2015 Tour de France Route Analysis Stage 10-16

July 14^th, Stage 10 Tarbes – La Pierre Saint-Martin 167 km

            Suns out, guns out. After the rest day the “real” Tour begins. It is the first official finish atop the Col de Soudet at the town of La Pierre Saint-Martin. The climb to the finish is a brutal affair. The climb is 15.3km and averages a leg searing 7.4%. The Col de Soudet is the only categorized climb on the day so look for a breakaway to be established early on and enter the climb with a considerable advantage. This is the first of three hard days in the Pyrenees. The Col de Soudet is the beginning of where the Tour can be won as well as lost. Look for GC contenders Thibaut Pinot, Jean Christophe Peraud, and Romain Bardet to be extra motivated as it is Bastille Day.

2015 Tour de France Route: Initial Reaction Stages 1-9

Overall Stats:

3,344 km
3 Countries
26 Departments

Stage Distribution
9 Flat
3 Hilly
7 Mountain (5 Summit Finishes)
1 ITT - 13.7km
1 TTT - 28km

26 Climbs rated category 2, 1, or HC
Time bonuses for top 3 finishers
        -10", 6", 4"
        -Only awarded during first week

Powers Powering to Europe

            Unbeatable. Well, almost. This weekend at the Full Moon Vista-Ellison Park Cyclocross Festival current National Champ Jeremy Powers won his 8^th race of the 2014-2015 cyclocross season. Powers has been on fire this season, though he claims he is coming in a bit slower. Powers is definitely using the mantra “It’s All About Me” this year with the creation of his own program and dropping racing on the road. He hopes it will payoff with career best rest results.