Formigal. Huesca la Magia > Col du Tourmalet 135km

Without a shadow of doubt, this is the day where the red jersey will be won or lost. 135km and 4164m of climbing, it’s one of the hardest stages in the whole of 2023. With the GC finely balanced, and with three riders each from Jumbo-Visma and UAE in the top 10, things could get crazy.

Weather

Sunny and warm, even near the top of the mountains. There’s hardly any wind.

Key Points

Wake up legs, this is the start of the day. A long descent of 28km follows, where many riders will look to attack and get up the road before the start of the next climb.

Col d’Aubisque is the first of the big climbs. It’s categorised as HC, so important for anyone wanting to get KOM points. 

Col de Spandelles is next up, and despite being 9.9km at 8.4%, it’s only a cat 1. You’ll remember this from the 2022 Tour, it’s a brutal climb, and one that Vingegaard has fond memories of. That day, Pogačar crashed on the descent, it’s narrow and technical.

The Tourmalet, one of the most iconic climbs in cycling, the perfect way to finish off the stage.