Another opportunist's stage, this short romp into Le Puy-en-Velay offers a hilly parcours, with the main climb being at the 55.5km mark up the Col des Pradeux - 11.4km at 5.6%. Not much considering what they've been through beforehand, but enough to put plenty of hurt in the riders' legs and offer something for the sprinters if they can muster the energy to have a go at the intermediate sprints (of which there are two) and possibly take the stage win. Another great opportunity for someone like Giuseppe Guerini or maybe even Sandy Casar. It could happen. Francaise des Jeux's young Belgian Philippe Gilbert could come into calculations due to his classics pontential, but age may be against him at this late stage of the race.
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'The French have no chance of winning' - Bernard Hinault delivers bleak assessment of host nation's short-term hopes for ending 40-year drought of success in Tour de France
Five-times winner Hinault remains France's's most recent Tour champion, in 1985 -
Remco Evenepoel's bike for the Tour de France: New wheels, new chainrings, and that beautiful gold paint
A look at the double Olympic Champion's gold Tarmac SL8, as well as more of the Belgian's notable custom bikes over the years -
Iconic ascents, unpredictability and 'a little bit of craziness' - Tales from the women's Giro d'Italia
From the very first winner in 1988, 'La Mamma Volante', to the latest 'amazing journey' that put Elisa Longo Borghini in the maglia rosa in her 13th participation -
Canyon overhauls the Grizl gravel bike and gives it a crazy new handlebar
Canyon has also released it's own range of carbon fibre wheels alongside the new Grizl gravel models
