Tour de France 2024 Stage 20 Preview: Final Mountain Stage

Stage 20 of the TDF 2024 is the final day in the mountains, and Tadej Pogacar is on the verge of something that hasn't been done since 1998. Read more now.

Jul 19, 2024 by Matt Cannizzaro

Tour de France 2024 Stage 20 Preview: Final Mountain Stage

Stage 20 of the Tour de France 2024 is the final day in the mountains, as this year's race will conclude with a non-traditional individual time trial from Monaco to Nice.

The penultimate stage will be a 132.8-kilometer ride from Nice to Col de la Couillole, and while it may be the shortest stage of the 2024 race that isn't a time trial, there's no doubt the climbs will be challenging, especially this late in the TDF.

Any, or many, things are possible with two days of racing left, but two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar is in control, and he's very familiar with the challenges the riders will face in Stage 20.

Pogacar won Stage 19 on Friday, his fourth stage win of this year's event, and he picked up nearly two more minutes on Vingegaard and Evenepoel.

In his quest to become the first person since 1998 to win the Giro d'Italia and TDF in the same year, Pogacar leads two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard by 5 minutes, 3 seconds, while first-timer Remco Evenepoel is third, 7 minutes 1 second behind the leader.

Is there enough cushion? Will the final two stages feature drama and craziness, or will they serve as a victory lap for Pogacar?

Vingegaard all but ended his bid for a third straight title, and he'll work to maintain the No. 2 spot in 2024.

How To Watch The Tour de France 2024 Stage 20

In Canada, the Tour de France is streaming live on FloBikes and the FloSports app.

In the United States, the NBC family of networks and the streaming service Peacock are broadcasting the race.

FloBikes and the FloSports app are home to race highlights, stage breakdowns and more breaking news.

Jun 29-Jul 21 · Resumes Thursday at 10:30 AM UTC

2024 Tour de France

Stage 20 Tour de France 2024

Stage 20 of the Tour de France 2024 is the final day in the mountains and the shortest stage that isn't one of this year's two time trials.

The trek through the Alps, a 132.8-kilometer journey from Nice to Col de la Couillole, will include four familiar categorized climbs (Col de Braus, Col de Turini, Col de la Colmiane, Col de la Couillole) that all have been seen frequently in the annual Paris-Nice race, but from different sides.

Pogacar won Paris-Nice, or the "Race To The Sun" in 2023, and Matteo Jorgenson of the United States won in March 2024. Evenepoel, who's likely going to finish on the podium at the Tour de France, was the runner-up at Paris-Nice 2024, while claiming the points and mountains jerseys.

The climbs noted above for the TDF 2024, a Category 2 followed by three Category 1s, will total more than 50 kilometers and feature average gradients of 6.6%, 5.7%, 7.1% and 7.1%, respectively.

Remember, the easiest climbs are Category 4, and they get tougher in descending order, with HC coming after Category 1. HC climbs are so tough they're beyond classification - they're longer, and they're steep.

Stage 20 definitely will allow the climbers to shine, but there also could be some attacks and final opportunities for riders to take time, especially if time trials aren't their strengths.

Heading into this stage, it looks like it's going to be a Pogacar - Vingegaard - Evenepoel/1-2-3 finish to this year's TDF, but crazier things have happened.

Bonus seconds again will be offered to the first three riders across the line Saturday - 10, 6 and 4 seconds, respectively.

There's also an intermediate sprint about 88 kilometers into Stage 20. In the quest for the green jersey, Biniam Girmay leads with 387 points, while last year's winner, Jasper Philipsen, is second with 354.

132.8 Kilometers To Miles: How Long Is Stage 20 Of The Tour de France 2024?

Stage 20 of the Tour de France is 132.8 kilometers, or 82.5 miles long.

Tour de France 2024 Stage 20 Profile

Here is what the elevation looks like for Stage 20:

Who Won Stage 20 Of The Tour de France in 2023?

Tadej Pogacar won Stage 20 of the 2023 Tour de France in a sprint finish, just ahead of Felix Gall and Jonas Vingegaard.

The 133.5-kilometer, six-climb ride from Belfort to Le Markstein was one of two stages Pogacar won on the way to a second consecutive runner-up finish in the General Classification. He won the Tour de France in 2020 and 2021.

The stage win, in the final mountain stage of the 2024 race, was bittersweet for Pogacar, who at the same time was forced to accept that Vingegaard was going to top him in the GC standings for the second consecutive year, as the final day of the race traditionally is more ceremonial than competitive.

TDF Results: Here's Who Has Won Each Stage So Far In 2024

Tour de France 2024 Route Map

Here is the map for this year's Tour de France:

Here are a few more things to know about the Tour de France:

How To Watch Tour de France 2024 In The United States

A live broadcast of the 2024 Tour de France will be available on Peacock for those watching from the United States.

Peacock is the exclusive home of the event in the United States through 2029, with start-to-finish coverage of every stage, though select stages also will air on NBC.

How To Watch Tour de France 2024 In Canada

FloBikes will provide a live broadcast for Canadian audiences.

Viewers in Canada will be able to watch all 21 stages of the Tour de France 2024 live on FloBikes and the FloSports app.

FloBikes also will provide updates, highlights and behind-the-scenes coverage throughout the entire event for all Flo subscribers.

On What Channel Is The Tour de France 2024?

The Tour de France will be on the NBC network and will stream daily in the United States on Peacock. The entire race will be broadcast on NBC's channels and USA Network.

Tour de France Teams For 2024

There will be 22 teams and up to 176 competitors in this year’s Tour de France:

Teams

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team
Alpecin - Deceuninck
Arkéa - B&B Hotels
Astana Qazaqstan Team
Bahrain - Victorious
BORA - hansgrohe
Cofidis
EF Education - EasyPost
Groupama - FDJ
INEOS Grenadiers
Intermarché - Wanty
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
Lidl - Trek
Movistar Team
Soudal Quick-Step
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL
Team Jayco AlUla
UAE Team Emirates
Israel - Premier Tech
Lotto Dstny
Uno-X Mobility
TotalEnergies

When Does The Tour de France 2024 Start?

The Tour de France is a 21-stage event.

The 2024 edition will begin in Florence, Italy, on June 29 and conclude in Nice, France, on July 21.

Every day, the cyclists start together to complete the stage of a race. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand.

What Is The Schedule For The Tour de France 2024?

Here is the complete schedule for the 2024 Tour de France.

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FloBikes Archived Footage

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