Stage 11 will be a very tough day for a very tired bunch of bike-racers. Several tough climbs along very small back roads are featured throughout the day. The final climb of the Col de la Croix-Nueve (now known as Larent Jalabert Mountain) goes for 2 miles at a 10% average gradient, with some stretches at 14%! That makes it the steepest (though certainly not the longest) climb of this year's Tour de France. Yikes!!!  Click for more stage background

This stage is almost exactly like the one in 1995 when French hero Laurent Jalabert broke away with four others. Jalabert won on the final climb of the Croix-Neuve, also featured as the last climb today. In fact, he won with such style that they renamed the climb the Montée Laurent Jalabert! Boy, the French really love the French.

Start Time: 12:00 p.m. Central European Time.

Stage Type: Road Race. Explain

Riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first at the end of the course. Members of teams together to work to give advantage to their fastest riders or to their rider best placed in the overall standings.

Stage Distance: 211 KM or 131.1 miles. How far is that?

211 kilometers is the same as 131 miles. That's about the distance from Los Angeles to Palm Springs in California. Believe me, that's a long way; especially if you've been doing it day after day in the sweltering French heat!

Estimated Length of Time:5:15 How long is that?

Five hours and fifteen minutes will be around about the time it takes for the riders to complete today's course. You could watch about three entire movies in that time, and that may be a better option considering the mid-July heat in France!

Terrain: hilly.

Number of Climbs: Three Cat 3, two Cat 2 climbs.. What does "cat" mean?

"Cat" is short for "category." The climbs are rated according to how long and hard they are. They are ranked Category 1-4, with 4 being the "easiest" (I'm not sure they're so easy!) and 1 being the "hardest." But wait- there's even a harder one! Climbs that are rated "Hors Categorie" (above category) are longer and steeper than a Category 1. That sounds HARD!

Estimated Calories: 6000 How much would you have to eat?

If I had to consume 6000 calories in one day, I'd probably go for one large pizza with Canadian back-bacon, one fruit smoothie, and three root beer floats. OK Mom- I'll eat a carrot stick too!

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Are you hungry?

By Mari Holden at Velo Betty

It's really important for the cyclists to eat and drink while they are on the bike. In a race like the Tour de France the riders can barely keep up with replacing the amount of calories that they burn. So, they have to make sure that they eat while they are riding. Normally they will carry some small bars and gels in their jersey pockets. But, they can go back to their team cars in the caravan to get more food and bottles. There are guys on the team who are designated to help the other riders, and they will make many trips to the car. Their job is really important because they are helping the other riders on the team. There are also areas called "feed zones" where each team has people waiting by the side of the road to hand their riders bottles. They normally hand the bottles to their riders in "musettes which are like cloth purses for food and bottle. That way each rider can get a couple bottles and some food all in one bag. The cyclists have to eat so much every day that they actually get tired of eating and have to work hard to get their calories. So, sometimes the teams add some of the riders favorites in their musette bags... Things like small sandwiches, and cookies are favorites...

 

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