Does it exist? Stage 18 of this summer’s Tour de France finishes in Hautacam but many maps don’t show anywhere called Hautacam. But it’s testimony to the geopolitical force of the Tour and the tourism industry that, like an invading army, the map of France gets rewritten.
What is certain is that the climb exists and if it is a relative newcomer to the Tour de France, it’s a case-study of Pyrenean climbing with an irregular road.
The final mountain stage of the Tour de France and a great way to end given the short distance, the mighty Col du Tourmalet and then the road to Hautacam, one of the hardest climbs in the Pyrenees.
Have you ever had ants in your legs and found yourself sporting a lightweight sock? Or did you end up pedalling with two legs on the same pedal?
The French cyclists and TV commentators often talk about le jargon cycliste but they don’t mean the technical terms such as watts per kilogram, haematocrit or press-fit bearings. Instead le jargon is a long list of poetic phrases and slang.
The shortest road stage of the Tour and possibly the best thanks to the repetition of Pyrenean passes before a famous summit finish. It’s live on TV from start to finish.
Daniel Mangeas is the voice of the Tour de France. If you’ve been to the race you’ll know his voice and even if your experience of the Tour is via English-language broadcasts you’ll have heard him as background noise during an interview or live commentary.
He will retire soon, finishing a run of 41 consecutive Tours. He’s another fixture of French cycling with his distinctive tone, a verbal torrent of statistics and encouragement. In a perfect twist he’ll end his career in the same place where it began, although this time by plan rather than accident.
The first of a Pyrenean trilogy, today’s stage is a marathon effort with its distance and the HC climb and descent of the Port de Balès saved for last.
With Vincenzo Nibali in command the race is on for the other riders to seize their chance. Can a Frenchman can finish on the podium in Paris? Yes because Romain Bardet and Thibaut Pinot are duelling for the white jersey, just 16 seconds separate them while Michał Kwiatkowski is 14 minutes behind. Barring a double disaster a Frenchman will stand on the podium on the Champs Elysées.
Enough smart answers, the real question is whether a Frenchman can finish in the top three overall? Bardet is third overall and Pinot fourth but there are three mountain stages and a long time trial to come.
It’s a result many in France want to see but there’s also wider support for this outcome. But could it be a big dream and a rude awakening awaits? On the rest day here’s a look at the GC contenders.
Sporting rivalries make great stories, a binary contest that’s easy to grasp even if the underlying story can be more sophisticated. This summer we expected to see Alberto Contador vs Chris Froome but this didn’t go far. We also had Froome and Bradley Wiggins, a rivalry by distance sporadically conducted in public via book launches and interviews. “Slaying The Badger” is the story of Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond, two riders on the same team each trying to win the Tour de France. Or were they?
There’s a time cut for every stage of the Tour de France. A rider finishing outside of the time limit is out of the race. Another of the Tour de France’s Frequently Asked Questions is how are the time cuts calculated. Here’s the explainer and the numbers for this year’s Tour.
