Tour de France in the Midi-Pyrenees

Description:

Tour de France Midi-Pyrenees stages

This year, The Tour is celebrating the centenary of the first Pyrenees mountain stages and to mark the occasion there are four stages in the mountains with the famous Col de Tourmalet featuring twice and also as a stage finish.  The route includes both historic and contemporary mountain climbs that will most likely decide the winner of the Tour.

July17 : Stage 13

Rodez to Revel, 195 km (121 miles)

The stage leaves from Rodez in the Aveyron department and then heads into the Tarn valley.  The route then heads for Lauragis, the Black Mountain and St Ferreol before the stage finish in Revel in the Haute-Garonne department.

July 18: Stage 14
Revel to Ax 3 Domaines, 184 km (114 miles)

This is the first of four Pyrenees mountain stages and takes in two climbs that have only been used by the Tour since the turn of the century, the Port de Pailheres and a shorter uphill finish into Ax-3 Domaines.

July 19: Stage 15
Pamiers to Bagneres-de-Luchon, 187 km (116 miles)

The stage departs from Pamiers in the Ariege and only includes one climb, the formidable Port de Bales before the stage finish in the spa town of Bagnere de Luchon.  The town was the stage finish for the first Pyrenean stage in 1910 and so is a fitting stop on the Tour.

July 20: Stage 16
Bagneres-de-Luchon to Pau, 196 km (122 miles)

The third day of mountain stages sees one of the toughest days of the tour with four serious climbs, including the Col de Tourmalet.  The descent into Pau is quite long and may bring the peloton back together for an exciting finish in Pau.  The riders will be looking forward to tomorrows rest day.

July 22: Stage 17
Pau to Col du Tourmalet, 174 km (108 miles)

The Tour returns today to the near 7000 ft Col de Tourmalet with a stage finish at the top of the pass.  The Tourmalet is the most often used mountain in the history of the Tour, so it is fitting that the winner of the race may well be decided on this stage during the centenary year.

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