Course: This is a much easier introduction to the mountains than in recent years. Instead of a mountaintop finish, the last of three climbs on this 190.5km stage across the Basque part of the Pyrénées is 42.5km from the finish in Pau. That means that riders dropped on the Col de Marie-Blanque will have a chance to chase back to the peloton. Breakaways will inevitably go clear on the rolling roads that precede the day’s major obstacle, the Col de Soudet, that climbs for almost 15km at over 7 percent, with some much steeper pitches on the upper reaches of the bumpy, narrow road that leads to the 5052-foot summit. The organizers have given the Soudet an hors-catégorie rating, which means that it’s one of the toughest climbs of this Tour. The Marie-Blanque, another 40km along the way, is shorter but even steeper, and could easily spring a breakaway group.

History: There have been more than 50 stage finishes at Pau, but the only similar stages coming from the Atlantic coast were in the mid-1980s. The closest to this one was from Bayonne to Pau in 1987, when the very tough Burdincurutcheta climb preceded the Soudet and Marie-Blanque. That stage saw a four-man break go clear of a 34-strong lead group on the last climb, with Dutchman Erik Breukink winning the stage ahead of Frenchman Jean-François Bernard and Colombians Pablo Wilches and Lucho Herrera, 3:45 ahead of the next group. Bernard and Herrera went on to finish that Tour in the top five. Last year. Oscar Pereiro won the stage into Pau from a small breakaway group started by Cadel Evans on the Col d’Aubisque.

Stage 10: Cambo-les-Bains to Pau - 190.5km

Favorites: The two main climbs will definitely break up the race, but a large group is likely to arrive in Pau to contest the stage win. The most likely stage winner is a climber not yet in contention, perhaps Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Fondital), who is a great sprinter in a small group.