A rollercoaster ride
The final stage before the first rest day fulfils Prudhomme's desire for unpredictability. That the last winner in Saint-Flour was Richard Virenque back in 2004 says a good deal about what the riders are up against today. There's very little riding on the flat, just frequently steep ups and downs. At almost 1600m, the Pas de Peyrol is the highest road pass in the Massif Central. Following it are the not-insignificant Perthus and Prat de Bouc passes before the road drops irregularly towards Saint-Flour. The finish is uphill too and could well result in a breakaway rider finishing alone.
Details -
Distance: 208 km
Highest point: 1,589m
Category: Medium mountains
Vin Denson says...
"These rolling stages are impossible to call. People associate the Alps and Pyrenees with the brutality of the Tour, but days like this are generally much, much harder. They will be full gas for 150km, and lots of strong guys will be targeting it."
Matt White says...
"A day for the break and maybe even the handing over of the yellow jersey. A lot of riders will be thinking of the joy of the Tour's first rest day tomorrow."
Stage profile
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'Sometimes failure really motivates you' – Triumph at The Traka for Rosa Klöser after feeling terrible at Sea Otter Classic Gravel following fraught post Paris-Roubaix dash
An unrelenting 90km solo effort to clinch win and ominous sign for rivals ahead of Unbound 200 -
Tour of the Gila: Grace Arlandson and Adam Lewis claim first UCI wins from breakaway on stage 3
Stage runner-up Lauren Stephens still solidly in the women’s race lead as Walter Vargas retains men’s top spot -
Taper less, ride more? Why pro cyclists are training harder than science often suggests
Reducing your training load ahead of a race or event is widely considered a tried-and-tested training technique across endurance sports, but do the studies align with the demands of road cycling? Cyclingnews and JOIN assess the art of tapering -
The Traka 360: Mads Würtz Schmidt completes the double with dominant victory, as Rosa Klöser wins with impressive 90km solo on challenging Girona gravel
Drechou and Beers complete men's podium, Dubau-Prévot and Scheurs second and third in women's
