Distance: It was while completing a recon of the time trial course in the morning that Chris Froome — who at the time was still probably the most feared rider in the peloton, having less than twelve months ago completed victories of all three Grand Tours back-to-back — had he freak crash that brought his time at the top to an abrupt halt; then in the stage itself, a year-old Wout van Aert claimed his first ever WorldTour win.
Van Aert has gone from strength to strength since, winning nine Tour de France stages and the green jersey as well as countless one-day classics, while Froome has never been the same. While the personnel and main protagonists of the Tour change with each generation, some things are always a part of it: one of which is, of course, wine, which is celebrated today as riders travel through the Beaujolais wine-growing region.
The peloton will pass through many of the picturesque vineyards where the Gamay grape is grown, which is known for the light-bodied, acidic red wines it creates. The process of Carbonic maceration ferments the juices of the grapes before they have been crushed, meaning that, unlike most wines, it does not benefit from ageing.
With a total of five climbs rated between category two and three, the parcours looks very similar to stage ten, so many of the same riders who featured that day may try and get into the breakaway again here, for what should be another chance to make it to the finish and contest for the stage win.
The last two climbs, the Col de la Croix Montmain and Col dele Croix Rosier, are the hardest, so it makes sense not to commit too deeply to an attack beforehand, though the 28km between the summit of the latter and the finish at Belleville-en-Beaujolais means the stronger climbers will still have to make their moves early.
