Tour de France stage 20 preview

(Image credit: Getty)

published 22 July 2022

Stage 20 of the Tour de France 2022 is a 40.7 kilometre time trial which starts in Lacapelle-Marival and ends in Rocamadour.

Time trials at the end of a Grand Tour are almost as much about who has survived the three weeks the best as they are about the specialist skills of the discipline and this will be no different for the yellow jersey contenders

When is stage 20 of the Tour de France taking place?

The Tour de France stage 20 takes place on Saturday, July 23. The first rider is off at 12:05 BST, with the last rider commencing their race at 16:00 BST.

How long is stage 20 of the Tour de France?

The Tour de France stage 20 will be 40.7 km long.

Tour de France 2022 stage 20: expected timings

Route	Distance to go	First rider (BST)	Last rider (BST)
Lacapelle-Marival	40.7km	12:05	16:00
Gramat	18.6km	12:31	16:26
Couzou	8.1km	12:44	16:39
Rocamadour	0km	13:04	16:49

Tour de France 2022 Stage 20: route

Starting close to the magnificent chateau established in the 12th century in the Lot town of Lacapelle-Marival, the riders will head off north-west towards Aynac, the route twisting through woodland and undulating a little all the time. The bends are sweeping for the most part, enabling the riders to negotiate with minimal loss of speed.

Continuing on towards Gramat, there are long straights where the strongest rouleurs should make significant gains. After Couzou they turn north and with Rocamadour now the objective, the road descends for a couple of kilometres, twisting down through a limestone valley to reach the foot of the first of successive climbs. The Côte de Magès climbs for 1.6km at a mere 4.7%, but the strongest riders will make gains here.

They’ll be quickly onto a descent that twists through woodland. Flashing down the hillside on the opposite side of the valley to the town, the riders will start up the more testing climb of the Côte de l’Hospitalet, which averages close to 8% for a kilometre and a half.

Useful Tour de France 2022 resources

Tour de France 2022 stage 20: what to expect

This time trial is not as rolling as last year’s and will suit the specialist time triallists. The two hills towards the end won’t faze them too much either. The Magès isn’t difficult at all, but they will have to keep something back for the Hospitalet in Rocamadour, which could take a toll on those who’ve pushed too hard.

Tour de France 2022 stage 20: riders to watch

Wout van Aert won the equivalent time trial last year, beating Kasper Asgreen by 21 seconds, with Jonas Vingegaard another 11 seconds back in third. Swiss Stefans Küng and Bissegger filled the next two places, and this test should suit their powerhouse qualities a little more. World champion Filippo Ganna will be highly fancied too. And maybe Geraint Thomas if he leaves his gilet on the bus!

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Peter Cossins has been writing about professional cycling since 1993, with his reporting appearing in numerous publications and websites including Cycling Weekly, Cycle Sport and Procycling - which he edited from 2006 to 2009. Peter is the author of several books on cycling - The Monuments, his history of cycling's five greatest one-day Classic races, was published in 2014, followed in 2015 by Alpe d’Huez, an appraisal of cycling’s greatest climb. Yellow Jersey - his celebration of the iconic Tour de France winner's jersey won the 2020 Telegraph Sports Book Awards Cycling Book of the Year Award.