There were several familiar cols and mounts in the 2016 Tour de France route announcement Tuesday in Paris although iconic climbs such as Alpe d'Huez and the Col du Galibier have been rested for the 103rd edition of the race. In their places are the high mountains of Andorra and Switzerland, the two locations for next year's rest days, while Mont Ventoux makes its return to the race for the first time since 2013.
With several new climbs making their way into the route and others returning for 2016 after a haitus, Cyclingnews takes a look at five lesser known climbs to feature in next year's Tour de France.
Stage 8: Hourquette d'Ancizan - 8.2km at 4.9% (1,564m)
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The Pyrenean Hourquette d'Ancizan climb has featured in the Tour de France on just one previous occasion, the 2011 edition of the race on stage 12 from Cugnaux to Luz Ardiden, when it was the first of three categorised climbs on the day. The 8.2km climb was followed by the Col du Tourmalet and Luz Ardiden with Samuel Sánchez winning the stage, Alberto Contador losing time to his major rivals and Thomas Voeckler wearing the yellow jersey.
The peloton will ride the reverse of the 2011 stage with next year's stage 8 from to sending the riders over the Tourmalet and then the Hourquette d'Ancizan before the Col de Val-Louron-Azet and Peyresourde. Christian Prudhomme described the stage as potentially "a battle with several levels where anything and everything can happen."
Starting with an 11% pitch, the first 3km of the climb are the hardest with two other 10% plus gradients before slightly levelling out with sections of 8%, 6% and finally 9% at the top of the 8.2km. With cows a feature of the climb, riders will need to be careful on the narrow road while descending to avoid a bovine collision.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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