Like last year, by making the Pyrenean stages tough but not too tough, Christian Prudhomme’s intention in the Alps is to bring likely contenders to the fore but not give any of them the chance to blow the race apart.
In order to keep the battle for yellow simmering nicely, this stage avoids the big passes for something far less arduous but intriguing nevertheless.
The Laffrey is one of the Tour’s oldest climbs, first featuring in 1905. The road into the finish comes down the Rochette descent where Joseba Beloki crashed and forced Lance Armstrong to divert across a mountain meadow in 2003. It adds up to an ideal day for a breakaway.
Stage profile
TOPICS
-
'The thought of going to work in an office is the scariest thing in the world' – After a brutal year on and off the bike, George Bennett is more motivated than ever
'The big block for me starts when I go to Europe, doing altitude camp, and then we're really going to focus on the spring' -
Neilson Powless targets race wins at Flemish Classics after off-season knee injury and tendonitis 'pushed my goals back by a couple of months'
US rider begins seventh year at EF Education-EasyPost at three-day Tour de la Provence to support Lamperti and Leonard -
Setmana Valenciana: Demi Vollering converts 19km solo into opening stage victory
European road champion opens 2026 account with a win on a blustery day in Valencia -
Best tyre levers 2026: One product is so good, we've not bothered including the rest
After testing out various other tyre lever options, nothing comes close to the Muc-Off Rim Stix
