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Stage 13St.Etienne - Alpe d'Huez 204km |
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Stage 13 has a particular profile with the "Col de la République" and the "col du Grand Bois" hills right after the start and the climb toward the "Alpe d'Huez" to finish. Two obstacles separated by a 150-km flat part and a passage in the "Haute Ardèche" region, home to the Montgolfier brothers, who invented hot air balloons. The Alpe d'Huez, the first high-altitude finish in the history of the Tour, tainted by Fausto Coppi in 1952, has become legendary. Very typical with its 21 bends, this climb - a 1100-m rise in 14 km - has always been a true test. The crowd that gathers on the Oisans hills is mostly Dutch, and this has given the Alpe d'Huez the nickname of "top of the Netherlands," a pretty flat country. Climbs: km 12.5 Col du Grand Bois 12.5-km climb at 4.6 % km 203.5 L'Alpe d'Huez 13.8-km climb at 7.9 % 
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