Tour de France 2021 Route stage 15: Céret

Tour de France 2021 Route stage 15: Céret - Andorra la Vella

Sunday 11 July - The Tour de France serves a mountainous race of 192 kilometres long. Travelling from Céret to Andorra la Vella, stage 15 takes in four climbs before a downhill finish in the capital of the Pyrenean microstate Andorra.

The first 15 kilometres go virtually all uphill, although at shallow gradients. Expect the battle for the breakaway to be intense. It could very well last until the first proper climb, which is the Montée de Mont-Louis. The riders tackle the 8.4 kilometres climb at 5.7% after almost 80 kilometres.

KOM points are up for grabs at kilometre 87, but the ascent continues – false flat – until skiresort Font-Romeu is reached at an elevation of 1,783 metres, which lies 8.5 kilometres further.

The riders descend into Enveitg, only to go straight back up again. From base to summit the Col de Puymorens is approximately 20 kilometres long, but the gradients are shallow. The last 5.9 kilometer go up at 4.6%.

A short descent and then the riders climb into Andorra via the Port d’Envalira, which is a 10.7 ascent with an average gradient of 6.2%. The first rider at the summit wins the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, as this is – at 2,408 metres above sea level – the highest point of the 2021 Tour de France.

A 19 kilometres descent leads into Encamp and continues onto the the decisive climb of the day. The Collada de Beixalis is 6.4 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 8.5%. The first half rises at more than 10% and features sections up to 15%.

The finale of the 15th stage is a 14.5 kilometres downhill into Andorra la Vella.