Tour de France 2023 - 20th stage: Belfort - Le Markstein | 133.5 kilometres
Fasten your seat belts! The final mountain stage promises pure drama. Short and steep means that the teams will be tempted to bring the lightest possible racing bikes to the start, as the climbs to the Petit Ballon and Col du Platzerwasel are steeper than average at 8.4 and 8.1 per cent respectively. From a tactical point of view, it is likely that the GC riders will end up fighting each other in isolation.
Which bike actually offers technical advantages will depend very much on when the real shootout begins on the 20th stage of the 2023 Tour de France. Will the captains attack each other heroically early in the spirit of Marco Pantani at the foot of the Petit Ballon? Are they even planning to do so and have the mechanics working overtime to sand the last few grams of paint off the frame (30-100 grams, depending on the paint job)? Not everyone has naked bikes like the bare BMC Teammachine from AG2R.
Fact check 1 - lighter
One pound of weight saved gives a mathematical advantage of eight seconds when climbing the Petit Ballon.
Fact check 2 - thinner rubbers
Once again, time trial tyres (TT tyres) could be fitted. If you have Conti as a sponsor, you would still have very good tyres, as they offer complete puncture protection and good grip. Other TT tyres would be very risky downhill, especially in wet conditions. Calculated advantage on the ascent of the Petit Ballon due to weight advantage and rolling resistance: two seconds.
Fact check 3 - Aero advantages on the mountain?
Simulation: Late attack by the GC riders 2000 metres before the summit of the Col du Platzerwasel and from the summit seven kilometres of undulating and slightly downhill to the finish.
Shootout of the GC bikes
- Cervelo S5: 14:44 min
- Colnago V4RS: 14:52 min
- Cervelo R5: 14:58 min
The (almost) entire field in scenario 3
Simulated rider: 66 kilograms. Scenario for the simulation: Start 2000 metres before the Col du Platzerwasel, pedal power averaging 400 watts to the finish.
Number of the day: 14 seconds
Would the aerodynamic Cervelo S5 be a gift to Jonas Vingegaard compared to the team's own Bergrad R5 in this final? Surprise! In a tough, late exchange of blows on the 20th stage of the 2023 Tour de France, the aero bike has the tyre clearly ahead compared to an un-aerodynamic lightweight bike! Which bikes will the teams ride? Will this perhaps tell us at the start who is planning which strategy?
The tactics tip
Time trial tyres in the mountains?
What are the advantages of time trial tyres in the mountains at the Tour de France? Less weight and less rolling resistance. What are the arguments against them? Almost everything else.
Time trial tyres (TT tyres) are the lightest tyres, which also makes them interesting for uphill rides. In addition, the rolling resistance is lower, but this is not so important on climbs because the speed is not particularly high. As soon as things get faster, however, the rolling resistance should not be underestimated and faster tyres save energy over the entire stage. However, whether TT tyres are a serious option for a mountain stage depends very much on the details. According to our measurements and experience, the Conti GP 5000 TT TR in particular are fully-fledged, but thinner rubberised racing tyres that are even suitable for the mountains in terms of grip, puncture protection and ride feel; somewhat firmer and less cushioned than the normal tyres - due to the thinner tread - but definitely suitable for all-round use (were also ridden at Milan-San Remo). Many other TT models either have no puncture protection or have rubber compounds that are too hard for fast and safe downhill racing at the limit. Many TT tyres are particularly risky in the wet because they have less cornering grip and also inspire less confidence.
How do we know that? Because we have tested TT tyres to the limit, to the point of breaking out on wet roads; because we have drilled and rolled them and turned the innermost parts inside out. If you're interested in the details of the rubber freak show, you can find out more here: The Griptest methodology
*) The calculations are based on the bikes tested by TOUR in the laboratory and wind tunnel. The bikes at the Tour de France may differ in some details. Of course, we have not yet been able to analyse last-minute prototypes. Background to the simulation.
Our expert
Robert Kühnen studied mechanical engineering, writes about technical and training topics for TOUR and develops test methods. Robert has been refining the simulation calculations for years and they are also used by professional teams.
