Big wheels on a big mountain  

Big wheels on a big mountain

Today we"re high in the French Pyrenees at the Col d"Aubisque, a beautiful mountain pass topping out at 5,607 feet above sea level. The Col d"Aubisque is one of the legendary climbs of the Tour de France, which starts today in Nice. The grueling bicycle race lasts 23 days (21 days of racing), with riders clocking around 2,200 miles overall, and this mountain pass is often one of its most challenging stages. The road up the pass has grades in either direction that can tilt past 10%. This epic mountain stage was first added to the 1910 race and it"s since appeared in more than half the annual Tours, though not this year as it happens.

© Fco. Javier Sobrino/age fotostock

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