Stage 17: Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc > Courchevel (July 19)

TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE 17:  Mountain Stage #7

166 km (103 mi) / 5012 m (16,444’)

SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC>COURCHEVEL

See our 2023 Tour de France page for the best way to view, analyze, and filter Tour de France stage routes and climbs.

Letour.fr Stage 17

Stage 17 of the 2023 Tour de France has the greatest amount of climbing than any other stage at 5,012 meters (16,444’). This is by far the greatest elevation gain in the Tour, with Stage 15 a distance second at 4,199 meters (13,776’).

This is also the stage where the Tour reaches its highest point: Col de la Loze at 2304 m (7,559’), one of the lower high points of a Tour de France.

Official post-race summary for Stage 17 (July 19): TBD

STAGE 17 DETAILS AND STATISTICS

• Location: French Alps
• Distance: 166 kilometers / 103 miles
• Altitude Gained: 5,012 meters / 16,444’ (most elevation gain of any stage of the 2023 TdF).
• Percentage Grade:

• 47.4% (79 kilometers / 49 miles)  descent
• 21% (35 kilometers / 22 miles) 0-5%
• 27.2% (45 kilometers / 28 miles)  5-10%
• 3.9% (6.5 kilometers / 4 miles) 10-15%

• Steepest:

• 500 meters 13.9% / Quarter-mile 14.1% (Steepest 500 m and quarter mile are near the beginning of Cormet de Roselend)
• 1 Kilometer 12.8% / 1 mile 11.5% (steepest km - Cormet de Roselend; steepest mile - near the top of Col de la Loze)

• Highest Point on the Route: 2,278 meters / 6,184’ (Station Peyragudes)
• Lowest Point on the Route: 468 meters / 1,242’

COMMENTS FROM RACE DIRECTOR CHRISTIAN PRUDHOMME - STAGE 17:

“The stage will be a great challenge, with more than 5,000 metres of vertical gain to deal with or exploit across the day. The finale will feature the Tour’s second visit to the impressive Col de la Loze, then plunge into Courchevel, where the final battle will take place on the altiport’s 18% runway” (Tour de France Stage 17).

THE CLIMBS OF STAGE 17 OF THE 2023 TOUR DE FRANCE

Letour.fr - Stage 17

Col des Saisies (Flumet) - Featured in TdF 14 times since 1979

PJAMM Cycling Profile tool - Col des Saisies (Flumet)

Cormet de Roselend (Beaufort - D925) - Featured in the TdF 14 times sine 1979 (same as Saisies)

PJAMM Cycling profile tool - Cormet de Roselend (Beaufort - D925)

Côte de Longefoy - Norte-Dame-Du-Pre - first appearance in the TdF

PJAMM Cycling Profile Tool - Côte de Longefoy - Norte-Dame-Du-Pre

Col de la Loze - Featured in TdF 2020 and 2023

PJAMM Cycling Profile Tool - Col de la Loze

EXPLANATION OF KING OF MOUNTAIN, KOM POINTS AND BONUS POINTS

FOR THE 2023 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 two 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)

Summary of Gradient.