Skip to content
STAGE 6 OF 21Thursday 9 July

Pau → Gavarnie-Gèdre

Mountain186.2 KMPyreneesSUMMIT FINISH

The queen stage of the Pyrenees. Col d'Aspin then the mighty Tourmalet — the most-climbed pass in Tour history — before a long drag to the new finish at Gavarnie-Gèdre. A genuine GC battleground.

KEY CLIMBS

C1

Col d'Aspin

12 km · 6.5% avg · 1,490 m summit

HC

Col du Tourmalet

17 km · 7.3% avg · 2,115 m summit

C2

Montée de Gavarnie-Gèdre

18.7 km · 3.8% avg

THE TACTICAL READ

WHO IT SUITS

The GC men, though the long, shallow 3.8% drag to the line suits a diesel over a pure explosive climber.

WHAT TO WATCH

Whether a favourite attacks on the Tourmalet itself or waits — the gentle final climb punishes anyone who goes too early and blows.

ROADMAN PREDICTION

The biggest names in the race light up the Tourmalet, but the soft finish can neutralise a small gap. A strong break could survive if the favourites stare each other down.

THE ROADMAN TAKE

WHAT THIS STAGE DEMANDS

Back-to-back HC climbs are a fuelling stage first and a power stage second. Run out of carbohydrate on the Tourmalet and no amount of fitness saves you. The protocol that matters here is carb-loading the days before and taking on 80–120g of carbs per hour in the saddle.

WHAT HANNAH GRANT WOULD PUSH

The former pro-team chef's whole job was keeping riders fuelled across mountain stages — real food early, then a steady stream of carbohydrate, so the rider never hits the wall on the final climb.

TRAIN FOR IT

The Roadman content that builds what Stage 6 asks for.

Carb-loading protocol for race week→In-Ride Fuelling Calculator→Pacing strategy for long climbs→

← STAGE 5

Lannemezan → Pau

STAGE 7 →

Hagetmau → Bordeaux

← ALL 21 STAGES