2019 La Course Race Preview
The details of this year's 2019 La Course are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The peloton arrives in Nice for what promises to be a thrilling edition of La Course by Le Tour de France, a race that has grown in stature since its inception in 2014 and now carries genuine weight in the women's cycling calendar. This year's route takes on a demanding circuit format around the Promenade des Anglais and the surrounding hills, offering a parcours that should suit the pure climbers and punchy attackers who have come to define this event.
The defending champion Marianne Vos will be among the favorites once again, as the Dutch legend continues to defy the years with performances of extraordinary quality. Vos has the tactical intelligence and finishing speed to win from a reduced group, and her Canyon SRAM squad will be working hard to ensure she reaches the final kilometres with her options intact.
Annemiek van Vleuten is perhaps the outstanding candidate for victory. The Mitchelton Scott rider has been in devastating form throughout the season and possesses an ability to ride away from her rivals on steep gradients that few can match. If the race comes down to a genuinely hard uphill finish, she may well be unbeatable.
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig is another rider to watch closely. The Danish climber has announced herself as one of the sport's most exciting talents and thrives on courses where repeated accelerations take their toll. Anna van der Breggen, Ashleigh Moolman and Katarzyna Niewiadoma also represent genuine threats, and the race could well come down to who best manages the cumulative fatigue of the circuits before launching a decisive move in the closing kilometres.
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