Preview: What you need to know about stage 19 of the 2021 Tour de France
Preview: What you need to know about stage 19 of the 2021 Tour de France
Date: Friday July 16
Start: Mourenx
Finish: Libourne
Distance: 207 km
After a few tough days in the mountains, the sprinters get their chance to shine again. There’s an early fourth-category climb and a few lumpy bits throughout the stage, but it’s hard to see this finishing in anything but a bunch sprint.
The approach to the finish in Libourne is very straightforward but the last kilometre is very slightly uphill.
What to watch for: Can Mark Cavendish set a new record for Tour de France stage wins in a career?
Who’s it for: The sprinters.
Dane Cash’s picks: There aren’t a whole lot of sprinters left in this field to challenge Cavendish and the dominant Deceuninck-QuickStep lead-out train, so he’s the clear favorite for stage 19. Jasper Philipsen and perhaps Wout van Aert are others to watch, and with so many pure speedsters gone, Sonny Colbrelli and Michael Matthews will likely be in the mix as well.
