: Tomblaine to La Super Planche des Belles Filles, 176km
Stage 8, Saturday July 9th: Dole to Lausanne, 184km
Stage 9, Sunday July 10th: Aigle to Châtel, 183km
Rest day Monday July 11th: Morzine
Stage 10, Tuesday July 12th: Morzine to Mégève, 148km
Stage 11, Wednesday July 13th: Albertville to Col du Granon, 149km
Stage 12, Thursday July 14th: Briançon to Alpe d'Huez, 166km
Stage 13, Friday July 15th: Bourg d'Oisans to Saint-Etienne, 193km
Stage 14, Saturday July 16th: Saint-Etienne to Mende, 195km
Stage 15, Sunday July 17th: Rodez to Carcassone, 200km
Rest day Monday July 18th: Carcassonne
Stage 16, Tuesday July 19th: Carcassone to Foix, 179km
Stage 17, Wednesday July 20th: Saint-Gaudens to Peyragudes, 130km
Stage 18, Thursday July 21th: Lourdes to Hautacam, 143km
Stage 19, Friday July 22nd: Castelnau-Magnoac to Cahors, 189km
Stage 20, Saturday July 23rd: Lacapelle-Marivale to Rocamadour individual time trial, 40km
Stage 21, Sunday July 24: Paris to Paris, 112km
Tour de France Femmes 2022:
Stage 1, Sunday July 24th: Tour Eiffel to Champs Elysees, 82km
Stage 2, Monday July 25th: Meaux to Provins, 135km
Stage 3, Tuesday July 26th: Reims to Epernay, 133km
Stage 4, Wednesday July 27th: Troyes to Bar-sur-Aube, 126km
Stage 5, Thursday July 28th: Bar-le-Duc to Saint-die-des-Vosges, 175km
Stage 6, Friday July 29th: Saint-die-des-Vosges to Rosheim, 128km
Stage 7, Saturday July 30th: Selestat to Le Markstein, 127km
Stage 8, Sunday July 31st: Lure to La Super Planche des Belles Filles, 123km
