Tour de France 2011 in the Pyrénées.

The route of the 2011 Tour de France will be announced in Paris tomorrow. There has not been as much information on the loose this year as there was last year, so we still dont know the exact makeup of the route yet. But with all that is available and there has been a lot more available in the last 3 days, this is what I know of the 2011 route in the Pyrénées.

The Tour will enter the Midi Pyrenées region on Tuesday 12th July, this will be the day after the first rest day.

Stage 10: Tuesday 12th July: Aurillac to Carmaux.

Stage 11: Wednesday 13th July: Blaye-les-Mines to Lavaur. This has long been touted as an ITT, but one of our local papers has speculated this morning that at 67km this is too long for an ITT and will probable be a road stage through the Tarn valley of up to 200km and may be a sprint finish.

Stage 12: Thursday 14th July, Bastille Day: Toulouse to Luz: The finish in Luz has been confirmed by the mayor’s office, but not the details. So I will stick with The finish being at the ski station at Luz Ardiden. Luz Ardiden has been used 7 times before (1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1994, 2001 & 2003), first on stage 17 in 1985 when Pedro Delgado won and Bernard Hinault retained his yellow jersey and went on to win his 5th Tour, the last victory by a French rider. In 1990 it was a stage victory for a young rider from just across the Spanish border, Miguel Indurain. 1994 saw a stage victory for the young Richard Virenque after a long sole breakaway on the stage from Lourdes, Pantani was second 4:34 behind. 2001 was a triumphant victory for a local favourite Roberto Laiseka of the Basque team Euskatel. Perhaps most famously it was the climb where Lance Armstrong fell, taking Iban Mayo with him, after riding to close to a spectator and catching his handlebars on a bag. Jan Ullrich (foolishly in my opinion) waited for the fallen riders. When Armstrong got back to the front he attacked and won by 40 seconds, he would arrive in Paris 1 minute and 1 second ahead of Ullrich.

Luz-Ardiden profile.

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This map shows the probable route of the stage, taking in the climbs of  Hourquette d’Ancizan and Col du Tourmalet before the finish on Luz Ardiden. This route is 220km long. It will be the 81st time for the Col du Tourmalet and the 1st time for the Hourquette to be used by Le Tour.

Luz-Ardiden, Switchbacks near the summit. Hautacam is on the horizon.

The road to Luz Ardiden was built in the early 1970s, the ski station opened in 1975. It is easy to see the modern engineering that constructed the road. The climb is 13.4km long and has 31 bends, it gains 1020m in 13.4 km which gives it a grade of 7.6%. It is a very steady climb with little change in gradient, it is the best decent I have ever done and I think many riders would agree. The hairpins on the decent are great fun and there is a long straight section in the middle where a really mad rider can make 100kph, I have only done 83 myself, but that was wearing a jacket and not really trying. The tour riders will not get to enjoy this aspect of the climb.
Here is the data from Garmin Connect of a ride I did fron Saint Savin to Luz Ardiden.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/9168279

Stage 13: Friday 15th July: this stage remains a mystery. It has been confirmed in the last few days that it will finish in Lourdes but no details of the start or finish are available. It is believed that Lourdes steped in after a town further north pulled out. Most think that it will be from Pau, takening in the Marie-Blanque, Aubisque and Soulor and possible 1 other climb. It has also been proposed by one of our local papers that this stage may be an ITT.

Stage 14: Saturday 16th July: Saint-Gaudens to Plateau de Beille: This stage has been known about for sometime. It will probable cross the Col de Port and one other before the final climb of 14km at 8%. I have ridden this climb a few times and I think it one of the hardest in the Pyrénées. Not as hard as Tourmalet or Hautacam but right up there non the less.

Stage 15: Sunday 17th July: Stage 14 will see the race leave the Pyrénées with a stage from Limoux to Montpellier, this should be one for the sprinters and will be followed by the second rest day before the Alps.

For the full low-down on every stage, check out this blog on the Tour de France Route by Dutch cyclist Thomas Vergouwen.

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Tagged as: 2011, Col d'Aubisque, Col du Soulor, Col du Tourmalet, cols, Cycling, Lavedan Valley, Le Tour de France, Photos, pyrenees, riders, routes, Tour de France, Tourmalet