Tour de France

The dangerous descent of Col de Manse

Twelve kilometers from the finish line in Gap, the Col de Manse, a second category climb (8.9 km at 5.6%), is crowned. In the descent to the Altos Alpes town (La Rochelle), Joseba Beloki's Tour ended in 2003 when he fractured his femur, wrist, and right elbow. And in the descent of Manse, Alberto Contador fell in 2013, without consequences, when he pressed the current leader, Chris Froome. That move didn't sit well with the British rider, who criticized Contador for taking too many risks and not being gentlemen-like with his full acceleration. The yellow jersey was on the verge of kissing the ground, but he managed to control his bike. The Spaniard responded, "It's simply about cycling, I took a chance and luckily there were no injuries to regret."

Now, he doesn't trust that luck will be on their side: "I remember that day in 2013. I fell and Froome almost did too. In Manse, it will be difficult for opportunities to arise. People will wait for movements, they will remain attentive, and it will be challenging for attacks to succeed. It's predictable. However, if it's possible, we will try."

Nairo prefers to save himself for the mountain stages: "I don't think anyone will manage to distance themselves from the rest." Valverde is more optimistic: "There will be surprises."