It's a special day, July 14, for the French riders in the Tour de France peloton today - Bastille Day. The riders are not done with the Alps yet as they face three categorised climbs on the 179km from Chambéry to Gap.
In order to keep the battle for yellow simmering nicely, this stage avoids the big passes for something far less arduous but intriguing nevertheless.
The road into the finish comes down the Rochette descent where Joseba Beloki crashed and forced Lance Armstrong to divert across a mountain meadow in 2003. Hopefully there will be no repeat of that incident this year.
After yesterday's taxing stage, it's an ideal day for a breakaway and look to the peloton's Frenchmen to figure prominently at the finale in Gap.
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