Stage 15 Mountains
LOUDENVIELLE > PLATEAU DE BEILLE
Sunday, 14 July | 197.7km | Start: 11:05 Finish: 16:41
The second and final day in the Pyrenees packs in a whopping 5,000m of climbing. Bastille Day could be pivotal.
Today’s route
Imitating a portion of the Raid Pyrénéen route, stage 15 crisscrosses five of the region’s peaks from west to east, starting with an ascent of the Col de Peyresourde as soon as the flag drops.
The Col de Menté (9.3km at 9.1%) and Col de Portet-d’Aspet (4.3km at 9.6%) are next, but there’s a 60km lull before the riders reach the Col d’Agnes (10km at 8.2%). The following short climb of the Port de Lers is not classified but could catch riders unaware. However, after that there’s a 35km descent for any dropped riders to regroup before the formidable Plateau de Beille, a 15.5km slog that averages 7.9%.
What to expect
Riders will be warming up on their turbos today, getting themselves ready to react to the immediate attacks from those wanting to be in the break. Expect plenty of French faces in the large break that will form, each of them hoping to become the first French stage winner on Bastille Day since Warren Barguil in 2017.
With a lot of nothingness separating the third and fourth climb, the race will no doubt enjoy some calm in that middle section before stirring back to life on the penultimate col. If there’s no GC threat nestled among the escapees, they h
