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Categorized Climbs for Stage 18:
This stage preview is available in the following languages:
(We are looking for translations in ALL other languages. Please submit your translation with the stage no. and language in the subject title. If you don't see your preview posted within 12 hours then please resend your preview as an attachment if you didn't already do so because we've had problems with some inline character sets like German.) Stage 18 preview: Pinerolo → Col du Galibier - Serre Chevalier, 201 km (Mountain) |
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 While the peloton is on Col d'Izoard here's a 'live' shot of the finish looking down from the 200m mark. Photo: colin flockton/steephill.tv |
 The final 200m of the Col du Galibier finishing climb. While the peloton is on Col d'Izoard here's a 'live' shot of the finish looking up from the 200m mark. Photo: colin flockton/steephill.tv |
 Action from Col d'Izoard during the 2009 Criterium du Dauphine on a gorgeous day in the French Alps. Col d'Izoard will be the second of three hors catégorie climbs ontap for stage 18 of this year's Tour. more photos: steephill.tv |
 South side switchbacks of Col du Galibier near the top of the Stage 18 summit finish which will mark the first time the Tour de France has finished on Col du Galibier. (photo credit: Gerald Davison) |
July 20 post: Stage 18 is the biggy, the only stage with three hors catégorie climbs which makes it the Queen Stage of this year Tour in most peoples book.
Starting for the previous finish host in Pinerolo, Italy, we'll head west back into France over Col Agnel (23.7 km @ 6.5 %), Col d'Izoard (14.1 km @ 7.3 %) then the summit finish on Col du Galibier (22.8 km @ 4.9 %) to celebrate the 100th anniverary of the Tour de France's inclusion of the final climb. The Tour has never finished on Col du Galibier before and at 2645m elevation it will be the highest finish in Tour history. In addition, Col Agnel at 2744m be the highest point of this year's race. The Tour has never climbed it from the Italian side and the last 9 km average 10%. Alberto Contador says Col Agnel will be the hardest climb of the Tour.
The weather on Col du Galibier has been (unseasonably?) poor this past week and on Sunday around 200 cyclists had to be rescued from the Col du Galibier while on a "Brevet alpin de cyclotourisme." Snow is forecasted for Wednesday, but Thursday's forecast is partly Sunny with a high of 7C/45F so the Tour organizers may dodge a bullet and cycling fans should get the stage they were hoping for.
This stage will most certainly be an epic battle as mountain goats Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck and Frank Schleck attempt to crack Cadel Evans who in the past always has one bad day and he hasn't had one yet. As of Tuesday evening, Cadel Evans is in the driver's seat being second on GC and one of the best time-trialists in the top 10. Besides being a great battle among the general classification contenders, the scenery will be majestic. — Steve
Col du Galibier - A Brief History
— podiumcafe
Tour de France to just avoid snow on Galibier
— cyclingnews
Snowy Col du Galibier recon photos from this week — velonews
Big Photos from 2009 Criterium du Dauphine Stage 6: Gap - Briançon (inc. Col d'Izoard) — sirotti
Cycling L'Alpe d'Huez, Col du Galibier — The Marmotte and Etape du Tour — July 2006 — steephill.tv
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