When the riders get to Grenoble, they know the road ahead is going to be tough - you've arrived in the Alps. It's a shock to the system after a transfer from Mulhouse straight into the thick of it; stage 10 finishes in Courchevel atop a 22.2km climb at 6.2%. Before then, however, there's the 20.1km, 6% Cormet-de-Roselend which peaks at the 118km mark. Chances are there'll be more sprinters dropping out along the way, but for those that tough it out there are two intermediate sprint points to take something out of what will be a hard day. The flat run to the first climb is perfectly suited to an attack from Armstrong, as he winds up the pace at the base of Cormet-de-Roselend and hits the GC hard. We'll see who can stay with him this year - with T-Mobile's Alexandre Vinokourov in great form, and Ivan Basso believing 2005 may be his year, Armstrong won't have it his own way - prepare for the battle as the lines are drawn!
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Tirreno-Adriatico stage 3 LIVE - Rain and no break on longest stage of the race
The peloton races the longest stage at 225km from Cortona to Magliano de' Marsi -
Paris-Nice stage 4 LIVE - Crosswinds blow the race apart
Two second-category climbs lie in wait on the 195km road to Uchon -
Wind tunnel tested: Can the four-year-old Enve Melee stay relevant in a hyper-aero landscape?
An all-rounder type of bike with clean lines and smooth integration, but does this translate to speed in the wind tunnel -
'Very disappointed, I made a few wrong choices' – Does Wout van Aert have positioning issues to address before the major Classics after another missed opportunity?
Belgian rues lost chance on Tirreno-Adriatico gravel finale but says that his 'legs were good'
