The second stage of this year’s Pyrenean trilogy is one the most challenging on the Tour. With five mountain passes to tackle, the Tour’s climbing specialists will be keen to exert their superiority.

Col de Port is the opening ascent, introducing the pelaton to the stage with an 11.4km climb at an average gradient of 5.3%. Up next is Col de Portet d’Aspet, a shorter and steeper challenge taking riders back above 1,000 metres at a gradient of 6.9%.

After a sharp descent into Marignac, riders will scale the imposing Col De Mentè, a 7km challenge with a gradient of 8.1%, bringing the pelaton up to an altitude of 1,349 metres.

The fourth climb begins around the 140km mark and will see the Tour visit Port du Balès for the first time. Though the average gradient is 6.2%, points of the climb reach 14%, winding cyclists up narrow roads to the summit over an arduous 20km.

After the fifth and final ascent of the 15th stage, to Col de Peyresourde, the pelaton descend into Loudenvielle, a small mountain village in the Louron valley, hosting a stage for the third time.

In 1997, Frenchman Laurent Brochard claimed his only Tour stage win in the village. He was crowned World champion the same year, before being implicated in the Festina drugs scandal of 1998 and served with a suspension. He has since returned to the sport and will race for the Bouygues Telekom team in this year’s Tour.