On its final day in the Pyrenees, the Tour will challenge riders with the tried-and-true combo of the Category 1 ascent up Col d’Aspin and the mammoth HC climb up 6,900-foot Tourmalet. Tackling Tourmalet from the same direction as the ’08 Tour, riders will navigate a treacherous descent before a long downhill run-in to Tarbes. The peloton will surely be whittled down on these two climbs, but with such a long descent to the finish, it’s unlikely that the favorites will wager their Tour chances on a Tourmalet attack. Expect climbers with low GC expectations but high hopes for the polka dot jersey (climber's jersey) to lead out this stage. Rabobank’s Robert Gesink may dislodge himself from a breakaway on Tourmalet or Ag2R’s Cyril Dessel could try to repeat his mountain stage coups of ’06 and ’08.
Note: Stage route, exact start/finish, and sprints/climbs have been approximated from information provided by LeTour.com. Actual stage may vary slightly.
MORE TOUR de FRANCE MAPS
Stage 1 |
Stage 2 |
Stage 3 |
Stage 4 |
Stage 5 |
Stage 6 |
Stage 7 |
Stage 8 |
Stage 9 |
Stage 10 |
Stage 11 |
Stage 12 |
Stage 13 |
Stage 14 |
Stage 15 |
Stage 16 |
Stage 17 |
Stage 18 |
Stage 19 |
Stage 20 |
Stage 21
3D STAGE MAP: Fly over the Tour de France's steep climbs, windy roads, and sprint finishes in
this interactive Google Earth map.