Tour de France 2022 Route stage 16: Carcassonne

Tour de France 2022 Route stage 16: Carcassonne - Foix

Tuesday 19 July - The third week of the Tour de France opens with a transition stage to Foix. The town in the foothills of the Pyrenees has been the end station of a successful breakaway on a number of occassions.

This century has seen three Tour de France stage finishes in Foix. In 2008, Kurt Asle Arvesen took the spoils; in 2012, it was Luis León Sánchez who turned out on top; and in 2017 Warren Barguil outgunned Nairo Quintana, Alberto Contador and Mikel Landa. On all occasions, the winner came from the breakaway.

The finale of the last two races to Foix was identical. After cresting the Mur de Péguère, a 9.3 kilometres climb at 7.9%, the riders fly down a 27 kilometres descent to the line in Foix. The Mur de Péguère peaks out at 1,375 metres and the finish lies 1,000 metres lower.

The Mur de Péguère is a killer in a cunning disguise. The first six kilometres are nothing special, but then all hell breaks loose with one kilometre of 13% and a steepest sector at 18%. What comes next is hardly any better and it’s only at the top that the riders will be out of their misery.

So that’s an attractive finale. And the good thing is that we’ll see a carbon copy of it in 2022.