Stage 3 of the Ain Bugey Valromey Tour 2018

Fête Nationale, fireworks, that's what's in store for the survivors of yesterday's stage. Gone are the big now we enter the real "Valromey" with the ascent of the Grand Colombier on the the southern slope. Like the 2012 Tour de France with Thomas VOECKLER, winner in Bellegarde, or the like the Valromey 2014 with Victor LAFAY, winner in SUTRIEU, who climbed in the same time as Thomas. Thomas (Victor has just turned pro with COFIDIS). To sum up, the stage will start from CULOZ (at the foot of the Grand Colombier) where the dummy start will be given. The real start will take place in the village of CHANAZ in SAVOIE. Over 30 Km the start of the stage will be fairly flat. There will be a GPM at Km 21.1 and three SPRINTS to contend with. The third is located at the entrance to CULOZ, providing a dynamic attack at the foot of the Grand Colombier. The climbers will have to stay out in front, especially as the previous day's stage will not necessarily have fixed the jersey jersey. Points will be up for grabs on the Grand Colombier ramps, with 17 %, interspersed with the "leg-breaking" flats of Anglefort Km 35 and Fenestrez Km 41.8. The pass, at an altitude of 1498 m will be followed by a 10 km descent to LOCHIEU.
So watch out for this descent !!!!, especially at Km 48.8 (the 1st right-hand bend after the pass), which you MUST take at a standstill. You'll need to (as they say in cycling jargon) "keep your eyes in front of the holes". At LOCHIEU, the peloton (or what's left of it) will climb back up to BOIRIN BRENAZ for the third GPM of the day. Then back down to DON at an altitude of 360 m, for a total of 1138 m of negative altitude difference. The 9.4 km climb back up to La Faverge with heavy legs and the FITIGNIEU bump (unclassified). There will be plenty of changes of pace in the last few kilometers, and the strongest riders will be able to get over the big plateau and make the difference. But watch out for the final 8.5 km, which will be flat and straight, allowing for a regrouping of the field, and I can see a handful of riders coming up for the finish, which will also count towards the final GPM. The winner will be the one who takes the trouble to reconnoitre the finish, with a 90° left-hand bend at the 500 m mark, followed at the 300 m mark by a right-hand bend with a steep climb, where he'll have to take the lead and keep up the pace right up to the finish.

Roger LEGEAY and Bernard GAMBADE