For many this will be an unknown course. The Col des Aravis will soften the legs and comes only 58km into the stage. After feed zone in Grignon the race will tackle a classic ASO finish. A category one and hors categorie combination will decimate the peloton and will sort out the overall contenders. The final climb, Le Collet d'Allevard has an average gradient of 8.4% but spikes up as high as 12% in the last five kms. There will be no passengers and only the best will be in contention for the win. Australian Cadel Evans or Kazakh Alexandre Vinokourov will be the ones to watch on this scary stage.
Côte de Châtillon-sur-Cluses - 2.1 km climb at 4.3 % - Category 4 Col de Saint-Jean-de-Sixt - 1.8 km climb at 5.2 % - Category 4 Col des Aravis - 6.9 km climb at 5.8 % - Category 2 Col de Tamié - 9.6 km climb at 4.1 % - Category 3 Col du Grand Cucheron - 16.2 km climb at 5 % - Category 1 Le Collet d'Allevard - 11.2 km climb at 8.4 % - Category HC
Distance: 192.5km
Highest Point: 1485m (Col des Aravis)
Category: High Mountain stage
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Bernard Thévenet says:
"It’s the first high mountain stage with the climbs to the Col de St Jean de Sixt, Col des Aravis and Col de Tamie in the first part. The riders will then tackle the ascent to the Grand Cucheron, that only a few riders know because it’s been used only rarely. Next up will be the equally-difficult Collet d’Allevard, where a Criterium [de Internationale] stage finished in 1992. The diminutive Colombian Martin Farfan had won there, just like Pascal Herve two years later." (credit: ASO)
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