Espelette is the French capital of the Chili Pepper. It’s the perfect place to spice up the finale of the Tour. It’s right in the heart of the Basque Country where no stage has been held since the 2006 stage 10 from Cambo-les-Bains to Pau. This time, the whole stage is on Basque territory. It’s a very special one as there’s only one individual time trial in the 105th Tour de France. The distance isn’t huge (31km) but it’s up and down all the way. It’s a much harder one than in Marseille last year. Climbs are steep and descents are very technical. Col de Pinodieta with 3km to go is a 1-km long climb with gradients nearing 20 to 22%! Interestingly, the top 4 GC riders are excellent time trialists. Geraint Thomas probably has enough of a lead to defend the yellow jersey but it’s all open between Tom Dumoulin, Primoz Roglic and Chris Froome for the final podium.
