Draguignan - Gorges du Verdon     

A classic for climbers located in the south of France. Surely Mont Ventoux, I hear you say. But this classic, one of the oldest in the calendar, makes use of the stunning scenery surrounding the gorges of Verdon.
The race leaves Draguignan to the north, heading towards the hamlet of Ampus. The climbing starts almost immediately, slowly at first but picking up towards 9% on this 7km climb. Several riders may attack on this ...

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A classic for climbers located in the south of France. Surely Mont Ventoux, I hear you say. But this classic, one of the oldest in the calendar, makes use of the stunning scenery surrounding the gorges of Verdon.
The race leaves Draguignan to the north, heading towards the hamlet of Ampus. The climbing starts almost immediately, slowly at first but picking up towards 9% on this 7km climb. Several riders may attack on this climb in the hope that they can last to the end. After the village of Ampus and a short and easy descent into the village of Chateaudouble, the climbing starts once again. It is only a very small 6km climb, averaging just under 6%. At the top of this climb, there is no descent. Instead the riders have to cope with an undulating road on a false flat. This lack of descent prevents the riders dropped from taking risks on the descent to catch back up and remains the theme for the rest of the day.
Having passed through the village of Bargemon, the peloton will commence their penultimate climb of the day. It is 7km long with an average gradient of 6% and has ramps of up to 10%. Once again, the lack of descent at the top will see smaller groups form as they chase one another. The end of the official climb does not see the end of the increase in altitude though. There are several very short punchy climbs of just 1km with gradients of up to 12%. This series of 6 ramps over the next 40km will see the peloton break up as the weaker riders drop back.
With 10km left, the riders will attack the final climb of the day. It leads them up to the cliffs overlooking the stunning gorges where spectators will be able to enjoy the warm sun, spectacular views and exciting racing. This final climb is tough. It gives the better climbers in the peloton a chance to attack one another repeatedly, any weakness will see the rider drop back. The toughest part is the final 1.5km. This section reaches 15% and will catch any rider out who gave too much in the first part of the race.
It is not the toughest climbing race on the tour, but its profile is unique: the lack of any serious descending makes it impossible to recover from earlier efforts before the next climb, the location, and the wall of noise that greets the riders on the final 1.5km wall. It may not have the gradients of the better know Mur de Huy, but the fanatical fans crowding around lone riders under the scorching sun make it a prestigious classic to win.