Gallery: the slopes of Luz-Ardiden
A mythical climb covered in orange and green
The Tour de France entered the Pyrenees on Thursday and the people of the Basque country were out in force to support their pseudo-national team, Euskaltel-Euskadi. At times the crowd around Samuel Sanchez on Luz-Ardiden was five and six deep as he made the ascent of the Pyrenean mountain. Perhaps knowing a win was in the offing, Sanchez seemed to feed off the atmosphere and put in a momentous ride.
Cyclingnews has put together a gallery of a day of photography on the slopes of Luz-Ardiden. The crowds, the switchbacks, the battles, and a desperate ride from maillot jaune Thomas Voeckler made it a memorable day of racing, and a fitting first day in the mountains.
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