«Allons enfants de la patrie...» we will hear sung almost everywhere on this day, July 14th, when France celebrates its national holiday. And the Tour honors the event by proposing a spectacular stage at the opening of its second week of racing. The Aurillac - Le Lioran offers 163.9 km, 3,800 meters of elevation gain and 7 categorized climbs: a menu for strong hearts - and especially strong legs.

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We are in the heart of the Massif Central: if Sunday had no flat sections, today... we do it again with the aggravating circumstance that the climbs are much more numerous and decidedly demanding.

After an initial altimetrically calm phase, which will be tackled at full speed to try to establish a strong breakaway, things get serious around the 65th kilometer: the first climb is the Côte de Pailherols, at km 68, 3rd category, 3 km at 7.2%; followed by the Col de la Griffoule, at km 97.2, 2nd category, 5.9 km at 6.7%, the first truly demanding point of the stage. Then comes two more 3rd category climbs: the Col de Prat de Bouc, at km 103.8, 3.1 km at 6.5% and the Côte de Murat at km 118.8, 5.2 km at 5.3%.

Things become even more serious with the Puy Mary - Pas de Peyrol (for those who know it, you climb from the Murat side), at km 135.7, 1st category, 7.8 km at 6% and shortly after with the Col de Pertus, at km 152.1, 1st category, 4.4 km at 8.5%. Finished? Not quite... To reach Le Lioran there is still the Col de Font de Cère, 3rd category, 3.1 km at 5.8%.

There is terrain for the attackers, for the climbers, for the general classification contenders if they decide to battle it out: there really are all the ingredients for a spectacular menu and, given what the riders have given us in the first nine days, we can bet that we won't be disappointed.