Stage 10: Luchon – Peyragudes. Lite 93km / 2409m. Tues 6^th July
Year of Stage: 2012

This stage hides some painful efforts in its deceptively short distance but with the Lite route, we bypass the first big climb and head straight to the Port de Balès which has featured in 6 Tours in the last 20 years: it’s a stunning climb whose brutality is matched by its beauty. To give an idea of how remote and atmospheric it’ll feel as we climb, the road is only open for 5 months a year and until the 1980s there was no road at all. That ‘80s surface wasn’t suitable for anything other than 4x4s and it was the Tour de France itself which instigated paving the road properly in 2006 in order to provide new challenges for its riders.

After a descent part way down the valley (not all the way down thankfully) we lose enough elevation to get an idea of what’s to come; the uphill finish at Peyragudes, which is an even more recent addition to the Tour (first appearance on this stage in 2012 and making up for lost time with 5 inclusions since then). By now some of the faster full-route cyclists will have caught up and we’ll have plenty of company on this final climb…

The encouragement and moral support from other cyclists will be welcome because it’s a tough finish psychologically – after reaching the Col de Peyresourde, you have to go down to go up (200m down; 240 up) so reaching the end of this stage will be a true landmark of achievement. You will be treated like the hero you are on your return to Luchon!

Why we chose it: It really did tick all the boxes; for our second mountains stage we wanted short (in kilometres), tough (in elevation), classic (in feel) and the chance to have a third night in our Luchon hotel (3 nights in one place is a rare and ultimate luxury).

 Le Loop Logistics
Start: Luchon hotel
Finish: Luchon hotel

Stage 11: Luchon – St Lary. Lite 47km / 1940m. Wed 7^th July
Year of Stage: 2018

The unusually short parcours of this stage struck fear into the hearts of the 2018 pro peloton (who had to cover the entire stage at a near-sprint) but we’re able to take this stage at a comfortable pace – a necessary tactic given what’s involved…

It’s a treat in many ways – a pretty perfect cycling day. It’s also the shortest full stage in 35 years which we’ve managed to make even shorter to make sure you can take that up hill as slowly as you want!

The first 46km take us up over the Peyresourde, down through the delightful thermal spa town of Loudenvielle, up the Col de Val Louron-Azet and down into St Lary; all of these being roads we’ve ridden in the other direction over the last couple of days and all with spectacular views.

We arrive in St Lary (one of our all-time favourite Tour towns) after a lovely descent with plenty of the day to wander into town and enjoy the views from a cafe rather than a bike. (However, if you’re feeling stronger than anticipated, nobody will stop you having a go at the Col de Portet – it’s an out and back from the St Lary hotel so you can decide on the day!)

Why we chose it: A few reasons; firstly, the distance – need we say more. Secondly, the Col de Portet for its height, views and proximity to St Lary. Third, St Lary! It’s one of our all-time favourite towns (and hotels!) and we couldn’t leave it out. And lastly, have you ever cycled a stunning route and wondered what it would look like if you could see the views behind you and descend the roads you just climbed (and climb the descents)? We ponder this all the time on Le Loop and thought it would be nice to include a stage (for Grand Loopers who have also ridden stage 9) which offered the answers.

 Le Loop Logistics
Start: Luchon hotel
Finish: St Lary hotel

Stage 12: St Lary – Tourmalet. Lite 96km / lite 2344m. Thurs 8^th July
Year of Stage: 1974

Today’s ride is an homage to the 1974 Tour de France, which visited Plymouth for Stage 2, and in which Yorkshireman Barry Hoban won the seventh of his eight stages – a record eventually surpassed by Mark Cavendish, 35 years later in 2009. But the first rider to the Col du Tourmalet was Frenchman Jean-Pierre Danguillaume, closely followed by eternal second Raymond Poulidor.

We’ll be taking the day at a more sedate pace, starting the day with a lift to the top of the Col d’Aspin so our first cycling kilometres are teh descent down towards Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, site of one of the Tour’s most enduring legends; Eugène Christophe famously repaired his fork here, at a local blacksmith’s shop, after crashing on the Tourmalet in 1913.

But we’re not going up there just yet. First, we get to enjoy a lovely leisurely roll down the valley, alongside the glittering Adour River. This section may look flat, but in reality, we’ll be losing elevation, meaning that it should feel relatively easy, giving us a chance to watch the scenery change as the landscape opens out, the sky gets bigger, and we move away from the high mountains. After passing through the elegant spa town of Bagnères-de-Bigorre, we encounter a 2km climb (around 4.5%) as we cross the watershed and roll through the foothills, passing verdant farmland and small stone villages as we go.

Skirting the pilgrimage town of Lourdes, we then begin a steady climb up the valley and back into the mountains. This time the false flat isn’t in our favour, and there’s a chance this section may feel harder than it looks, especially in the heat of the afternoon. Once we reach Luz-Saint-Saveur, all that remains is the climb we’ve all been waiting for: 19km at 7.4%, and one of the most iconic cols in Tour history – the mighty Tourmalet.

Why we chose it: Obviously we were going to include the Tourmalet – so the question was just how and when. With this stage, we skip the more standard long haul from Tarbes or Pau and instead have the treat of already being in the mountains. Another very attractive feature is the unusually long (75km) stretch of descent and flat that links the two big climbs of the day; a chance to get your breath back and enjoy the scenery in groups before the big Pyrenean finale-climb. We also chose this as a sibling to stage 19 (see below!)

Le Loop Logistics
Start: St Lary hotel
Finish: Dinner on Tourmalet, followed by transfer to Toulouse hotel