The 2011 Tour de France encounters the last of its mountain stages when it travels from Modane Valfréjus to Alpe-d’Huez in the Alps. The cyclists cover a short distance of 109.5 kilometers, but the three climbs that they face on the heels of the other climbs since Tuesday could provide a tough contest this day.
The first climb, Col du Télégraphe, comes at just 26.5 kilometers into the race. Then 20 kilometers they will face the Col du Galibier again, racing to a summit of 2,556 meters. The Alpe d'Huez comes at the very end, a 13.8 kilometer climb to the finish line.
The riders will have the sprint just before they reach Bourg-d'Oisans, at which point the course begins to twist and turn up the Alpe d'Huez toward the finish line. If there's any point in this stage to watch, it's when the riders make the final climb. VERSUS has complete coverage beginning at 6 a.m. MT.
Thomas Voeckler lost a large portion of his lead and is just 15 second ahead of Andy Schleck. Tom Danielson of Garmin-Cervelo is the highest-ranked American. He is in ninth place and 7:08 behind Voeckler.
For in-depth coverage of the race, visit out cycling blog, Podium Cafe, and our SB Nation StoryStream.