A sprint of a mountain stage but with four sharp climbs before the steep finish on the Peyragudes airstrip.
Water, Water, Every Where
With the Tour de France racing through a heatwave, water’s more important than ever. It’s used both for drinking, cooling… and to help stop the road melting in some places.
Tour de France Stage 16 Preview
It’s into the Pyrenees with two short but hard climbs, especially the second one and then a tactical descent into Foix.
Rest Day Review
If you want to annoy a rider, ask them how the transition stage went. Once upon a time as the race rode between the Alps and Pyrenees a breakaway could slip away and everyone else was left to complete the course stress-free. Not any more.
Tour de France Stage 15 Preview
Another day, another tricky route. On paper this route looked like 60-40 for the breakaway vs. the sprint but given the tough racing so far and the struggles of several sprinters it suits the breakaway more, which in turn will encourage more to try their luck, and so increasing the chance of a strong move staying away.
Tour de France Stage 12 Preview
After yesterday’s stage for the age, a superb encore. There’s more climbing and the final climb of Alpe d’Huez, a celebrity climb because of numerous appearances but also just a steep one. Can Tadej Pogačar mount a comeback in the heat or will Jumbo-Visma have the race under their grip?
Antoine Blondin
Playwright, novelist, political commentator, drunkard and every July, a sports columnist. Antoine Blondin made L’Equipe required reading during cycling’s golden age.
Tour de France Stage 11 Preview
The first of two big days in the Alps, the profile above says plenty especially if you study both axes, just 151km on the x-axis, but a y-axis of evil, today has 4,000m of vertical gain, almost all of which comes in the second half of the stage.