Tour aims to animate climbs with more time bonuses
Eight summits will offer increased time bonuses in the 2019 Tour with eight seconds on offer for the first rider atop each climb.
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PARIS (AFP) — Attacking riders at the Tour de France will be further rewarded as the race will increase the valuable bonus seconds on offer for the first riders to crest key summits in the 2019 race.
This could make for a more exciting race for the yellow jersey, especially with race organizer ASO touting the route as the Tour’s “highest in history.”
The new system was ratified by the international cycling federation (UCI), a source said Thursday.
The winner of each bonus sprint will now receive eight seconds, the runner-up five seconds, and the third-place finisher two seconds, instead of three, two, and one second, respectively, in place last year.
This year’s race starts July 6 in Brussels and finishes July 28 in Paris.
Eight bonus sprints (host town in brackets):
- Stage 3 (Epernay): cote de Mutigny
- Stage 6 (La Planche des Belles Filles): col des Chevreres
- Stage 8 (Saint-Etienne): cote de la Jailliere
- Stage 9 (Brioude): cote de Saint-Just
- Stage 12 (Bagneres-de-Bigorre): Hourquette d’Ancizan
- Stage 15 (Foix Prat d’Albis): mur de Peguere
- Stage 18 (Valloire): col du Galibier
- Stage 19 (Tignes): col de l’Iseran