The 2003 Tour de France in the French Alps
Tour de France Stage 8 - Sunday 13th July : Sallanches - L'Alpe d'Huez ( 211 km )
Profile : The first tough climbing day of the 2003 Tour de France took the riders into the high Alps with the giant Col du Galibier and the Alpe d'Huez to finish.
Stage Detail : The stage started with a ten kilometre climb to the ski resort of Megeve before 100 kilometres of descending, flat and then very gradual climbing. The climbing really started in St-Michel-de-Maurienne with the 12 kilometre, Col du Telegraphe. The riders climbed to 1570 metres before descending for five kilometres to the ski resort of Valloire and then onto the giant 2646 metre, Col du Galibier. From Valloire, the riders had 18 kilometres of climbing at an average of just under seven percent, with the climb becoming increasingly steeper after the Plan Lachet.
The Galibier becomes increasingly more desolate with vegetation disappearing soon after Valloire and the last kilometres riding on a rocky mountainside. The view from the summit includes a superb panorama in each direction. To the north, the 4,800 metre Mont Blanc stands imposing on the skyline, and to the south, the snow covered 4,000 metre peaks of the Ecrins massif.
The first eight kilometres of descent from Galibier are technical until the Col du Lautaret. From the Lautaret, the riders will join the main road between Briancon and Grenoble and 40 kilometres after the Col du Lautaret, the riders will turn onto the climb to the ski resort of Alpe d'Huez.
The first three kilometres of the climb to Alpe d'Huez are the hardest and it was here that Lance Armstrong left his rivals in the 2001 Tour de France. After hairpin six, the gradient eases and the riders were able to see the road winding up the mountainside above them.
Before the 2003 Tour, the last time the Tour de France visited Alpe d'Huez was 2001 when the American Lance Armstrong won.
| Climb Name | Distance into Stage | Details |
| Côte de Megève | 10 km | 10 km climb at 5% |
| Col du Télégraphe | 125 km | 12 km climb at 6.8% |
| Col du Galibier | 149 km | 18.5 km climb at 6.7% |
| Alpe d'Huez | 211 km | 14 km climb at 8% |
Around Alpe d'Huez : Other notable climbs around Alpe d'Huez include the Col de la Croix de Fer, the Col du Glandon, the Col d'Ornon and the 2002 stage finish to Deux Alpes. In 2002, the Colombian rider Santiago Botero broke away from his breakaway companions to finish nearly two minutes ahead of Mario Aerts and Axel Merckx at the ski resort in Deux Alpes.
Best view points : Final kilometre of the Col du Galibier with the incredible view down over the previous five kilometres of road, and the top half of the Alpe d'Huez.
|
1
|
Iban Mayo (Spa) | Euskaltel-Euskadi | 5.57.30 (36.75 km/h) |
|
2
|
Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) | Team Telekom | @1.45 |
|
3
|
Lance Armstrong (USA) | US Postal-Berry Floor | @2.12 |
|
4
|
Francisco Mancebo (Spa) | iBanesto.com | @2.12 |
|
5
|
Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) | Euskaltel-Euskadi | @2.12 |
|
6
|
Joseba Beloki (Spa) | ONCE-Eroski | @2.12 |
|
7
|
Tyler Hamilton (USA) | Team CSC | @2.12 |
|
8
|
Ivan Basso (Ita) | Fassa Bortolo | @2.12 |
|
9
|
Roberto Laiseka (Spa) | Euskaltel-Euskadi | @2.12 |
|
10
|
Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) | Alessio | @3.36 |
General classification after stage 8
|
1
|
Lance Armstrong (USA) | US Postal-Berry Floor | 35.12.50 |
|
2
|
Joseba Beloki (Spa) | ONCE-Eroski | @0.40 |
|
3
|
Iban Mayo (Spa) | Euskaltel-Euskadi | @1.10 |
|
4
|
Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) | Team Telekom | @1.17 |
|
5
|
Francisco Mancebo (Spa) | iBanesto.com | @1.37 |
|
6
|
Tyler Hamilton (USA) | Team CSC | @1.52 |
|
7
|
Roberto Heras (Spa) | US Postal-Berry Floor | @1.58 |
|
8
|
Jan Ullrich(Ger) | Team Bianchi | @2.10 |
|
9
|
Ivan Basso (Ita) | Fassa Bortolo | @2.25 |
|
10
|
Jorg Jaksche (Ger) | ONCE-Eroski | @3.19 |
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Support for Lance Armstrong on hairpin one. |
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Looking towards hairpin one on the Alpe d'Huez. |
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The party around hairpin three on Alpe d'Huez. |
The Race
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Iban Mayo of the Spanish Euskaltel-Euskadi team riding to victory on Alpe d'Huez. |
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The Telekom rider Alexandre Vinokourov rides to second place on Alpe d'Huez. |
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Beloki leads the group containing Armstrong, Zubeldia, Hamilton and Basso . |
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The Spaniard Francisco Mancebo riding to fourth on the stage. |
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The Spaniard Roberto Heras on Alpe d'Huez. |
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The German rider, Jan Ullrich, riding to 13th position on Alpe d'Huez. |
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Georg Totschnig, Manuel Beltran and Jorg Jaksche on the Alpe d'Huez. |
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Riding to 19th on the stage, the Dutchman Michael Boogerd. |
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Stefano Garzelli on the Alpe d'Huez. |
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The French Champion, Didier Rous riding for the Brioches La Boulangere team. |
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Quick.Step-Davitamon team mates, Australian Michael Rogers rides with the yellow jersey, Richard Virenque on the Alpe d'Huez. |
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The Saeco riders, Jorg Ludewig and Gilberto Simoni above hairpin three on Alpe d'Huez. |
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The Spanish Team Bianchi rider, Aitor Garmendia rides alone on hairpin three on Alpe d'Huez. |
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The French Jean Delatour rider, Stephane Goubert on the Alpe d'Huez. |
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The first of the two large groups of riders who stuck together on the Alpe d'Huez. The group would cross the finish over 30 minutes behind the winner Mayo. |
Stage Seven of the 2003 Tour de France - Stage Nine of the 2003 Tour de France
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