Stage 20: Le Bourg-d'Oisans to Alpe d'Huez

This is a true Queen stage.

By this point in the race, fatigue is no longer managed. It is exposed. Sustained climbing arrives in sequence rather than isolation, forcing riders to rely on pacing, restraint, and depth rather than short bursts of power.

This stage strips away any remaining ambiguity in the general classification. Riders who have measured their effort across the race can still perform. Those who have not will fade quietly. What is gained or lost here is rarely recovered.