Stage 17: Saint-Gaudens > Peyragudes (July 20)

TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE 17:  MOUNTAIN STAGE 5 (Pyrenees)

130 km (81 mi) / 3320m (10,892’)

SAINT-GAUDENS>PEYRAGUDES

PJAMM CYCLING INTERACTIVE PROFILE TOOL

See our 2022 Tour de France page for the best way to view, analyze, and filter Tour de France stage routes and climbs.

(Top right photo:  Wikimedia Commons: Anthospace)

Official post-race summary for Stage 17 (July 20):

Tadej Pogacar claimed his third stage victory of the 109th Tour de France at Peyragudes, beating Jonas Vingegaard in a two-man vertical sprint but the Dane retained the yellow jersey in the second of three Pyrenean stages. Brandon McNulty rounded out the podium of stage 17 after he pulled for Pogacar in the hills. Geraint Thomas managed to hold onto his third place overall.

Letour.fr - Stage 17

STAGE 17 DETAILS AND STATISTICS

• Distance: 130 kilometers / 81 miles
• Altitude Gained: 3,320 meters / 10,892’
• Percentage Grade:

• 31.5% (41 kilometers / 25.4 miles)  descent
• 44% (57 kilometers / 35.6 miles) 0-5%
• 23.5% (30.5 kilometers / 19 miles)  5-10%
• 1% (1.3 kilometers / .8 miles) 10-15%

• Steepest (is on Station Peyragudes):

• 500 meters 11.9% / ¼ mile 12.1%
• 1 Kilometer 10.4% / 1 mile 9.2%

• Highest Point on the Route: 1,580 meters / 6,184’ (Station Peyragudes)
• Lowest Point on the Route: 379 meters / 1,242’

COMMENTS FROM RACE DIRECTOR CHRISTIAN PRUDHOMME - STAGE 17:

“The scenario is as sumptuous for the spectators as it is demanding for the leaders, who will have to defend their positions. After crossing the Col d’Aspin and the Hourquette d’Ancizan, attacks could come as early as the climb to the Col d’Azet. And in the final, even the best climbers might flounder when tackling the steep gradients towards the Peyragudes altiport... the third runway to success in the 2022 Tour!” (Tour de France Stage 17).

THE CLIMBS OF STAGE 17 OF THE 2022 TOUR DE FRANCE

Letour.fr - Stage 17

CLIMB 1 (CAT 1)

COL D'ASPIN 

PJAMM CYCLING INTERACTIVE PROFILE TOOL

73 TdF appearances between 1910 and 2022 (tied for #2 with Col d’Aubisque).

Col d’Aspin was included in the 1910 TdF, the first year mountains were added.  Col d’Aspin was one of the four mountains (with Peyrasourde, Tourmalet, and Aubisque) that formed the Circle of Death, which prompted Octavio Lapize’s famous “Assassins,” or “Murderers” (legend has it both ways) insult to tour organizers as he submitted Col d’Aubisque.

CLIMB 2 (CAT 2)

HOURQUETTE D'ANCIZAN

PJAMM CYCLING INTERACTIVE PROFILE TOOL

5 TdF appearances between 2011 and 2022.

CLIMB 3 (CAT 1)

COL DE VAL LOURON-AZET

PJAMM CYCLING INTERACTIVE PROFILE TOOL

10 TdF appearances between 2001 and 2022.

CLIMB 4 (CAT 1)

PEYRAGUDES

PJAMM CYCLING INTERACTIVE PROFILE TOOL

4 TdF appearances between 2012 and 2022.

Letour.fr - Stage 17

EXPLANATION OF KING OF MOUNTAIN, KOM POINTS AND BONUS POINTS

FOR THE 2022 TOUR DE FRANCE

KOM DEFINED:  Climb-related points are accumulated during the race and the rider with the most accumulated points at the beginning of the stage wears the red polka dot jersey that day and the rider with the most points at the end of the race is crowned that year’s Tour de France King of the Mountains.

“Category”:  When the mountain classification (King of the Mountains) was introduced in 1933, there were points given to the first 10 riders over the summit (10 for first, 1 for 10th).  In 1947, the Tour introduced two climb “categories” with a certain amount of points for the second category and twice as many as for the first category.  Over the years “categories” were added, in addition to an “Above” category (Hors or HC) and since 1979 there have been an HC (hardest), Category 1 (second hardest) on down to Category 4 (least difficult climb).

The category of the climb is significant for 2 reasons:

• The points awarded for the TdF KOM for each climb is based upon the category of climb - thus, “category” is the basis for the points that are used to determine each year’s King of the Mountains.
• Most cycling fans, particularly Grand Tour fans, are very interested in the climb “category” because that tells them how hard each climb on a stage is and where the riders will struggle more and the point in a stage where that day, or even the entire tour, will be won or lost.

KOM HISTORY:  King of the Mountains -- Mountain Classification victories (first recognized in 1933; jersey introduced 1975)

• TdF:

• Richard Virenque: 7 - 1994-1997, 1999, 2003, 2004 (best tour finish #2 1997)
• Frederico Bahamontes (six: 1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964; nine in Grand Tours)  

• Triples (none ever in the same year):  Frederico Bahamontes and Louis Herrera.
• Doubles same year (TdF+Giro):  Fausto Coppi, Charly Gaul, Lucien Van Impe, Claudio Chaippucci

POINTS:  KOM points are awarded in two ways on the Tour de France:

•  To riders first over the summit of categorized climbs (in descending order HC, 1-4).  

• The higher the category the more riders receive points (HC points are awarded to 8 riders while CAT 4 points are awarded to only 1 rider).

• Bonus point (see below).

TDF POINTS FORMULA:

Wikipedia has the best summary and graph we’ve seen for TdF KOM points distribution:

he points gained by consecutive riders reaching a mountain top are distributed according to the following classification:

Wikipedia - Mountains Classification - Tour de France

BONUS POINTS:  These points go towards the King of the Mountain designation and are awarded to the first (8 points), second (5) and third (2) riders reaching designated summits in the race.  

• There are no KOM bonuses in the 2022 Tour de France.

MONEY PRIZES FOR KING OF THE MOUNTAINS

• Prize for first to eighth place:

• Winner = €25,000
• 2nd = €15,000
• 3rd = €10,000
• 4th = €4,000
• 5th = €3,500
• 6th = €3,000
• 7th = €2,500
• 8th = €2,000

• Daily prize for wearing the Polka Dot jersey = €6,000
• Per category climb:

• HC

• 1st = €800
• 2nd = €450
• 3rd = €300

• Cat 1

• 1st = €650
• 2nd = €400
• 3rd = €150

• Cat 2

• 1st = €500
• 2nd = €250

• Cat 3

• 1st = €300

• Cat 4

• 1st = €200

• Sourvenir Henri Desgrange €5000 first to Col du Galibier pass Stage 11.

The maximum amount the KOM winner could earn if he won every stage and wore the jersey from Stage 2 to the finish is $60,300 Euros (62,773 USD)