STAGE 11
After the Tour's first rest day, the peloton sets off westward tracing the northern foothills of the Pyrenees, just 15-20 miles from the Spanish border. A significant chunk of this 105-mile stage is flat, but the pack will have to get over its stage 10 hangover in a hurry when the route meets the Col de Portel, a category 1 climb making its first appearance in the race.
The presence of the Portel may ensure the success of an early breakaway composed of strongmen who didn't have teammates to protect in the Pyrenees and were able to take it easy and finish within the time limit (albeit far down in the overall standings). If the early break struggles on the climb, opportunists in the peloton may use the Portel climb to bridge up to the lead group and hook on with the strongest escapees on the descent.
The stage may have little implication for the overall standings, but the presence of a category 1 climb will put pressure on the leader's team to keep any breakout riders within a manageable distance or to do the math and hand the jersey off to a weaker team, skirting responsibility as the race rolls towards the Alps over three transitional stages.
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
Google Earth Flyover: 2008 Tour de France
See more race coverage at
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