With either the benefit or the upset rhythm of a rest day in riders' legs, will the first of these three mountain-filled days be full of surprise attacks and equally surprising responses? Or will riders favour a more conservative approach to racing to save energy for the days to come? Here are four things to look forward to either way.
1. Stage 10 in it's own right
Tonight's stage takes us from Morzine to Megève.
The last time the Tour finished in Megève it was with an uphill time trial in 2016. Tour fanatics might remember riders swapping from a time trail bike to a climbing rig at the base of the climb, hoping to gain back more than a few lost bike-changing sections in a blurry-eyed, all-out effort to the line.
We are not expecting quite that pace tonight, but the Tour is the Tour and anything could unfold. Tonight's stage is 148.1 kilometres and includes three significant climbs before the final one.
2. Head games
Failing a truce or a gentleman's agreement between rival riders, any tactical cards played in Stage 10 will have a strategic cost or benefit to consider as one of the biggest tests of the 2022, the Stage 12 summit finish up l'Alpe d'Huez, draws ever closer. There is also a whole lot of extra climbing between then and now.
If someone goes for glory early, will they be able to back up that same effort again and again? Will they want to? How might one rider's confidence mess with another's in terms of holding back or pushing on? Will anyone be tempted to ride too hard, too early and blow up later? Or will riders play it safe and be guided by the data from their power meters, only to discover that sometimes their instincts know better?
3. Your next holiday destination
While the peloton are eyeing off each other, take note of the incredibly stunning terrain that tonight's stage passes through.
The French Alps offer up so much in terms of an idyllic holiday destination: road riding, mountain biking, huge lakes to swim in, and just about any other outdoor adventure activity you can think of, not to mention all the food, chalets and soothing sounds of cow bells. If a particular area looks holiday-worthy, write it down and seek it out!
4. A final climb that keeps on giving
Stage 10 ends with a 21-kilometre climb. Sort of. It officially ends with a 19.2-kilometre climb where KOM points are up for grabs, followed by another couple of kilometres uphill and a nasty 7 per cent kicker right at the end. Which begs two questions: is this something you want to add to your own holiday itinerary? And...
5. Will we see fireworks?
As in the riders attacking and exploding type of fireworks: the excitement of breakaways, bold moves, desperate attacks, Energiser Bunny efforts that no one can hold on to, or broken minds and hearts as some riders' legs just don't, or can't, respond?
If we do, all eyes will be on whether anyone can crack Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirites) or whether he will jump at another opportunity to break everyone else.
If we don't, then one thing we do know is that battle is surely coming, and that tonight's chess-like racing will more than set the stage for additional battles to come....and a very satisfying win for someone who kept enough in the tank for a bonus sprint finish at the end of a 21-kilometre climb. Who's your money on?
Tune in tonight to watch all the action live from 9:20pm (AEST) on the SBS SKODA Tour Tracker, 9:30pm (AEST) on SBS and SBS On Demand.
