The 2022 Tour de France is destined to be another highly entertaining edition featuring an as-always challenging route travelling over some of the country’s highest, most-renowned mountain passes in the process.
While the Alps will certainly sting legs and shape the race through the middle week, the Pyrenees will be where the most explosive, aggressive racing will take place as they round out the Grand Tour and present the final opportunities for contenders to give it their all in a bid for Yellow and podium positions.
This year’s race ventures into the Southern mountain range on Stage 15 featuring a fast and furious course from Rodez through to the stunning medieval city of Carcassonne. The second rest day will then proceed, before the Pyrenees start to turn it up a notch on Stage 16 that includes a warm welcome to the typically steep, leg zapping terrain over a rolling, punchy Pyrenean profile. Not enough to do major damage, but certainly enough to bite and tire the legs even further ahead of the final mountain days that follow.
Stage 17 will be the penultimate mountain stage of the race and fittingly features a succession of 4 challenging categorised climbs, including the Col d’Aspin, rounding out with a summit finish up the Peyragudes. There’s no denying that today’s stage will be attack marred as contenders go head-to-head over each climb knowing that it’s one of their final chances to gain time and not wanting to leave it all to chance on the closing mountain stage the next day.
Stage 18 will likely be one of the race’s toughest and as the last mountain stage of the race, it will be an absolute thriller to watch and a real leg breaker for the contenders at that. The 143km stage features 3 categorised climbs, two of which are Hors Catégorie: The Col de Aubisque and the Hautacam that returns as a summit finish for the first time since 2014. If the race isn’t already in complete pieces by the final climb, it’s inevitable that the battle up Hautacam will be something special as the likes of Roglic and Vingegaard give it their all to take down the unstoppable Pogačar.
Although the mountain madness through the Pyrenees will come to a close on Stage 18, Stage 19 will be nothing shy of entertaining as the sprinters battle it out for the last time before Paris on the hunt for precious Stage honours and Green Jersey points.
A race against the clock for Stage 20 will ensure that nothing is secure and everything is still on the line as the riders travel over a rolling 40km route from Lacapelle-Marival to Rocamadour. It certainly won’t be over, until it’s over!
Mummu Cycling are proud and excited to be hosting several experiences through the Pyrenees this July. Both tours take in the best of the final week’s race action and the inevitable exceptional mountain atmosphere, while also offering the opportunity to ride some of the most iconic Pyrenean climbs featured in the race. All while enjoying VIP hospitality and unique experiences along the way.
Browse our Pyrenees Pro and Pyrenees > Paris trips now and get in quick as limited places remain!