Today’s 22.4-kilometer time trial was the prelude for the Tour’s grand finale in the Alps. The course set off down the Chamonix valley from Passy to Sallanches, before turning up a steep climb to Combloux in the shadow of Mont-Blanc.

Neilson Powless went for King of the Mountains points on the final climb, the 2.5-km Côte de Domancy, and set the fifth fastest time uphill, but came a few seconds short of adding to his total. Neilson is now second in the Tour’s climbers’ competition. Tomorrow’s 17th stage will be a huge test.

The 165.7-km race course crosses four massive cols on its way from Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc to Courchevel. First up is the first-category Col des Saisies, followed by the first-cat Cormet de Roseland and second-cat Côte de Longefoy. Then, the peloton will race up the mythic Col de la Loze, which at 2,304 meters is this year’s Souvenir Henri Desgrange, marking the high-point in the race. The first rider to cross it will earn double the usual points of a Hors Categorie climb. We’ll have to bet that the break will stick, for the points and the stage win.

This far into the Tour de France, everyone’s legs are tired. Anything can happen.

Neilson’s teammates saved their strength today. This has been one of the hardest Tours de France in recent memory. We’ll attack every day till Paris.

Read our team’s thoughts from after today’s stage.

Power is a little different after two weeks of racing. The climb was hard. I came into it pretty fresh and made sure my legs were just a little spun up before the climb. I pushed too hard. I just wanted to give everything and tried to go at it at my five-minute best power. Maybe that was a mistake, because a kilometer from the top, I just exploded. I still pushed a little over six watts per kilo from there to the top and then a little sprint at the end, but I was hoping for seven watts per kilo. It wasn’t enough.

Today, we went easy. Tomorrow, we will go faster. I didn’t go really hard in today’s stage. You have to save your bullets. You can’t throw them away. There was nothing for me to win today. It was a strange time trial, the first time trial I have enjoyed. I had a cold the last week and didn’t have the best sensations, but I am feeling better and better. I am waiting for an opportunity.

We’re going to see if Pogacar wants to come back, or can. I don’t think Jumbo-Visma need to do anything decisive anymore with this big lead, so potentially that gives some scope for the breakaway, which is our opportunity. Tomorrow is a super hard stage. Obviously we are still in the battle for the mountains jersey, but it is going to be an uphill battle.