Tour de France 2014: Stage 16 - 5 Climbs, Hors Catégorie Finale

Tuesday July 22ns, 2014 - The length of 237.5 kilometres makes stage 16 the longest in the 2014 Tour. Two category 4's to warm up and a category 2, 3 and a finale on an hors catégorie means today could be decisive. (Slideshow route/profile)

After starting in Carcassonne, riders face the first hill after 25 kilometres, the 2.4 kilometre Côte de Fanjeaux. An undulating landscape follows until the 71st kilometre where the Côte de Pamiers lays waiting, a climb of 2.4 km at 4.9%.

Col de Portet-d’Aspet
After almost 150 kilometers, the Col de Portet-d’Aspet officially begins. It’s a 2nd category climb with an elevation of 1,069 metres in 5.4 kilometres. The start is quite flat, but that then changes dramatically. After 3 kilometers, the gradient remains above 10% with a max of 11.4%.

The memorial at the top is for the 24-year-old Italian Fabio Casartelli, who crashed and died here during the 1995 Tour.

Col des Ares
At 170 kilometres, the riders arrive at the foot of the Col des Ares. The ascent is 6 kilometres long at 5.2%. This climb featured for the first time way back in 1910.

Port de Balès
The final pass of the Port de Bales is a relative newcomer to the Tour. ASO requested the road be paved in 2006 and has used the climb three times since this was done. The Col du Port de Bales is 11.7 kilometers long at 7.7% average and with its steepest kilometres at 10.2%.

2010 saw the famous ‘Chaingate’ incident, when Andy Schleck, in yellow, attacked and then dropped his chain while Contador continued on and took the jersey. That’s water under the bridge obviously, since Schleck is now the official winner of that Tour after Contador’s positive test.

In 2012, Valverde won here from a breakaway. Alexandre Geniez also won a stage here in 2013, albeit in the Vuelta.