Dimension Data technology is being used in one of the most prestigious races on the cycling calendar, Tour de France. Discover some highlights and data from step 11 of the Tour de France: Pau / Cauterets – Vallée de Saint-Savin (188 km).

Stage Highlights

• Rafal Majka (TCS) 2014 defending King of the Mountains (KOM) champion, made his winning move to forge ahead from an earlier breakaway group, just 4 km from the summit of the Col du Tourmalet. It was great solo riding and an obviously pre-planned move by the talented rider from Poland.
• Stage 11 winners all came from an early breakaway group. Daniel Martin (TCG), the waif like rider from Ireland, rode a great race to come in second with Emanuel Buchmann (BOA) in third. Belgium rider, Serge Pauwels (MTN), also had a tremendous race, finishing fourth and summiting Tourmalet less than a minute behind the stage winner, Majka (TCS). Overall another fantastic day for the first ever African team, MTN-Qhubeka.
• Richie Porte (SKY) unselfishly helped team leader Chris Froome (SKY) by pacing in front of the main peloton for at least 40 km, instead of chasing down additional points in the KOM classification.
• The heat, big mountains and high pace caused many riders to abandon the race. Such is the Tour de France; you need to take each day as it comes. Although Froome (SKY) appears to be in charge at the moment; another 11 days awaits, and there’s no letting up!

Day in data

• Stage 11 – the second Pyrenean stage; covering a distance of 188 km from Pau to Cauterets – Vallée de Saint-Savin. A climber’s paradise, featuring two legendary climbs: Col d’Aspin and the Col du Tourmalet.
• 67 – the number of times Pau, the self-confessed ‘Capital of the Tour’, has hosted a stage – making it the third most visited stage next to Bordeaux (80), and Paris (104).
• 4 – the number of times Cauterets – Vallée de Saint-Savin has been a stage town.
• 41.6 km – the total distance of the six categorised climbs, including the famous hors catégorie climb up Col du Tourmalet – known as ‘the distance mountain’.
• 1682.2 km – the distance the riders still have to travel to Paris…they aren’t even halfway yet!
• 2115 m above sea level – altitude of the Col du Tourmalet, the highest summit in the Pyrénées in this years’ Tour de France.
• 80 – the number of times Le Tour has visited the summit of the Col du Tourmalet, making it the most visited summit on the Tour de France.
• Distance and average gradients of the category climbs on the stage:
  – 2 km at 7% – Côte de Loucrup (cat. 3) at km 48.5.
  – 1.4 km at 6.1% – Côte de Bagnères-de-Bigorre (cat. 4) at km 61.5.
  – 2.7 km at 6% – Côte de Mauvezin(cat. 3) at km 74.5.
  – 12 km at 6.5% – Col d’Aspin (cat. 1) at km 117.
  – 17.1 km at 7.3% – Col du Tourmalet (HC) at km 147.
  – 6.4 km at 5% – Côte de Cauterets (cat. 3) at km 184.5.
• 30.96 km/h – Majka’s (TCS) speed as he crossed the finish line in Cauterets.
• 32 – the total number of KOM points Majka (TCS) has won in the Pyrénées.
• 93.38 km/h – top recorded speed on the descent on the descent of the Col du Tourmalet to Luz-Saint-Sauveur by Alejandro Valverde (MOV) at km 149.
• 14’ 28” – the time gap between the first and last rider.
• 183 – the number of riders who started the stage.
• 6 – the number of riders who withdrew from the race; the highest number of riders to retire from a single stage on this year’s Tour – Costa (LAM), Gastauer (ALM), Taraamäe (AST), Van Summeren (ALM), Bennati (TCS), and Nerz (BOA).

Stage Winner

POL | Rafal Majka | TCS

Stage time: 05h 02′ 01″
Average speed: 37.35 km/h

Overall Jersey Leaders

Maillot jaune   |  GBR  |  Chris Froome – SKY | 41h 03′ 31”
Maillot vert      |  SVK  |  Peter Sagan – TCS | 239 points
Maillot blanc    |  Nairo Alexander Quintana – MOV | 41h 06′ 40”
Maillot à pois   |  GBR  |  Chris Froome – SKY | 57 points

For additional information, feel free to visit our beta tracking site for live updates on the action and watch our Day in Data videos. You can also register here to receive our Daily Data Wrap.

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