The 2020 Tour de France is in its final week of cycling. Check out an update on where the favorites stand heading into Sunday, Sep 20, the final day of cycling so you can rush ahead and make your bets against their Tour de France odds!
2020 Tour de France Update: Injuries, Highlights, Predictions
- When: Saturday, Aug. 29 – Sunday, Sep 20
General Classification Tour de France winner down to Roglic and Pogacar
Just two cyclists have a shot to wear the yellow jersey and win the Tour. Primoz Roglic, the race favorite before Stage 1, has a solid 57 seconds lead over Tadej Pogacar. Roglic has won just a single race, Stage 4, but he’s finished well enough in the other stages to keep the yellow jersey.
Since the Stage 4 victory, Roglic hasn’t finished worse than 32nd in any race. He’s secured 30th or better finishes in 10 races up to Stage 16. The great finishes include a second in Stage 9 and a second in Stage 15.
Primoz added another second in Stage 17 – Col de la Loze. He leapfrogged top contender Tadej Pogacar to finish behind Astana cyclist Miguel Angel Lopez. Roglic’s finish is what bumped him ahead of Pogacar by 57 seconds.
Most considered Stage 17 the toughest of the 2020 Tour de France. The race ended at the top of the Col de La Loze, 2,304 meters above sea level. An average gradient of 7.8 percent on a 21.5 kilometer ascent greeted cyclists as they climbed to the top of Col de la Loze. Bicycling fans can’t look past how Roglic easily handled the climb.
With just 4 stages left, it will take a massive effort by Tadej, and a breakdown by Primoz, for Roglic to relinquish the GC yellow jersey. The pre-Tour de France favorite looks like he’ll grab the trophy for Jumbo-Visma unless something unexpected happens.
Bernal drops out leaving Ineos Grenadiers without their top cyclist
It started out as a tough Tour de France for 2019 winner Egan Bernal. Unfortunately, it didn’t get easier. The top cyclist at bicycling power Ineos Grenadiers, Bernal dropped out before Stage 17.
He suffered some back pain during Stage 15. The performance in Stage 15 ended Bernal’s chances to catch Roglic. Although Egan tried to do what he could in Stage 16, the back pain led to pain in his knees.
Like any athlete, when a cyclist feels pain in one area of his or her body, the bicyclist can unconsciously overcompensate with another part of the body. That may have happened to Bernal. With no chance of winning, and in a lot of pain, Bernal called it quits on Tuesday.
Roglic’s 2020 Tour de France Lead looks insurmountable
After Stage 17, Primoz Roglic appears to have an insurmountable lead. Col de la Loze winner Miguel Angel Lopez jumped to third place. Tadej Pogacar remains in second. But, as we wrote above, Pogacar must make up 57 seconds on Roglic.
Primoz looks like the 2020 Tour de France winner. He’s not the only winner. Anybody who loves sports should smile. A month or so ago, some questioned whether France could pull off a Tour this year. Not only has France pulled it off, but the racing has been as exciting as it’s ever been.
Have a great rest of your week!
