Stage 8: Dole to Lausanne

A classic climb revived

After stages made tough by cobbles, a “mur” and a summit finish, the sprinters would normally think their time has come. And on a day that ends at the city of Lausanne, Switzerland, a nice flat finish alongside Lake Geneva could have been awaiting them. Instead, the route planners have inserted what is a revival of one of the more famous hill climbs in cycling history, À Travers Lausanne, last held in 2001.

This was an end-of-season invitational: a mass-start race followed by a time trial up a 5-kilometer course that ascended from the lakeside port through the city streets, some cobbled, to the plateau where the venerable Olympic Stadium stands. The list of winners included eight Tour de France champions, including Coppi, Merckx and Pantani. For this year’s Tour stage, the fourth kilometer averages almost 10 percent, with some even steeper pitches. Perhaps it will crown another Tour champion…