Change of pace

IT’S not the Alps nor the Pyrenees – it’s a small hill in Bretagne, but it will offer a first glimpse as to how the Tour de France contenders are feeling.

The Mur de Bretagne stands between the peloton and finish line – twice – in the final 16km of tonight’s stage six.

On a largely flat first nine days of the Tour, it stands out as the early barometer for how Richie Porte and his general classification rivals are tracking.