Following an undulating opening of the race – with the Col de Bac standing out: 3.1 kilometres at 5.3% – the real uphill action begins after 85 kilometres. The Col de Montségur is 4.2 kilometres long and averages 8.7%.
De Montségur climb marks the start of the more lumpy part of the race. After a long descent the next climb opens just after Bélesta. The Col de la Croix des Morts serves 6.8 kilometres of climbing at 5.7%.
No descent after the distribution of KOM points, instead the route continues on a plateau for 9 kilometres and shortly after Espeze a short drop is followed by an even shorter ascent. The Côte de Galinagues climbs sharply – 2.2 kilometres at 9% – out of a lush green valley.
A little later – with still over 50 kilometres remaining – the riders fly down another long downhill before they tackle the Col du Campérie: 3.3 kilometers at 4%, and non-classified. The route then descends further at shallow gradients until the Col de Saint-Louis is expected to have a major impact on how the race unfolds. The climb is 4.7 kilometres long and averages 7.4%.
The summit of the Saint Louis Pass is 17 kilometres away from the finish line in Quillan. Most of it goes downhill.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds. Furthermore, 8, 5 and 2 seconds are available at the Col de Saint-Louis.
Another interesting read: results 14th stage 2021 Tour de France.
Tour de France 2021 stage 14: routes, profiles, more
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