Grid start coming to 2018 Tour de France’s explosive Stage 17

What promised to already be an explosive Stage 17 of the 2018 Tour de France in the Pyrenees will get an additional twist. Race organizer ASO will be starting riders in the 65 km mountain stage according to their general classification position like in XC mountain bike races, cyclocross and Formula 1 competitions.

The length of the stage is novel for a Grand Tour at only 65-km and promises intense racing with three mountains in the short distance between Bagneres-de-Luchon and Saint-Lary Soulon. “It will indeed be the shortest normal stage of the last thirty years. Its format will be dynamic for what should prove to be a dynamite stage,” said Christian Prudhomme said when the course was revealed.

To add an additional element of unpredictability to the stage, riders will be started according to their general classification position. The yellow jersey wearer ahead of Stage 17 will line-up dead centre in pole position. The second placed rider to his left and third placed rider to his right.

The top-10 in the general classification will be lined-up across the start line with the next 10 riders behind them. Then there will be a gap between the next cluster of 20 riders. Then the final groups will be comprised of 40 riders which will be bunched in what organizers are calling cages rather than lined-up according to their exact GC position. In total there should be five groups

This style of start will separate teams who will need to regroup and organize after the start, something that will be difficult as the riders begin the ascent of Col de Peyresourde from the gun. There is virtually no flat road in the stage as following Peyresourde the race tackles the Col de Val Louron-Azet then the Col de Portet which is the final ascent of the stage.

While in traditional stages there is also a neutral roll out allowing teams to organize and riders who want to get into the break position themselves for an attack, Stage 17 will be raced from the start-line.

The exact effect on the racing is yet to be seen but organizers hope it will lead to aggressive racing for the entirety of the stage which should last no longer than two and a half hours. The format should also make it more difficult for a rider in one of the groups further back to make it into the breakaway.

“Anyone who wants to sprint to the foot of that bottleneck can do so,” explained route director Thierry Gouvenou to the approach of the 15-km Col de Peyresourde from the start line. “Any leader who prefers to wait for his teammates can also do that. It’s at your own risk.”