The stats
• Col du Portet d'Aspet (1069m), 2.7km at 8.4%
• Col de Menté (1349m), 7km at 8.1%
• Col du Portillon (1320m), 8.3km at 7.2%
• Col de Peyresourde (1569m), 13km at 6.9%
• Col de Val Louron-Azet (1580m), 7.5km at 7.9%
• Saint-Lary-Soulan (Pla-d'Adet) (1669m), 10.7km at 7.6%

The route
The key stage of the Pyrenees – and perhaps of the 2005 Tour – kicks off from the village of Lézat-sur-Lèze, which hosts a stage start for the first time ever. From here, there’s roughly 80km before six difficult climbs (one 2nd category, four 1st categories, and one hors catégorie) make life difficult in the final 120km. First on the agenda is the Col du Portet d’Aspet (taking in the same steep descent where Olympic Champion Fabio Casartelli lost his life in the 1995 edition). Immediately after is the winding Menté, where race leader Luis Ocana famously crashed out of the 1971 edition. Descending into St. Béat, the riders have a moment’s respite before briefly entering Spain and re-entering France at the summit of the pine-lined Col du Portillon. After the drop into Bagnères-de-Luchon, it’s up again, with the day’s longest climb – the Peyresourde. All that’s left is the double whammy of the Col de Val Louron-Azet (from Loudenville) and the final grind to Saint Lary’s lower ski station.

View from descent of Col de Menté

Where to watch
Any of today’s climbs are likely to make prime viewing – with the cols nearer the stage end getting ever busier. The last few kilometres of the Pla d’Adet are likely to be lined with thick crowds of orange-clad Spanish fans. If you’re planning to park your car on one of the climbs, get there early. For the Pla d’Adet, this means the night before at the latest. For climbs further away from the end, try and get there in the early hours of the morning.

One way to avoid the worst of the traffic is to park in Loudenvielle (by the camp site) and hike up to the Col d’Azet. There are two routes up, the best waymarked being the GR10 with its red and white flashes painted on trees and rocks. It’s about a two hour walk to the top of the col. You can also hike up to Pla d’Adet from Saint-Lary-Soulan, by taking the D123a (at the south-west entrance to the town) to Cadeilhan-Tranchère. From here, a tree-lined path leads all the way up to the first chalets of the ski station.

In Saint-Lary-Soulan, you can watch the race in progress on a big screen in front of the cable car station, with another screen by the Schuss at the Pla d’Adet. Information points will be positioned at the Espiaube crossroads, the two cable car stations, and the tourist office. The cable car up to Pla d’Adet will be running as normal, all day from 7-midnight. A return journey costs 12 euros, while a one-way journey is 7 euros. Note that the toughest part of the final climb is 2-8 km from the foot, with kms 2-5 averaging 10%. See plan of Saint-Lary-Soulan.

Monument commemorating Fabio Casartelli, Col du Portet d'Aspet

The favourites
The Pla d’Adet has become a classic Pyreneean climb in the Tour de France, and this is the ninth time it welcomes a stage finish. First to win here was French idol Raymond Poulidor back in 1974, while the most recent victor was Lance Armstrong in 2001. On that day, Armstrong left nearest rival Jan Ullrich 60 seconds behind, as he took the yellow jersey (for good) from early race leader François Simon. Third and fourth were the Spanish climbing duo of Joseba Beloki and Roberto Heras – some 1’46” back. Coming at the end of a very tough day, this climb is likely to suit the climbers who don’t pose a threat for the general classification. Otherwise, it will be battled out among the yellow jersey contenders. Note that the Col de Peyresourde was where Vinokourov launched an attack in 2003 that saw him become virtual yellow jersey. Helped by Jan Ullrich (who was defending his own GC place), Armstrong managed to reduce the one minute-plus gap at the top of the climb to 43 secs by the end of the stage. Vinokourov finished the day just 18 secs behind overall.

Sight-seeing
Hosting a Tour de France stage for the first time, Lézat-sur-Lèze (with a population of just 2,200) is a pleasant Arriège village, with a handful of pretty, half-timbered medieval houses. It is also the birthplace of WWII Resistance hero François Verdier, and former Olympic and French cycling champion Jacques Dupont. At his best on the track, Dupont sprinted to Olympic gold in the kilometre race in 1948. He also twice won the prestigious one day race Paris-Tours.

Towards the bottom of the Col du Portet d’Aspet (on the side of the D618/ D85 junction), a stone monument commemorates another Olympian– 1988 roadrace winner Fabio Casartelli. The race passes here to mark the tenth anniversary of the tragic death of the 24-yr old Italian rider. A teammate of Lance Armstrong on the Motorola team, Casartelli met his death here in the 15th stage of the 1995 Tour de France while descending in the main peleton. When a couple of riders fell in front of him, Casartelli was sent flying head-first into a concrete block. He was not wearing a helmet, although Tour doctor Gerard Porte declared that the injuries were predominantly to his face, and a helmet would not necessarily have made a difference. A couple of days later, Armstrong soloed to victory in Limoges, famously pointing to the sky as he crossed the line.

Set in the heart of the Aure valley, Saint-Lary-Soulan is a popular ski resort, with two stations on the mountains above the town (Pla d’Adet being the lower of these). Of note in the town are the Tour Hachan, a renovated stone tower that houses the Musée du Parc National (Tel. 05 62 39 40 91), and the Musée de l’Ours (Tel : 05 62 39 50 83), a multimedia museum that looks at the plight of the Pyreneean brown bear. The centre is also home to two bears, Bingo and Apollon.

Tour Hachan, Saint-Lary-Soulan

Food & Drink
While it’s more of a winter dish, la gabure is a filling stew that’s a Pyreneean speciality. Traditionally, la gabure is a meal for the poor, made from white beans, vegetables, and ham on the bone for added taste. Nowadays, however, duck, goose or pork confit is often added. When cooked with a regional red wine (Tursan, Madiran, Buzet), the stew is also known as ‘chalorot’.

Those with a sweet tooth might prefer the gâteau à la broche, a huge, almost volcanic-looking cake that is prepared on a spit. Made of flour, eggs, butter, and sugar, the cake is left to cook over an open fire for a good hour. It’s traditionally made for special occasions, such as weddings and christenings – and keeps for up to a month.

Events
In Lézat, festivities start well before the big day. If you’re in town on Friday 15th, you can catch music from ‘Nadau’ at the town hall square (Place de la Mairie) from 21h, and a night-time market selling regional produce from 18h-24h. At 18h on Saturday, there will be a Cycling Procession (rue François Verdier - rue Jacques Dupont - rue Jean Mermoz - blvd Gabriel Faure - av de la République), and from 20h, the town will be enlivened by local music. To round off festivities, catch the Grand Bal with dancing, music and food (Bodegas-Bandas-Restauration) from 20h until late into the night. Exhausted, the town will awake on Sunday to see off the caravane publicitaire at 9h15 and the peloton at 11h. Riders will sign on and leave town by the Crédit Agricole bank.

In the town of Saint-Lary, local food and information will be showcased at the village d’animations in the ‘Ardoune’ and cable car parking areas. You can watch the race in progress on a big screen in front of the cable car station, with another screen by the Schuss at the Pla d’Adet. Once the race is over, festivities kick off, notably in the shape of a Bal Guinguette (dance with music) from 21h.

Links and numbers
Lézat-sur-Lèze: Town Hall (Mairie), Place Hôtel de Ville, 09210 Lézat-sur-Lèze, Tel. 05.61.69.10.05 www.lezat.fr
Saint-Lary: Tourist Office, 37 rue Vincent Mir, 65170 Saint-Lary Soulan, Tel. 05.62.39.50.81, www.saintlary.com

Road advice
NB: All road closure times are approximate and will depend on the amount of traffic.

Aure Valley
From Saturday afternoon till Sunday late evening, traffic will be greatly disrupted in the Aure Valley. When leaving after the race, a late departure is recommended, and it is advisable to avoid the valley by taking the Col d’Azet, the Col de Peyresourde, or by heading into Spain.

Saint-Lary
The town of Saint-Lary Soulan will be accessible until about 14h. The road towards Spain from Saint-Lary will be closed 14h-17h30.

Pla d’Adet and Espiaube (Saint-Lary 1700 and 1900)
The road to Pla d’Adet will be closed to traffic from approximately 13h30-23h. In the opposite direction (descending from Pla d’Adet), the road will reopen from 18h30.

Parking
In the town of Saint-Lary, the car parks for the cable car, stadium, and the ‘Ardoune’ car park will be entirely taken over by official Tour de France vehicles. Extra parking places will be made available at the entrance to the village (in the fields before the flashing traffic lights), in the villages of Vielle Aure and Vignec. In the centre of Saint-Lary, a car park will be open near the cemetery. See plan of Saint-Lary-Soulan car parks.

Parking will be restricted in the area of Saint-Lary 1700, with no cars allowed around the finishing line area (the Armazan, Edelweiss and Perce Neige car parks will be closed).

An extra car park will be opened at Espiaude. (Note that the extra car park at Pla d’Adet will be for Saint-Lary residents only)

Cable car
The cable car from St Lary to the Pla d’Adet will be running from 7-midnight on race day. A return journey costs 12 euros, while a one-way journey is 7 euros.

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