Stage 16 of the Tour de France is the first of two difficult days in the Pyrenees from Pau to Bagneres-de-Luchon that promises to be critical for the GC race.
The 197 km stage features four categorized climbs including two hors category climbs and two Category 1 climbs.
The hors category climbs come at the beginning of the stage starting with the Col d'Aubisque, a 16.3 km climb with an average gradient of 7.1 percent and with a summit at 143.5 km to go.
The next hors category climb is the historic Col du Tourmalet climb, which is a 19 km climb up to the highest point in this years' Tour, which summits at 76.5 km to go in the stage.
Following the descent of the Tourmalet, the riders will immediately move onto the Col d'Aspin climb, a 12.4 km Category 1 climb which has its summit at 46.5 km to go.
The final mountain of the day is the 19.5 km long climb up the Category 1 Col de Peyresourde which has its summit with 15.5 km.
This means the riders will have a very quick 15.5 km descent down the Peyresourde to the finish line.
A breakaway is expected to form on the first climb of the day, up the Col d' Aubisque, with riders like Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), Chris Horner (RadioShack), or Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) as possible candidates to get into the mix.
However, the story of the day will be GC leaders like Cadel Evans (BMC) and Jurgen Van Den Broek (Lotto) who may try long attacks starting from as early as the Tourmalet
If the long attacks fail, expect to see fierce attacks on the final climb up the Peyresourde from good GC descenders like Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas).
Yellow-jersey holder Bradley Wiggins (Sky) will have to fend off these attacks with his strong team that has proven formidable so far.
One interesting story line might be if Wiggins' teammate Chris Froome (Sky), second overall in the GC, can keep up with a Nibali or Evans attack, but Wiggins cannot. If enough time is lost, Froome could be the new leader of the Sky team.
Keep your browser tuned in here, for live streaming coverage of an exciting Stage 16 of the Tour de France.
*** Stage 16 has ended, please click here for the latest live coverage of the Tour de France: /world-others/
