There's only one individual time trial in this 105th Tour de France, but its characteristics make it unique in the history of the race. The distance isn't huge (31km), but it's up and down all the way, and comes on the penultimate day of racing.
It's a much harder race against the clock than the final one in Marseille last year, which means that the difference between two GC contenders could be up to one minute. The climbs on the route are steep and the descents are very technical. It's definitely not for a pure time triallist, and is more a stage for an all-rounder.
Only the first part until Souraïde-Xurxurieta is rolling. With 3km left to go comes a climb called the Col de Pinodieta, which, although only 1km long, features gradients up to 22 per cent.
The stage finish in Espelette, meanwhile, is the French capital of the chilli pepper. It's the perfect place to spice up the finale of the Tour.
The stage takes place right in the heart of the Basque Country, where no stage has been held since the 2006 Tour's stage 10 from Cambo-les-Bains to Pau. This time around, the whole stage is in Basque territory, and signage and commentary will be in both French and Basque.
There may not be a top-tier Euskaltel team anymore, but the passion for cycling on the Spanish side of the Basque Country remain such that it'll be a very popular stage on the roadside.
-
Best electric bike conversion kits 2026: Power up your bike for an easy and fast ride
Upgrade your bike with the best electric bike conversion kits and our guide on how to use them -
'I had the legs to win today' – Canadian Sarah Van Dam disappointed with Tour Down Under fifth place on Visma-Lease a Bike debut
'That's something she can certainly build on for the future' says Visma DS Van Emden -
Only half a team but a whole lot of hope as Nina Buijsman pushes Human Powered Health up the ranks at the Women's Tour Down Under
'We're hoping for a lot, but to get a top 10 in a World Tour race for us … it’s a real victory at this point' says DS Clark Sheehan at the start of the day -
Where will the top men's riders start their 2026 season? Early-season schedules for Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel and more
A look at the early-season programmes of the stars of the men's peloton, from Pogačar and Pidcock to Philipsen and Pedersen
