The Individual Time Trials (ITTs) at the Tour de France always have three time checks, located at 11.2 km, 17.1 km, and 28.6 km.
But as a climbing ITT for the final stage, it was far more difficult than the flat ITT of Stage 7.
Starting at the 2 km mark, the riders had to climb an 8.2 km long, Category 2 climb with an average gradient of 5.7% and a maximum gradient of 6.7% on their TT bikes.
After reaching the summit and descending a short stretch, they immediately faced another 1.6 km climb—a short, steep pitch with an average gradient of 8.8% and a maximum of over 13%.
To be honest, on an ITT stage like this, Evenepoel had no advantage whatsoever against those three.
Huang Chong was indeed a fair bit behind Vingegaard after the first two climbing time checks, trailing by almost 38 seconds.
But from the 17.1 km mark to the finish line, it was all a long descent followed by flat roads.
So in the end, his finishing time was only eight seconds slower than Vingegaard's.
