this is going to be the tough one not sure what the weather is going to be like but either way it will be tough.
reckon mayo or laiseka will be going for it with their "home" support . of the big guns vino is bound to attack and armstrong should to , to gain time before the tt.
i rode both the tourmalet and luz ardiden a few years back here is my own preview
the tourmalet is very hard with a steep section almost straight away as it winds up through the trees with a few hairpins . the section up to la mongie (where it finished last year) gets easier but you can see the top a few kilometres up which is a bit demoralising if your legs are hurting (mine were) the last few kilometers arent too bad but they do drag on a bit especially as you can see the top getting slowly nearer.
the descent isnt too bad but very fast ,steepish at the top but not too many hairpins but the drop off to the sides is pretty scary. there is a fairly flat section before you get to Bareges where it then starts to steepen 15 % i think through the town . several hairpins towards the end but fairly big radius so not too difficult. once you get to the bottom (luz st sauvoir ?) its more or less straight up the final climb . you go through a small town where it just gets very steep and you start to feel it straight away especially after the tourmalet. there was also a headwind coming from the valley which was most welcome when i did it there arent too many hairpins early on so if the wind is blowing that way it will be extra hard.
with about 7 k to go you go round the corner and see the top up there in the distance (like on the tourmalet it can be demoralising)
when i did it the place was totally deserted but you can guarantee the basque fans will be out in force .
the last 5 ks wind their way up quite steeply through a lot of hairpins . i think with about 2k to go it flattens out a bit , i remember someone passing me and i was able to put a final spurt on to get him back............so if anyone wants to drop someone they will have to do it by then.
hope that helps to explain it a bit
reckon mayo or laiseka will be going for it with their "home" support . of the big guns vino is bound to attack and armstrong should to , to gain time before the tt.
i rode both the tourmalet and luz ardiden a few years back here is my own preview
the tourmalet is very hard with a steep section almost straight away as it winds up through the trees with a few hairpins . the section up to la mongie (where it finished last year) gets easier but you can see the top a few kilometres up which is a bit demoralising if your legs are hurting (mine were) the last few kilometers arent too bad but they do drag on a bit especially as you can see the top getting slowly nearer.
the descent isnt too bad but very fast ,steepish at the top but not too many hairpins but the drop off to the sides is pretty scary. there is a fairly flat section before you get to Bareges where it then starts to steepen 15 % i think through the town . several hairpins towards the end but fairly big radius so not too difficult. once you get to the bottom (luz st sauvoir ?) its more or less straight up the final climb . you go through a small town where it just gets very steep and you start to feel it straight away especially after the tourmalet. there was also a headwind coming from the valley which was most welcome when i did it
there arent too many hairpins early on so if the wind is blowing that way it will be extra hard.with about 7 k to go you go round the corner and see the top up there in the distance (like on the tourmalet it can be demoralising)
when i did it the place was totally deserted but you can guarantee the basque fans will be out in force .
the last 5 ks wind their way up quite steeply through a lot of hairpins . i think with about 2k to go it flattens out a bit , i remember someone passing me and i was able to put a final spurt on to get him back............so if anyone wants to drop someone they will have to do it by then.
hope that helps to explain it a bit
