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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'We were shattered. It took an eight-hour chase' – Rob Britton recalls overnight pursuit, catch and pass of Lachlan Morton for dramatic win at Unbound Gravel XL
'I look at a globe and decide where I want to go, not a calendar' says Canadian endurance rider about his second career on a bike -
Hometown hero Stefan Küng falls 1km short of breakaway success at Tour de Suisse
'This time we lost the battle even though it was very close' says Swiss rider, who was joined by teammate and former race leader Romain Grégoire in break -
UCI doubles down on handlebar width limits and maximum gearing test despite ongoing criticism
Women's rider union says handlebar regulation 'puts riders at risk' but UCI says new rules were 'developed following extensive consultation with riders, teams and organisers' -
As it happened: A sprint showdown on stage 6 of the Tour de Suisse
Jordi Meeus proves unmatchable in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, beating Davide Ballerini and Lewis Askey to the line
