Despite not being a mountainous stage – and only featuring two fourth category climbs – at the end of this stage, the Tour will arrive in the Alps. Although those two climbs are the only ones to count, the altitude rises steadily from 46 metres at the start in Nîmes to 599 metres at the finish in Digne les Bains. The route crosses Provence and the Luberon wine area between Mont Ventoux and the Côte d'Azur before finishing in the spa town in the shadow of the high mountains that divide France form its neighbour Italy.
Digne les Bains is a fairly regular host to the Tour, having been a stage town eleven times before. Last time – in 2005 – David Moncoutié took the second of his two career stage wins after attacking the break on the road from Briançon to the north.
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Sean Kelly's Classics column: Sometimes Pogačar doesn't need tactics to win
Tom Pidcock put in a monster ride, but he came up against an even bigger monster in Tadej Pogačar -
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How the Belgian getting back on track sets her up perfectly for Flanders and Roubaix -
'Every detail counts at Milan-San Remo' – How former pro Niccolò Bonifazio taught Tadej Pogačar the secrets of Milan-San Remo
'Aero bikes are faster than ever but you've got to know how to use that extra speed' former Italian pro tells Cyclingnews -
'My legs felt heavy at the start of the race today' – Tom Pidcock comes through Milan-San Remo fatigue to claim third place on opening stage of Volta a Catalunya
Briton opened up final uphill sprint but overhauled by Dorian Godon and Remco Evenepoel
