This stage is made for an escape artist in the style of Laurent Jalabert - or whoever takes his place in this year's peloton - who was able to push hard enough on the climbs to get away. The finish is atop Cote de la Croix-Neuve, a brutally steep climb of 10.1% for 3.1km after climbing the Cote de Chabrits, a cat 3 short climb of 1.7km with a tough 7.1% gradient. Michael Boogerd and Alexandre Vinokourov could both be in the mix for a win on this stage within the Massif Central - look for some shuffles on GC as riders tire after 10 days of climbing, and the final selection is made before the race against the clock.
TOPICS
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'A team that bought in and believed' - Tyler Williams wins Valley of the Sun Stage Race for L39ION of LA while Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28 wins women's three stages and GC
Marjorie Rinaldo earns the overall for pro women as VBR's Continental squad extends win streak to five years at Arizona race -
Fresh starts and home favourites: Five riders to watch at the 2026 Volta ao Algarve
We run the rule over the GC favourites at this week's five-day stage race -
'There's a lot of emotion in my head' – Jan Christen apologises for causing crash that put Maxim Van Gils out of action
Swiss rider disqualified for Clásica Jaén move which left Belgian with a fractured pelvis -
Wind tunnel tested: How does the new Cannondale SuperSix Evo compare to its superbike rivals... and the old one?
Some deeper tubing, lighter weight, wider clearances, and refined geometry aim to make the SuperSix an even more rounded race bike, but is it faster in the tunnel?
