COURSE: Not a long stage, but the course is constantly climbingand descending. The climbs to Montsalvy (with 64km to go) and Bagnac (16kmfrom the finish) should see plenty of action, both in the likely breakawayand the group containing the race leader.

FAVORITES: With large time gaps created by the previous stage,there will be many riders willing to attack. It will difficult for theleader’s team to control all of them, so the finish could hold surprises.The likely protagonists are Paolo Bettini, Jens Voigt and Brad McGee.

STAGE 11 July 15 Saint-Flour - Figeac (101.91 mi/164km)

HISTORY: The town of Figeac is seeing a stage finish for thefirst time, but in 1978 the 13th stage started here when Belgian JosephBruyère was in the yellow jersey and his compatriot Paul Wellenswon the stage to Super Besse.

Antonin Magne (left in photo), who lived near St. Flour, wonthe Tour in 1931 and ’34, finished third in 1930 and second to SylvéreMaes in 1936. He became Raymond Poulidor’s directeur sportif in the 1960s.

ST-FLOUR:
Starts: 0
Finishes: 1 (1999)

FIGEAC:
Starts: 1 (1978)
Finishes: 0