This short but intense mountain stage requires warm-up on rollers before the start from the Olympic city of Albertville (winter Games 1992) straight into the Montée de Bisanne that has similar gradients as L'Alpe d'Huez.
It's followed by the col du Pré (12.6km at 7.7%), unprecedented at the Tour de France but known by the participants of the Tour de l'Avenir, i.e. Egan Bernal. The exact same stage has been contested at the Critérium du Dauphiné this year, with Pello Bilbao surviving a breakaway from the early part of the race.
The view from the Cormet de Roselend is probably the most spectacular in the French Alps. Its descent to Bourg-Saint-Maurice is a tricky one with a long list of victims in the Tour: Iñaki Gastón in 1992, Johan Bruyneel in 1996, Michael Rogers and Stuart O'Grady in 2007…
The final ascent to La Rosière - a ski resort linked to La Thuile in the Italian Valle d'Aosta - is also unprecedented at the Tour de France. Throughout the village of Montvalezan, it's one more demanding climb in a so short stage that its start is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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