After the mountains come, the rolling hills from Pau to Castelsarrasin that will see the opportunistic riders take their last chance for a stage by going on the attack. With five lower category climbs across upper Gascony certain to provoke attacks, a break should make it home across the hot, dry plains of Haute-Garonne west of Toulouse to Castelsarrasin.
Climbs:
Km 23: Côte de Baleix: 1.4 km climb @ 8 % grade / 3rd Cat.
Km 54: Côte de Villecomtal: 3.7 km climb @ 4.3 % grade / 4th Cat.
Km 59.5: Côte de Miélan: 1.4 km climb @ 5.4 % grade / 4th Cat.
Km 63.5: Côte de Sainte-Dode-aux-Croix: 2.0 km climb @ 5 % grade / 4th Cat.
Km 72.5: Côte de Theux: 1.4 km climb @ 6.4 % grade / 4th Cat.
Km 169.5: Côte de la Montagnère: 1.4 km climb @ 5.3 % grade / 4th Cat.
Sprints:
Km 44.5: Rabastens-de-Bigorre
Km 146.5: Solomiac
-
'We do it because we can' - Fausto Pinarello on custom painted bikes and who he wishes had painted a Pinarello frame
Pinarello has made bikes for cycling stars, celebrities and even the pope over the years -
Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket review: A solid waterproof option, but in need of refinement
Some missing features detract from an otherwise pretty good waterproof by today’s standards -
UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Gavere: Mathieu van der Poel fends off Thibau Nys to take win number four
Nys, Tibor del Grosso round out the podium -
'For 45 minutes I lay in a stationary ambulance' - Filippo Baroncini says he 'nearly went blind' due to Tour de Pologne crash
Italian reveals delays to his treatment after serious crash
