To win a stage at the Tour de France atop Alpe d'Huez would be the crowning achievement for any cyclists. Stage 12 at the tour offers that chance and the historical significance will mean the race is on. GC contenders not only want to solidify their place in the overall standings but they want to make history while doing so. Though preceded by two famous climbs where Polka points will be fought over, this stage will come down to a battle of the true contenders up Alpe d'Huez. At 13.8 km with an average grade of 8.1%, larger GC riders will struggle compared to their lighters counterparts even at similar power levels. The very smaller GC contenders may want to work together to attack on sections of the road where it get above 10% grade. A sustained 5 minute maximum effort on the steep 2 km section of the climb just 4.5 km from the summit should shake up the overall GC. If a rider like Porte puts out 385 watts in this section it would take Dumoulin nearly 440 watts to match the time. Get additional Data-Driven Coverage of the Tour on TrainingPeaks.
The peloton was modeled as a single rider using the typical pulling power exhibited by riders at the front of the main group. See how you would do on the famous climbs by zooming in and adjusting weight and power to match your numbers.