And Now for the Mountains!

After the rest day, the Pyrénées await.  Stage 10 ends with a 1,300 meters climb over 23 Km to a mountain-top finish at La Pierre-St-Martin.  Stage 11 has another summit finish at Cauterets, with two punishing mountains in the middle – Col d’Aspin and the legendary Col du Toumalet.  Stage 12 also finishes with a climb to Plateau de Beille, after three intervening summits.  At this point, the Yellow Jersey race will be coming into focus.  Meanwhile, the sprinters will be lucky to survive.

The Pyrénées!  By July, the snow will have melted enough for the roads to be open, but this will still be a hostile environment.

Nan Kennard, Matt & Ashley Jensen climbing the east approach of the Col du Tourmalet - May 2011.  (Aaron Kennard taking the photo.)

Aaron & Nan Kennard and Matt & Ashley Jensen at the summit of the Col du Tourmalet - May 2011.  (Was Jurgen Van Den Broeck taking the photo?)

Four flat-to-rolling stages will next bring the peleton first to Valence on the Rhône River, and then to the foothills of the Alps at Gap.  These stages (plus the rest day to follow) will give the GC riders a chance to recover their strength for the Alps.

 How's this for a hostile cycling environment?   The Alps in winter - Mont Blanc in the middle distance.

The four stages in the Alps feature 14 categorized mountain climbs; and three summit finishes.  The crowning jewel will be the famous Alpe d’Huez!  These will be the last chances for the challengers to overtake the rider who emerges from the Pyrénées with the Yellow Jersey.  The Polka Dot Jersey (for best mountain climber) will also be decided here.  As always, the winner must not only be world-class strong; and generously lucky; he absolutely must have the support of a strong team.  “Lucky” you say?  For sure!  A mechanical failure at the wrong time, or a crash on one of those frightening downhills can destroy the success of a brilliant climb.    

Remember, the mountain stages will not necessarily be won by the Yellow Jersey or his challengers.  These riders will battle amongst themselves throughout those stages, to be sure.  But for all the other teams with no other hope for glory, these eight stages offer the chance to send their favorite sons off in the breakaways, in hopes of stealing a stage win.  Even one TDF stage win on a rider’s resumé can transform him from an “average Joe” – a mere domestique – to a rising star.  Whoever wins the climactic stage to Alpe d’Huez will have his name forever marked on one of the 17 hairpin corners – immortal fame!  Cycling enthusiasts from all over the world climb that mountain by the thousands every year.  It is perhaps of the sport’s most “holy” pilgrimage site.  Imagine the glory to have your name enshrined on one of those magical corners!

Just some of the 17 switchbacks on the climb to Alpe d'Huez.

Matt Jensen rounding corner No. 10 at Alpe d'Huez (May 2011).  If he could win this stage at the Tour de France, his name would appear on that sign along with Federico Echave, stage winner in 1987.  (In your dreams, Matt!)

 Nan Kennard, climbing through corner No. 17, just before entering the ski resort village of Alpe d'Huez.  (May 2011).  I hate to tell you, Matt, but Nan has a better chance of getting her name on the sign than you do.  Matt may never win a stage at the TDF, but he wins props for organizing the very challenging Three Kings Bike Race, held each June in North Salt Lake.  Any cyclist who claims climbing prowess should conquer the Three Kings before boasting too broadly.

The final stage will be the ceremonial ride into Paris.  The Yellow Jersey winner, and probably all of the other prize jersey winners as well, will have already been decided.  They will all ride casually through the crowds toasting their teams and all the fans with champagne.  The only drama will occur at the very end, when the sprinters will jostle for one last stage win.

I can hardly wait for the Tour to begin!