The mountains reassert their dominance between Pau and Gavarnie-Gèdre. With the Aspin, the Tourmalet and a final climb to one of the Pyrenees' most majestic sites, this stage has all the makings of a first major general classification showdown. The sequence demands both endurance and explosiveness, as the riders' bodies will have already absorbed a very dense week. The favorites won't be able to simply mark each other: they'll need to respond to attacks and avoid a bad day.