L'Etape du Tour heads to Hautacam

The 16th edition of the favourite amateur 'race', L'Etape du Tour, will take place on Sunday the 6th of July 2008, and will follow the parcours of the 10th stage of the 2008 Tour de France.

Starting in Pau, a town which has hosted the Tour de France 61 times, the course will head 165 kilometres through Pyrénées Atlantiques and the Hautes-Pyrénées to the daunting climb to Hautacam – a monstrous 14 kilometre ascent at an average of 7.2%.

The challenge doesn't start there, as the riders will first have to tackle the Col du Tourmalet via la Mongie, a climb of more than 17 km at a 7.5% gradient.

As usual, the "Host Village" will be open for two days before the event: on Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of July, in Pau. For the first time this Village will be set up on the Pau racecourse in order to welcome all participants.

For more information, visit http://www.letapedutour.com.