PAU " PEYRAGUDES

DISTANCE 214KM TERRAIN MOUNTAIN

An archetypal Pyrenean stage, with the length even something of a throwback against a growing trend for shorter, punchier stages. Following the easier side of the fearsome Col de Menté, the peloton tackles the deceptively tough Port de Balès before picking up the Col de Peyresourde at Saint-Aventin, skipping the easier section up from Bagnères-de-Luchon for a climb that nudges 8 per cent over 9.7km. At the summit there’s a short descent before the left-hand turn up to Peyragudes ski resort, a deadly sting in the tail for a rider out front on his own. From the base of Port de Balès it’s the same route as the final mountain stage of 2012 where Chris Froome shepherded Bradley Wiggins closer to the yellow jersey.