Tour de France 2015 Route stage 10: Tarbes – La Pierre Saint Martin

Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - In 166 kilometres leading from Tarbes to La Pierre-Saint-Martin, riders get a first taste of the high mountains. After a hilly route the finale is a 15.3 kilometres climb in the Pyrenees. (Slideshow route/profile)

Tour de France stage 10: Tarbes–La Pierre St Martin

Hills, hills, hills. That’s more or less the story of stage 10, the first one in southern France. The pack is racing the foothills of the Pyrenees, but then, at kilometre 140, the hilly landscape starts to get more rugged. In the tiny village of Arette (elevation 305 metres) the bottom of Col de Soudet is reached. Climbing higher and higher the riders break the 1,000 metres for the first time in the 2015 Tour, and it certainly doesn’t stop here. In 15.3 kilometres - at 7.4% - they head for the finish at an elevation of 1,610 metres.

In fact this is not the summit of the pass, which is Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin. At an elevation of 1,760 metres it's the France-Spain border.

Before reaching the closing climb KOM-points are to be gained at Côte de Bougarber (with 66 kilometres done), Côte de Vielleségure (90 kilometres) and Côte de Montory (134 kilometres) - all category 4 climbs, while the La Pierre Saint Martin ascent is hors catégorie.

We are talking Bastille Day today, so every French rider will be eyeing up the ‘kisses from the misses’ at ski-resort La Pierre Saint Martin.

Race results/stage report, stage 10, Tour de France 2015.