The focus of this stage will be the legendary Col d'Aubisque, which represents the final hors categorie climb of the Tour - the mountains aren't finished yet, but Aubisque represents the end of some 'extreme' climbing for riders. Armstrong took the yellow jersey on the back of this climb in 2002 - this occurred earlier in the race, and he went on to dominate the remainder of the Tour after hitting his competition hard in these opening mountain exchanges. In 2005 the situation may well be different, or we could find Armstrong placing a stranglehold on the overall lead leading to a seventh victory - who knows? Either way it's going to be a fight amongst the main GC contenders with a couple of strongmen thrown in; the German has been quiet since his early season success and is primed for a strong Tour performance.
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New road and gravel tyres from Silca signal a change in strategy for the Italian company
A range of three gravel and one road tyre from Silca aims to revolutionise the tyre market -
Deutschland Tour: Alessio Magagnotti lands stunning sprint win ahead of Paul Magnier on stage 2
19-year-old Italian delivers first pro win on rainy day -
Renewi Tour: Jenno Berckmoes pulls off a heist to snatch stage 3 and the leader's jersey on Tour of Flanders-inspired day
Belgian narrowly holds off charging pack in Geraardsbergen after late breakaway with Alec Segaert -
How to watch Vuelta a España 2026 – Live streams and official broadcasters (Stage 1)
All the ways you can watch or stream the 2026 Vuelta a España from wherever you are in the world, including free options
