Stage 12 is, according to Chris Froome, the “Queen stage” of this year’s Tour with 5,400m of climbing over the Col de la Madeleine and the Col de la Croix de Fer, before an uphill finish on Alpe d’Huez. It’s bucket list, tour climbs all day! Riders will also be treated to the absurd twists and turns of the Lacets (shoelaces) de Montvernier, which scale a near-vertical cliff face overlooking the Maurienne Valley. The pros may decide this is a stage for breakaways and attacks, but for our Le Loopers, this will be an exercise in pacing, rewarded with smiles over dinner in our hotel on top of the mountain.
