Tour de France Stage 8 Preview

Review of Montain Stage: Stage 8, Station des Rousses to Morzine-Avoriaz

On Sunday July 11th, Team RadioShack along with the other teams of the Tour de France will head from Station des Rousses into Morzine-Avoriaz. This is where the true Alps mountain stages begin and the difference will be made between the boys and the men.  This stage, Stage 8 of the Tour, is 189 kilometers long and features five category climbs.

The stage begins in the resort town of Station Des Rousses. This town is surrounded by the Faucille Mountain Pass, which back in 1911 was one of the first mountains the Tour ever climbed.

Throughout the day, the climbers will go over two Category 4 climbs, one Category 3 climb and two Category 1 climbs. The climbs begin 24 kilometers into the day with a 2.3-kilometer climb at the Côte de la Petite Joux with a grade of 4.3%. The next climb is at 73 kilometers at the Côte de Grésin, which is a 4.3-kilometer climb with a grade of 3.9%. After a bit of a break from the hills, the day gets significantly harder at the Col de la Ramaz, which begins at 154.5 kilometers into the day. This massive climb covers 14.3 kilometers and has the steepest grade of the day at 6.8%.  Nearly immediately after descending this climb, the riders begin climbing Les Gets, which is 3.9 kilometers long and features a grade of 4.8%. The day ends with the final climb into Morzine-Avoriaz. This hearty 13.6-kilometer climb, with a grade of 6.1%, hopefully will be a standout moment for the boys of Team RadioShack.

The stage features two places to accumulate sprint points. The first is after the Côte de Grésin in Vulbens and the second is prior to the climb up to the Col de la Ramaz in the Viuz-en-Sallaz.

Today’s stage ends at the mountaintop ski resort of Avoriaz, which is affectionately known as the Portes du Soleil or Gateway to the Sun. The last time that the tour ended in Avoriaz is in 1994. This town is situated at an altitude of 1,800 meters. The climb up to Avoriaz has a rich history in cycling and has hosted nearly two dozen tour stops throughout the years, 17 times in Morzine and 6 times up at Avoriaz.  Previous victors at Avoriaz include Lucien Van Impe, who dominated this climb twice, Bernard Hinault, Piotr Ugrumov and Lucho Herrera.

Looking at the profile of this stage, I would assume that Contador will attack on the final climb into Avoriaz, but hopefully Lance Armstrong will have the legs to set the pace! After this day, the boys will finally have a much deserved rest day in the town of Morzine-Avoriaz before the continue climbing their way through the Alps.

By Fitzalan Gorman, staff writer