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Tour de France 2010

Stage 7 - Tournus > > > Station des Rousses - 165.5 km

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Route

Profile of the Stage

Profile of Last Kilometers

Mountain Passes & Hills

Tournus > > > Station des Rousses - 165.5 km

•Km 51.5 - Côte de l'Aubépin - 4.9 km climb to 5 % - Category 3
•Km 69.0 - Côte des Granges (DESSIA) - 5.9 km climb to 3.5 % - Category 4
•Km 84.5 - Côte d'Arinthod - 8.5 km climb to 4.7 % - Category 3
•Km 104.0 - Côte du barrage de Vouglans - 6.6 km climb to 5.6 % - Category 2
•Km 134.5 - Col de la Croix de la Serra - 15.7 km climb to 4.3 % - Category 2
•Km 161.5 - Côte de Lamoura - 14.0 km climb to 5 % - Category 2

(Graphics - letour.com)

Tour de France 2010

Stage 7 - Tournus > > > Station des Rousses - 165.5 km

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Stage Previews

Medium Mountains - A sporting perspective

An initial cull

This medium-altitude mountain terrain will be more difficult than Liège-Bastogne-Liège, because the climbs last for between 6 and 12 kilometres, starting at the 40 km mark. Thereafter, there is not even a single centimetre of flat road; it will be up, down, up, down and so on and so forth. At the finishing line, there may still be around thirty riders together. The slopes are not massively difficult, so it is not necessarily a stage for a major climber, more so for a rider like Cadel Evans or David Moncoutié. However, an initial cull will take place and those who are not on form, who will not reach the front of the race, may already be looking at a Tour that is lost.

(letour.com)

July 9 post:

Surrounding the big famous Alps, in all directions, are smaller mountain ranges. Stage 7 is a medium mountain stage that finishes in one of these ranges to the north of the Alps. The Jura Mountains aren't visited very often by the Tour de France and the cat 2 finish climb to Station des Rousses ski resort has never been used before. The stage also starts with a new host, Tournus, in the Burgandy region, where stage 3 of the 2009 Criterium du Dauphine started.

"The Jura" is a great recreational cycling area with lots of narrow, quiet roads among lush forests and climbs that aren't too difficult.

Six categorized climbs including three cat 2 climbs in the second half will be featured in this 161 km stage. The last climb, Côte de Lamoura (14 km, avg grade 5%) summits just 3 km before a ski resort type flat finish so this stage favors a good climber who packs a decent sprint. Lance Armstrong thinks there will be 50 or so guys sprinting for the win. With rain forecasted for Saturday, stage 7 could be more difficult than expected. — Steve

(steephill.tv)

Mountains!!! Two first-time Tour towns!!!

TdF 2010 Stage 7 graphics and previews are up!

Click the 'To' option to go to the start of the Stage 7 posts.

The Stage starts at 13:07 local time CEST (6 hrs ahead of US EDT).

velonews.com - "Stage 7 heads east from Tournus and is completely flat for the first 45km, giving the green jersey contenders a chance to pick up point at two intermediate sprints, before reaching the limestone ridges of the Jura. The progressively harder series of climbs includes three Cat. 2s, two of which fall in the last 31km. After riders crest the final climb, the 14km Cote de Lamoura, they have only 4 flat kilometers remaining to the cross-country ski station of Les Rousses. Not exactly a summit finish, but close.

The Croix de la Sierra was climbed from the opposite direction in 1996. On that cold, wet day, Lance Armstrong called it quits, complaining of breathing problems. He would be diagnosed with cancer three months later."

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