Tour de France 2022 - Stage 8 preview

Stage 8: Dole to Lausanne

Date: July 9, 2022

Distance: 186.3km

Stage timing: 13:05 - 17:15 CEST

Stage type: Hilly

Crossing the Jura mountains from Dole to Lausanne, the 168.3-kilometre stage is rolling for most of the way and includes four classified climbs, the last of which rises to the finish at Lausanne’s Stade olympique de la Pontaise.

In the French Jura, riders have to climb the Côte du Maréchet and the Côte des Rousses, the longest climb of the day at 6.7 kilometres. After the Côte des Rousses, the stage stays on a plateau where it crosses the border into Switzerland before climbing the Côte de Pétra Félix and descending to Lake Geneva.

From Préverenges, riders will follow the shores of Lake Geneva to Lausanne for ten kilometres before the 4.8-kilometre finishing climb up the Côte du Stade olympique begins. The climb is highly irregular, climbing for two kilometres before descending for a kilometre, then rising again for the last 1,800 metres. The penultimate kilometre is the steepest at an average 9.5% with a short 12% ramp; the last 800 metres flatten out again to only 3.4%.

Sandwiched between two mountain stages, this stage could very well end up being contested by a strong breakaway. This could include Swiss riders chasing a home victory as well as puncheurs, maybe even riders who started the Tour with GC hopes but lost time on the Super Planche des Belles Filles.