Tour de France Stage 15: Pamiers to Bagnères-de-Luchon
Mon, July 19 —starts at 12:15 local time
About Stage 15
By Chris Brewer
While definitely a hard day in the saddle, the 21km descent to the line might give the main rivals a day to reset and see of anyone is showing signs of weakness via a strong paced ride to Bagnères-de-Luchon. While they won’t make it easy, there’s not a lot of places to make a strong attack, so it could be a good tactic today to make it a solid pace and see if anyone cracks.
About Pamiers
This is the first year Pamiers is a stage town for the Tour, but it is not unfamiliar to the race, having been visited nine times in the past. Nicknamed “little Venice” because of the canals around its old district, Pamiers is the second Tour stop in the southwestern department of Ariège. With a population near 16,000, it is the largest town in the area.
Pamiers is proud of its musical heritage: it is the birthplace of composer and musician Gabriel Faure, and is also home to the Latino Fiesta Festival, which will be celebrating its 15th year. The town also attracts visitors for its three tall bell towers overlooking the old district, as well as its historical fountains. Pamiers begins a stage of the Tour containing the Port de Bales climb, which has been tackled only once before. Indeed, tarmac was laid specifically for cycling races. The path is narrow and challenging, but the views are beautiful.
About Bagnères-de-Luchon
It’s been one hundred years since the Tour first visited Bagnères-de-Luchon, and it’s been back fifty times since then. Situated near the Venasque River in the Haute-Garonne area of the Pyrenees Mountains, the town is linked to the Superbagnères ski resort. In addition to skiing, visitors are drawn to Bagnères-de-Luchon for other outdoor recreational activities, such as mountain climbing and trips to the warm spring waters.
Bagnères-de-Luchon is also a cultural hotspot. Each year, the town hosts the International TV Film Festival, as well as the Flower Show. French writer Edmond Rostand spent years writing in Bagnères-de-Luchon at the Villa Julia, located near the finish line of the stage. Additionally, Bagnères-de-Luchon is home to the Musée du Pays de Luchon, where visitors can view art, an archeological collection, an exhibit of antique skis, and displays on the natural history of the Pyrenees.
-- City descriptions written by Rachel Horn
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