Since the start of the Tour the route has travelled west and south towards the start here in Barcelona. Now the Tour will start to head north and with this turn in direction comes the big mountains that the Tour is known for. Stage 7 is the longest stage of the year’s Tour de France, the first mountain top finish, and climbs to one of the highest points. The start line will be filled with nervous riders as some look to survive the day and some look to conquer the mountains.
Barcelona is the capital of the Catalonia region in Spain. In this area, as they do in many distinct areas of Spain, they have their own official language besides Spanish. Catalan is spoken throughout this area, taught in the schools, and is very different then the nations language of Spanish. It is also the official language of Andorra where today’s stage finishes. As the riders depart Barcelona they will encounter a stage profile that looks like a long slide. Instead of going down the slide they will be gradually climbing the slide until they reach the ski area Andorra Arcalis.
It was here in Andorra, in 1997, that Jan Ullrich attacked the group, and his teammate Bjarne Riis, to win the stage and take the yellow jersey. Riis was the winner of the 2006 Tour and looked to defend his title but the young Ullrich proved to be stronger. The 1997 race was the first time that the winner of the Tour, Jan Ullrich, also won the overall young riders jersey. The climb to Andorra is a grueling 18km long with an average grade of 5.2%. This tough climb will be the first key moment for the top riders to test themselves against each other and to do a leg check to see who has the advantage. At the finish in Andorra there will be an ample supply of surprises. The riders that place well here, historically speaking, are also the same ones that make it to the podium in Paris.
