Last edition, Andorra hosted the Vuelta and the Grand Tour left the mountain state via Escaldes/Engordany also. Finishing in Lleida, the day win went to sprinter Danny van Poppel.
This time the riders go the other way as they are heading back to France. Once the flag is dropped they face the Port d’Envalira: a 22.6 kilometres climb at 5.5%. The rider who is first to crest wins the Souvenir Henri Desgrange as this is the highest point of the 2016 Tour de France – peaking at an elevation of 2,408 metres.
On rolling roads it goes on to Revel, located in the Haute-Garonne, 50 kilometres east of Toulouse. The finale is marked by Côte de Saint-Ferréol, a 1.8 kilometres climb at 6.6%. At the top it’s 7 kilometres left to race. The first kilometre is flat and then a 3 kilometres drop takes the riders to the last kilometres on flat roads.
In 2010, the Tour de France visited Revel for the last time with Aleksandr Vinokourov soloing to victory.
Back in 1969, Eddy Merckx took the individual time trial with both start and finish in Revel. It was one out of six stage wins of The Cannibal in the first year he won the Tour de France’s GC. Eventually he would take the overall of La Grande Boucle five times.
The first three riders on the line take time bonuses at 10, 6 and 4 seconds.
Results / race report 10th stage, 2016 Tour de France.
Tour de France 2016 stage 10: Route maps, height profiles, etc.
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As for the finish in Revel, the route will surely take the riders across the foot of the Montagne Noire that lies to the east of the town. That will eliminate any pure sprinters.
Congratulations on the new look!
As for stage 10, it’s going to start with a serious climb. When you look at possible routes, Engordany > Revel means going via Pas de la Casa. That’s (roughly) +1.3 kms in height over 25 kms of road = 5.2%. Certainly, last year’s Vuelta crossed the 2nd category Coll de Boixols, but I’d say that it was an easier climb and the riders already had 40 kms in their legs when they began the ascension from the valley of the Segre.
Thanks for the compliment and the additional information.
with friendly regards
Hendrik