STAGE 20 : Le Bourg d'Oisans > Alpe d'Huez

The final great mountain stage has the feel of a monument. Croix de Fer, Télégraphe, Galibier, Sarenne and then Alpe d'Huez: the sequence is colossal, and it comes on the eve of Paris. Gaps can open a long way from the finish, because after three weeks every valley, descent and turn on the front can become decisive. This is the stage where the Tour can swing, where the strongest climbers can win everything, and where fragile leaders will have nowhere to hide.