In a different Tour, the sprinters who have dedicated themselves to saving strength in the first two days have their first opportunity. Jakobsen, Ewan, Groenewegen, Philipsen, Cavendish, etc. they were waiting for Hendaye to be crossed in order to reach more propitious ground for them.
134 km of the 193 of the day pass through Spanish territory. The end of the stage is in Bayonne, the most populated town in the French Basque Country. The peloton will leave Amorebieta at 1:00 p.m. and will have to overcome another four mountain passes, all in the first half of the stage, which is conducive to seeking a breakaway. Then it will be up to the sprinter teams to try to bring it down.
Bayonne, where Roger Lapébie, winner of the 1937 Tour, was born, was a classic from the first editions. Between 1906 and 1927 he did not miss the route of the French test. In all, he has hosted an arrival 33 times. Although now it’s been twenty years since he welcomed the caravan.
That stage of 2003 had its crumb. The American Tyler Hamilton, who raced with a broken clavicle from the first day due to a fall, escaped taking advantage of the last ports of the Pyrenees and won alone with almost two minutes ahead of the pack. The CSC cyclist, despite the ailment, finished fourth overall in Paris.
