The penultimate stage between Sélestat and Markstein-Fellering, 127.1 km long, is the queen stage with the ascents of the Petit and Grand Ballon d’Alsace.
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The beginning of the final explanation. For this seventh and penultimate stage of the Women’s Tour de France, Saturday July 30, the peloton must cross 127.1 km between Sélestat in the Bas-Rhin and the ski resort of Markstein, in the Vosges mountains. Lhe runners will face three first category passes with 29.9 km of climbing, for a total drop of 3,692 m in the last 90 km.
After six first hilly stages but without any cols, it is therefore the start of the mountain in this Tour de France, before the final event between Lure and La Super Planche des Belles Filles on Sunday. After six exhausting days sometimes punctuated by falls, and stages which have already massively worn out the organisms, the gaps should widen within the peloton.
Still in the yellow jersey, victorious on Friday and now well ahead in the green jersey following the fall of the best sprinter in the world Lorena Wiebes, Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) has reason to worry. The favorites will have to attack in the passes to hope to sow it, in particular Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo), 4th at 35” and much more comfortable in the mountains than in the sprint.
Respectively 2nd and 3rd at 30”, Silvia Persico (Valcar Travel), cyclo-cross specialist, and Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM Racing), accomplished puncher, will also want to attack on one of the climbs. It remains to be seen which one. The final ascent of the Grand Ballon (13.5 km at 6.7%) should be the place of the fight for the win, since there will only be seven kilometers of slight descent left until the finish.